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 filled with 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.
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 corn,
34. when an angel of the Lord said 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 seized 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.