Additions to Daniel Reader

AND king Astyages was gathered to his fathers, and Cyrus the Persian received his kingdom. And Daniel lived with the king, and was honoured above all his friends. 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 firkins of wine. And the king did honour to it, and went daily to worship it: but Daniel worshipped his own God. And the king said unto him, Why dost thou not worship Bel? And he said, Because I may not do honour to idols made with hands, but to the living God, who hath created the heaven and the earth, and hath sovereignty over all flesh. Then said the king unto him, Thinkest thou not that Bel is a living god? or seest thou not how much he eateth and drinketh every day? Then Daniel laughed, and said, O king, be not deceived: for this is but clay within, and brass without, and did never eat or drink anything. So the king was wroth, and called for his priests, and said unto them, If ye tell me not who this is that devoureth these expenses, ye shall die. But if ye can shew me that Bel devoureth them, then Daniel shall die. 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. So Bel's priests said, Lo, we will get us out: but thou, O king, set on the meat, and mingle the wine and set it forth, and shut the door fast, and seal it with thine own signet. And they little regarded it: for under the table they had made a privy entrance, whereby they entered in continually, and consumed those things. And it came to pass, when they were gone forth, the king set the meat before Bel. Now Daniel had commanded his servants to bring ashes, and they strewed all the temple with them in the presence of the king alone: then went they out, and shut the door, and sealed it with the king's signet, and so departed. 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. In the morning betime the king arose, and Daniel with him. And the king said, Daniel, are the seals whole? And he said, Yea, O king, they be whole. And as soon as he had opened the door, the king looked upon the table, and cried with a loud voice, Great art thou, O Bel, and with thee is no deceit at all. 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. And the king said, I see the footsteps of men, women, and children. And then the king was angry, and took the priests with their wives and children, who shewed him the privy doors, where they came in, and consumed such things as were upon the table. Therefore the king slew them, and delivered Bel into Daniel's power, who overthrew him and his temple.

AND they walked in the midst of the fire, praising God, and blessing the Lord. Then Azarias stood, and prayed on this manner; and opening his mouth in the midst of the fire said, Blessed art thou, O Lord, thou God of our fathers, and worthy to be praised; and thy name is glorified for evermore: For thou art righteous in all the things that thou hast done: yea, true are all thy works, and thy ways are right, and all thy judgements truth. In all the things that thou hast brought upon us, and upon the holy city of our fathers, even Jerusalem, thou hast executed true judgements: for according to truth and justice hast thou brought all these things upon us because of our sins. For we have sinned and committed iniquity, in departing from thee. In all things have we trespassed, and not obeyed thy commandments, nor kept them, neither done as thou hast commanded us, that it might go well with us. And thou didst deliver us into the hands of lawless enemies, and most hateful forsakers of God, and to an unjust king, and the most wicked in all the world. And now we cannot open our mouth; shame and reproach have befallen thy servants, and them that worship thee. Deliver us not up utterly, for thy name's sake, neither disannul thou thy covenant: and cause not thy mercy to depart from us, for the sake of Abraham that is beloved of thee, and for the sake of Isaac thy servant, and Israel thy holy one. For we, O Lord, are become less than any nation, and be kept under this day in all the world because of our sins. Neither is there at this time prince, or prophet, or leader, or burnt offering, or sacrifice, or oblation, or incense, or place to offer before thee, and to find mercy. Nevertheless in a contrite heart and a humble spirit let us be accepted; like as in the burnt offerings of rams and bullocks, and like as in ten thousands of fat lambs; so let our sacrifice be in thy sight this day. And now we follow thee with all our heart, we fear thee, and seek thy face. Put us not to shame: but deal with us after thy kindness, and according to the multitude of thy mercy. Deliver us also according to thy marvellous works, and give glory to thy name, O Lord.

And in that same place there was a great dragon, which they of Babylon worshipped. And the king said unto Daniel, Wilt thou also say that this is of brass? lo, he liveth, and eateth and drinketh; thou canst not say that he is no living god: therefore worship him. Then said Daniel, I will worship the Lord my God: for he is a living God. But give me leave, O king, and I shall slay this dragon without sword or staff. The king said, I give thee leave. 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, so the dragon did eat and burst in sunder: and Daniel said, Lo, these are the gods ye worship.

