deceiued: for this is but claye within, & bras se without, and did neuer eat any thing.
8 So the King was wroth, and called for his Priests, and said vnto them, If ye tell me not, who this is that eateth vp these expenses, ye shal dye:
9 But if ye can certifie me that Bel eateth thē then Daniel shal dye: for he hathe spoken blasphemie against Bel. And Daniel said vn∣to the King, Let it be according to the word
10 [Now the Priests of Bel were thre score & ten beside their wiues and children: and the King went with Daniel into the tēple of Bel
11 So Bels Priests said, Beholde, we wil go out, and set thou the meat there, ô King, and let the wine be filled: then shut the dore fast, & seke it with thine owne signet.
12 And to morowe when thou commest in, if thou findest not that Bel hathe eaten vp all, we wil suffer death, orels Daniel that hathe lyed vpon vs.
13 Now they thoght themselues sure yn ough for vnder the table thei had made a priuie en trance, and there went they in euer, and toke away the things.
14 So when they were gone forthe, the King set meates before Bel. Now Daniel had com¦manded his seruants to bring ashes, and the∣se they strowed thorow out all the temple, in the presence of the King alone: then went they out, and shut the dore, & sealed it with the Kings signet, and so departed.
15 Now in the night came the Priests, with their wiues and children, [as they were won te to do] and did eat and drinke vp all.
16 In the morning betimes, the King arose & Daniel with him.
17 And the King said, Daniel, are the seales who le? Wo answered, Yea, ö King, they be whole
18 And assone as he had opened the dore, the King loked vpon the table, and cryed with a loude voyce, Great art thou, o Bel, and with thee is no disceite.
19 Then laughed Daniel, and helde the King that he shuld not go in, and said, Behold now the pauement, and marke wel whose foote∣steppes are these.
20 And the King said, I se the foote steppes of men, women, & children therefore the King was angrie.
21 And toke the Priests, with their wiues, and children, and they shewed him the priuie do res, where they came in, and consumed such things as were vpon the table.
22 Therefore the King slewe them, and deliue∣red Bel into Daniels power, who destroyed him and his temple.
23 ¶ Moreouer in that same place there was a great dragon, which the Babylonians wor∣shipped.
24 And the King said vnto Daniel, Sayest thou that this is of brasse also lo, he liueth and ea∣teth and drinketh, so that thou canst not say, that he is no liuing God: therefore worship∣pe him.
25 Then said Daniel vnto the King, I wil wor∣shippe the Lord my God: for he is the liuing God.
26 But giue me leaue, ô King, and I wil slay this dragô without sworde or staffe. And the King said, I giue thee leaue.
27 Then Daniel toke pitche, & fatte, and heere and did seeth them together, and made Iom pes thereof this he put in the dragōs mou∣the, and so the dragon burst in sunder. And Daniel said, Beholde, whome ye worshippe.
28 When the Babylonians heard it, they were wonderful wroth, and gathered them toge∣ther against the King, saying, The King is be come a Iewe: 〈◊〉〈◊〉 he hathe destroyed Bel, and hathe slaine the dragon, and put the Priests to death.
29 So they came to the King, and said, Deliuer vs Daniel, orels we wil destroy thee and thi∣ne house.
30 Now when the King sawe, that thei preased sore vpon him, and that necessitie 〈◊〉〈◊〉 him, he deliuered Daniel vnto them:
31 Who cast him into the lions denne, where he was six daies.
32 In the denne there were seuen lions, and they had giuen thē euerie day two bodies & two shepe, which then were not giuē thē, to the intent that they might deuour Daniel.
33 ¶ Now there was in Iewrie a Prophet called Abbacuc, which had made potage, and bro∣ken bread into a bowle, and was going into the field for to bring it to the reapers.
34 But the Angel of the Lord said vnto Abba∣cuc, Go, carye the meat that thou hast, into Babylon vnto Daniel, which is in the lions denne.
35 And Abbacuc said, Lord, I neuer sawe Baby lon, nether do I knowe where the denne is.
36 Then the Angel toke him by the crowne of the head, & barc him by the heereof the head, and through a mightie winde set him in Babylon vpon the denne.
37 And Abbacuc cryed, saying, O Daniel, Da∣niel, take the dinner that God hathe sēt thee
38 Then said Daniel, O God, thou hast thoght vpon me, and thou neuer failest them that se∣ke thee and loue thee.
39 So Daniel arose, and did eat, and the Angel of the Lord set Abbacuc in his owne place a∣gaine immediatly?
40 Vpon the seuenth day, the King went to be waile Daniel: and when he came to the denne, he loked in, and beholde, Daniel sate (in the middes of the lions.)
41 Then cryed the King with a loude voyce, saying, Great art thou, ò Lord God of Daniel and there is none other besides thee.
42 And he drewe him out of the denne, & cast them that were the cause of his destruction into the denne, and they were deuoured in a momente before his face.