Bel and the Dragon

Βὴλ καὶ Δράκων

1 ΚΑΙ ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἀστυάγης προσετέθη πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας αὐτοῦ, καὶ παρέλαβε Κῦρος ὁ Πέρσης τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ.

And king Astyages was gathered to his fathers, and Cyrus of Persia received his kingdom.

2 καὶ ἦν Δανιὴλ συμβιωτὴς τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ ἔνδοξος ὑπὲρ πάντας τοὺς φίλους αὐτοῦ.

And Daniel conversed with the king, and was honoured above all his friends.

3 καὶ ἦν εἴδωλον τοῖς Βαβυλωνίοις, ᾧ ὄνομα Βήλ, καὶ ἐδαπανῶντο εἰς αὐτὸν ἑκάστης ἡμέρας σεμιδάλεως ἀρτάβαι δώδεκα καὶ πρόβατα τεσσαράκοντα καὶ οἴνου μετρηταὶ ἕξ.

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.

4 καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐσέβετο αὐτὸν καὶ ἐπορεύετο καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν προσκυνεῖν αὐτῷ· Δανιὴλ δὲ προσεκύνει τῷ Θεῷ αὐτοῦ. καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ βασιλεύς· διατί οὐ προσκυνεῖς τῷ Βήλ;

And the king worshipped it and went daily to adore it: but Daniel worshipped his own God. And the king said to him, Why do not you worship Bel?

5 ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· ὅτι οὐ σέβομαι εἴδωλα χειροποίητα, ἀλλὰ τὸν ζῶντα Θεὸν τὸν κτίσαντα τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ ἔχοντα πάσης σαρκὸς κυριείαν.

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.

6 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ βασιλεύς· οὐ δοκεῖ σοι Βὴλ εἶναι ζῶν θεός; ἢ οὐχ ὁρᾷς ὅσα ἐσθίει καὶ πίνει καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν;

Then said the king to him, Thinkest you not that Bel is a living God? see you not how much he eats and drinks every day?

7 καὶ εἶπε Δανιὴλ γελάσας· μὴ πλανῶ, βασιλεῦ· οὗτος γὰρ ἔσωθεν μέν ἐστι πηλὸς ἔξωθεν δὲ χαλκὸς καὶ οὐ βέβρωκεν οὐδὲ πέπωκε πώποτε.

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.

8 θυμωθεὶς δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐκάλεσε τοὺς ἱερεῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· ἐὰν μὴ εἴπητέ μοι τίς ὁ κατέσθων τὴν δαπάνην ταύτην,

So the king was angry, and called for his priests, and said to them, If you⌃ tell me not who this is that devours these expenses, you⌃ shall die.

9 ἀποθανεῖσθε. ἐὰν δὲ δείξητε ὅτι Βὴλ κατεσθίει αὐτά, Δανιὴλ ἀποθανεῖται, ὅτι ἐβλασφήμησεν εἰς τὸν Βήλ. καὶ εἶπε Δανιὴλ τῷ βασιλεῖ· γινέσθω κατὰ τὸ ρῆμά σου.

But if you⌃ can certify me that Bel devours them, then Daniel shall die: for he has spoken blasphemy against Bel. And Daniel said to the king, Let it be according to your word.

10 καὶ ἦσαν ἱερεῖς τοῦ Βὴλ ἑβδομήκοντα ἐκτὸς γυναικῶν καὶ τέκνων. καὶ ἦλθεν ὁ βασιλεὺς μετὰ Δανιὴλ εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Βήλ.

Now the priests of Bel were threescore and ten, beside their wives and children. And the king went with Daniel into the temple of Bel.

11 καὶ εἶπαν οἱ ἱερεῖς τοῦ Βήλ· ἰδοὺ ἡμεῖς ἀποτρέχομεν ἔξω, σὺ δέ, βασιλεῦ, παράθες τὰ βρώματα καὶ τὸν οἶνον κεράσας θὲς καὶ ἀπόκλεισον τὴν θύραν καὶ σφράγισον τῷ δακτυλίῳ σου· καὶ ἐλθὼν πρωΐ, ἐὰν μὴ εὕρῃς πάντα βεβρωμένα ὑπὸ τοῦ Βήλ, ἀποθανούμεθα ἢ Δανιὴλ ὁ ψευδόμενος καθ' ἡμῶν.

