THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES Old Testament Prophecy - Angelfire

friends. 3 The Babylonians had an idol by the name of Bel; each day twelve artabas A of
flour, forty sheep, and six metretes B of wine were expended on it. 4 The king revered it
and went each day to worship it, but Daniel worshiped his God. 5 The king said to him,
"Why don't you worship Bel?" He said, "Because I do not revere manufactured idols,
but the living God, who created heaven and earth and who has dominion over all flesh."
6 The king said to him, "Doesn't it occur to you that Bel is the living God? Don't you see
how much he eats and drinks each day?" 7 Daniel laughed and said, "Do not be
deceived, O king, for this is clay on the inside and bronze on the outside, and it has
never eaten or drunk." 8 The king was enraged; he summoned his priests and said to
them, "If you do not tell me who eats this provision, you will die, but if you show that
Bel eats them, Daniel will die because he blasphemed against Bel." 9 Daniel said to the
king, "Let it be in agreement with your word." There were seventy priests of Bel,
besides wives and children. 10 The king came with Daniel into the house of Bel. 11 The
priests of Bel said, "Behold, we are proceeding outside. O king, set out the foods, set
down the blended wine, close the door, and seal it with your signet ring. When you
come in the morning, if you do not find everything eaten by Bel, we will die instead of
Daniel, who is lying about us." 12 They were unconcerned, for they had made a hidden
entrance under the table, and they regularly went in through it and consumed the
items. 13 It happened that, when they had gone out, the king set out the foods for Bel.
14 Daniel gave orders to his young servants, and they brought ash and dusted the entire
sanctuary in the presence of the king alone. They came out, closed the door, sealed it
with the signet ring of the king, and left. 15 The priests, their wives, and their children
came during the night according to their custom, and they ate and drank everything.
16 The king got up early in the morning, and Daniel accompanied him. 17 The king said,
"Are the seals intact, Daniel?" He said, "They are intact, O king." 18 It happened that, as
soon as he opened the doors, the king looked at the table and shouted in a loud voice,
"You are great, O Bel; there is no deceit in you, not one thing!" 19 Daniel laughed, and
he held the king back so that he might not go inside. He said, "Now look at the floor
and identify whose footprints these are." 20 The king said, "I see the footprints of men,
women, and children." 21 Then the king became wrathful, and he brought together the
priests, their wives, and their children. They showed him the hidden doors through
which they were going in and partaking of the things on the table. 22 The king killed
them and gave Bel as a present to Daniel, and he overturned it and its temple.
23 There was also a large dragon, and the Babylonians revered it. 24 The king said to
Daniel, "You won't say that this too is bronze, will you? Behold, he is alive, and he eats
and drinks. C You can't say that this is not the living God; worship him." 25 Daniel said, "I
will worship the Lord my God, for he is the living God. O king, give me authority, and I
will kill the dragon without a sword and staff." 26 The king said, "I give it to you."
27 Daniel took pitch, fat, and hair, and mixed them together. He made lumps and put
A See Is. 5:10
B See Hag. 2:16
C You won't say that this too is bronze, will you? Behold, he is alive, and he eats and
drinks. VcA ¦ ~ V*