Daniel (Bel e o Dragão) 1

1Tendo-se reunido o rei Astíages a seus antepassados, Ciro, o persa, subiu ao trono.

1And king Astyages was gathered to his fathers, and Cyrus of Persia received his kingdom.

2Daniel era conviva do rei e o mais honrado de todos os seus íntimos.

2And Daniel conversed with the king, and was honoured above all his friends.

3Ora, os babilônios tinham um ídolo chamado Bel, cuja despesa diária era de doze artabes de farinha, quarenta carneiros e seis medidas de vinho.

3Now the Babylons had an idol, called Bel, and there were spent upon him every day twelve great measures of fine flour, and forty sheep, and six vessels of wine.

4O rei prestava culto ao ídolo e diariamente ia adorá-lo. Daniel, porém, adorava seu Deus.

4And the king worshipped it and went daily to adore it: but Daniel worshipped his own God. And the king said unto him, Why dost not thou worship Bel?

5O rei disse-lhe um dia: “Por que não adoras Bel?”. “Porque” – respondeu Daniel, “não venero ídolo feito pela mão do homem, mas sim o Deus vivo que criou o céu e a terra e que exerce seu poder sobre todo homem.”

5Who answered and said, Because I may not worship idols made with hands, but the living God, who hath created the heaven and the earth, and hath sovereignty over all flesh.

6“Assim sendo” – continuou o rei –, “Bel não te parece ser um deus vivo! Não vês o que ele come e o que ele bebe todos os dias?”

6Then said the king unto him, Thinkest thou not that Bel is a living God? seest thou not how much he eateth and drinketh every day?

7Daniel pôs-se a rir: “Desengana-te, ó rei” – disse ele –, “este deus é de barro por dentro e de bronze por fora, e ele nunca comeu coisa alguma”.

7Then Daniel smiled, and said, O king, be not deceived: for this is but clay within, and brass without, and did never eat or drink any thing.

8Irritado, o rei mandou vir seus sacerdotes e lhes disse: “Se não me disserdes quem come essas oferendas, morrereis. Mas se me provardes que é Bel quem as absorve, será Daniel quem morrerá, pois terá blasfemado contra ele”. Daniel respondeu ao rei: “Que se faça segundo tu o dizes!”.

8So the king was wroth, and called for his priests, and said unto them, If ye tell me not who this is that devoureth these expences, ye shall die.

9Os sacerdotes de Bel eram setenta em número, sem contar suas mulheres e filhos. O rei foi com Daniel ao templo de Bel.

9But if ye can certify me that Bel devoureth them, then Daniel shall die: for he hath spoken blasphemy against Bel. And Daniel said unto the king, Let it be according to thy word.

10Os sacerdotes disseram: “Nós saímos. Manda trazer, ó rei, os alimentos e o vinho misturado; depois fecha a porta e lacra-a com teu sinete.

10Now the priests of Bel were threescore and ten, beside their wives and children. And the king went with Daniel into the temple of Bel.

11Se amanhã cedo, quando vieres ao templo, verificares que tudo não foi comido por Bel, nós morreremos; do contrário, será Daniel quem nos terá caluniado”.

11So Bel’s priests said, Lo, we go out: but thou, O king, set on the meat, and make ready the wine, and shut the door fast and seal it with thine own signet;

12Tinham completa confiança, porque debaixo da mesa haviam feito uma abertura secreta, pela qual pene­travam habitualmente para consumir as oferendas.

12And to morrow when thou comest in, if thou findest not that Bel hath eaten up all, we will suffer death: or else Daniel, that speaketh falsely against us.

13Mas, após a saída deles, quando o rei acabava de depor as oferendas diante de Bel, Daniel ordenou aos criados traze­rem cinza, a qual espalhou pelo templo todo na presença do rei. A seguir saíram, fecharam a porta e, depois de tê-la lacrado com o sinete real, retiraram-se.

13And they little regarded it: for under the table they had made a privy entrance, whereby they entered in continually, and consumed those things.

14Durante a noite, os sacerdotes introduziram-se como de costume (no templo) com suas mulheres e filhos, comeram e beberam tudo.

14So when they were gone forth, the king set meats before Bel. Now Daniel had commanded his servants to bring ashes, and those they strewed throughout all the temple in the presence of the king alone: then went they out, and shut the door, and sealed it with the king’s signet, and so departed.

15Ao amanhecer, o rei veio com Da­niel.

15Now in the night came the priests with their wives and children, as they were wont to do, and did eat and drink up all.

16“Os selos” – disse – “estão intatos, Daniel”. “Intatos, ó rei.”

16In the morning betime the king arose, and Daniel with him.

17Logo que a porta foi aberta, o rei olhou para a mesa e exclamou: “Tu és grande, ó Bel! Tu não nos enganaste”.

17And the king said, Daniel, are the seals whole? And he said, Yea, O king, they be whole.

18Mas Daniel pôs-se a rir e impediu o rei de entrar mais adiante. “Olha o chão” – disse-lhe –. “De quem são estes passos?”

18And as soon as he had opened the door, the king looked upon the table, and cried with a loud voice, Great art thou, O Bel, and with thee is no deceit at all.

19“Vejo, de fato” – respondeu o rei – “passos de homens, de mulheres e de crianças.” E uma cólera violenta apoderou-se dele.

19Then laughed Daniel, and held the king that he should not go in, and said, Behold now the pavement, and mark well whose footsteps are these.

20Então, mandou prender os sacer­dotes com suas mulheres e filhos, os quais lhe mostraram as entradas secretas por onde se introduziam para vir consumir o que havia na mesa.

