THE PROPHECY OF DANIEL
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
13:55. And Daniel said: Well hast thou lied against thy own head: for behold the angel of God having received the sentence of him, shall cut thee in two.
13:56. And having put him aside, he commanded that the other should come, and he said to him: O thou seed of Chanaan, and not of Juda, beauty hath deceived tee, and lust hath perverted thy heart:
13:57. Thus did you do to the daughters of Israel, and they for fear conversed with you: but a daughter of Juda would not abide your wickedness.
13:58. Now, therefore, tell me, under what tree didst thou take them conversing together. And he answered: Under a holm tree.
13:59. And Daniel said to him: Well hast thou also lied against thy own head: for the angel of the Lord waiteth with a sword to cut thee in two, and to destroy you.
13:60. With that all the assembly cried out with a loud voice, and they blessed God, who saveth them that trust in him.
13:61. And they rose up against the two elders, (for Daniel had convicted them of false witness by their own mouth) and they did to them as they had maliciously dealt against their neighbour,
13:62. To fulfil the law of Moses: and they put them to death, and innocent blood was saved in that day.
13:63. But Helcias, and his wife, praised God, for their daughter, Susanna, with Joakim, her husband, and all her kindred, because there was no dishonesty found in her.
13:64. And Daniel became great in the sight of the people from that day, and thence forward.
13:65. And king Astyages was gathered to his fathers; and Cyrus, the Persian, received his kingdom.
Daniel Chapter 14
The history of Bel, and of the great serpent worshipped by the Babylonians.
14:1. And Daniel was the king's guest, and was honoured above all his friends.
The king's guest... It seems most probable, that the king here spoken of was Evilmerodach, the son and successor of Nabuchodonosor, and a great favourer of the Jews.
14:2. 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.
14:3. The king also worshipped him, and went every day to adore him: but Daniel adored his God. And the king said to him: Why dost thou not adore Bel?
14:4. And he answered, and said to him: Because I do not worship idols made with hands, but the living God, that created heaven and earth, and hath power over all flesh.
14:5. And the king said to him: Doth not Bel seem to thee to be a living god? Seest thou not how much he eateth and drinketh every day?
14:6. Then Daniel smiled, and siad: O king, be not deceived: for this is but clay within, and brass without, neither hath he eaten at any time.
14:7. And the king being angry, called for his priests, and siad to them: If you tell me not who it is that eateth up these expenses, you shall die.
14:8. But if you can shew that Bel eateth these things, Daniel shall die, because he hath blasphemed against Bel. And Daniel said to the king: Be it done according to thy word.
14:9. Now the priests of Bel were seventy, beside their wives, and little ones, and children. And the king went with Daniel into the temple of Bel.
14:10. And the priests of Bel said: Behold, we go out: and do thou, O king, set on the meats, and make ready the wine, and shut the door fast, and seal it with thy own ring:
14:11. And when thou comest in the morning, if thou findest not that Bel hath eaten up all, we will suffer death, or else Daniel, that hath lied against us.
14:12. And they little regarded it, because they had made under the table a secret entrance, and they always came in by it, and consumed those things.
14:13. So it came to pass after they were gone out, the king set the meats before Bel: and Daniel commanded his servants, and they brought ashes, and he sifted them all over the temple before the king: and going forth, they shut the door, and having sealed it with the king's ring, they departed.
14:14. But the priests went in by night, according to their custom, with their wives, and their children: and they eat and drank up all.
14:15. And the king arose early in the morning, and Daniel with him.
14:16. And the king said: Are the seals whole, Daniel? And he answered: They lare whole, O king.
14:17. And as soon as he had opened the door, the king looked upon the table, and cried out with a loud voice: Great art thou, O Bel, and there is not any deceit with thee.
14:18. And Daniel laughed: and he held the king, that he should not go in: and he said: Behold the pavement, mark whose footsteps these are.
14:19. And the king said: I see the footsteps of men, and women, and children. And the king was angry.
14:20. Then he took the priests, and their wives, and their children: and they shewed him the private doors by which they came in, and consumed the things that were on the table.
14:21. The king, therefore, put them to death, and delivered Bel into the power of Daniel: who destroyed him and his temple.
14:22. And there was a great dragon in that place, and the Babylonians worshipped him.
14:23. And the king said to Daniel: Behold, thou canst not say now, that this is not a living god: adore him, therefore.
14:24. And Daniel said: I adore the Lord, my God: for he is the living God: but that is no living god.
14:25. But give me leave, O king, and I will kill this dreagon without sword or club. And the king said, I give thee leave.
14:26. Then Daniel took pitch, and fat, and hair, and boiled them together: and he made lumps, and put them into the dragon's mouth, and the dragon burst asunder. And he said: Behold him whom you worship.