THE BOOK OF DANIEL

 

Daniel Chapter 1

1 ¶ In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim the king of Judah Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and besieged it.

2 And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim the king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the vessels from the temple of God: which he then carried into the land of Shinar to the temple of his god; and he placed the vessels in the treasure house of his god.

3 And the king ordered Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, to select some the boys of Israel, from the royal family, and from the nobility;

4 Youths without blemish, and good looking, suitable for instruction in all wisdom, with an aptitude for learning and understanding science, who were competent to serve in the king’s palace, and might be taught the learning and the language of the Chaldeans.

5 And the king arranged for them to receive daily provisions from the king’s food, and the wine which he drank: who after being trained for three years might stand before the king.

6 Now among them were some descendants of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah:

7 To whom the officer in charge of the eunuchs gave names: he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; Hananiah the name Shadrach; Mishael the name Meshach; and Azariah the name Abednego.

8 ¶ But Daniel resolved in his heart not to defile himself by eating the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank: therefore he asked the chief officer to be allowed to avoid defiling himself.

9 Now God had made the head of the eunuchs kind and sympathetic to Daniel.

10 So the head of the eunuchs said to Daniel, I am afraid of my master the king, who has assigned your food and your drink: for if he sees you looking more haggard than the other youths your age, then you would be putting my head in danger from the king.

11 Then Daniel said to the steward, whom the chief official had placed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

12 I plead with you to test your servants for ten days; by letting us be given vegetables to eat, and water to drink.

13 Then compare our appearance, with the appearance of the boys who eat their provisions from the king’s food: and deal with your servants on the basis of what you see.

14 So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days.

15 And at the end of ten days they looked healthier and better fed than all the boys who were eating the king’s food.

16 So the steward took away the kings food, and the wine they were supposed to drink; and gave them vegetables.

17 ¶ As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel understood all kinds of visions and dreams.

18 Now at the end of the time the king had set to bring them in, the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.

19 And the king conversed with them; and among them all there was none found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore they were assigned to stand before the king.

20 And in every matter requiring wisdom and understanding, that the king consulted them about, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in his realm.

21 And Daniel continued there until to the first year of king Cyrus.