20And the king said, I see the footsteps of men, women, and children. And then the king was angry,

21O rei mandou matá-los e pôs Bel à disposição de Daniel que o destruiu, assim como seu templo.*

21And took the priests with their wives and children, who shewed him the privy doors, where they came in, and consumed such things as were upon the table.

22Lá havia também um grande dragão, que os babilônios veneravam.

22Therefore the king slew them, and delivered Bel into Daniel’s power, who destroyed him and his temple.

23O rei disse a Daniel: “Pretenderás também dizer que aquele é de bronze? Vive, come, bebe. Tu não podes negar que seja um deus vivo.

23And in that same place there was a great dragon, which they of Babylon worshipped.

24Adora-o, então”. “Eu adoro” – replicou Daniel – “unicamente o Senhor, meu Deus, porque ele é um Deus vivo.

24And the king said unto Daniel, Wilt thou also say that this is of brass? lo, he liveth, he eateth and drinketh; thou canst not say that he is no living god: therefore worship him.

25Ó rei, dá-me licença para fazê-lo, e, sem espada nem bastão, matarei o dragão.” “Eu te concedo” – disse o rei.

25Then said Daniel unto the king, I will worship the Lord my God: for he is the living God.

26Então, Daniel tomou breu, gordura e pelos, cozinhou tudo junto, e com isso fez umas bolas e meteu-as na boca do dragão, que estourou e morreu. Daniel exclamou: “Eis aí o que adoráveis!”.

26But give me leave, O king, and I shall slay this dragon without sword or staff. The king said, I give thee leave.

27Quando os babilônios souberam, ficaram sumamente indignados, e amotinaram-se contra o rei aos gritos de: “O rei tornou-se judeu! Destruiu Bel; e agora fez perecer o dragão e matar os sacerdotes”.

27Then Daniel took pitch, and fat, and hair, and did seethe them together, and made lumps thereof: this he put in the dragon’s mouth, and so the dragon burst in sunder: and Daniel said, Lo, these are the gods ye worship.

28Vie­ram à presença do rei e disseram-lhe: “Entrega-nos Daniel; do contrário, nós te mataremos, bem como toda a tua família.

28When they of Babylon heard that, they took great indignation, and conspired against the king, saying, The king is become a Jew, and he hath destroyed Bel, he hath slain the dragon, and put the priests to death.

29Diante da violência com que o ameaçavam, o rei viu-se forçado a entregar-lhes Daniel,

29So they came to the king, and said, Deliver us Daniel, or else we will destroy thee and thine house.

30que eles jogaram à cova dos leões, onde permaneceu seis dias.

30Now when the king saw that they pressed him sore, being constrained, he delivered Daniel unto them:

31Na cova havia sete leões, aos quais davam cotidianamente dois corpos humanos e dois carneiros. Porém, daquela vez, nada lhes foi distribuído, a fim de que devorassem Daniel.

31Who cast him into the lions’ den: where he was six days.

32Ora, o profeta Habacuc vivia naquele tempo na Judeia. Acabava de cozinhar um caldo e picava pão dentro dele em uma pane­la, para levá-lo aos ceifadores no campo.

32And in the den there were seven lions, and they had given them every day two carcases, and two sheep: which then were not given to them, to the intent they might devour Daniel.

33Mas um anjo do Senhor disse-lhe: “Leva esta refeição à Babilônia, a Daniel, que se encontra na cova dos leões”.

33Now there was in Jewry a prophet, called Habbacuc, who had made pottage, and had broken bread in a bowl, and was going into the field, for to bring it to the reapers.

34“Senhor” – disse Habacuc –, “nunca vi Babilônia, e não conheço essa cova.”

34But the angel of the Lord said unto Habbacuc, Go, carry the dinner that thou hast into Babylon unto Daniel, who is in the lions’ den.

35Então o anjo, segurando-o pelo alto da cabeça, transportou-o pelos cabelos, em um fôlego, até a Babilônia, em cima da cova.

35And Habbacuc said, Lord, I never saw Babylon; neither do I know where the den is.

36“Daniel, Daniel, chamou, toma a refeição que Deus te envia.”

36Then the angel of the Lord took him by the crown, and bare him by the hair of his head, and through the vehemency of his spirit set him in Babylon over the den.

37E Daniel respondeu: “Ó Deus, vós pensastes em mim! Vós não abandonastes os que vos amam!”.

37And Habbacuc cried, saying, O Daniel, Daniel, take the dinner which God hath sent thee.

38Depois disso, pôs-se a comer, enquanto o anjo do Senhor transportava de volta Habacuc a seu domicílio.

38And Daniel said, Thou hast remembered me, O God: neither hast thou forsaken them that seek thee and love thee.

39Ao sétimo dia, veio o rei chorar Da­niel. Ao acercar-se da cova, porém, olhou para dentro e aí avistou Daniel sentado.

39So Daniel arose, and did eat: and the angel of the Lord set Habbacuc in his own place again immediately.

40E bem alto exclamou: “Vós sois grande, Senhor, Deus de Daniel. Não existe outro Deus além de vós!”.

40Upon the seventh day the king went to bewail Daniel: and when he came to the den, he looked in, and behold, Daniel was sitting.

41Mandou retirá-lo da cova dos leões e lá jogou todos aqueles que haviam tentado eliminá-lo, os quais foram imediatamente devorados, sob seus olhos.

41Then cried the king with a loud voice, saying, Great art thou, O Lord God of Daniel, and there is none other beside thee.

42Então, disse o rei: “Que todos os habitantes da terra reverenciem o Deus de Daniel, porque é um salvador que opera sinais e prodígios em toda a terra, e salvou Daniel da cova dos leões”.*

42And he drew him out, and cast those that were the cause of his destruction into the den: and they were devoured in a moment before his face.