| Holman Christian Standard Bible | English Standard Version |
| 1In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and laid siege to it. | 1In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. |
| 2The Lord handed Jehoiakim king of Judah over to him, along with some of the vessels from the house of God. Nebuchadnezzar carried them to the land of Babylon, to the house of his god, and put the vessels in the treasury of his god. | 2And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god. |
| 3The king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his court officials, to bring some of the Israelites from the royal family and from the nobility-- | 3Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, |
| 4young men without any physical defect, good-looking, suitable for instruction in all wisdom, knowledgeable, perceptive, and capable of serving in the king's palace--and to teach them the Chaldean language and literature. | 4youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king’s palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. |
| 5The king assigned them daily provisions from the royal food and from the wine that he drank. They were to be trained for three years, and at the end of that time they were to serve in the king's court. | 5The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king. |
| 6Among them, from the descendants of Judah, were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. | 6Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah. |
| 7The chief official gave them other names: he gave the name Belteshazzar to Daniel, Shadrach to Hananiah, Meshach to Mishael, and Abednego to Azariah. | 7And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego. |
| 8Daniel determined that he would not defile himself with the king's food or with the wine he drank. So he asked permission from the chief official not to defile himself. | 8But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. |
| 9God had granted Daniel favor and compassion from the chief official, | 9And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs, |
| 10yet he said to Daniel, "My lord the king assigned your food and drink. I'm afraid of what would happen if he saw your faces looking thinner than those of the other young men your age. You would endanger my life with the king." | 10and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king.” |
| 11So Daniel said to the guard whom the chief official had assigned to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, " | 11Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, |
| 12Please test your servants for 10 days. Let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. | 12“Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. |
| 13Then examine our appearance and the appearance of the young men who are eating the king's food, and deal with your servants based on what you see." | 13Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king’s food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see.” |
| 14He agreed with them about this and tested them for 10 days. | 14So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. |
| 15At the end of 10 days they looked better and healthier than all the young men who were eating the king's food. | 15At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king’s food. |
| 16So the guard continued to remove their food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables. | 16So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables. |
| 17God gave these four young men knowledge and understanding in every kind of literature and wisdom. Daniel also understood visions and dreams of every kind. | 17As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. |
| 18At the end of the time that the king had said to present them, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. | 18At the end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. |
| 19The king interviewed them, and among all of them, no one was found equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they began to serve in the king's court. | 19And the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore they stood before the king. |
| 20In every matter of wisdom and understanding that the king consulted them about, he found them 10 times better than all the diviner-priests and mediums in his entire kingdom. | 20And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom. |
| 21Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus. | 21And Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus. |
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