Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1909-08-05

then ye shall die. But n ye can GER
tify me that Bel devoureth them. then
Daniel shall die for he hath spoksU
bissphemy against BEL
Thou hast spoken WELL" said Danr
lei. looking full into the Eyes OF thu
assembled priests.
II was agreed that test should be
made that the king and Daniel should
shut and seal the doors Of the temple
after they had placed the usual
food and drink and Offering before
the image. And the priests little
regarded the matter. for under the
table they had made a privy entrance.
whereby they entered in continually
and consumed those things which
were set before Bel. But Dan
lei vas as subtle as the priests ,hem-
selves. and ~unbeknown to them he
caused his servants to strew the floor
Of the temple with very fine ashes.
Then were the doors shut and sealed
with the kings tea.
In the morning with eager step
came the king and Daniel with him.
and the king said.
"Ah. ha, are not the seals wholey-
Yea. my lord. they are whole
Then the king commanded that ths
doors be opened. and when they had
gone within behold the table was
empty. Ind the king cried:
Great art thou. o Rel. and with
thee is no deceit at all
But Daniel only laughed. and point
ing to the pavement where the ashes
had been spread. he said:
Mark well whose footsteps these
be-"
And when the private entrance had
been disclosed to the king he vas
very angry and he caused the priests
to be- slain and delivered Bel and
the temple into the hands Of Daniel,
who aused them to be destroyed.
Now there was also in the same
place a great dragon which the peo-
pie Of Babylon wo~rshiped. And the
king said unto Daniel:
wilt thou also say that this is Of
brass, 10. he liveth. n esteth and
drinketh. Thou canst o say that
be is o a living god. Therefore
worship him
Nay responded Daniel, but I
will worship the Lord my God: for
he is the living God But give me
leave. o king. and I shall Stay this
dragon without sword or tan"
And the king having given his con-
aaaF Natal Vaak rNN.A - " -
hair and having made of them great
balls he took and threw them into
the great ~yawning throat Of the
dragon from which issued a no. and
s%corching breath. Now. as soon as
the pitch balls had reached the in
terror OF the dragon they burst into
fierce fame and caused the image to
burst asunder in the middle. Then
turning to the king. he said:
These be the gods ye worship
But when the people Of Babylon
heard that Daniel had destroyed not
only Bel but the dragon which they
vorshipsd. they were wroth and made
common cause against him. declaring
that IL he were not delivered into their
hands they would rebel against the
king and destroy him. Now when
the king saw the straits into which
he had fallen he gave Daniel into
their hands and they cast him into
the den where were seven lions. fierce
and hungry. There Daniel was for
six days. But God by a mighty spirit
his prophet Hahbacu from
20 Babylon. bearing a bowl
Of pottase and broken bread. which
he CAV into Daniels hand and he
was strengthened. And on the sew.
enth day came the king. and when he
found Daniel safe he cried: Great 10
the God Of Daniel"
And he caused Daniel to be drawn
forth and those who had sought his
hurt were cast in thither and we're
devoured of the lions.