An image? Yea! That will do, O
king! Thou hast well thought. An image of Bel. What? 'With the head of
gold, the breast and arms of silver, the belly and thighs of brass, the
legs of iron, the feet of iron and clay?' Nay! The image of Bel which I
shall set up for public worship, shall be all of gold. Why otherwise? My
wealth is inexhaustible. Who, after such a display, would ever suspect
the King of Babylon of adhering to the God of the Hebrews? This, then, is
my purpose. I shall build a great image of Bel, made of pure gold, and
set it up in some favorable spot, and appoint a day for its public
dedication."
The next morning, at the appointed hour, Belrazi was punctual to meet the
king at his apartment. The monarch, well pleased with his scheme of the
image, manifested a pleasant countenance.
"Thou art punctual, Belrazi. The king is well pleased to meet thee. Thy
frank sincerity yesterday was an additional proof of thy worth. I have
seen fit, since we parted, to bestow some thought on the subject on which
we conversed.
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