THE HISTORY OF BEL THE DRAGON

Which is the fourteenth chapter of Daniel after the Latin.

NOW when King Astyages was laid with his fathers, Cyrus the Persian received his kingdom.

And Daniel did eat at the King’s table, and was honored above all his friends.

Now the Babylonians had an idol, called Bel, and there were spent upon him every day, twelve great measures of fine flour, and forty sheep, and six great pots of wine.

And the King worshiped it, and went daily to honor it: but Daniel worshiped his own God. And the King said unto him, Why do you not worship Bel?

Who answered, and said, Because I may not worship idols made with hands, but the living God, which hath created the heaven and the earth, and hath power upon all flesh.

Then said the King unto him, Think thou not that Bel is a living God? see thou not how much he eats and drinks every day?

Then Daniel smiled and said, O King, be not deceived: for this is but clay within, and brass without, and did never eat any thing.

So the King was wroth, and called for his Priests, and said unto them, If ye tell me not, who this is that eats up these expenses, ye shall die:

But if ye can certify me that Bel eats 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.

(Now the Priests of Bel were three score and ten besides their wives and children:) and the King went with Daniel into the temple of Bel.

So Bel’s Priests said, Behold, we will go out, and set thou the meat there, o King, and let the wine be filled: then shut the door fast, and seal it with thine own signet.

And tomorrow when thou come in, if thou find not that Bel hath eaten up all, we will suffer death, or else Daniel that hath lied upon us.

Now they thought themselves sure enough: for under the table they had made a private entrance, and there went they in ever, and took away the things.

So when they were gone forth, the King set meats, before Bel. Now Daniel had commanded his servants to bring ashes, and these they strewn 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.

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.

In the morning betimes, the King arose and Daniel with him.

And the King said, Daniel, are the seals whole? Who answered, Yea, o King, they be whole.

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.

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.

And the King said, I see the footsteps of men, women, and children: therefore the King was angry,

And took the Priests, with their wives, and children, and they showed him the private doors, where they came in, and consumed such things as were upon the table.

Therefore the King slew them, and delivered Bel into Daniel’s power, who destroyed him and his temple.

Moreover in that same place there was a great dragon, which the Babylonians worshiped.

And the King said unto Daniel, Say thou, that this is of brass also? lo, he lives and eats and drinks, so that thou can not say, that he is no living god: therefore worship him.

Then said Daniel unto the King, I will worship the Lord my God: for he is the living God.

But give me leave, o King, and I will slay this dragon without sword or staff. And the King said, I give thee leave.

Then Daniel took pitch, and fat, and hair, and did seeth them together, and made lumps thereof: this he put in the dragon’s mouth, and so the dragon burst asunder. And Daniel said, Behold, whom ye worship.

When the Babylonians heard it, they were wonderful wroth, and gathered them together against the King, saying, The King is become a Jew: for he hath destroyed Bel, and hath slain the dragon, and put the Priests to death.

So they came to the King, and said, Deliver us Daniel, or else we will destroy thee and thine house.

Now when the King saw, that they pressed sore upon him, and that necessity constrained him, he delivered Daniel unto them:

Who cast him into the lion’s den, where he was six days.

In the den there were seven lions, and they had given them every day two bodies and two sheep, which then were not given them, to the intent that they might devour Daniel.

Now there was in Jewry a Prophet called Abbacuc, which had made pottage, and broken bread into a bowl, and was going into the field for to bring it to the reapers.

But the Angel of the Lord said unto Abbacuc, Go, carry the meat that thou hast, into Babylon unto Daniel, which is in the lion’s den.

And Abbacuc said, Lord, I never saw Babylon, neither do I know where the den is.

Then the Angel took him by the crown of the head, and bare him by the hair of the head, and through a mighty wind set him in Babylon upon the den.

And Abbacuc cried, saying, O Daniel, Daniel, take the dinner that God hath sent thee.

Then said Daniel, O God, thou hast thought upon me, and thou never fail them that seek thee and love thee.

So Daniel arose, and did eat, and the Angel of the Lord set Abbacuc in his own place again immediately.

Upon the seventh day, the King went to bewail Daniel: and when he came to the den, he looked in, and behold, Daniel sat in the midst of the lions.

Then cried the King with a loud voice, saying, Great art thou, o Lord God of Daniel, and there is none other besides thee.

And he drew him out of the den, and cast them that were the cause of his destruction into the den, and they were devoured in a moment before his face.