Daniel 14

DOUAI-RHEIMS	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 And Daniel was the king's guest, and was honoured above all his friends.	1 After King Astyages was laid with his fathers, Cyrus the Persian succeeded to his kingdom.
2 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 sixty vessels of wine.	2 Daniel was the king's favorite and was held in higher esteem than any of the friends of the king.
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?	3 The Babylonians had an idol called Bel, and every day they provided for it six barrels of fine flour, forty sheep, and six measures of wine.
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.	4 The king worshiped it and went every day to adore it; but Daniel adored only his God.
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?	5 When the king asked him, "Why do you not adore Bel?" Daniel replied, "Because I worship not idols made with hands, but only the living God who made heaven and earth and has dominion over all mankind."
6 Then Daniel smiled and said: O king, be not deceived: for this is but clay within, and brass without, neither hath he eaten at any time.	6 Then the king continued, "You do not think Bel is a living god? Do you not see how much he eats and drinks every day?"
7 And the king being angry called for his priests, and said to them: If you tell me not, who it is that eateth up these expenses, you shall die.	7 Daniel began to laugh. "Do not be deceived, O king," he said; "it is only clay inside and bronze outside; it has never taken any food or drink."
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.	8 Enraged, the king called his priests and said to them, "Unless you tell me who it is that consumes these provisions, you shall die.
9 Now the priests of Bel were seventy, besides their wives, and little ones, and children. And the king went with Daniel into the temple of Bel.	9 But if you can show that Bel consumes them, Daniel shall die for blaspheming Bel." Daniel said to the king, "Let it be as you say!"
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:	10 There were seventy priests of Bel, besides their wives and children. When the king went with Daniel into the temple of Bel,
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.	11 the priests of Bel said, "See, we are going to leave. Do you, O king, set out the food and prepare the wine; then shut the door and seal it with your ring.
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.	12 If you do not find that Bel has eaten it all when you return in the morning, we are to die; otherwise Daniel shall die for his lies against us."
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.	13 They were not perturbed, because under the table they had made a secret entrance through which they always came in to consume the food.
14 But the priests went in by night, according to their custom, with their wives and their children: and they ate and drank up all.	14 After they departed the king set the food before Bel, while Daniel ordered his servants to bring some ashes, which they scattered through the whole temple; the king alone was present. Then they went outside, sealed the closed door with the king's ring, and departed.
15 And the king arose early in the morning, and Daniel with him.	15 The priests entered that night as usual, with their wives and children, and they ate and drank everything.
16 And the king said: Are the seals whole, Daniel? And he answered: They are whole, O king.	16 Early the next morning, the king came with Daniel.
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.	17 "Are the seals unbroken, Daniel?" he asked. And Daniel answered, "They are unbroken, O king."
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.	18 As soon as he had opened the door, the king looked at the table and cried aloud, "Great you are, O Bel; there is no trickery in you."
19 And the king said: I see the footsteps of men, and women, and children. And the king was angry.	19 But Daniel laughed and kept the king from entering. "Look at the floor," he said; "whose footprints are these?"
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.	20 "I see the footprints of men, women, and children!" said the king.
21 The king therefore put them to death, and delivered Bel into the power of Daniel: who destroyed him, and his temple.	21 The angry king arrested the priests, their wives, and their children. They showed him the secret door by which they used to enter to consume what was on the table.
22 And there was a great dragon in that place, and the Babylonians worshipped him.	22 He put them to death, and handed Bel over to Daniel, who destroyed it and its temple.
23 And the king said to Daniel: Behold thou canst not say now, that this is not a living god: adore him therefore.	23 There was a great dragon which the Babylonians worshiped.
24 And Daniel said: I adore the Lord my God: for he is the living God: but that is no living god.	24 "Look!" said the king to Daniel, "you cannot deny that this is a living god, so adore it."
