Daniel 1
1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Jerusalem, and laid siege against it;
After King Jehoiakim had been ruling in Judah for almost three years, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem [with his army] and surrounded the city.
2 and the Lord gave into his hand Jehoiakim king of Judah, and a part of the vessels of the house of God, and he brought them into the land of Shinar, into the house of his gods, —and, the vessels, brought he into the treasure-house of his gods.
[After two years, ] Yahweh allowed Nebuchadnezzar’s [soldiers] to capture Jehoiakim, [who was the] King of Judah. They also took some of the things that were in the temple of God, and took them to Babylonia. There Nebuchadnezzar put them in the temple of his god.
3 Then did the king give word to Ashpenaz, the chief of his eunuchs, —that he should bring in, of the sons of Israel, even of the seed royal, and of the nobles,
Then Nebuchadnezzar commanded Ashpenaz, the chief official in his palace, to bring [to him] some of the Israeli men [whom they had brought to Babylon. He wanted men] who belonged to important families, including the family of the King of Judah.
4 youths in whom was no blemish, but comely of countenance, and skilful in all wisdom, and possessed of knowledge, and able to impart instruction, and who had vigour in them, to stand in the palace of the king, —and that they should be taught the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.
[King Nebuchadnezzar wanted only] men who were very healthy, handsome/good-looking, wise, well-educated, capable of learning many things, and suitable for working in the palace. He also wanted to teach them the Babylonian language and have them read things that had been written in the Babylonian language.
5 And the king appointed them the provision of each day upon its day, out of the delicacies of the king and out of the wine which he drank, and so to let them grow three years, —and, at the end thereof, that they should stand before the king.
The king commanded [his servants], “Give them the same kind of food and wine that is given to me. Train them for three years. Then they will become my servants.”
6 Now there were, among them, out of the sons of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah;
Among the young Israeli men [who were chosen] were [me], Daniel, and Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, who all came from Judah.
7 and the ruler of the eunuchs gave them names, —yea he gave to Daniel the name of Belteshazzar, and to Hananiah of Shadrach, and to Mishael of Meshach, and to Azariah of Abed-nego.
But Ashpenaz gave us [Babylonian] names. The name he gave to me was Belteshazzar, the name he gave to Hananiah was Shadrach, the name he gave to Mishael was Meshach, and the name he gave to Azariah was Abednego.
8 But Daniel laid it upon his heart, that he would not defile himself with the delicacies of the king, nor with the wine which he drank, —therefore sought he of the ruler of the eunuchs, that he might not defile himself.
But I decided that I would not eat the kind of food that the king ate, or drink the wine that he drank, because that would make me (ritually defiled/unacceptable to God). So I asked Ashpenaz to allow me to eat and drink other things.
9 But, although God had brought Daniel into lovingkindness and tender compassion, before the ruler of the eunuchs,
God had caused Ashpenaz to greatly respect me,
10 yet said the ruler of the eunuchs unto Daniel, I do fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your food and your drink, —for why should he see your faces more sad than those of the youths of your own age? so should ye bring me under the penalty of mine own head unto the king.
but he was worried about what I suggested. He said, “My master, the king, has commanded that you eat the kinds of food and drink that he does. If [you eat other things and as a result] you become more thin and pale than the other young men who are your age, he will [order his soldiers to] cut off my head because of what you have done!”
11 Then said Daniel, unto the overseer whom the ruler of the eunuchs had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah:
Ashpenaz had ordered a guard to watch me, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
12 I pray thee—prove thy servants, ten days, —and let them give us vegetable food, that we may eat, and water that we may drink:
So I said to this guard: “[Please] test us for ten days. [During that time] give us [only] vegetables to eat and water to drink.
13 then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenances of the youths who have been eating the delicacies of the king, —and, as thou shalt see, deal thou with thy servants.
After ten days, see how we look, and see how the other young men look, the ones who are eating the kind of food that the king eats. Then you can decide about [what food you will let us eat].”
14 So then he hearkened unto them, according to this word, —and proved them ten days;
The guard agreed to do what I suggested, and he tested us like that for ten days.
15 and, at the end of ten days, their countenances appeared more comely, and fatter in flesh, —than any of the youths who had been eating the delicacies of the king.
After ten days, [he saw that] my three friends and I looked healthier [DOU] than the young men who had been eating the food that the king wanted them to eat.
16 Thus it came about that the overseer continued taking away their delicacies, and the wine appointed them to drink, —and kept on giving them vegetable food.
So after that, the guard gave us [only] vegetables to eat; he did not give us the king’s special food and wine.
17 And, as for these four youths, God, gave them, knowledge and skill, in all learning and wisdom, —and, Daniel, had discernment, in all visions and dreams.
And God gave to us four young men wisdom and the ability to study many things that Babylonians had written and studied. And [he also gave to] me the ability to understand the meaning of visions and dreams.
18 Now, at the end of the days after which the king had given word to bring them in, then did the ruler of the eunuchs bring them in, before Nebuchadnezzar.
When those three years that the king had set for training us young men from Judah were ended, Ashpenaz brought all of us to King Nebuchadnezzar.
19 So then the king, spake with them, and there was not found, from among them all, one like unto Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, —therefore stood they before the king;
The king talked with [each of] us, and realized that none of the other young men were as capable as Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah and I were. So we four became the king’s special advisors/servants.
20 and, in any matter of wisdom and discernment as to which the king, enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the sacred scribes—the magicians, who were in all his realm.
In all important matters, the king found that what we [four men] advised was ten times as good as what all the magicians and sorcerers/fortune-tellers in his kingdom advised.
21 Now Daniel continued, until the first year of Cyrus the king.
I remained [there serving the king more than 60 years], until the first year that Cyrus became king.
