Daniel 14

CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN	LA SACRA BIBBIA
1 And so Daniel was living with the king, and he was honored above all his friends.	1 Dopo che il re Astiage si fu riunito ai suoi avi, Ciro il Persiano gli successe nel regno.
2 Now there was an idol with the Babylonians named Bel. And each day there was expended on him twelve great measures of fine flour, and forty sheep, and six vessels of wine.	2 Daniele era un confidente del re, stimato al di sopra di tutti i suoi amici.
3 The king likewise worshipped him and went each day to adore him, but Daniel adored his God. And the king said to him, “Why do you not adore Bel?”	3 Ora i Babilonesi avevano un idolo, di nome Bel, per cui consumavano ogni giorno dodici sacchi di fior di farina, quaranta pecore e sei anfore di vino.
4 And answering, he said to him, “Because I do not worship idols made with hands, but the living God, who created heaven and earth, and who holds power over all flesh.”	4 Il re lo venerava e andava ogni giorno a prostrarsi davanti a lui; Daniele invece si prostrava davanti al suo Dio.
5 And the king said to him, “Does not Bel seem to you to be a living god? Do you not see how much he eats and drinks every day?”	5 Il re gli domandò: "Perché non ti prostri davanti a Bel?". Gli rispose: "Perché non adoro gli idoli fatti da mano d'uomo, ma il Dio vivente, che ha creato il cielo e la terra e che ha potere sopra ogni carne!".
6 Then Daniel said, smiling, “O king, do not make a mistake, for this one is clay on the inside and brass on the outside, and he has never eaten.”	6 Il re gli domandò: "Tu pensi che Bel non sia un dio vivente? Non vedi quanto mangia e beve ogni giorno?".
7 And the king, being angry, called for his priests and said to them, “If you do not tell me who it is that has eaten these expenses, you will die.	7 Daniele ridendo rispose: "Non t'ingannare, o re! Costui infatti al di dentro è creta, benché di fuori sia bronzo, e non ha mai mangiato né bevuto!".
8 But if you can show that Bel has eaten these, Daniel will die, because he has blasphemed against Bel.” And Daniel said to the king, “Let it be according to your word.”	8 Allora il re infuriato chiamò i suoi sacerdoti e disse loro: "Se voi non mi dite chi è che mangia quanto viene fornito, sarete messi a morte; se invece dimostrerete che Bel mangia tutto, allora sarà messo a morte Daniele, perché ha bestemmiato contro Bel!".
9 Now the priests of Bel were seventy, besides their wives, and little ones, and sons. And the king went with Daniel into the temple of Bel.	9 Daniele disse al re: "Sia come tu hai detto!". I sacerdoti di Bel erano settanta, oltre le donne e i bambini.
10 And the priests of Bel said, “Behold, we are going out, and you, O king, set out the meats, and mix the wine, and close the door, and seal it with your ring.	10 Il re andò dunque con Daniele al santuario di Bel.
11 And when you have entered in the morning, if you have not found that Bel has consumed all, we will suffer death, or else Daniel will, who has lied against us.”	11 I sacerdoti di Bel dissero: "Ecco, quando noi saremo usciti fuori, tu, o re, imbandisci le vivande e, attinto il vino, deponilo; poi chiudi la porta e sigillala con il tuo anello. La mattina poi, venuto di buon'ora, se non troverai tutto consumato da Bel, saremo fatti morire; altrimenti lo sarà il nostro calunniatore Daniele!".
12 But they had no concern because they had made a secret entrance under the table, and they always went in through it and devoured those things.	12 Costoro ragionavano con astuzia, perché avevano praticato sotto la mensa un accesso segreto, attraverso il quale entravano ogni giorno e portavano via ogni cosa.
13 And so it happened, after they had departed, that the king set the foods before Bel, and Daniel commanded his servants, and they brought ashes, and he sifted them throughout the temple in the sight of the king, and, as they left, they shut the door, and after sealing it with the king’s ring, they departed.	13 Così, quando quelli furono usciti, il re mise davanti a Bel le vivande.
14 But the priests entered by night, according to their custom, with their wives, and their sons, and they ate and drank everything.	14 Daniele ordinò ai suoi servi di portare della cenere e di seminarla per l'intero santuario alla presenza del re soltanto. Poi, dopo essere usciti, chiusero la porta e la sigillarono con l'anello del re e se ne andarono.
15 But the king arose at first light, and Daniel with him.	15 I sacerdoti entrarono di notte, secondo il solito, con le loro mogli e i loro bambini e mangiarono e bevvero ogni cosa.
16 And the king said, “Are the seals unbroken, Daniel?” And he answered, “They are unbroken, O king.”	16 Al mattino il re di buon'ora si alzò insieme a Daniele.
17 And as soon as he had opened the door, the king stared at the table, and cried out with a loud voice, “Great are you, O Bel, and there is not any deceit with you.”	17 Il re domandò: "Sono intatti i sigilli, Daniele?". Rispose: "Sono intatti, o re!".
18 And Daniel laughed, and he held back the king, so that he would not enter, and he said, “Look at the pavement, notice whose footsteps these are.”	18 Allora, appena il re ebbe aperti i battenti, avendo guardato sulla mensa, gridò a gran voce: "Sei grande, o Bel, e non c'è nessun inganno in te!".
19 And the king said, “I see the footsteps of men, and women, and children.” And the king was angry.	19 Ma Daniele, messosi a ridere, trattenne il re, perché non entrasse e disse: "Guarda il pavimento e osserva di chi sono queste orme!".
20 Then he apprehended the priests, and their wives, and their sons, and they showed him the secret doors through which they entered and consumed the things that were on the table.	20 Il re rispose: "Vedo impronte di uomini, di donne e di bambini!".
