Daniel and the Priests of Bel
1 After the death of King Astyages, Cyrus of Persia took over his kingdom. 2 Daniel was one of King Cyrus' closest companions, and the king thought more highly of Daniel than of any other of his advisers.
3 The Babylonians had an idol named Bel. Each day the people had to provide Bel with an offering of twelve bushels of fine flour, forty sheep, and fifty gallons of wine. 4 King Cyrus believed that Bel was a god, and each day he used to go and worship it. But Daniel worshiped his own God.
5 One day the king asked Daniel, “Why don't you worship Bel?”
Daniel answered, “I do not worship idols made with human hands. I worship only the living God, who created heaven and earth and is the Lord of all human beings.”
6 “And don't you believe that our god Bel is really alive?” asked the king. “Haven't you seen how much he eats and drinks every day?”
7 Daniel laughed and said, “Don't be fooled, Your Majesty. This god you call Bel is nothing more than clay covered with bronze; it has never eaten or drunk anything.”
8-10 At this the king became angry and called in all seventy of the priests of Bel. He said to them, “I warn you that you will be put to death, unless you can show me that it is Bel who is eating these offerings. If you prove to me that it is Bel, then I will have Daniel put to death for claiming that Bel is not a god.”
Daniel agreed to this proposal.
11 Then they all went with the king into Bel's temple, where the priests said to the king, “Your Majesty, we will go out and let you place the food on the table and prepare the wine. When you leave, you may lock the door behind you and seal it with the royal seal. 12 In the morning when you return, if you find that Bel has not eaten everything, you can put us to death. But if he has, Daniel will die for making false accusations against us.”
13 But the priests were not worried, because they had made a secret entrance underneath a table in the temple, so that they could go in every night and eat the offerings.
14 When the priests had left, the king set out the food for Bel. Then Daniel ordered his servants to bring some ashes and scatter them all over the floor of the temple. No one except the king saw them do this. After that they all went out, locked the door, sealed it with the royal seal, and left.
15 That night, as usual, the priests with their wives and children came into the temple by the secret entrance and ate all the food and drank all the wine.
16 Early the next morning, the king and Daniel went to the temple. 17 The king asked, “Have the seals been broken, Daniel?”
“No, Your Majesty, they have not been broken,” he replied.
18 As soon as the door was opened, the king saw the empty table and shouted, “You are great, O Bel! You really are a god.”
19 But Daniel began to laugh and said to the king, “Before you enter the temple, look at the floor and tell me whose footprints you see there.”
20 “I see the footprints of men, women, and children,” said the king, 21 and he became so angry that he had the priests and their families arrested and brought to him. They showed him the secret doors through which they had come in each night to eat the food placed on the table. 22 So the king had the priests put to death, and he gave Bel to Daniel, who destroyed the idol and tore down its temple.
Daniel Kills the Dragon
23 There was also a huge dragon which the Babylonians worshiped. 24 One day the king said to Daniel, “You can't tell me that this god is not alive. So worship him!”
25 “I worship the Lord,” replied Daniel. “He is the only living God. 26 And if Your Majesty will give me permission, I will kill this dragon of yours without using a sword or a club.”
“You have my permission,” answered the king.
27 So Daniel took some tar, some fat, and some hair and boiled them all together. He made cakes out of the mixture and fed them to the dragon. When the dragon ate them, it swelled up and burst open. “That's the kind of thing you Babylonians worship,” said Daniel.
28 When the people of Babylon heard what had happened, they staged an angry demonstration against the king. “The king has become a Jew,” they shouted. “First he destroyed Bel and slaughtered the priests, and now he has killed our dragon.” 29 They went to the king and demanded that Daniel be handed over to them. “If you refuse,” they warned the king, “we will put you and your family to death.”
30 When the king saw that they meant what they said, he was forced to hand Daniel over to them. 31 They threw him into a pit of lions, where they left him for six days. 32 There were seven lions in the pit, and normally they were fed two human bodies and two sheep each day. But they were given nothing to eat during these six days, in order to make sure that Daniel would be eaten.
Daniel Is Rescued from the Pit of Lions
33 At that time the prophet Habakkuk was in the land of Judah. He had cooked a stew and crumbled bread into it. He was carrying a bowl of it to the workers who were out in the fields harvesting grain, 34 when an angel of the Lord spoke to him, “Take the food you are carrying and give it to Daniel, who is in Babylon in a pit of lions.”
