1 Daniel Brought to Babylon In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.
2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his 1:2 Or gods god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his 1:2 Or gods god.
3 Then the king said for Ashpenaz, the chief of his 1:3Or eunuchs, so in ch officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal seed and of the nobles,
4 youths in whom was no defect, who were good in appearance, showing insight in everybranch ofwisdom, being thoroughly 1:4 Lit knowing knowledge knowledgeable and discerning knowledge, and who had ability to stand in the king’s palace; andhe said for himto teach them the 1:4 Or writing literature and tongue of the Chaldeans.
5 And the king appointed for them a daily ration from the king’s choice food and from the wine which he drank, andappointedthat they should be 1:5 Or reared educated three years, at the end of which they were to stand before the king.
6 Now among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
7 Then the commander of the officials set names for them; and for Daniel he setthe nameBelteshazzar, for Hananiah Shadrach, for Mishael Meshach, and for Azariah Abed-nego.Daniel’s Heart
8 But Daniel set in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he soughtpermissionfrom the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.
9 Now God granted Daniel lovingkindness and compassion before the commander of the officials,
10 and 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 1:10 Lit make my head guilty make me forfeit my head to the king.”
11 But 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 given some vegetables to eat and water to drink.
13 Then let our appearance be 1:13Lit seen observed 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.”
14 So he listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days.
15 At the end of ten days it was seen that their appearance was better and that 1:15 Lit fat of flesh they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king’s choice food.
16 So the overseer continued to 1:16 Lit take away withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables.
17 And as for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and insight in everybranch of 1:17 Or writing literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood allkinds ofvisions and dreams.
18 Then 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.
19 And the king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; so they stoodin servicebefore the king.
20 And as for every matter of wisdom in understanding which the king sought from them, he found them ten times better than all the 1:20 Or soothsayer priests magiciansandconjurers whowerein all his kingdom.
21 And Daniel 1:21Lit was continued until the first year of Cyrus the king.