hapter 13:  In Babylon there lived a man named Joakim, who married a very beautiful and God-fearing woman, Susanna, the daughter of Hilkiah; her parents were righteous and had trained their daughter according to the law of Moses.

Two newly appointed judges frequented the home of Joakim and they greatly desired his beautiful wife, Susanna. They didn't mention their lust for her, but one day when they both were spying on her, they discovered eachother and decided to work together to get her alone.

One day Susanna decided to bathe in the garden and unknown to her, the two elders were hiding there. She sent her servents to fetch soap and oil and after they shut the garden doors, the two men revealed themselves. They demanded that Susanna lie with them or they would accuse her of meeting a man in the garden after she sent her servents away. She screams and the household rushes out to see what is wrong.

The two elders accused Susanna of adultry and the next day she was brought before them and the other judges. The two elders say that after she sent the servents away and shut the gates, they saw her lover was hidden there. They said the man was too strong and escaped. They said Susanna refused to reveal who the man was and she was sentenced to death.

 She calls to God for justice and as they were leading her to be executed, Daniel cries out,  "I am innocent of this woman’s blood...Are you such fools, you Israelites, to condemn a daughter of Israel without investigation and without clear evidence?"

The people returned to court and the two judges were questioned separately. Daniel asks the first what tree he saw the lovers under, and he answered "under a mastic tree". The second was questioned and said he had seen them together under an oak tree. So their lie was exposed and they were put to death.  And from that day onward Daniel was greatly esteemed by the people.

Chapter 14:  Following the death of King Astyages, Cyrus the Persian became king. He held Daniel in great esteem and was a companion of the king.

The Babylonians worshiped an idol called Bel and every day they provided it with piles of fine flour, sheep and wine. The king greatly revered Bel and worshiped it every day. One day he asked Daniel why he did not worship Bel and Daniel replied, "Because I do not revere idols made with hands, but only the living God who made heaven and earth and has dominion over all flesh."

The king insisted that Bel too was a living god and he pointed out how much he eats and drinks every day. Daniel laughs at this and tells the king that it is only clay and bronze and has never eaten or drunk anything. The king is furious and calls in his priests. He demands to know who is eating and drinking the offerings to Bel. The king decrees that the unless they can show that Bel is consuming the provisions they will die. If they prove Daniel is wrong, then he will be put to death for blaspheming Bel. Daniel agrees.

The priests left the king to put out the offerings and seal the door, impressed with the king's ring. The priests were not worried because they had made a secret entrance under the table which they used to enter and eat the food at night.

After the priests left, the king set out the food and wine and Daniel ordered his servants to bring some ashes which they scattered on the floor throughout the temple. Then they sealed the door and left. The priests entered that night as usual, with their wives and children, and they ate and drank everything.

When the king and Daniel returned the next morning, the seals were unbroken and the food had been consumed. At first the king believes Bel has eaten the offerings, until Daniel shows him the footprints of the priests, their wives and children in the ashes.

The king was furious and brought in his priests. They admitted they had been eating the food and showed him the secret door under the table. The king put them all to death and handed the idol Bel over to Daniel who destroyed it and its temple.

There was a great dragon which the Babylonians revered. The king asks Daniel to worship it as it is obviously a living god. Daniel asks permission to kill the dragon without sword or club. The king gives permission and Daniel made some cakes out of pitch, fat and hair. He fed them to the dragon, which causes him to burst.

The Babylonians were very angry and said the king had become a Jew. "He has destroyed Bel, killed the dragon, and put the priests to death." They demanded the king hand Daniel over to them and the king was afraid, so he did as they asked.

Daniel was thrown into a lions den with seven lions. He remained there for six days. The lions were given nothing to eat so they would devour Daniel.

Far away in Judea, the prophet Habakkuk was making some food for the reapers in the fields. Suddenly, an angel appeared to him and instructed him to take the food he had prepared to Daniel in the lions den in Babylon. But Habakkuk answered, “Sir, I have never seen Babylon, and I do not know the den!” The angel of the Lord seized him by the crown of his head and carried him by the hair; with the speed of the wind, he set him down in Babylon above the den. Habakkuk delivers the meal to Daniel and the angel returns him to his home.

On the seventh day the king comes to the lions den to mourn Daniel but finds him alive and well. The king cried aloud, “You are great, O Lord, the God of Daniel, and there is no other besides you!” Those who had tried to destroy Daniel were thrown into the lions den and quickly devoured by the hungry lions.

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