Daniel 1
1 In the third year of the reign of Joakim king of Juda, came Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon to Jerusalem, 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 the Lord gave into his hand Joakim king of Juda, and part of the vessels of the house of God: and he brought them into the land of Sennaar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure-house of his god.
[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 told Asphanez his chief eunuch, to bring in some of the captive children of Israel, and of the seed of the kingdom, 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 young men in whom was no blemish, and beautiful in appearance, and skilled in all wisdom, and possessing knowledge, and acquainted with prudence, and who had ability to stand in the house before the king, and the king gave commandment to teach them the learning and language 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 a daily portion from the king's table, and from the wine which he drank; and [gave orders] to nourish them three years, and [that] afterwards 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 these were among them of the children of Juda, Daniel, and Ananias, and Azarias, and Misael.
Among the young Israeli men [who were chosen] were [me], Daniel, and Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, who all came from Judah.
7 And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: to Daniel, Baltasar; and to Ananias, Sedrach; and to Misael, Misach; and to Azarias, Abdenago.
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 And Daniel purposed in his heart, that he would not defile himself with the king's table, nor with the wine of his drink: and he entreated the chief 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 Now God [had] brought Daniel into favor and compassion with the chief of the eunuchs.
God had caused Ashpenaz to greatly respect me,
10 And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who has appointed your meat and your drink, lest he see your countenances gloomy in comparison of the young men your equals; also shall you endanger my head to 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 And Daniel said to Amelsad, whom the chief of the eunuchs had appointed over Daniel, Ananias, Misael, [and] Azarias.
Ashpenaz had ordered a guard to watch me, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
12 Prove now your servants ten days; and let them give us pulse, and let us eat, and let us drink water:
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 And let our countenances be seen by you, and the countenances of the children that eat [at] the king's table; and deal with your servants according as you shall see.
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 And he listened to them, 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 the ten days their countenances appeared fairer and stouter in flesh, than the children that fed at the king's table.
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 So Amelsad took away their supper and the wine of their drink, and gave 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 And [as for] these four children, God gave them understanding and prudence in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding 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 And at the end of the days, [after] which the king had given orders to bring them in, then the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nabuchodonosor.
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 spoke with them; and there were not found out of them all any like Daniel, and Ananias and Misael, and Azarias: and they stood 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 every matter of wisdom and knowledge wherein the king questioned them, he found them ten times wiser than all the enchanters and sorcerers that were in all his kingdom.
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 continued till the first year of king Cyrus.
I remained [there serving the king more than 60 years], until the first year that Cyrus became king.
