Page 294 - Bible History
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THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY 267
They formed a mob and proceeded to the palace. They demanded the life of Daniel, and accused the king of being a Jew. The king was afraid and delivered Daniel up to the people, who cast him into a den of hungry lions. For six days the lions received no food. Daniel was in the midst of them, but they did not harm him.
Now there was in the land of Juda a prophet called abacuc. He had boiled pottage and broken bread in a bowl and was going into the eld to carry it to the Teapers. An angel appeared to him and said, "Carry the dinner which thou hast into Babylon to Daniel, who is in the lions' den.''
But Habacuc said, "Lord, I never saw Babylon, nor do I know the den.''
Then the angel, taking him by the hair of the head, carried him to Babylon and set him down before Dan iel. Habacuc said, ''0 Daniel, thou servant of God, take the dinner that God hath sent thee.'' Daniel said, ''Thou hast remembered me, 0 God; Thou hast not forsaken them that love Thee.'' Daniel rose and ate, and the angel took Habacuc back to Juda to his home.
When the king learned that Daniel had not been harmed by the lions, he commanded him to be released, and then ordered his persecutors to be cast into the den. The lions devoured them immediately.
After the reign of Evil-Merodach, the kings of The had
Babylon were usurpers, who had no right to the iting throne. Daniel's in uence with them was not great, onlhe though he was not entirely forgotten.
Baltassar, one of these kings, made a great feast
