If integrated into the book of Daniel: 14.5.

And the king said to him is a literal translation of the Greek. Good News Translation, however, begins “One day the king asked Daniel” (similarly Contemporary English Version). This is appropriate in Good News Translation since here, rather than at verse 3 (see the comments there), is where Good News Translation sets the narrative in motion. Everything before this point can be considered the introduction, and “One day” signals the start of the story. Revised Standard Version sets the story in motion with “Now” in verse 3. New English Bible follows Revised Standard Version in this, but skillfully moves from verse 4 to 5 by saying here “So the king said to him.” If one had to decide where the author is ending the introduction and beginning the narrative, one would have to say it is at verse 3. Either works as well as the other, however, and translators should feel free to use their own judgment. If the translator chooses to start the story at verse 3, a connective device like “So” (New English Bible) would be helpful at this point.

“Why do you not worship Bel?” … “Because I do not revere man-made idols, but the living God”: Worship and revere are the same two verbs discussed in the comments on verse 4. The king asks Daniel why he does not perform acts of worship to Bel; Daniel replies that he does not hold man-made idols to be divine. New English Bible does well here: “ ‘Why do you not worship Bel?’ … ‘Because I do not believe in man-made idols….’ ” For Daniel’s response, Contemporary English Version is helpful with “I refuse to worship idols—they are made by humans. Instead, I worship the living God.” Man-made is literally “handmade”; the Greek word for “handmade” is used in the New Testament a number of times, such as Acts 7.48; 17.24; Heb 9.11. The living God implies that Bel, on the other hand, is a lifeless and dead god. This phrase may also be expressed as “the God who is alive” (compare Dan 6.20, 26).

Who created heaven and earth is literally “who created the sky and the earth [or, the universe].”

Has dominion over all flesh: Has dominion over translates the Greek expression meaning “be lord of,” so Good News Translation with “is the Lord of” is actually more literal than Revised Standard Version here. All flesh is taken by New Jerusalem Bible and New Revised Standard Version to mean “all living creatures,” but others take it to mean “all humanity”; for example, Contemporary English Version has “everyone who lives.” Translators may go in either direction here. The Handbook has a slight preference for “all humanity.” See Gen 6.12; Jer 25.31(32.31 in Greek); Ezek 21.4; Joel 2.28 (3.1 in Greek).

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Shorter Books of the Deuterocanon. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2006. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.

If integrated into the book of Daniel: 14.39.

Daniel arose and ate: Daniel is presumably sitting or lying on the floor of the deep pit. So the angel must bring the pot of food down to him. Daniel stands up, receives the food and eats it.

The angel of God immediately returned Habakkuk to his own place: Immediately here probably does not mean that as soon as Daniel began eating, the angel and Habakkuk started on their way back. More likely it means that the angel returned Habakkuk in a split second. The same Greek word translated immediately is used in verse 42 to describe the lions greedily devouring Daniel’s enemies. (This incident involving Habakkuk is told in a Jewish document from about the first century A.D., k The Lives of the Prophetsk* [see Hare]; in it Habakkuk goes and returns so quickly that the men in the fields are not aware he has been anywhere.) His own place refers to his home in Judea; see verse 33.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Shorter Books of the Deuterocanon. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2006. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.