Bel ve Ejderha 1

¹Levi oymağından, Yeşu oğlu Habakkuk'un peygamberliğinden.

²Babil kralının yakın dostu olan, Abal oğlu Daniel adında kâhin bir adam vardı.

³Babillilerin tapındığı Bel adında bir put vardı; onun için her gün on iki ölçek ince un, dört koyun ve altı ölçü zeytinyağı tüketilirdi.

⁴Kral da ona tapınır ve her gün gidip önünde secde ederdi; Daniel ise Rab'be dua ederdi.

⁵Kral Daniel'e, "Neden Bel'e secde etmiyorsun?" dedi. Daniel krala şöyle yanıt verdi: "Gökleri ve yeri yaratan, her bedene egemen olan Rab Tanrı'dan başkasına tapınmam."

⁶Bunun üzerine kral ona, "Öyleyse bu bir tanrı değil mi? Her gün onun için ne kadar çok şey tüketildiğini görmüyor musun?" dedi.

⁷Daniel ona, "Asla, kralım! Kimse seni aldatmasın" dedi, "Çünkü bunun içi kilden, dışı ise tunçtandır; tanrıların Tanrısı olan Rab üzerine sana yemin ederim ki, bu şimdiye dek hiçbir şey yememiştir."

⁸Kral öfkelenerek tapınağın yöneticilerini çağırttı ve onlara şöyle dedi: "Bel için hazırlanan yiyecekleri kimin yediğini bana kanıtlayın; yoksa ölürsünüz. Ama eğer yiyenin o olmadığını kanıtlarsanız, yiyeceklerin Bel tarafından yenmediğini söyleyen Daniel ölecektir." Onlar da, "Yiyen Bel'in kendisidir" dediler.

⁹Daniel ise krala, "Dediğin gibi olsun; eğer bunları yiyenin Bel olmadığını kanıtlayamazsam, ben ve benimle olan herkes ölsün" dedi. Bel'in kâhinleri, kadınları ve çocukları hariç yetmiş kişiydi.

¹⁰Böylece kralı put tapınağına götürdüler.

¹¹Kralın ve Daniel'in önünde yiyecekler sunuldu; karıştırılmış şarap da içeri getirilip Bel'in önüne kondu. Daniel, "Ey kral, bunların buraya konduğunu kendin görüyorsun; tapınak kapatıldığında kapının kilitlerini kendi mührünle mühürle" dedi.

¹³Bu söz kralın hoşuna gitti.

¹⁴Herkes tapınaktan çıktıktan sonra Daniel, yanındakilere tapınağın dışından hiç kimsenin haberi olmadan tüm tapınak zeminine kül serpmelerini buyurdu. Sonra tapınağın kapısını kapatıp kralın yüzüğüyle ve saygın kâhinlerden bazılarının yüzükleriyle mühürlenmesini buyurdu; ve öyle yapıldı.

⁰15-17. Ertesi gün erkenden oraya geldiler. Bel'in kâhinleri ise gizli kapılardan içeri girip Bel'in önüne konan her şeyi yemiş ve şarabı içmişlerdi. Daniel, "Ey kâhinler, mühürlerinize bakın, duruyorlar mı?" dedi. Sonra, "Ve sen de ey kral, bak bakalım senin için uygun olmayan bir durum var mı?" dedi. Mührün olduğu gibi durduğunu gördüler ve mührü söktüler.

¹⁸Kapıları açtıklarında, sunulan her şeyin tüketilip sofraların boş kaldığını gördüler. Kral sevinçle haykırdı ve Daniel'e, "Büyüksün ey Bel, sende hiçbir hile yoktur!" dedi.

¹⁹Daniel ise yüksek sesle gülerek krala, "Gel de kâhinlerin hilesini gör" dedi ve ekledi: "Ey kral, bu ayak izleri kimindir?"

²⁰Kral, "Erkeklerin, kadınların ve çocukların ayak izleridir" dedi.

²¹Bunun üzerine kral, kâhinlerin kaldığı eve gitti ve orada Bel'in yiyeceklerini ve şarabını buldu. Daniel krala, kâhinlerin içeri sızıp Bel'e sunulanları tükettikleri gizli kapıları gösterdi.

