Bel and the Dragon

Bel and the Dragon

[Bel]

When King Astyages was laid with his fathers, Cyrus the Persian received his kingdom. And Daniel was a companion of the king, and was honored above all his friends.

Now the Babylonians had an idol called Bel, and every day they spent on it twelve bushels of fine flour, forty sheep, and six measures of wine. The king revered it and went each day to worship it; but Daniel worshiped his own God. The king said to him, “Why do you not worship Bel?” Daniel answered, “Because I do not revere idols made with hands, but the living God who made heaven and earth and has dominion over all flesh.”

The king said, “Do you not think that Bel is a living god? Do you not see how much he eats and drinks each day?” Daniel laughed and said, “Do not be deceived, O king; this is but clay within and bronze without, and it has never eaten or drunk anything.”

The king was angry and called the priests of Bel and said, “If you do not tell me who eats these provisions, you shall die; but if you show that Bel eats them, Daniel shall die for blaspheming Bel.” There were seventy priests of Bel, besides their wives and children. The priests said, “See, we will go outside; you, O king, set out the food and the wine, then shut the door and seal it with your ring. If in the morning the food is not gone, we will die; otherwise Daniel will, who has spoken falsely against us.” They were unconcerned, for beneath the table they had made a hidden entrance, and through it they always came in and consumed the offerings.

When they had gone out, the king set the food before Bel. Then Daniel ordered his servants to bring ashes, and they scattered them throughout the temple in the presence of the king alone. They went out, shut the door, sealed it with the king’s ring, and departed. In the night the priests came as usual, with their wives and children, and ate and drank everything.

Early in the morning the king came, and Daniel with him. The king said, “Are the seals unbroken, Daniel?” He said, “They are unbroken, O king.” As soon as the doors were opened the king looked at the table and cried with a loud voice, “Great are you, O Bel, and with you there is no deceit at all!” But Daniel laughed and held back the king from going in, and said, “Look at the floor and consider whose footprints these are.” The king said, “I see the footprints of men, women, and children.”

Then the king was enraged and seized the priests, their wives, and their children. They showed him the hidden doors by which they came to eat what was on the table. So the king put them to death and handed Bel over to Daniel, who destroyed it and its temple.

[The Dragon]

There was also a great dragon, which the Babylonians revered. The king said to Daniel, “You cannot say that this is not a living god; so worship it.” Daniel said, “I will worship the LORD my God, for he is the living God. But give me leave, O king, and I will slay the dragon without sword or staff.” The king said, “I give you leave.”

Then Daniel took pitch, fat, and hair, and boiled them together; he made cakes of them and put them into the dragon’s mouth. The dragon ate them and burst open. And Daniel said, “See now what you have been worshiping!”

When the Babylonians heard of it they were greatly enraged and gathered against the king, saying, “The king has become a Jew. He has torn down Bel, killed the dragon, and slaughtered the priests.” They came to the king and demanded, “Hand Daniel over to us, or we will kill you and your household.” Seeing himself pressed hard, the king under compulsion handed Daniel over to them.

[Daniel in the Lions’ Den]

They threw Daniel into a den of lions, and he was there six days. In the den were seven lions, and each day they had been given two human bodies and two sheep; but now they were given nothing, that they might devour Daniel.

Now the prophet Habakkuk was in Judea. He had boiled a stew and broken bread into a bowl, and was going into the field to bring it to the reapers. But the angel of the LORD said to Habakkuk, “Carry the meal you have to Babylon, to Daniel, in the lions’ den.” Habakkuk said, “Lord, I have never seen Babylon, and I do not know the den.” Then the angel of the LORD took him by the crown of his head and, lifting him by his hair, set him down in Babylon, right over the den, with the rushing of his spirit.

Habakkuk called out, “Daniel, Daniel! Take the meal that God has sent you.” Daniel said, “You have remembered me, O God, and have not forsaken those who love you.” So Daniel rose and ate; and the angel of God at once returned Habakkuk to his own place.

On the seventh day the king came to mourn for Daniel. When he came to the den and looked in, there sat Daniel. The king cried with a loud voice, “Great are you, O LORD, the God of Daniel, and there is no other besides you!” Then he drew Daniel out, and threw into the den those who had sought his destruction, and they were devoured before his eyes.