35 Habakkuk answered, “Sir, I have never been to Babylon, and I don't know where the pit of lions is.”
36 So the angel grabbed the prophet by the hair and took him to Babylon with the speed of the wind. He set him down near the pit of lions. 37 Habakkuk called out, “Daniel! Daniel! God has sent you some food. Here, take it.”
38 When Daniel heard Habakkuk, he prayed, “God, you did remember me; you never abandon those who love you.” 39 Then he got up and ate the meal, and God's angel immediately took Habakkuk home.
40 Seven days after Daniel had been thrown to the lions, the king went to the pit to mourn for him. When he got there and looked in, there sat Daniel. 41 The king shouted, “O Lord, the God of Daniel, how great you are. You alone are God.” 42 So he pulled Daniel out of the pit and had those who had tried to kill Daniel thrown into it. And the lions ate them immediately, while the king watched.
Danieli tsî Beli di pristergu
1 Gao-aob Astiagesi ǁōb khaoǃgâb ge Sirusi, Persiab diba gaosisa ge ūǃkhuni. 2 Danieli ge ge gao-aob Koresi di ǀhōsa tsî ǀapemā-ao i tsîb ge gao-aoba nau ǀhōsagu hoagu âb ǃgâ-ai, ǁîba ǃnāsa ǃgôasiba ge ūba hâ i.
3 Babiloniaǁîn ge Bel, ti ǀon hâ ǁgôa-eloba ge ūhâ i. Tsēkoroben ge khoena Bela disiǀgamǀa xapadi di ǃgâi mel-i, hakadisi gūn tsî ǀgamkaidisi litergu ǂauxûi-i tsîna gere ǁguiba. 4 Gao-aob Sirusi ge Bela kai ǃgôasiba ge ūba hâ i tsî tsēkorobe ǁnāǀî ǃgû tsî ǁîba sī gere ǀgoreǀî. Xawe Daniela ge ǁîb Elob ǂûba gere ǀgoreǀî.
5 ǀGuitsēb ge gao-aoba Daniela “Tare-i ǃaromats Bela ǀgoreǀî tama hâ?” ti ge dî.
Ob ge Daniela ge ǃeream: “Tita ge ǁgôa-elon, khoesi ǃomgu ǀkha kuruhe hâna ǀgoreǀî tama hâ. Tsî ta ge ûitsama Elob, ǀhommi tsî ǃhūbaib tsîkha ge kurub, ûitsaman hoan di ǃKhūb ǀguiba ra ǀgoreǀî.”
6 “Ots kha sida elob, Beli amase ûitsama ǃkhaisa ǂgom tama hâ?” tib ge gao-aoba ge dî. “Mâtikōseb tsēkorobe ǂû tsî ra ā ǃkhaisats kha mû tama hâ?” 7 Ob ge Daniela âi tsî ge mî: “Gao-aotse ta gāhe re. Nē elob Beli tits ra ǀonǂgaib ge ǂgoa-i ǀkha kuruhe tsî brons-i ǀkha ǃkhûǀkhāhe hâ tsî tātsē xū-i xare-e ǂû tsî ā tama hâ.” 8-10 Nēs xab ge gao-aoba ǁaixa tsî hoaraga hûdisi pristergu Beli diga ǂgaiǂgâxa tsî ge mî: “Tari-i nē ǂûna ra ǂû ǃkhaisa go ga mîba te tama i, o go ge nî ǃgamhe. Xawe Beli ra amase ǂû ǃkhaisa go ga ǁgauǂui, ob ge Daniela, Belab ge ǃkhāǃkhā amaga nî ǃgamhe.”
Danieli ge nē aoǁguiba ge ǃkhō-am. 11 Tsî gu ge hoatsama gao-aob ǀkha Beli tempeli ǃnâ a ǂgâ, o gu ge pristerga gao-aob ǃoa ge mî: “Gao-aotse, sige ge ra ǂoa, xuige ǂûna tāb ai mâi, î ǂauxûiba aiǂhomi. Tsî ǂoats kas khaoǃgâ dao-amsa ǃnau-am tsî gaosi ǂganamūxūs ǀkha ǂganam. 12 ǁGoagats ga hā tsî Beli hoa xūna ǂû tama ǃkhaisa mû, ots ge ǃgam ge ǁkhā. Xaweb ga ǂû hâ, ob ge Daniela sige ǃoagub go dī ǂhumi ǀanaǃgâs ǃaroma nî ǃgamhe.”
