1
When King Astyages was laid to rest with his ancestors, Cyrus the Persian succeeded to his kingdom.
2
Daniel was a companion of the king, and was the most honored of all his Friends.
3
Now the Babylonians had an idol called Bel, and every day they provided for it twelve bushels of choice flour and forty sheep and six measures of wine.
4
The king revered it and went every day to worship it. But Daniel worshiped his own God. So the king said to him, "Why do you not worship Bel?"
5
He answered, "Because I do not revere idols made with hands, but the living God, who created heaven and earth and has dominion over all living creatures."
6
The king said to him, "Do you not think that Bel is a living god? Do you not see how much he eats and drinks every day?"
7
And Daniel laughed, and said, "Do not be deceived, O king, for this thing is only clay inside and bronze outside, and it never ate or drank anything."