Daniel 1
1 In the third year of the reign of Joakim king of Juda, came Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon to Jerusalem, and besieged it.
During the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, attacked Jerusalem and surrounded it.
2 And the Lord gave into his hand Joakim king of Juda, and part of the vessels of the house of God: and he brought them into the land of Sennaar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure-house of his god.
The Lord allowed him to defeat King Jehoiakim, and also to remove some of the objects used in the Temple of God. He took them back to Babylon, to the house of his god, placing them in the treasury of his god.
3 And the king told Asphanez his chief eunuch, to bring in [some] of the captive children of Israel, and of the seed of the kingdom, and of the princes;
Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to take charge of some of the captured Israelites from the royal and noble families,
4 young men in whom was no blemish, and beautiful in appearance, and skilled in all wisdom, and possessing knowledge, and acquainted with prudence, and who had ability to stand in the house before the king, and [the king gave commandment] to teach them the learning and language of the Chaldeans.
“They are to be young men without any physical defect who are good-looking,” he said. “They must be well-educated, quick to learn, have good insight, and be well able to serve in the king's palace and be taught the literature and language of Babylon.”
5 And the king appointed them a daily portion from the king’s table, and from the wine which he drank; and [gave orders] to nourish them three years, and [that] afterwards they should stand before the king.
The king also provided them with a daily allowance of the same kind of rich food and wine he was served. At the end of their three years of education they would enter the king's service.
6 Now these were among them of the children of Juda, Daniel, and Ananias, and Azarias, and Misael.
Among those chosen were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, from the tribe of Judah.
7 And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: to Daniel, Baltasar; and to Ananias, Sedrach; and to Misael, Misach; and to Azarias, Abdenago.
The chief eunuch gave them new names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.
8 And Daniel purposed in his heart, that he would not defile himself with the king’s table, nor with the wine of his drink: and he intreated the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
However, Daniel made up his mind not to make himself impure by eating the king's rich food and wine. He asked the chief eunuch to allow him not to make himself impure.
9 Now God [had] brought Daniel into favour and compassion with the chief of the eunuchs.
God had helped Daniel to be viewed with kindness and sympathy by the chief eunuch.
10 And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who has appointed your meat and your drink, lest he see your countenances gloomy in comparison of the young men your equals; so shall ye endanger my head to the king.
But the chief eunuch told Daniel, “I'm afraid of what my lord the king would do to me. He's the one who decided what you should eat and drink. What if he were to see you looking pale and sickly compared to the other young men of your age. Because of you the king would have my head!”
11 And Daniel said to Amelsad, whom the chief of the eunuchs had appointed over Daniel, Ananias, Misael, [and] Azarias,
Daniel then spoke with the guard that the chief eunuch had put in charge of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
12 Prove now thy servants ten days; and let them give us pulse, and let us eat, and let us drink water:
“Please put us, your servants, to the test and just give us vegetables to eat and water to drink for ten days,” Daniel told him.
13 and let our countenances be seen by thee, and the countenances of the children that eat [at] the king’s table; and deal with thy servants according as thou shalt see.
“After that, compare us with those young men who ate the king's rich food. Then decide on the basis of what you see.”
14 And he hearkened to them, and proved them ten days.
The guard agreed to the proposal they made and tested them for ten days.
15 And at the end of the ten days their countenances appeared fairer and stouter in flesh than the children that fed at the king’s table.
When the ten days were up they looked healthier and better fed than all the young men who had eaten the king's rich food.
16 So Amelsad took away their supper and the wine of their drink, and gave them pulse.
After that the guard didn't give them the rich food and wine, just vegetables.
17 And [as for] these four children, God gave them understanding and prudence in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
God gave these four young men the ability to learn and understand in all areas of literature and knowledge, while Daniel was also given the gift of interpreting all kinds of visions and dreams.
18 And at the end of the days, [after] which the king had given orders to bring them in, then the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nabuchodonosor.
When their time of education ordered by the king was over, the chief eunuch brought all the young men before King Nebuchadnezzar.
19 And the king spoke with them; and there were not found out of them all any like Daniel, and Ananias, and Misael, and Azarias: and they stood before the king.
The king talked with them and none could compare with Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they entered the king's service.
20 And in every matter of wisdom and knowledge wherein the king questioned them, he found them ten times wiser than all the enchanters and sorcerers that were in all his kingdom.
Whatever subject the king asked them about, everything that required wisdom of understanding, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.
21 And Daniel continued till the first year of king Cyrus.
Daniel remained in this position until the first year of King Cyrus' reign.
