The History of the Destruction os f BEL and the DRAGON, cut off from the end of DANIEL.
AND king Astyages was gathered to his fathers, and Cyrus of Persia . _ received his kingdom. H wrf with 5 ^n(* Daniel II conversed with the king, tbt'ttiK. and was honoured above all his friends.
3 Now the Babylonians had an idol, called Bel, and there was spent upon him every day twelve great measures of fine flour, and forty sheep, and six vessels of wine.
4 And the king worshipped it, and went daily to adore it : but Daniel worshipped his own God. And the king said unto him, Why dost not thou worship Bel ?
5 Who answered and said, Because I may not worship idols made with hands, but the living God, who hath created the heaven and the earth, and hath sovereignty over all flesh.
6 Then said the king unto him, Thinkest thou not that Bel is a living God ? seest thou not how much he eateth and drink- €th every day ?
7 Then Daniel smiled, and said, O king, be not deceived : for this is but clay with in, and brass without, and did never a eat or drink any thing.
8 So the king was wroth, and called for his priests, and said unto them, If ye tell me not who this is that devoureth these expences, ye shall die.
9 But if yc can certify me that Bel de voureth them, then Daniel shall die : for he hath spoken blasphemy against Bel. And Daniel said unto the king, Let it be according to thy word.
10 Now the priests of Bel were three score and ten, beside their wives and child ren. And the king went with Daniel into the temple of Bel.
11 So Bel's priests said, Lo, we go out : hut thou, O king, set on the meat, and make ready the wine, and shut the door fast, and seal it with thine own signet ;
12 And to morrow when thou comest an, if thou sindest not that Bel hath eaten up all, we will suffer death ; or else Daniel, that speaketh falsely against us.
13 And they little regarded it : for under the table they had made a privy entrance, whereby they entered in continually, and consumed those things.
14 So when they were gone forth, the king set meats before Bel. Now Daniel had commanded his servants to bring ashes, and those they strewed throughout all the temple in the presence of the king alone : then went they out, and shut the door, and sealed it with the king's signet, and so departed.
15 Now in the night came the priests with their wives and children, as they were wont to do, and did eat and drink up all.
16 In the morning betime the king arose, and Daniel with him.
17 And the king said, Daniel, are the seals whole ? And he said, Yea, O king, they be whole.
18 And as soon as he had opened the door, the king looked upon the table, and cried with a loud voice, Great art thou, O Bel, and with thee is no deceit at all.
19 Then laughed Daniel, and held the king that he should not go in, and said, Behold now the pavement, and mark well whose footsteps are these.
20 And the king said, I see the soot-steps of men, women, and children. And then the king was angry,
21 And took the priests with their wives and children, who shewed him the privy doors, where they came in, and consumed such things as were upon the table.
22 Therefore the king flew them, and delivered Bel into Daniel's, power, who destroyed him and his temple.
23 H And in that fame place there was a great dragon, which they of Babylon wor shipped.
24 And the king said unto Daniel, Wilt thou also lay that this is of brass ? lo, he liveth, he eateth and drinketh ; thou canst not fay that he is no living god : therefore worship him.
25 Then said Daniel unto the king, I will worship the Lord my God : for he is the living God.
26 But give me leave, O king, and I shall flay this dragon without sword or staff. The king said, I give thee leave.
27 Then Daniel took pitch, and fat, and hair, and did seethe them together, and made lumps thereof : this he put in the dragon's mouth, and so the dragon burst in sunder : and Daniel said, II Lo, these are the gods ye worship.
|| Some add this title, Of the dragsH. tor, Btboltt •what ft •KorjHf,
