| New American Standard Bible 1995 | New International Version |
| 1In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged 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 gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along 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 he brought the vessels into 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. |
| 3Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal family and of the nobles, | 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-- |
| 4youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for serving in the king's court; and he ordered him to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. | 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 appointed for them a daily ration from the king's choice food and from the wine which he drank, and appointed that they should be educated three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king's personal service. | 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. |
| 6Now among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. | 6Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. |
| 7Then the commander of the officials assigned new names to them; and to Daniel he assigned the name Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, to Mishael Meshach and to Azariah Abed-nego. | 7The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego. |
| 8But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king's choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not 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. |
| 9Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials, | 9Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, |
| 10and the commander of the officials said to Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking more haggard than the youths who are your own age? Then you would make me forfeit my head to 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." |
| 11But Daniel said to the overseer whom the commander of the officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, | 11Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, |
| 12"Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some 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. |
| 13"Then let our appearance be observed in your presence and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king's choice food; and deal with your servants according to 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." |
| 14So he listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days. | 14So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. |
| 15At the end of ten days their appearance seemed better and they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king's choice 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 overseer continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables. | 16So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead. |
| 17As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams. | 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. |
| 18Then at the end of the days which the king had specified for presenting them, the commander of the officials presented them before 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 talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's personal service. | 19The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's service. |
| 20As for every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and conjurers who were in all his realm. | 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. |
| 21And Daniel continued until the first year of Cyrus the king. | 21And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus. |
| New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org | 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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