16. The king and Daniel got up very early the next morning.
17. The king said,"Are the seals unbroken, Daniel?"He answered,"Unbroken, Your Majesty."
18. As soon as the doors were opened, the king looked at the table and yelled,"You are great, Bel! There’s nothing fake about you!"
19. But Daniel laughed and held the king back from going in. He said,"Look at the floor. Whose tracks are these?"
20. The king said,"I see the footprints of men, women, and children!"
21. Then the king became angry. He arrested the priests, their wives, and children. They showed him the hidden doors through which they regularly entered to eat what was on the table.
22. The king killed them and handed Bel over to Daniel, who tore it and its temple down.
23. Now there was a big snake that the Babylonians worshipped.
24. The king said to Daniel,"You can’t say that this one isn’t a living god. So worship it!"
25. Daniel said,"I will keep worshipping the Lord my God, because he is a living God. But, Your Majesty, just give me permission, and I’ll kill the snake without using a sword or stick!"
26. The king said,"I give you permission."
27. Then Daniel took tar and cooking grease and hair. He boiled them down, made patties, and put them into the snake’s mouth. The snake swallowed them and burst open. Daniel said,"Look at what you have been worshipping!"
28. When the Babylonians heard what happened, they were very angry. They came together as a mob and started toward the king, saying,"The king has become a Jew! He’s torn down Bel, killed the snake, and murdered the priests!"
29. When they reached the king, they said,"Hand Daniel over to us! If you don’t, we’ll kill you and your family!"
30. The king saw that he was in a bind and was forced to hand Daniel over to them.