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 400 litres of fine flour, forty sheep, and 200 litres of wine.
4. King Cyrus believed that Bel was a god, and each day he used to go and worship it. But Daniel worshipped 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 taken in, Your Majesty. This god you call Bel is nothing more than clay covered with bronze; it has never eaten or drunk anything.”