25 But give me leave, O king, and I will kill this dragon without sword or club. And the king said: I give thee leave.	25 But Daniel answered, "I adore the Lord, my God, for he is the living God.
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 worshipped.	26 Give me permission, O king, and I will kill this dragon without sword or club." "I give you permission," the king said.
27 And when the Babylonians had heard this, they took great indignation: and being gathered together against the king, they said: The king is become a Jew. He hath destroyed Bel, he hath killed the dragon, and he hath put the priests to death.	27 Then Daniel took some pitch, fat, and hair; these he boiled together and made into cakes. He put them into the mouth of the dragon, and when the dragon ate them, he burst asunder. "This," he said, "is what you worshiped."
28 And they came to the king, and said: Deliver us Daniel, or else we will destroy thee and thy house.	28 When the Babylonians heard this, they were angry and turned against the king. "The king has become a Jew," they said; "he has destroyed Bel, killed the dragon, and put the priests to death."
29 And the king saw that they pressed upon him violently: and being constrained by necessity he delivered Daniel to them.	29 They went to the king and demanded: "Hand Daniel over to us, or we will kill you and your family."
30 And they cast him into the den of lions, and he was there six days.	30 When he saw himself threatened with violence, the king was forced to hand Daniel over to them.
31 And in the den there were seven lions, and they had given to them two carcasses every day, and two sheep: but then they were not given unto them, that they might devour Daniel.	31 They threw Daniel into a lions' den, where he remained six days.
32 Now there was in Judea a prophet called Habacuc, and he had boiled pottage, and had broken bread in a bowl: and was going into the field, to carry it to the reapers.	32 In the den were seven lions, and two carcasses and two sheep had been given to them daily. But now they were given nothing, so that they would devour Daniel.
33 And the angel of the Lord said to Habacuc: Carry the dinner which thou hast into Babylon to Daniel, who is in the lions' den.	33 In Judea there was a prophet, Habakkuk; he mixed some bread in a bowl with the stew he had boiled, and was going to bring it to the reapers in the field,
34 And Habacuc said: Lord, I never saw Babylon, nor do I know the den.	34 when an angel of the Lord told him, "Take the lunch you have to Daniel in the lions' den at Babylon."
35 And the angel of the Lord took him by the top of his head, and carried him by the hair of his head, and set him in Babylon over the den in the force of his spirit.	35 But Habakkuk answered, "Babylon, sir, I have never seen, and I do not know the den!"
36 And Habacuc cried, saying: O Daniel, thou servant of God, take the dinner that God hath sent thee.	36 The angel of the Lord seized him by the crown of his head and carried him by the hair; with the speed of the wind, he set him down in Babylon above the den.
37 And Daniel said: Thou hast remembered me, O God, and thou hast not forsaken them that love thee.	37 "Daniel, Daniel," cried Habakkuk, "take the lunch God has sent you."
38 And Daniel arose and ate. And the angel of the Lord presently set Habacuc again in his own place.	38 "You have remembered me, O God," said Daniel; "you have not forsaken those who love you."
39 And upon the seventh day the king came to bewail Daniel: and he came to the den, and looked in, and behold Daniel was sitting in the midst of the lions.	39 While Daniel began to eat, the angel of the Lord at once brought Habakkuk back to his own place.
40 And the king cried out with a loud voice, saying: Great art thou, O Lord the God of Daniel. And he drew him out of the lions' den.	40 On the seventh day the king came to mourn for Daniel. As he came to the den and looked in, there was Daniel, sitting there!
41 But those that bad been the cause of his destruction, he cast into the den, and they were devoured in a moment before him.	41 The king cried aloud, "You are great, O Lord, the God of Daniel, and there is no other besides you!"
42 Then the king said: Let all the inhabitants of the whole earth fear the God of Daniel: for he is the Saviour, working signs, and wonders in the earth: who hath delivered Daniel out of the lions' den.	42 Daniel he took out, but those who had tried to destroy him he threw into the den, and they were devoured in a moment before his eyes.