And the king's servants, that put them in, ceased not to make the furnace hot with naphtha, pitch, tow, and small wood; so that the flame streamed forth above the furnace forty and nine cubits. And it spread, and burned those Chaldeans whom it found about the furnace. But the angel of the Lord came down into the furnace together with Azarias and his fellows, and he smote the flame of the fire out of the furnace; and made the midst of the furnace as it had been a moist whistling wind, so that the fire touched them not at all, neither hurt nor troubled them.

When they of Babylon heard that, they took great indignation, and conspired against the king, saying, The king is become a Jew, and he hath pulled down Bel, and slain the dragon, and put the priests to the sword. So they came to the king, and said, Deliver us Daniel, or else we will destroy thee and thine house. Now when the king saw that they pressed him sore, being constrained, the king delivered Daniel unto them: who cast him into the lion's den: where he was six days. And in the den there were seven lions, and they had given them every day two carcases, and two sheep: which then were not given to them, to the intent they might devour Daniel. Now there was in Jewry the prophet Habakkuk, who had made pottage, and had broken bread into a bowl, and was going into the field, for to bring it to the reapers. But the angel of the Lord said unto Habakkuk, Go carry the dinner that thou hast into Babylon unto Daniel, in the lions' den. And Habakkuk said, Lord, I never saw Babylon; neither do I know where the den is. Then the angel of the Lord took him by the crown, and lifted him up by the hair of his head, and with the blast of his breath set him in Babylon over the den. And Habakkuk cried, saying, O Daniel, Daniel, take the dinner which God hath sent thee. And Daniel said, Thou hast remembered me, O God: neither hast thou forsaken them that love thee. So Daniel arose, and did eat: and the angel of God set Habakkuk in his own place again immediately. Upon the seventh day the king came to bewail Daniel: and when he came to the den, he looked in, and, behold, Daniel was sitting. Then cried the king with a loud voice, saying, Great art thou, O Lord, thou God of Daniel, and there is none other beside thee. 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.

Then the three, as out of one mouth, praised, and glorified, and blessed God in the furnace, saying, Blessed art thou, O Lord, thou God of our fathers: and to be praised and exalted above all for ever. And blessed is thy glorious and holy name: and to be praised and exalted above all for ever. Blessed art thou in the temple of thine holy glory: and to be praised and glorified above all for ever. Blessed art thou that beholdest the depths, and sittest upon the cherubim: and to be praised and exalted above all for ever. Blessed art thou on the throne of thy kingdom: and to be praised and extolled above all for ever. Blessed art thou in the firmament of heaven: and to be praised and glorified for ever. O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. O ye heavens, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. O ye angels of the Lord, bless ye the Lord. O all ye waters that be above the heaven, bless ye the Lord. O all ye powers of the Lord, bless ye the Lord. O ye sun and moon, bless ye the Lord. O ye stars of heaven, bless ye the Lord. O every shower and dew, bless ye the Lord. O all ye winds, bless ye the Lord. O ye fire and heat, bless ye the Lord. O ye nights and days, bless ye the Lord. O ye light and darkness, bless ye the Lord. O ye lightnings and clouds, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. O let the earth bless the Lord: let it praise and exalt him above all for ever. O ye mountains and hills, bless ye the Lord. O all ye things that grow on the earth, bless ye the Lord. O sea and rivers, bless ye the Lord. O ye fountains, bless ye the Lord. O ye whales, and all that move in the waters, bless ye the Lord. O all ye fowls of the air, bless ye the Lord. O all ye beasts and cattle, bless ye the Lord. O ye children of men, bless ye the Lord. O let Israel bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. O ye priests of the Lord, bless ye the Lord. O ye servants of the Lord, bless ye the Lord. O ye spirits and souls of the righteous, bless ye the Lord. O ye that are holy and humble of heart, bless ye the Lord. O Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever: for he hath rescued us, and saved us from the midst of the burning fiery furnace.