21 Therefore, the king slaughtered them and delivered Bel into the power of Daniel, who overturned him and his temple.	21 Pieno d'ira il re fece prendere i sacerdoti, le mogli e i loro figli; essi allora gli mostrarono le porte segrete attraverso le quali entravano per consumare quello che era sopra la mensa.
22 And there was a great dragon in that place, and the Babylonians worshipped him.	22 Il re quindi li fece uccidere e consegnò Bel in potere di Daniele, che lo distrusse insieme al suo santuario.
23 And the king said to Daniel, “Behold, now you cannot say that this is not a living god; therefore, adore him.”	23 C'era un grosso drago e i Babilonesi lo veneravano.
24 And Daniel said, “I adore the Lord, my God, for he is the living God. But that one is not a living god.	24 Il re disse a Daniele: "Tu non puoi dire che questo non è un dio vivente! Adoralo dunque!".
25 Therefore, you give me the power, O king, and I will execute this dragon without sword or club.” And the king said, “I give it to you.”	25 Ma Daniele rispose: "Io adoro il mio Signore Dio, perché egli è un Dio vivente! Tu dunque, o re, dammene il permesso e io ucciderò il drago senza spada e senza bastone!".
26 And so Daniel took pitch, and fat, and hair, and cooked them together. And he made lumps and put them into the dragon’s mouth, and the dragon burst open. And he said, “Behold, this is what you worship.”	26 Il re disse: "Te lo concedo!".
27 When the Babylonians had heard this, they were greatly indignant. And gathering together against the king, they said, “The king has become a Jew. He has destroyed Bel, he has executed the dragon, and he has slaughtered the priests.”	27 Allora Daniele prese pece, sego e peli e li fece cuocere insieme, poi ne preparò focacce e le gettò nella bocca del drago. Il drago, dopo averle mangiate, scoppiò. Allora disse: "Ecco ciò che voi adorate!".
28 And when they came to the king, they said, “Deliver Daniel to us, otherwise we will execute you and your house.”	28 Quando i Babilonesi appresero la notizia, ne furono molto indignati e insorsero contro il re protestando: "Il re si è fatto giudeo! Ha distrutto Bel, ha ucciso il drago e ha massacrato i sacerdoti!".
29 Thus the king saw that they pressured him vehemently, and so, being compelled by necessity, he delivered Daniel to them.	29 Venuti poi dal re, dissero: "Consegnaci questo Daniele, altrimenti uccideremo te e la tua famiglia!".
30 And they cast him into the den of lions, and he was there for six days.	30 Il re, visto che lo molestavano tanto, fu costretto a consegnare loro Daniele.
31 Furthermore, 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 to them, so that they would devour Daniel.	31 Essi lo gettarono nella fossa dei leoni, dove rimase per sei giorni.
32 Now there was in Judea a prophet called Habakkuk, and he had cooked a small meal and had broken bread in a bowl, and he was going into the field, to bring it to the harvesters.	32 Nella fossa c'erano sette leoni, ai quali ogni giorno si solevano dare due cadaveri e due pecore. Ma allora non si dettero, perché mangiassero Daniele.
33 And the angel of the Lord said to Habakkuk, “Carry the meal that you have into Babylon, to Daniel, who is in the lions’ den.”	33 C'era in Giudea il profeta Abacuc. Costui aveva fatto cuocere una minestra, spezzettato il pane in un piatto e si avviava verso il podere per portarlo ai mietitori.
34 And Habakkuk said, “Lord, I have not seen Babylon, and I do not know the den.”	34 L'angelo del Signore disse ad Abacuc: "Porta questo desinare in Babilonia a Daniele, nella fossa dei leoni!".
35 And the angel of the Lord seized him by the top of his head, and carried him by the hair of his head, and set him in Babylon, over the den, by the force of his spirit.	35 Abacuc osservò: "Signore, io non ho mai visto Babilonia e non conosco la fossa!".
36 And Habakkuk shouted, saying, “Daniel, servant of God, take the dinner that God has sent you.”	36 Allora l'angelo del Signore, afferratolo per la testa e sollevandolo per i capelli del capo, lo portò a Babilonia sopra la fossa con il soffio del suo spirito.
37 And Daniel said, “You have remembered me, O God, and you have not abandoned those who love you.”	37 Abacuc gridò forte: "Daniele, Daniele! Prendi il pranzo che Dio ti ha inviato!".
38 And Daniel arose and ate. And then the angel of the Lord immediately returned Habakkuk to his place.	38 Daniele esclamò: "Veramente ti sei ricordato di me, o Dio, e non hai abbandonato coloro che ti amano!".
39 And so, on the seventh day, the king came to morn Daniel. And he came to the den, and gazed in, and behold, Daniel was sitting in the midst of the lions.	39 Alzatosi, Daniele si mise a mangiare, mentre l'angelo di Dio riconduceva Abacuc al posto di prima.
40 And the king cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Great are you, O Lord, the God of Daniel.” And he pulled him out of the lions’ den.	40 Il settimo giorno il re andò per piangere Daniele. Arrivato alla fossa, guardò e vide Daniele seduto.
41 Furthermore, those who had been the cause of his downfall, he hurled into the den, and they were devoured in a moment before him.	41 Allora, gridando a gran voce, esclamò: "Sei grande, Signore, Dio di Daniele, e fuori di te non c'è un altro!".
42 Then the king said, “Let all the inhabitants of the whole earth fear the God of Daniel. For he is the Savior, working signs and miracles on earth, who has freed Daniel from the lions’ den.”	42 Quindi lo fece tirar fuori, mentre fece gettare i colpevoli della sua rovina nella fossa, dove furono subito sbranati davanti a lui.