So Bel's priests said, Behold, we go out: but you, O king, set on the meat, and make ready the wine, and shut the door fast and seal it with your own signet; And to morrow when you come in, if you find not that Bel has eaten up all, we will suffer death: or else Daniel, that speaks falsely against us. (verse 1:11-12 in Brenton's English)

12 αὐτοὶ δὲ κατεφρόνουν, ὅτι πεποιήκεισαν ὑπὸ τὴν τράπεζαν κεκρυμμένην εἴσοδον καὶ δι' αὐτῆς εἰσεπορεύοντο διόλου καὶ ἀνήλουν αὐτά.

And they little regarded it: for under the table they had made a privy entrance, whereby they entered in continually, and consumed those things. (verse 13 in Brenton's English)

13 καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς ἐξήλθοσαν ἐκεῖνοι, καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς παρέθηκε τὰ βρώματα τῷ Βήλ.

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 alone: then they went out, and shut the door, and sealed it with the king's signet, and so departed. (verse 14 in Brenton's English)

14 καὶ ἐπέταξε Δανιὴλ τοῖς παιδαρίοις αὐτοῦ καὶ ἤνεγκαν τέφραν καὶ κατέστρωσαν ὅλον τὸν ναὸν ἐνώπιον τοῦ βασιλέως μόνου· καὶ ἐξελθόντες ἔκλεισαν τὴν θύραν καὶ ἐσφραγίσαντο ἐν τῷ δακτυλίῳ τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ ἀπῆλθον.

In the English, this verse is part of verse 13.

15 οἱ δὲ ἱερεῖς ἦλθον τὴν νύκτα κατὰ τὸ ἔθος αὐτῶν καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ τέκνα αὐτῶν καὶ κατέφαγον πάντα καὶ ἐξέπιον.

Now in the night came the priests with their wives and children, as they were wont to do, and did eat and drink up all.

16 καὶ ὤρθρισεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸ πρωΐ καὶ Δανιὴλ μετ' αὐτοῦ.

In the morning betime the king arose, and Daniel with him.

17 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς· σῷοι αἱ σφραγῖδες, Δανιήλ; ὁ δὲ εἶπε· σῷοι, βασιλεῦ.

And the king said, Daniel, are the seals whole? And he said, Yes, O king, they be whole.

18 καὶ ἐγένετο ἅμα τῷ ἀνοῖξαι τὰς θύρας, ἐπιβλέψας ἐπὶ τὴν τράπεζαν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐβόησε φωνῇ μεγάλῃ· μέγας εἶ, Βήλ, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι παρὰ σοὶ δόλος οὐδὲ εἷς.

And as soon as he had opened the door, the king looked upon the table, and cried with a loud voice, Great are you, O Bel, and with you is no deceit at all.

19 καὶ ἐγέλασε Δανιὴλ καὶ ἐκράτησε τὸν βασιλέα τοῦ μὴ εἰσελθεῖν αὐτὸν ἔσω καὶ εἶπεν· ἰδὲ δὴ τὸ ἔδαφος καὶ γνῶθι τίνος τὰ ἴχνη ταῦτα.

Then laughed Daniel, and held the king that he should not go in, and said, Behold now the pavement, and mark well whose footsteps are these.

20 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς· ὁρῶ τὰ ἴχνη ἀνδρῶν καὶ γυναικῶν καὶ παιδίων.

And the king said, I see the footsteps of men, women, and children. And then the king was angry,

21 καὶ ὀργισθεὶς ὁ βασιλεὺς τότε συνέλαβε τοὺς ἱερεῖς καὶ τὰς γυναῖκας καὶ τὰ τέκνα αὐτῶν, καὶ ἔδειξαν αὐτῷ τὰς κρυπτὰς θύρας, δι' ὧν εἰσεπορεύοντο καὶ ἐδαπάνων τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς τραπέζης.

And took the priests with their wives and children, who showed him the privy doors, where they came in, and consumed such things as were upon the table.

