New American Standard Bible 1995

Daniel 1:8-20

8But Daniel 1made up his mind that he would not 2defile himself with the 3king’s choice food or with the 4wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself. 9Now God granted Daniel 5 6favor and compassion in the sight of 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 7make 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 8given some vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13Then let our appearance be 9observed in your presence 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 their appearance seemed 10better and 11they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king’s choice food. 16So the overseer continued to 12withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept 13giving them vegetables.

17As for these four youths, 14God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch of 15literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds of 16visions and dreams.

18Then at the end of the days which the king had 17specified 18for presenting them, the commander of the officials 19presented them before Nebuchadnezzar. 19The king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like 20Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they 21 22entered the king’s personal service. 20As for every matter of 23wisdom 24and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them 25ten times 26better than all the 27 28magicians and conjurers who were in all his realm.

Read all of Daniel 1

Notes

1. Daniel 1:8 Lit set upon his heart ↩
2. Daniel 1:8 Lev 11:47; Ezek 4:13, 14; Hos 9:3, 4 ↩
3. Daniel 1:8 Ps 141:4; Dan 1:5 ↩
4. Daniel 1:8 Deut 32:38; Dan 5:4 ↩
5. Daniel 1:9 Lit lovingkindness ↩
6. Daniel 1:9 Gen 39:21; 1 Kin 8:50; Job 5:15, 16; Ps 106:46; Prov 16:7 ↩
7. Daniel 1:10 Lit make my head guilty ↩
8. Daniel 1:12 Dan 1:16 ↩
9. Daniel 1:13 Lit seen ↩
10. Daniel 1:15 Ex 23:25; Prov 10:22 ↩
11. Daniel 1:15 Lit fat of flesh ↩
12. Daniel 1:16 Lit take away ↩
13. Daniel 1:16 Dan 1:12 ↩
14. Daniel 1:17 1 Kin 3:12, 28; Job 32:8; Dan 1:20; 2:21, 23; Acts 7:22 ↩
15. Daniel 1:17 Or writing ↩
16. Daniel 1:17 Dan 2:19; 7:1; 8:1 ↩
17. Daniel 1:18 Lit said ↩
18. Daniel 1:18 Lit to bring them in ↩
19. Daniel 1:18 Lit brought in ↩
20. Daniel 1:19 Dan 1:6, 7 ↩
21. Daniel 1:19 Lit stood before the king ↩
22. Daniel 1:19 Gen 41:46; Dan 1:5 ↩
23. Daniel 1:20 1 Kin 4:30, 31; Dan 1:17 ↩
24. Daniel 1:20 Lit of ↩
25. Daniel 1:20 Gen 31:7; Num 14:22; Neh 4:12; Job 19:3 ↩
26. Daniel 1:20 Dan 2:27, 28, 46, 48 ↩
27. Daniel 1:20 Or soothsayer priests ↩
28. Daniel 1:20 Is 19:3; Dan 2:2; 4:18; 5:7 ↩

Notes

Commentaries on Daniel 1