“Then Daniel smiled and said: ‘Oh, 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: ‘If ye tell me not who this is that devoureth these expenses, ye shall die; but if ye can certify me that Bel devoureth them, then Daniel shall die, for he has spoken blasphemy against Bel.’ And Daniel said unto the king: ‘Let it be according to thy word.’
“Now the priests of Bel were three score and ten, besides their wives and children.
“And the king went with Daniel to the temple of Bel—so Bel’s priests said: ‘Lo! we got out, but thou, O king, set on the meat, and make ready the wine, and shut the door fast, and seal it with thine own signet; and to-morrow when thou comest in, if thou findest not that Bel hath eaten up all, we will suffer death; or else, Daniel, that speaketh falsely against Bel shall die—and they little regarded it, for under the table they had made a privy entrance, whereby they entered continually and consumed those things.’
“So when they were gone forth, the king set meats before Bel.
“Now Daniel had commanded his servants to bring ashes, and those they strewed throughout all the temple, in the presence of the king alone: then they went 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 betimes 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 they had opened the door, the king looked upon the table, and cried with a loud voice: ‘Great art thou, O Bel! and with thee there 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 showed him the privy doors, where they came in and consumed such things as were on the tables.
“Therefore the king slew them, and delivered Bel into Daniel’s power, who destroyed him and his temple.”