13 Pristergu ge ǁîgu ge ǂganǃgâsa ǂgâ-amsa tempeli ǃnâ, tāb ǃnaka kuru hâ i xui-ao ge ǂâiǂhansen tama hâ i. Mâ tsuxub hoaba gu ge ǁnāpa-u ǂgâ tsî nē ǁguibaxūna gere hapu.
14 Pristergu ge ǂoa, ob ge gao-aoba Bela ǂûna ge aiǂhomiba. Ob ge Daniela ǁîb di ǃgāga ge mîmā, î gu tsao-e hā-ū tsî tempeli di ǂaiǂgapab ai tsoro. Gao-aob ose, i ge ǀgui khoe-i tsîna nēsa gu ra dī ǃkhaisa ge mû tama hâ i. ǁNās khaoǃgâ gu ge hoatsama ǂoa tsî dao-amsa ǃnau-am tsî gaosi ǂganamūxūs ǀkha ǂganam tsî ge oa.
15 ǁNā tsuxuba gu ge ǀnai gu ra dī khami, pristerga ǁîgu taradi tsî ôasan tsîn ǀkha tempeli di ǂganǃgâsa dao-ams ǃnâ-ū ǂgâ tsî hoaraga ǂûna hapu tsî ǂauxûib tsîna ge āǂui.
16 Sao ra ǃnauǁgoaga kha ge gao-aob tsî Danieli tsîkha tempeli ǃoa ge ǃgû. 17 Ob ge gao-aoba ge dî: “Danieltse, ǂganamūxūde khôahe di hâ?”
“Hî-î, Gao-aotse, khôahe tama di ge hâ” tib ge ge ǃeream.
18 Tsî dao-amsab ra ǁkhowa-am hîab ge gao-aoba ǁnātimîsi ǀkhai-ai tāba mû tsî ge ǃau: “Kaits ge a, Beltse! Sats ge amase a elo.”
19 Xaweb ge Daniela âitsoatsoa tsî gao-aob ǃoa ge mî: “Tempeli ǃnâts nî ǂgâs aiǃâ, ǂaiǂgapab ai kō, î tari-i di ǂainats ra ǁnāpa mû ǃkhaisa mîba te re.”
20 Ob ge gao-aoba: “Tita ge aogu, tarekhoedi tsî ǀgôan di ǂaina ra mû,” ti ge mî. 21 Gao-aob ge ǁaixa tsî pristergu, ǁîgu taradi tsî ôasan tsîn ǃkhōhe tsî ǁîb ǃoa nî ūhāhe ǃkhaisa ge mîmā. ǁÎn ge ǂganǃgâsa dao-amdi, ǁîdi ǃnâ-ūn ge ǂûn hîa tāb ai mâihe hâna nî ǂûse gere ǂgâde ǁîba ge ǁgau. 22 ǁÎb ge pristerga ǃgam kai tsî Bela, Daniela ge māǁnâ, tsîb ge ǁîba nē ǁgôa-elob tsî ǁîb di tempeli tsîkha hoakha hîkākā.
Danieli ge kaiǀaoba ra ǃgam
23 ǁNāpab ge ǁkhāti kai Kaiǀaob, Babiloniaǁîn xa gere elo-i ase ǀgoreǀîheba ge hâ i. 24 ǀGuitsēb ge gao-aoba Danieli ǃoa ge mî: “Nē elob a ûitsama elo ǃkhaisats ge a ǂnoaǃoa ǁoa, xuige ǁîba ǀgoreǀî!”
25 Ob ge Daniela ge ǃeream: “Tita ge ǃKhūb ti Eloba ra ǀgoreǀî, ǁîb ǀguib a ûitsama Elo xui-ao. 26 Xawe Gao-aotse mā-am te, o ta ge nē kaiǀaoba, hoaǀkhāǀāgôa-i tamas ka io ǃhôa-i tsîn ose nî ǃgam.”
“Mā-am tsi ta ra” tib ge gao-aoba ge mî.
