Daniel 14

CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 And so Daniel was living with the king, and he was honored above all his friends.	1 After King Astyages was laid with his fathers, Cyrus the Persian succeeded to his kingdom.
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 Daniel was the king's favorite and was held in higher esteem than any of the friends of the king.
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 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 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 The king worshiped it and went every day to adore it; but Daniel adored only his God.
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 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 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 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 do not tell me who it is that has eaten these expenses, you will 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 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 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 sons. 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 entered by night, according to their custom, with their wives, and their sons, and they ate and drank everything.	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 But the king arose at first light, 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 unbroken, Daniel?” And he answered, “They are unbroken, O king.”	16 Early the next morning, the king came with Daniel.
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 "Are the seals unbroken, Daniel?" he asked. And Daniel answered, "They are unbroken, O king."
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 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 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 "I see the footprints of men, women, and children!" said the king.
21 Therefore, the king slaughtered them and delivered Bel into the power of Daniel, who overturned 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, now you cannot say that this is not a living god; therefore, adore him.”	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 one is not a living god.	24 "Look!" said the king to Daniel, "you cannot deny that this is a living god, so adore it."
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 But Daniel answered, "I adore the Lord, my God, for he is the living God.
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 Give me permission, O king, and I will kill this dragon without sword or club." "I give you permission," the king said.
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 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 when they came to the king, they said, “Deliver Daniel to us, otherwise we will execute you and your 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 Thus the king saw that they pressured him vehemently, and so, being compelled 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 for six days.	30 When he saw himself threatened with violence, the king was forced to hand Daniel over to them.
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 They threw Daniel into a lions' den, where he remained six days.
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 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 Habakkuk, “Carry the meal that you have 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 Habakkuk said, “Lord, I have not seen Babylon, and I do not 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 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 But Habakkuk answered, "Babylon, sir, I have never seen, and I do not know the den!"
36 And Habakkuk shouted, saying, “Daniel, servant of God, take the dinner that God has sent you.”	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, “You have remembered me, O God, and you have not abandoned those who love you.”	37 "Daniel, Daniel," cried Habakkuk, "take the lunch God has sent you."
38 And Daniel arose and ate. And then the angel of the Lord immediately returned Habakkuk to his place.	38 "You have remembered me, O God," said Daniel; "you have not forsaken those who love you."
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 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 are you, O Lord, the God of Daniel.” And he pulled 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 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 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 Savior, working signs and miracles on earth, who has freed Daniel from 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.