Daniel 1
1 In the thirde yeere of the reigne of Iehoiakim king of Iudah, came Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel vnto Ierusalem and besieged 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 ye Lord gaue Iehoiakim king of Iudah into his hand; with parte of the vessels of the house of God, which he caryed into the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into his gods treasurie.
[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 And the King spake vnto Ashpenaz the master of his Eunuches, that he shoulde bring certeine of the children of Israel, of the Kings seede, and of the princes:
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 Children in whome was no blemish, but well fauoured, and instruct in all wisedome, and well seene in knowledge, and able to vtter knowledge, and such as were able to stande in the kings palace, and whome they might teach the learning, and the tongue of the Caldeans.
[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 prouision euery day of a portion of the Kings meate, and and of the wine, which he dranke, so nourishing them three yeere, that at the ende thereof, they might stande 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 Nowe among these were certeine of the children of Iudah, 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 Vnto whome the chiefe of the Eunuches gaue other names: for hee called Daniel, Belteshazzar, and Hananiah, Shadrach, and Mishael, Meshach, and Azariah, Abednego.
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 had determined in his heart, that hee woulde not defile him selfe with the portion of the Kings meate, nor with the wine which he dranke: therefore he required the chiefe of the Eunuches that he might not defile himselfe.
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 (Nowe God had brought Daniel into fauour, and tender loue with the chiefe of the Eunuches)
God had caused Ashpenaz to greatly respect me,
10 And the chiefe of the Eunuches sayd vnto Daniel, I feare my lord the King, who hath appointed your meate and your drinke: therefore if he see your faces worse liking then the other children, which are of your sort, then shall you make me lose mine head vnto 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 sayd Daniel to Melzar, whome the chiefe of the Eunuches had set ouer Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
Ashpenaz had ordered a guard to watch me, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
12 Proue thy seruants, I beseeche thee, ten dayes, and let them giue vs pulse to eate, and water to drinke.
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 bee looked vpon before thee, and the countenances of the children that eate of the portion of the Kings meate: and as thou seest, deale with thy seruantes.
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 hee consented to them in this matter, an proued them ten dayes.
The guard agreed to do what I suggested, and he tested us like that for ten days.
15 And at the end of ten dayes, their countenances appeared fayrer, and in better liking then all the childrens, which did eate the portion of the Kings meate.
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 Melzar tooke away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drinke, and gaue them pulse.
So after that, the guard gave us [only] vegetables to eat; he did not give us the king’s special food and wine.
17 As for these foure children, God gaue them knowledge, and vnderstanding in al learning and wisedome: also he gaue Daniel vnderstanding of all visions and dreames.
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 Nowe when the time was expired, that the King had appoynted to bring them in, the chiefe of the Eunuches brought them before Nebuchad-nezzar.
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 And the King communed with them: and among them al was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stoode 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 all matters of wisedome, and vnderstanding that the King enquired of them, hee founde them tenne times better then all the inchanters and astrologians, that were in all his realme.
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 And Daniel was vnto the first yeere of king Cyrus.
I remained [there serving the king more than 60 years], until the first year that Cyrus became king.
