18
As soon as the doors were opened, the king looked at the table, and shouted in a loud voice, "You are great, O Bel, and in you there is no deceit at all!"
19
But Daniel laughed and restrained the king from going in. "Look at the floor," he said, "and notice whose footprints these are."
20
The king said, "I see the footprints of men and women and children."
21
Then the king was enraged, and he arrested the priests and their wives and children. They showed him the secret doors through which they used to enter to consume what was on the table.
22
Therefore the king put them to death, and gave Bel over to Daniel, who destroyed it and its temple.
23
Now in that place there was a great dragon, which the Babylonians revered.
24
The king said to Daniel, "You cannot deny that this is a living god; so worship him."
25
Daniel said, "I worship the Lord my God, for he is the living God.
26
But give me permission, O king, and I will kill the dragon without sword or club." The king said, "I give you permission."
27
Then Daniel took pitch, fat, and hair, and boiled them together and made cakes, which he fed to the dragon. The dragon ate them, and burst open. Then Daniel said, "See what you have been worshiping!"
28
When the Babylonians heard about it, they were very indignant and conspired against the king, saying, "The king has become a Jew; he has destroyed Bel, and killed the dragon, and slaughtered the priests."