27 Ob ge Daniela tēr-i, ǁnui-i tsî ǀûn tsîna ū, hoana sâiǀhao, tsamperena kuru tsî kaiǀaoba ge ǂûmā. Tsî ǂûb ge, ob ge khū tsî ge ǂariǃā. Ob ge Daniela ge mî: “Mû, tare-e du gere sa Babiloniaǁîdo ǀgoreǀî ǃkhaisa.”
28 Tsî Babiloniaǁîn ge tare-i ge ī ǃkhaisan ge ǁnâu, o gao-aoba nî mâǃoase ǁaixasib ǃnâ ǀhao tsî gere ǃau: “Gao-aob ge go Jodeǁî kai. ǁÎb ge Bela hîkākā, pristerga ǃgam tsî ǁkhāti nēsi sida kaiǀaob tsîna go ǃgam.” 29 ǁÎn ge gao-aob tawa sī tsî ǁîb ǃoa ge mî: “Daniela sida ǃomǁae māǁnâ. ǂKhāts ka, o da ge sats tsî sa omaris hoaragas dido nî ǃgam.”
30 Tsî gao-aob ge mîn ra xūnan ra ǂâibasen ǃkhaisa mû, ob ge Daniela ǁîn ǃomǁae ge māǁnâ.
Danieli ge xamn āb ǃnâ ra aoǂgāhe
31 Babiloniaǁîn ge Daniela ū tsî xamn āb ǃnâ ge aoǂgā, tsîb ge ǃnani tsēde ǁnāpa ge hâ. 32 ǁNā āb ǃnân ge hû xamna ge ge hâ i, tsîn ge mâ tsēs hoasa ǀgam khoen di sorora tsî ǀgam gūn tsîna gere ǂûmāhe. Xawen ge nē ǃnani tsēdi ǁaeb ǃnâ, Danielan nî hapu ǁkhāse, ǂûxū-i xare-e ge māhe tama hâ i.
Danieli ge xamn āba xu ra huiǂuihe
33 ǁNā ǁaeb ǃnâb ge kēbo-aob Habakuka Judeab ǃnâ ge hâ i. ǁÎb ge ǂû-e sâi tsî perena ǃores ǃnâ khôaǂgā tsî ǃhoroǃhanagu ǃnâ gere sîsen aoga ge ǃgû-ūba. 34 Xaweb ge ǃKhūb di ǀhomǃgāba Habakuki ǃoa “ǁNāts ūhâ ǂû-e Danieli, Babilons ǃnâ xamn āb ǃnâ hâba sī mā” ti ge mî.
35 Ob ge Habakuka “ǃGôahesatse, tita ge noxopa Babilons ǃnâ sītsâ tama hâ, tsî ta ge ǁnā xamn āb mâpa hâ ǃkhais tsîna a ǀū” ti ge ǃeream.
36 ǀHomǃgāb ge kēbo-aob Habakuka ǀûgu ai ǃkhō tsî ǂoab di ǃhaesib ǀkha Babilons tawa sī-ū tsî ǁîba xamn āb tawa ge sī mâi. 37 Ob ge Habakuka “Danieltse! Danieltse! Elob go sîba tsi ǂû-e ū re” ti ge ǂgaiǂui. 38 Danieli ge Habakuka ǁnâu, ob ge “Gangan tsi Elotse, sats ge tita xa go ǂâi. Sats, satsa ǀnamna ǁnāxūǃgâ tama hâ xui-ao” ti ge ǀgore. 39 Danieli ge khâi tsî ge ǂû. Tsîb ge Elob di ǀhomǃgāba ǁnātimîsi Habakuka ǁgâus âb ǃoa ge ū.
40 Danieli ge xamna aobahes khaoǃgâ di ge hû tsēde ǃkharu, ob ge gao-aoba xamn āb tawa Danieli ǃaroma nî sī ǃoase ge sī. Xawe sī tsîb ge āb ǃnâ kō, ob ge Daniela ûitsamase ge mûǂnôa. 41 Ob ge gao-aoba ǃgari dommi ǀkha “ǃKhūtse, Danieli di Elotse, mâtikōsets a kai. Sats ǀguits ge ama Elo” ti ge ǂgaiǂui. 42 Ob ge gao-aoba Daniela āba xu ǂgaeǂui kai tsî ǁnāgu, ǁîba gere ǃgam ǂgaoga ǁnāpa ge aoǂgā. Tsîn ge xamna gao-aob ra kō hîa ǁîga ǁnātimîsi ge hapu.
