Bel and the Dragon 1
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1NOw when King Astyages was laide with his fathers, Cyrus the Persian receiued his kingdome. 2And Daniel did eat at the Kings table, & was honored aboue all his friends. 3Now the Babylonians had an idole, called Bel, and there were spent vpon him euerie day, twelue great measures of fine floure, and fortie shepe, and six great pottes of wine. 4And the King worshipped it, and went daily to honour it: but Daniel worshipped his owne God. And the King said vnto him, Why doest not thou worship Bel? 5Who answered, and said, Because I may not worship idoles made with hands, but the liuing God, which hathe created the heauen & the earth, and hathe power vpon all flesh. 6Then said the King vnto him, Thinkest thou not that Bel is a liuing God? seest thou not how muche he eateth and drinketh euerie day? 7Then Daniel smiled and said, O King, be not deceiued: for this is but claye within, and brasse without, and did neuer eat any thing. 8So the King was wroth, and called for his Priests, and said vnto them, If ye tell me not, who this is that eateth vp these expenses, ye shal dye: 9But if ye can certifie me that Bel eateth them, then Daniel shal dye: for he hathe spoken blasphemie against Bel. And Daniel said vnto the King, Let it be according to thy worde. 10(Now the Priests of Bel were thre score and ten beside their wiues and children:) and the King went with Daniel into the temple of Bel. 11So Bels Priests said, Beholde, we wil go out, and set thou the meat there, ô King, & let the wine be filled: then shut the dore 12And to morowe when thou commest in, if thou findest not that Bel hathe eaten vp all, we wil suffer death, or els Daniel that hathe lyed vpon vs. 13Now thei thoght them selues sure ynough: for vnder the table thei had made a priuie entrance, and there went they in euer, and toke away the things. 14So when they were gone forthe, the King set meates before Bel. Now Daniel had commanded his seruants to bring ashes, and these they strowed thorowout all the temple, in the presence of the King alone: then went they out, and shut the dore, & sealed it with the Kings signet, and so departed. 15Now in the night came the Priests, with their wiues and children, (as they were wonte to do) and did eat and drinke vp all. 16In the morning betimes, the King arose and Daniel with him. 17And the King said, Daniel, are the seales whole? Who answered, Yea, ô King, thei be whole. 18And assone as he had opened the dore, the King loked vpon the table, and cryed with a loude voyce, Great art thou, ô Bel, and with thee is no disceite. 19Then laughed Daniel, and helde the King that he shulde not go in, & said, Beholde now the pauement, and marke wel whose footesteppes are these. 20And the King said, I se the footesteppes of men, women, and children: therefore the King was angrie, 21And toke the Priests, with their wiues, and children, and they shewed him the priuie dores, where they came in, and consumed suche things as were vpon the table. 22Therefore the King slewe them, and deliuered Bel into Daniels power, who destroyed him and his temple. 23¶ Moreouer in that same place there was a great dragon, which the Babylonians worshipped. 24And the King said vnto Daniel, Sayest thou, that this is of brasse also? lo, he liueth and eateth and drinketh, so that thou canst not say, that he is no liuing god: therefore worshippe him. 25Then said Daniel vnto the King, I wil worshippe the Lord my God: for he is the liuing God. 26But giue me leaue, ô King, and I wil slay this dragon without sworde or staffe. And the King said, I giue thee leaue. 27Then Daniel toke pitche, and fatte, & heere, and did seeth them together, & made lompes thereof; this he put in the dragons mouthe, and so the dragon burst in sunder. And Daniel said, Beholde, whome ye worshippe. 28When the Babylonians heard it, they were wonderful wroth, and gathered them together against the King, saying, The King is become a Iewe: for he hathe destroyed Bel, and hathe slaine the dragon, and put the Priests to death. 29So they came to the King, and said, Deliuer vs Daniel, or els we wil destroy thee and thine house. 30Now when the King sawe, that thei preased sore vpon him, and that necessitie constreined him, he deliuered Daniel vnto them: 31Who cast him into the lions denne, where he was six daies. 32In the denne there were seuen lions, and they had giuen them euerie day two bodies and two shepe, which then were not giuen them, to the intent that they might deuour Daniel. 33¶ Now there was in Iewrie a Prophet called Abbacuc, which had made potage, and broken bread into a bowle, and was going into the field for to bring it to the reapers. 34But the Angel of the Lord said vnto Abbacuc, Go, carye the meat that thou hast, into Babylon vnto Daniel, which is in the lions denne. 35And Abbacuc said, Lord, I neuer sawe Babylon, nether do I knowe where the denne is. 36Then the Angel toke him by the crowne of the head, and bare him by the heere of the head, and through a mightie winde set him in Babylon vpon the denne. 37And Abbacuc cryed, saying, O Daniel, Daniel, take the dinner that God hathe sent thee. 38Then said Daniel, O God, thou hast thoght vpon me, and thou neuer failest them that seke thee and loue thee. 39So Daniel arose, and did eat, and the Angel of the Lord set Abbacuc in his owne place againe immediatly. 40Vpon the seuenth day, the King went to bewaile Daniel: and when he came to the denne, he loked in, and beholde, Daniel sate in the middes of the lions. 41Then cryed the King with a loude voyce, saying, Great art thou, ô Lord God of Daniel, and there is none other besides thee. 42And he drewe him out of the denne, and cast them that were the cause of his destruction into the denne, & they were deuoured in a momente before his face.
Chapters in Bel and the Dragon