²²Kral onları Bel tapınağından dışarı çıkardı ve Daniel'e teslim etti. Onun için ayrılan harcamayı da Daniel'e verdi, Bel'i ise yerle bir etti.

²³Aynı yerde Babillilerin tapındığı büyük bir ejderha vardı.

²⁴Kral Daniel'e, "Bunun da tunçtan olduğunu söylemeyeceksin herhalde? Bak, yaşıyor, yiyor ve içiyor; ona secde et!" dedi.

²⁵Daniel, "Ey kral, bana yetki ver, ejderhayı kılıçsız ve değneksiz öldüreyim" dedi.

²⁶Kral ona izin vererek, "Sana bu yetki verilmiştir" dedi.

²⁷Daniel otuz mina zift, iç yağı ve kıl alıp bunları birlikte kaynattı, bir çörek yapıp ejderhanın ağzına attı; ejderha bunu yiyince yarıldı. Daniel onu krala göstererek, "Tapındığınız şeyler bunlar mı, ey kral?" dedi.

²⁸Ülkedeki herkes Daniel'e karşı toplandı ve "Kral Yahudi oldu; Bel'i yıktı, ejderhayı öldürdü" dediler.

³⁰Kral, halkın kendisine karşı toplandığını görünce yakın dostlarını çağırıp, "Daniel'i ölüme teslim ediyorum" dedi.

⁰31-32. Orada yedi aslanın beslendiği bir çukur vardı; krala karşı komplo kuranlar buraya atılırdı ve onlara her gün ölüme mahkûm edilmiş iki kişinin cesedi verilirdi. Halk, Daniel'i parçalansın ve bir mezarı bile olmasın diye o çukura attı. Daniel altı gün çukurda kaldı.

³³Altıncı gün Habakkuk peygamber, bir kapta çorbanın içine doğranmış ekmekler ve bir testi karıştırılmış şarap hazırlamış, tarladaki biçicilere götürmek üzere kıra doğru gidiyordu.

³⁴Rab'bin bir meleği Habakkuk'a şöyle seslendi: "Rab Tanrı sana şöyle diyor: Elindeki bu yemeği, Babil'deki aslanlar çukurunda bulunan Daniel'e götür."

³⁵Habakkuk, "Rab Tanrım, ben Babil'i hiç görmedim ve çukurun nerede olduğunu bilmem" dedi.

³⁶Bunun üzerine Rab'bin meleği Habakkuk'u başının saçından kavrayıp Babil'deki çukurun üzerine götürüp bıraktı.

³⁷Habakkuk Daniel'e seslendi: "Kalk, Rab Tanrı'nın sana gönderdiği yemeği ye!"

³⁸Daniel, "Kendisini sevenleri asla bırakmayan Rab Tanrım beni hatırladı" dedi.

³⁹Daniel yemeği yedi. Rab'bin meleği ise Habakkuk'u aynı gün hemen aldığı yere geri götürdü. Rab Tanrı Daniel'i unutmadı.

⁴⁰Bundan sonra kral, Daniel için yas tutarak dışarı çıktı; çukura doğru eğilip baktığında onun orada oturduğunu gördü!

⁴¹Kral yüksek sesle haykırarak, "Rab Tanrı büyüktür ve O'nun dışında bir başkası yoktur!" dedi.

⁴²Kral Daniel'i çukurdan çıkardı; onun mahvını isteyenleri ise Daniel'in gözü önünde çukura attı ve onlar anında yutuldu.

¹Ἐκ προφητείας Ἀμβακοὺμ υἱοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς Λευί.

²Ἄνθρωπός τις ἦν ἱερεύς, ᾧ ὄνομα Δανιὴλ υἱὸς Ἀβάλ, συμβιωτὴς τοῦ βασιλέως Βαβυλῶνος.

³καὶ ἦν εἴδωλον, Βήλ, ὃ ἐσέβοντο οἱ Βαβυλώνιοι· ἀνηλίσκετο δὲ αὐτῷ καθ’ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν σεμιδάλεως ἀρτάβαι δέκα δύο καὶ πρόβατα τέσσαρα καὶ ἐλαίου μετρηταὶ ἕξ.

