Daniel 1

The Choice Young Men

1In the third year of the reign of 1Jehoiakim king of Judah, 2Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2And the 3Lord handed Jehoiakim king of Judah over to him, along with some of the 4vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of 5Shinar, to the house of his 6god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his 78god.

3Then the king told Ashpenaz, the chief of his 9officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the 10royal 11family and of the nobles, 4youths in whom there was 12no impairment, who were good-looking, suitable for 13instruction in every kind of expertise, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability to 14serve in the king’s 15court; and he ordered Ashpenaz to teach them the 16literature and 17language of the 18Chaldeans. 5The king also allotted for them a daily ration from the 19king’s choice food and from the wine which he drank, and ordered that they be educated for three years, at the end of which they were to 2021enter the king’s personal service. 6Now among them from the sons of Judah were 22Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 7Then the commander of the officials assigned new names to them; and to Daniel he assigned the name 23Belteshazzar, to Hananiah 24Shadrach, to Mishael 25Meshach, and to Azariah 26Abed-nego.

Daniel’s Resolve

8But Daniel 27made up his mind that he would not 28defile himself with the 29king’s choice food or with the 30wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself. 9Now God granted Daniel 31favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials. 10The commander of the officials said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has allotted your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking gaunt in comparison to the youths who are your own age? Then you would 32make 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 put your servants to the test for ten days, and let us be 33given some vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13Then let our appearance be 34examined 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 put them to the test for ten days. 15And at the end of ten days their appearance seemed 35better, and 36they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king’s choice food. 16So the overseer continued to 37withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept 38giving them vegetables.

17And as for these four youths, 39God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every kind of 40literature and expertise; Daniel even understood all kinds of 41visions and dreams.

18Then at the end of the days which the king had 42specified 43for presenting them, the commander of the officials 44presented them before Nebuchadnezzar. 19And the king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like 45Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; so they 4647entered the king’s personal service. 20As for every matter of 48expertise 49and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them 50ten times 51better than all the 52soothsayer priests and conjurers who were in all his realm. 21And Daniel 53continued until the 54first year of Cyrus the king.