22 καὶ ἀπέκτεινεν αὐτοὺς ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ἔδωκε τὸν Βὴλ ἔκδοτον τῷ Δανιήλ, καὶ κατέστρεψεν αὐτὸν καὶ τὸ ἱερὸν αὐτοῦ.

Therefore the king killed them, and delivered Bel into Daniel's power, who destroyed him and his temple.

23 Καὶ ἦν δράκων μέγας, καὶ ἐσέβοντο αὐτὸν οἱ Βαβυλώνιοι.

And in that same place there was a great dragon, which they of Babylon worshipped.

24 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τῷ Δανιήλ· μὴ καὶ τοῦτον ἐρεῖς ὅτι χαλκοῦς ἐστιν; ἰδοὺ ζῇ καὶ ἐσθίει καὶ πίνει· οὐ δύνασαι εἰπεῖν ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν οὗτος θεὸς ζῶν, καὶ προσκύνησον αὐτῷ.

And the king said to Daniel, Will you also say that this is of brass? behold, he lives, he eats and drinks; you can not say that he is no living god: therefore worship him.

25 καὶ εἶπε Δανιήλ· Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ μου προσκυνήσω, ὅτι οὗτός ἐστι Θεὸς ζῶν·

Then said Daniel to the king, I will worship the Lord my God: for he is the living God.

26 σὺ δέ, βασιλεῦ, δός μοι ἐξουσίαν, καὶ ἀποκτενῶ τὸν δράκοντα ἄνευ μαχαίρας καὶ ράβδου. καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς· δίδωμί σοι.

But give me leave, O king, and I shall kill this dragon without sword or staff. The king said, I give you leave.

27 καὶ ἔλαβεν ὁ Δανιὴλ πίσσαν καὶ στέαρ καὶ τρίχας καὶ ἥψησεν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ ἐποίησε μάζας καὶ ἔδωκεν εἰς τὸ στόμα τοῦ δράκοντος, καὶ φαγὼν διερράγη ὁ δράκων. καὶ εἶπεν· ἴδετε τά σεβάσματα ὑμῶν.

Then Daniel took pitch, and fat, and hair, and did seethe them together, and made lumps thereof: this he put in the dragon's mouth, and so the dragon burst in sunder: and Daniel said, Behold, these are the gods you⌃ worship.

28 καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς ἤκουσαν οἱ Βαβυλώνιοι, ἠγανάκτησαν λίαν καὶ συνεστράφησαν ἐπὶ τὸν βασιλέα καὶ εἶπαν· Ἰουδαῖος γέγονεν ὁ βασιλεύς· τὸν Βὴλ κατέσπασε καὶ τὸν δράκοντα ἀπέκτεινε καὶ τοὺς ἱερεῖς κατέσφαξε.

When they of Babylon heard that, they took great indignation, and conspired against the king, saying, The king is become a Jew, and he has destroyed Bel, he has slain the dragon, and put the priests to death.

29 καὶ εἶπαν ἐλθόντες πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα· παράδος ἡμῖν τὸν Δανιήλ· εἰ δὲ μή, ἀποκτενοῦμέν σε καὶ τὸν οἶκόν σου.

So they came to the king, and said, Deliver us Daniel, or else we will destroy you and your house.

30 καὶ εἶδεν ὁ βασιλεὺς ὅτι ἐπείγουσιν αὐτὸν σφόδρα, καὶ ἀναγκασθεὶς ὁ βασιλεὺς παρέδωκεν αὐτοῖς τὸν Δανιήλ.

Now when the king saw that they pressed him sore, being constrained, he delivered Daniel to them:

31 οἱ δὲ ἔβαλον αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν λάκκον τῶν λεόντων, καὶ ἦν ἐκεῖ ἡμέρας ἕξ.

Who cast him into the lions' den: where he was six days.

32 ἦσαν δὲ ἐν τῷ λάκκῳ ἑπτὰ λέοντες, καὶ ἐδίδοτο αὐτοῖς τὴν ἡμέραν δύο σώματα καὶ δύο πρόβατα· τότε δὲ οὐκ ἐδόθη αὐτοῖς, ἵνα καταφάγωσι τὸν Δανιήλ.