⁴καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐσέβετο αὐτόν, καὶ ἐπορεύετο ὁ βασιλεὺς καθ’ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν καὶ προσεκύνει αὐτῷ· Δανιὴλ δὲ προσηύχετο πρὸς κύριον.

⁵καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τῷ Δανιὴλ Διὰ τί οὐ προσκυνεῖς τῷ Βήλ; καὶ εἶπε Δανιὴλ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα Οὐδένα σέβομαι ἐγὼ εἰ μὴ κύριον τὸν θεὸν τὸν κτίσαντα τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ ἔχοντα πάσης σαρκὸς κυρ[ι]είαν.

⁶εἶπεν δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς αὐτῷ Οὗτος οὖν οὐκ ἔστι θεός; οὐχ ὁρᾷς ὅσα εἰς αὐτὸν δαπανᾶται καθ’ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν;

⁷καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Δανιὴλ Μηδαμῶς· μηδείς σε παραλογιζέσθω· οὗτος γὰρ ἔσωθεν μὲν πήλινός ἐστιν, ἔξωθεν δὲ χαλκοῦς· ὀμνύω δέ σοι κύριον τὸν θεὸν τῶν θεῶν, ὅτι οὐθὲν βέβρωκε πώποτε οὗτος.

⁸καὶ θυμωθεὶς ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐκάλεσε τοὺς προεστηκότας τοῦ ἱεροῦ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Παραδείξατε τὸν ἐσθίοντα τὰ παρασκευαζόμενα τῷ Βὴλ· εἰ δὲ μή γε, ἀποθανεῖσθε ἢ Δανιὴλ ὁ φάσκων μὴ ἐσθίεσθαι αὐτὰ ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ. οἱ δὲ εἶπαν Αὐτὸς ὁ Βὴλ ἐστὶν ὁ κατεσθίων αὐτά.

⁹εἶπε δὲ Δανιὴλ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα Γινέσθω οὕτως· ἐὰν μὴ παραδείξω ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ Βὴλ ὁ κατεσθίων ταῦτα, ἀποθανοῦμαι καὶ πάντες οἱ παρ’ ἐμοῦ. ἦσαν δὲ τῷ Βὴλ ἱερεῖς ἑβδομήκοντα χωρὶς γυναικῶν καὶ τέκνων.

¹⁰ἤγαγον δέ τὸν βασιλέα εἰς τὸ εἰδώλιον.

¹¹καὶ παρετέθη τὰ βρώματα ἐνώπιον τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ τοῦ Δανιήλ, καὶ οἶνος κερασθεὶς εἰσηνέχθη καὶ παρετέθη τῷ Βήλ. καὶ εἶπεν Δανιὴλ Σὺ αὐτὸς ὁρᾷς ὅτι κεῖται ταῦτα, βασιλεῦ· σὺ οὖν ἐπισφράγισαι τὰς κλεῖδας τοῦ ναοῦ, ἐπὰν κλεισθῇ.

¹³ἤρεσε δὲ ὁ λόγος τῷ βασιλεῖ.

¹⁴ὁ δὲ Δανιὴλ ἐκέλευσε τοὺς παρ’ αὐτοῦ ἐκβαλόντας πάντας ἐκ τοῦ ναοῦ κατασῆσαι ὅλον τὸν ναὸν σποδῷ οὐθενὸς τῶν ἐκτὸς αὐτοῦ εἰδότος. καὶ τότε τὸν ναὸν ἐκέλευσε σφραγίσαι τῷ τοῦ βασιλέως δακτυλίῳ καὶ τοῖς δακτυλίοις τινῶν ἐνδόξων ἱερέων· καὶ ἐγένετο οὕτως. 15-17 καὶ ἐγένετο τῇ ἐπαύριον παρεγένοντο ἐπὶ τὸν τόπον· οἱ δὲ ἱερεῖς τοῦ Βὴλ διὰ ψευδοθυρίδων εἰσελθόντες κατεφάγοσαν πάντα τὰ παρακείμενα τῷ Βὴλ καὶ ἐξέπιον τὸν οἶνον. καὶ εἶπεν Δανιὴλ Ἐπίδετε τὰς σφραγῖδας ὑμῶν εἰ μένουσιν, ἄνδρες ἱερεῖς· καὶ σὺ δέ, βασιλεῦ, σκέψαι μή τί σοι ἀσύμφωνον γεγένηται. καὶ εὗρον, ὡς ἦν ἡ σφραγίς, καὶ ἀπέβαλον τὴν σφραγῖδα.

