14 King[fn] Astuages was gathered to his fathers, and Koresh (Cyrus) the Persian received his kingdom. 2 Daniyel lived with the king, and was honoured above all his friends.

3 Now the Babylonians had an idol called Bel, and every day twelve great measures of fine flour, forty sheep, and six firkins[fn] of wine were spent on it. 4 The king honoured it and went daily to worship it; but Daniyel worshipped his own God. The king said to him, “Why don’t you worship Bel?”

5 He said, “Because I may not honour idols made with hands, but only the living god, who has created the sky and the earth, and has sovereignty over all flesh.”

6 Then the king said to him, “Don’t you think that Bel is a living god? Don’t you see how much he eats and drinks every day?”

7 Then Daniyel laughed, and said, “Oh king, don’t be deceived; for this is just clay inside, and brass outside, and never ate or drank anything.”

8 So the king was angry, and called for his priests, and said to them, “If you don’t tell me who this is who devours these expenses, you shall die. 9 But if you can show me that Bel devours them, then Daniyel shall die; for he has spoken blasphemy against Bel.”

Daniyel said to the king, “Let it be according to your word.”

10 Now there were seventy priests of Bel, besides their wives and children. The king went with Daniyel into Bel’s temple. 11 So Bel’s priests said, “Listen, we will leave; but you, Oh king, set out the food, and mix the wine and set it out, shut the door securely, and seal it with your own signet. 12 When you come in the morning, if you don’t find that Bel has eaten everything, we will suffer death, or else Daniyel, who speaks falsely against us.”

13 They weren’t concerned, for under the table they had made a secret entrance, by which they entered in continually, and consumed those things. 14 It happened, when they had gone out, the king set the food before Bel. Now Daniyel had commanded his servants to bring ashes, and they scattered them all over the temple in the presence of the king alone. Then they went out, shut the door, sealed it with the king’s signet, and so departed.

15 Now in the night, the priests came with their wives and children, as they usually did, and ate and drank it all. 16 In the morning, the king arose, and Daniyel with him. 17 The king said, “Daniyel, are the seals whole?”

He said, “Yes, Oh king, they are whole.”

18 And as soon as he had opened the door, the king looked at the table, and cried with a loud voice, “You are great, Oh Bel, and with you is no deceit at all!”

19 Then Daniyel laughed, and held the king that he should not go in, and said, “Listen now the pavement, and mark well whose footsteps these are.”

20 The king said, “I see the footsteps of men, women, and children.” Then the king was angry, 21 and took the priests with their wives and children, who showed him the secret doors, where they came in and consumed the things that were on the table. 22 Therefore the king killed them, and delivered Bel into Daniyel’s power, who overthrew it and its temple.