And in the den there were seven lions, and they had given them every day two carcasses, and two sheep: which then were not given to them, to the intent they might devour Daniel.

33 καὶ ἦν Ἀμβακοὺμ ὁ προφήτης ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ, καὶ αὐτὸς ἥψησεν ἕψεμα καὶ ἐνέθρυψεν ἄρτους εἰς σκάφην καὶ ἐπορεύετο εἰς τὸ πεδίον ἀπενέγκαι τοῖς θερισταῖς.

Now there was in Jewry a prophet, called Habbacuc, who had made pottage, and had broken bread in a bowl, and was going into the field, for to bring it to the reapers.

34 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ ἄγγελος Κυρίου τῷ Ἀμβακούμ· ἀπένεγκε τὸ ἄριστον, ὃ ἔχεις, εἰς Βαβυλῶνα τῷ Δανιὴλ εἰς τὸν λάκκον τῶν λεόντων.

But the angel of the Lord said to Habbacuc, Go, carry the dinner that you have into Babylon to Daniel, who is in the lions' den.

35 καὶ εἶπεν Ἀμβακούμ· Κύριε, Βαβυλῶνα οὐχ ἑώρακα καὶ τὸν λάκκον οὐ γινώσκω.

And Habbacuc said, Lord, I never saw Babylon; neither do I know where the den is.

36 καὶ ἐπελάβετο ὁ ἄγγελος Κυρίου τῆς κορυφῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ βαστάσας τῆς κόμης τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ ἔθηκεν αὐτὸν εἰς Βαβυλῶνα ἐπάνω τοῦ λάκκου ἐν τῷ ροίζῳ τοῦ πνεύματος αὐτοῦ.

Then the angel of the Lord took him by the crown, and bare him by the hair of his head, and through the vehemency of his spirit set him in Babylon over the den.

37 καὶ ἐβόησεν Ἀμβακοὺμ λέγων· Δανιὴλ Δανιήλ, λαβὲ τὸ ἄριστον, ὃ ἀπέστειλέ σοι ὁ Θεός.

And Habbacuc cried, saying, O Daniel, Daniel, take the dinner which God has sent you.

38 καὶ εἶπε Δανιήλ· ἐμνήσθης γάρ μου, ὁ Θεός, καὶ οὐκ ἐγκατέλιπες τοὺς ἀγαπῶντάς σε.

And Daniel said, You have remembered me, O God: neither have you forsaken them that seek you and love you.

39 καὶ ἀναστὰς Δανιὴλ ἔφαγεν· ὁ δὲ ἄγγελος τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀποκατέστησε τὸν Ἀμβακοὺμ παραχρῆμα εἰς τὸν τόπον αὐτοῦ.

So Daniel arose, and did eat: and the angel of the Lord set Habbacuc in his own place again immediately.

40 ὁ δέ βασιλεὺς ἦλθε τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ἑβδόμῃ πενθῆσαι τὸν Δανιήλ· καὶ ἦλθεν ἐπὶ τὸν λάκκον καὶ ἐνέβλεψε, καὶ ἰδοὺ Δανιὴλ καθήμενος.

Upon the seventh day the king went to bewail Daniel: and when he came to the den, he looked in, and behold, Daniel was sitting.

41 καὶ ἀναβοήσας φωνῇ μεγάλῃ εἶπε· μέγας εἶ, Κύριε ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ Δανιήλ, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλος πλὴν σοῦ.

Then cried the king with a loud voice, saying, Great are you Lord God of Daniel, and there is none other beside you.

42 καὶ ἀνέσπασεν αὐτόν, τοὺς δὲ αἰτίους τῆς ἀπωλείας αὐτοῦ ἐνέβαλεν εἰς τὸν λάκκον, καὶ κατεβρώθησαν παραχρῆμα ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ.

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.

Greek: the Septuagint as the Orthodox Media Network published it (Mount Athos); 2 Maccabees and the Prayer of Manasseh from Brenton's edition (1851). English: Brenton's translation (1851), its spelling updated by Michael Paul Johnson; public domain. About these texts.