¹⁸καὶ ἀνοίξαντες τὰς θύρας εἴδοσαν δεδαπανημένα πάντα τὰ παρατεθέντα καὶ τὰς τραπέζας κενάς· καὶ ἐχάρη ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς τὸν Δανιὴλ Μέγας ἐστὶν ὁ Βὴλ, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι παρ’ αὐτῷ δόλος.

¹⁹καὶ ἐγέλασε Δανιὴλ σφόδρα καὶ εἶπεν τῷ βασιλεῖ Δεῦρο ἰδὲ τὸν δόλον τῶν ἱερέων. καὶ εἶπεν Δανιὴλ Βασιλεῦ, ταῦτα τὰ ἴχνη τίνος ἐστί;

²⁰καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς Ἀνδρῶν καὶ γυναικῶν καὶ παιδίων.

²¹καὶ ἐπῆλθεν ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον, ἐν ᾧ ἦσαν οἱ ἱερεῖς καταγινόμενοι, καὶ εὗρε τὰ βρώματα τοῦ Βὴλ καὶ τὸν οἶνον· καὶ ἐπέδειξε Δανιὴλ τῷ βασιλεῖ τὰ ψευδοθύρια, δι’ ὧν εἰσπορευόμενοι οἱ ἱερεῖς ἐδαπάνων τὰ παρατιθέμενα τῷ Βήλ.

²²καὶ ἐξήγαγεν αὐτοὺς ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐκ τοῦ Βὴλίου καὶ παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς τῷ Δανιὴλ· καὶ τὴν δαπάνην τὴν εἰς αὐτὸν ἔδωκε τῷ Δανιήλ, τὸν δὲ Βὴλ κατέστρεψε.

²³Καὶ ἦν δράκων ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ τόπῳ, καὶ ἐσέβοντο αὐτὸν οἱ Βαβυλώνιοι.

²⁴καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τῷ Δανιὴλ Μὴ καὶ τοῦτον ἐρεῖς ὅτι χαλκοῦς ἐστιν; ἰδοὺ ζῇ καὶ ἐσθίει καὶ πίνει· προσκύνησον αὐτῷ.

²⁵καὶ εἶπεν Δανιὴλ Βασιλεῦ, δός μοι τὴν ἐξουσίαν, καὶ ἀνελῶ τὸν δράκοντα ἄνευ σιδήρου καὶ ῥάβδου.

²⁶καὶ συνεχώρησεν αὐτῷ ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Δέδοταί σοι.

²⁷καὶ λαβὼν ὁ Δανιὴλ πίσσης μνᾶς τριάκοντα καὶ στέαρ καὶ τρίχας ἥψησεν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ ἐποίησε μάζαν καὶ ἐνέβαλεν εἰς τὸ στόμα τοῦ δράκοντος, καὶ φαγὼν διερράγη. καὶ ἔδειξεν αὐτὸν τῷ βασιλεῖ λέγων Οὐ ταῦτα σέβεσθε, βασιλεῦ;

²⁸καὶ συνήχθησαν οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς χώρας πάντες ἐπὶ τὸν Δανιὴλ καὶ εἶπαν Ιουδαῖος γέγονεν ὁ βασιλεύς· τὸν Βὴλ κατέστρεψε καὶ τὸν δράκοντα ἀπέκτεινε.

³⁰καὶ ἰδὼν ὁ βασιλεὺς ὅτι ἐπισυνήχθη ὁ ὄχλος τῆς χώρας ἐπ’ αὐτόν, ἐκάλεσε τοὺς συμβιωτὰς αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν Δίδωμι τὸν Δανιὴλ εἰς ἀπώλειαν. 31-32 ἦν δὲ λάκκος ἐν ᾧ ἐτρέφοντο λέοντες ἑπτά, οἷς παρεδίδοντο οἱ ἐπίβουλοι τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ ἐχορηγεῖτο αὐτοῖς καθ’ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν τῶν ἐπιθανατίων σώματα δύο. καὶ ἐνεβάλοσαν τὸν Δανιὴλ οἱ ὄχλοι εἰς ἐκεῖνον τὸν λάκκον, ἵνα καταβρωθῇ καὶ μηδὲ ταφῆς τύχῃ. καὶ ἦν ἐν τῷ λάκκῳ Δανιὴλ ἡμέρας ἕξ.

