Daniel 1
Daniel Brought to Babylon
1In the third year of the reign of aJehoiakim king of Judah, bNebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2And the aLord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the bvessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of cShinar, to the house of his 1god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his 2,dgod.
3Then the king said for Ashpenaz, the chief of his 1officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal aseed and of the nobles, 4youths in whom was ano defect, who were good in appearance, showing binsight in every branch of wisdom, being thoroughly 1knowledgeable and discerning knowledge, and who had ability to stand in the king’s palace; and he said for him to teach them the 2literature and ctongue of the dChaldeans. 5And the king appointed for them a daily ration from the aking’s choice food and from the wine which he drank, and appointed that they should be 1educated three years, at the end of which they were to bstand before the king. 6Now among them from the sons of Judah were aDaniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 7Then the commander of the officials set names for them; and for Daniel he set the name aBelteshazzar, for Hananiah bShadrach, for Mishael cMeshach, and for Azariah dAbed-nego.
Daniel’s Heart
8But Daniel set in his heart that he would not adefile himself with the bking’s choice food or with the cwine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself. 9Now God granted Daniel alovingkindness and compassion before the commander of the officials, 10and the commander of the officials said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking more haggard than the youths who are your own age? Then you would 1make me forfeit my head to the king.” 11But Daniel said to the overseer whom the commander of the officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12“Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be agiven some vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13“Then let our appearance be 1observed before you and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king’s choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see.”
14So he listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days. 15At the end of ten days it was seen that their appearance was abetter and that 1they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king’s choice food. 16So the overseer continued to 1withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept agiving them vegetables.
17And as for these four youths, aGod gave them knowledge and insight in every branch of 1literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds of bvisions and dreams.
18Then at the end of the days which the king had spoken of for bringing them in, the commander of the officials brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. 19And the king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like aDaniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; so they bstood in service before the king. 20And as for every matter of awisdom in understanding which the king sought from them, he found them bten times cbetter than all the 1,dmagicians and conjurers who were in all his kingdom. 21And Daniel 1continued until the afirst year of Cyrus the king.