Dany'AL Destroyed Bal and the Dragon — 1

Danyal and the Priests of Bal

1 When King Astyages was laid with his fathers, Cyrus the Persian received his kingdom. 

2 And Danyal was a companion of the king, and was the most honored of his friends.

3 Now the Babylunians had an idol called Bal, and every day they spent on it twelve bushels of fine flour and forty sheep and fifty gallons of wine. 

4 The king revered it and went every day to worship it. But Danyal worshiped 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH his 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH.

5 And the king said to Danyal, “Why do you not worship Bal?” Danyal answered, “Because I do not revere man-made idols, but the living 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH, who created Shamaym and the Arath and has dominion over all flesh.”

6 Then king Cyrus said to Danyal, “Do you not think that Bal is a living 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH? Do you not see how much he eats and drinks every day?” 

7 Then Danyal laughed, and said, “Do not be deceived, O king; for this is but clay inside and brass outside, and it never ate or drank anything.”

8 Then the king was angry, and he called his priests and said to them, “If you do not tell me who is eating these provisions, you shall die. 

9 But if you prove that Bal is eating them, Danyal shall die, because he blasphemed against Bal.” And Danyal said to the king, “Let it be done as you have said.”

10 Now there were seventy priests of Bal, besides their wives and children. And the king went with Danyal into the temple of Bal. 

11 And the priests of Bal said, “Behold, we are going outside; you yourself, O king, shall set forth the food and mix and place the wine, and shut the door and seal it with your signet. 

12 And when you return in the morning, if you do not find that Bal has eaten it all, we will die; or else Danyal will, who is telling lies about us. 

13 They were unconcerned, for beneath the table they had made a hidden entrance, through which they used to go in regularly and consume the provisions. 

14 When they had gone out, the king set forth the food for Bal. Then Danyal ordered his servants to bring ashes and they sifted them throughout the whole temple in the presence of the king alone. Then they went out, shut the door and sealed it with the king’s signet, and departed. 

15 In the night the priests came with their wives and children, as they were accustomed to do, and ate and drank everything.

16 Early in the morning the king rose and came with Danyal. 

17 And the king said, “Are the seals unbroken, Danyal?” He answered, “They are unbroken, O king.” 

18 As soon as the doors were opened, the king looked at the table, and shouted in a loud voice, “You are great, O Bal; and with you there is no deceit, none at all.”

19 Then Danyal laughed, and restrained the king from going in, and said, “Look at the floor, and notice whose footsteps these are.”

20 The king said, “I see the footsteps of men and women and children.”

21 Then the king was enraged, and he seized the priests and their wives and children; and they showed him the secret doors through which they were accustomed to enter and devour what was on the table. 

22 Therefore the king put them to death, and gave Bal over to Danyal, who destroyed it and its temple.

Danyal Kills the Dragon

23 There was also a great dragon, which the Babylunians revered. 

24 And the king said to Danyal, “You cannot deny that this is a living deity; so worship him.

25 Danyal said, “I will worship 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH my 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH, for 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH is the living 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH. 

26 But if you, O king, will give me permission, I will slay the dragon without sword or club.” The king said, “I give you permission.”

27 Then Danyal took pitch, fat, and hair, and boiled them together and made cakes, which he fed to the dragon. The dragon ate them, and burst open. And Danyal said, “See what you have been worshiping!”

28 When the Babylunians heard it, they were very indignant and conspired against the king, saying, “The king has become a Yahudym; he has destroyed Bal, and slain the dragon, and slaughtered the priests.” 

29 Going to the king, they said, “Hand Danyal over to us, or else we will kill you and your household.” 

30 The king saw that they were pressing him hard, and under compulsion he handed Danyal over to them.

Danyal in the Lions’ Den

31 They threw Danyal into the lions’ den, and he was there for six days. 

32 There were seven lions in the den, and every day they had been given two people's bodies and two sheep; but these were not given to them now, so that they might devour Danyal.

33 Now the Nabym Habakkuk was in Yahudah. He had boiled pottage and had broken bread into a bowl, and was going into the field to take it to the reapers. 

34 But the Malak of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH Dabar to Habakkuk, “Take the dinner which you have to Babylun, to Danyal, in the lions’ den.” 

35 Hab′akkuk said, “Sir, I have never seen Babylun, and I know nothing about the den.” 

36 Then the Malak of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH took Habakkuk by the crown of his head, and lifted him by his hair and set him down in Babylun, right over the den, with the rushing sound of the wind itself.

37 Then Habakkuk shouted, “Danyal, Danyal! Take the dinner which 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH has sent you.” 

38 And Danyal said, “You have remembered me, O 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, and have not forsaken those who love you.” 

39 So Danyal arose and ate. And the Malak of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH immediately returned Hab′akkuk to his own place.

40 On the seventh day the king came to mourn for Danyal. When he came to the den he looked in, and there sat Danyal. 

41 And the king shouted with a loud voice, “You are great, O 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH the 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH of Danyal and there is no other besides You.” 

42 And he pulled Danyal out, and threw into the den the men who had attempted his destruction, and they were devoured immediately before the King's eyes.