³³καὶ ἐγένετο τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ἕκτῃ καὶ ἦν Ἀμβακοὺμ ἔχων ἄρτους ἐντεθρυμμένους ἐν σκάφῃ ἐν ἑψήματι καὶ στάμνον οἴνου κεκερασμένου καὶ ἐπορεύετο εἰς τὸ πεδίον πρὸς τοὺς θεριστάς.

³⁴καὶ ἐλάλησεν ἄγγελος κυρίου πρὸς Ἀμβακοὺμ λέγων Τάδε λέγει σοι κύριος ὁ θεός Τὸ ἄριστον, ὃ ἔχεις, ἀπένεγκε Δανιὴλ εἰς τὸν λάκκον τῶν λεόντων ἐν Βαβυλῶνι.

³⁵καὶ εἶπεν Ἀμβακοὺμ Κύριε ὁ θεός, οὐχ ἑώρακα τὴν Βαβυλῶνα καὶ τὸν λάκκον οὐ γινώσκω ποῦ ἐστι.

³⁶καὶ ἐπιλαβόμενος αὐτοῦ ὁ ἄγγελος κυρίου τοῦ Ἀμβακοὺμ τῆς κόμης αὐτοῦ τῆς κεφαλῆς ἔθηκεν αὐτὸν ἐπάνω τοῦ λάκκου τοῦ ἐν Βαβυλῶνι.

³⁷καὶ εἶπεν Ἀμβακοὺμ πρὸς Δανιὴλ Ἀναστὰς φάγε τὸ ἄριστον, ὃ ἀπέστειλέ σοι κύριος ὁ θεός.

³⁸καὶ εἶπε Δανιὴλ Ἐμνήσθη γάρ μου κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ μὴ ἐγκαταλείπων τοὺς ἀγαπῶντας αὐτόν.

³⁹καὶ ἔφαγε Δανιὴλ· ὁ δὲ ἄγγελος κυρίου κατέστησε τὸν Ἀμβακοὺμ ὅθεν αὐτὸν ἔλαβε τῇ αὐτῇ ἡμέρᾳ. ὁ δὲ κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἐμνήσθη τοῦ Δανιήλ.

⁴⁰ἐξῆλθε δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς μετὰ ταῦτα πενθῶν τὸν Δανιὴλ καὶ ἐγκύψας εἰς τὸν λάκκον ὁρᾷ αὐτὸν καθήμενον.

⁴¹καὶ ἀναβοήσας εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς Μέγας ἐστὶ κύριος ὁ θεός, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι πλὴν αὐτοῦ ἄλλος.

⁴²καὶ ἐξήγαγεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸν Δανιὴλ ἐκ τοῦ λάκκου· καὶ τοὺς αἰτίους τῆς ἀπωλείας αὐτοῦ ἐνέβαλεν εἰς τὸν λάκκον ἐνώπιον τοῦ Δανιήλ, καὶ κατεβρώθησαν.

¹From a prophecy of Hambakoum the son of Iesous of the tribe of Levi.

²There was a certain person, a priest, whose name was Daniel, son of Habal, a companion of the king of Babylon.

³And there was an idol, Bel, which the Babylonians would revere. Now, every day they were squandering on it twelve bushels of choice flour and four sheep and six measures of oil.

⁴And the king would revere him, and the king would go every day and would do obeisance to him. But Daniel would pray to the Lord.

⁵And the king said to Daniel, “Why do you not do obeisance to Bel?” And Daniel said to the king, “I revere no one except the Lord God, who created heaven and earth.”

⁶So the king said to him, “Is this one, then, not a god? Do you not see how much is spent for him every day?”

⁷And Daniel said to him, “Not at all! Do not let anyone mislead you, for this one is only of clay inside and bronze outside. Moreover, I swear to you by the Lord God of the gods that this one has never eaten anything.”

