| Holman Christian Standard Bible | New International 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 delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house 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 ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king's service some of the Israelites from the royal family and 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. | 4young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. |
| 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 amount of food and wine from the king's table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king's service. |
| 6Among them, from the descendants of Judah, were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. | 6Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. |
| 7The chief official gave them other names: he gave the name Belteshazzar to Daniel, Shadrach to Hananiah, Meshach to Mishael, and Abednego to Azariah. | 7The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, 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 not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. |
| 9God had granted Daniel favor and compassion from the chief official, | 9Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, |
| 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." | 10but the official told Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you." |
| 11So Daniel said to the guard whom the chief official had assigned to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, " | 11Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed 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"Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but 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 compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see." |
| 14He agreed with them about this and tested them for 10 days. | 14So he agreed to this 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 the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. |
| 16So the guard continued to remove their food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables. | 16So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead. |
| 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. | 17To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds. |
| 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 set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to 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. | 19The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's service. |
| 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. | 20In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom. |
| 21Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus. | 21And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus. |
| Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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