And king Astyages was gathered to his fathers, and Cyrus of Persia received his kingdom.
And Daniel conversed with the king, 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 vessels of wine.
And the king worshipped it and went daily to adore it: but Daniel worshipped his own God. And the king said unto him, Why dost not you worship bel?
Who answered and said; "Because I may not worship idols made with hands, but the living God, who has created the heaven and the earth, and has sovereignty over all flesh."
Then the king said unto him. "Do you not think that Bel is a living God? Do you not see 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 or drink any thing."
So the king was wroth, and called for his priests, and said unto them; "If you tell me not who it is that devours these expenses, you shall die.
But if you can certify to me that bel devoured them, then Daniel shall die: for he has spoken blasphemy against bel." And Daniel said unto the king; "Let it be according to thy word."
The priests now of bel were threescore and ten, beside their wives and children. And the king went with Daniel into the temple of bel.
So the priests of bel said, Look, we go out: but thou, O king, set-on the meat, and make ready the wine, and 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 all, we will suffer death: or else Daniel, that speaks falsely against us.
And they little regarded it: for under the table they had made a private entrance, whereby they entered in continually, and consumed those things.
So when they were gone forth, the king set meats before bel. Now Daniel had commanded his servants to bring ashes, and those they strewed throughout all the temple in the presence of the king: then they went out and shut the door, and sealed it with the king's signet, and so departed.
In the night then came the priests with their wives and children, as they were wont to do, and did eat and drank all.
As then in the morning the king arose, and Daniel with him. the king said; "Daniel, are the seals whole?" And he said, "Yea, O king, they be whole."
And as soon as he had opened the dour, the king looked upon the table, and cried with a loud voice; "Great art thou, O bel, and with thee is no deceit at all."
Then Daniel laughed, and held back 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." Then the king was angry,
And took the priests with their wives and children, who showed him the private doors, where they came in, to consume 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.
And in that same place there was a great dragon, which those of Babylon worshipped.
And the king said unto Daniel; "Will you also say that this is of brass? For look he lives, he eats and he drinks; you therefore cannot say that he is no living god: therefore worship him."
Then Daniel said unto the king; "I will only worship the Lord my God: for he is the living God.
But give me leave, O king, and I shall slay this dragon without sword or staff." The king then said, "I give you leave."
Then Daniel took pitch, and fat, and hair, and mixed them together, and making lumps thereof: put them into the dragon's mouth, and so the dragon burst in sunder. And Daniel said; "Look, these are the gods that you worship."
When those of Babylon heard that, they took great indignation at it, and conspired against the king, saying; "The king is become a Jew, he has destroyed bel, and he has 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 him sorely, being constrained, he delivered Daniel unto them:
And they cast him into the lions' den: ---where he was six days. (This no doubt is incorrect, the canons record it as just one day)
And in the den there were seven lions, and every day they had given them two carcasses, and two sheep: that then were not given to them, to the intent they might devour Daniel.
Now there was in Judea, a prophet, called Habakuk, who had made pottage, and had broken bread in a bowl, and was going into the field to bring it to the reapers.
But an angel of the Lord said unto Habakuk; "Go, carry the dinner that you have into Babylon to Daniel, who is in the lions' den.
And Habakuk said, Lord, I never saw Babylon; neither do I know where the den is.
Then the angel of the Lord took him by the crown, and bore him by the hair of his head, and through the vehemence of his spirit set him in Babylon over the den.
And Habakuk cried, saying; "O Daniel, Daniel, take the dinner which God hath sent you.".
And Daniel said; "Thou has remembered me O God; neither has thou forsaken them that seek Thee and love Thee."
So Daniel arose, and ate: and the angel of the Lord brought Habakuk back to his own place again..
Then upon the seventh day the king went to bewail Daniel: and coming to the den, he looked in, and behold, Daniel was sitting.
Then cried the king with a loud voice, saying; "Great is the Lord God of Daniel, there is none other beside Thee."
And he drew him out, and cast those that were the cause of his destruction into the den: and they were devoured in a moment before his face.
By Leonard.
Idol worship is one of the most hideous crimes anyone can commit. It is so utterly stupid, and ignorant, yes blatantly stupid that one should hold an in-animate object as a god.