⁸And angered, the king called the leaders of the temple and said to them, “Produce the one who eats the things prepared for Bel. But if not, you shall die,

⁹or Daniel, who says they are not being eaten by him.” But they said, “It is Bel himself who eats them.” Then Daniel said to the king, “Let it be so. Unless I prove that Bel is not eating them, I shall die, and all those with me.”

¹⁰Now there were seventy priests of Bel, not counting wives and children. So he brought the king into the idol’s temple.

¹¹And the food was set out in the presence of the king and Daniel, and the mixed wine was brought in and set out before Bel. And Daniel said, “You, yourself, see, O king, that these things are set down. You, then, seal the bolts of the shrine when it is closed.” Now the word pleased the king.

¹⁴Now Daniel commanded those with him, after everyone departed from the temple, to strew the whole shrine with ashes, though no one else except him knew. And then, as he sealed the shrine, he commanded that it be sealed with the king’s signet and with the signets of certain illustrious priests. And so it happened. 15-17 And it happened on the next day that they went to the place. (But the priests of Bel, after entering through false doors, had eaten everything laid out for Bel and had drunk the wine.) And Daniel said, “men, priests, examine your seals, whether they remain. And you also, O king, observe carefully lest anything be out of order to you.” And they found the seal as it was, and they broke the seal.

¹⁸And when they opened the doors, they saw everything that had been set out consumed and the tables empty. And the king was thrilled and said to Daniel, “Bel is great, and there is no deceit in him!”

¹⁹And Daniel laughed exceedingly and said to the king, “Come, see the deceit of the priests.” And Daniel said, “O king, these footprints, whose are they?”

²⁰And the king said, “Of men and women and children.”

²¹And he went to the house where the priests were staying, and they found Bel’s food and the wine. And Daniel showed the king the false doors through which the priests would enter and consume what was set out for Bel.

²²And the king brought them out of Bel’s temple and handed them over to Daniel. And he gave the provision that was for him to Daniel, but he destroyed Bel.

²³And there was a dragon in that same place, and the Babylonians would revere it.

²⁴And the king said to Daniel, “Surely you shall not also say about this one, that he is bronze! Look, he loves and eats and drinks! Do obeisance to him.”

²⁶And Daniel said, “O king, give me permission, and I will slay the dragon without iron or club.” And the king agreed with him and said, “I have given it to you.”

²⁷And taking thirty minas of pitch and fat and hair, Daniel boiled them together, and having made a cake, he threw it into the mouth of the dragon. And after eating, it burst open. And he showed it to the king, saying, “Aren’t these the things you revere, O king?”

²⁸And all those from the country assembled against Daniel and said, “The king has just now become a Judaean. He has destroyed Bel and killed the dragon.”

³⁰And when the king saw that the crowd from the country had united against him, he called his companions and said, “I am giving Daniel over for destruction.” 31-2 Now, there was a pit in which seven lions would be fed, to which the conspirators of the king would be delivered. And every day two bodies condemned to death would be provided for them. And the crowd threw Daniel into that pit so that he might be devoured and not even have the good fortune of a burial. And Daniel was in the pit six days.

³³And it happened on the sixth day, and Hambakoum was having bread broken in a bowl of boiled soup and a jar of mixed wine and was on his way to the plain to the reapers.

³⁴And an angel of the Lord spoke to Hambakoum, saying, “This is what God says to you: the food that you have, take it to Daniel, the one of Baltasar [=Belshazzar], in the lion’s pit in Babylon.”

³⁵And Hambakoum said, “Lord God, I have not seen Babylon, and I do not know where the pit is.”

³⁶And when the angel of the Lord had taken Hambakoum by the hair of his head, he set him down above the pit that was in Babylon.

³⁷And Hambakoum said to Daniel, “Rise! Eat the food that God has sent you.”

³⁸And Daniel said, “For the Lord God who does not forsake those who love him has remembered me.”

³⁹And Daniel ate. Then the angel of the Lord put Hambakoum whence he took him on that same day.

⁴⁰Now after these things the king came out mourning Daniel. And when he stooped down into the pit, he saw him seated!

⁴¹And when had shouted out the king said, “The Lord God is great, and there is no other besides him!”

⁴²And the king brought Daniel out from the pit and threw into the pit those responsible for his ruin before Daniel, and they were devoured.