Daniel and the Priests of Bel

When King Astyages was laid to rest with his ancestors, Cyrus the Persian succeeded to his kingdom.

Daniel was a companion of the king and was the most honored of all his Friends.

The king revered it and went every day to worship it. But Daniel worshiped his own God. So the king said to him, “Why do you not worship Bel?”

And Daniel laughed and said, “Do not be deceived, O king, for this thing is only clay inside and bronze outside, and it has never eaten or drunk anything.”

But if you prove that Bel is eating them, Daniel shall die because he has spoken blasphemy against Bel.” Daniel said to the king, “Let it be done as you have said.”

Now there were seventy priests of Bel, besides their wives and children. So the king went with Daniel into the temple of Bel.

When you return in the morning, if you do not find that Bel has eaten it all, we will die; otherwise Daniel will, who is telling lies about us.”

After they had gone out, the king set out the food for Bel. Then Daniel ordered his servants to bring ashes, and they scattered them throughout the whole temple in the presence of the king alone. Then they went out, shut the door and sealed it with the king’s signet, and departed.

Early in the morning the king rose and came, and Daniel with him.

The king said, “Are the seals unbroken, Daniel?” He answered, “They are unbroken, O king.”

But Daniel laughed and restrained the king from going in. “Look at the floor,” he said, “and notice whose footprints these are.”

Therefore the king put them to death and gave Bel over to Daniel, who destroyed it and its temple.

Daniel Kills the Dragon

Now in that place there was a great dragon that the Babylonians revered.

The king said to Daniel, “You cannot deny that this is a living god, so worship him.”

Daniel said, “I worship the Lord my God, for he is a living God.

Then Daniel took pitch, fat, and hair and boiled them together and made cakes, which he fed to the dragon. The dragon ate them and burst open. Then Daniel said, “See what you have been worshiping!”

Going to the king, they said, “Hand Daniel over to us, or else we will kill you and your household.”

The king saw that they were pressing him hard, and under compulsion he handed Daniel over to them.

Daniel in the Lions’ Den

They threw Daniel into the lions’ den, and he was there for six days.

There were seven lions in the den, and every day they had been given two human bodies and two sheep, but now they were given nothing, so that they would devour Daniel.

But the angel of the Lord said to Habakkuk, “Take the food that you have to Babylon, to Daniel, in the lions’ den.”

Then Habakkuk shouted, “Daniel, Daniel! Take the food that God has sent you.”

Daniel said, “You have remembered me, O God, and have not abandoned those who love you.”

So Daniel got up and ate. And the angel of God immediately returned Habakkuk to his own place.

On the seventh day the king came to mourn for Daniel. When he came to the den he looked in, and there sat Daniel!