Daniel 1
1 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.
In year three of [the] reign of Jehoiakim [the] king of Judah he came Nebuchadnezzar [the] king of Babylon Jerusalem and he laid siege on it.
2 [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.
And he gave [the] Lord in hand his Jehoiakim [the] king of Judah and some of [the] end of [the] vessels of [the] house of God and he brought them [the] land of Shinar [the] house of god his and the vessels he brought [the] house of [the] treasury of god his.
3 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.
And he said the king to Ashpenaz [the] chief of officials his to bring some of [the] people of Israel and some of [the] offspring of royalty and some of the nobles.
4 [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.
Youths whom not [was] in them any (blemish *Qk) and good of appearance and having insight in all wisdom and knowing knowledge and understanding knowledge and whom ability [was] in them to stand in [the] palace of the king and to teach them [the] writing and [the] tongue of [the] Chaldeans.
5 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.”
And he assigned to them the king [the] matter of a day in day its some of [the] deli-caci[es] of the king and some of [the] wine of drink his and to bring up them years three and from [the] end their they will stand before the king.
6 Among the young Israeli men [who were chosen] were [me], Daniel, and Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, who all came from Judah.
And he was among them from [the] people of Judah Daniel Hananiah Mishael and Azariah.
7 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.
And he assigned to them [the] chief of the officials names and he assigned to Daniel Belteshazzar and to Hananiah Shadrach and to Mishael Meshach and to Azariah Abed-nego.
8 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.
And he set Daniel on heart his that not he defiled himself with [the] delicaci[es] of the king and with [the] wine of drink his and he requested from [the] chief of the officials that not he will defile himself.
9 God had caused Ashpenaz to greatly respect me,
And he gave God Daniel favor and compassion before [the] chief of the officials.
10 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!”
And he said [the] chief of the officials to Daniel [am] fearing I master my the king who he has assigned food your and drink your that why? will he see faces your looking thin more than the youths who [are] about age your and you will endanger head my to the king.
11 Ashpenaz had ordered a guard to watch me, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
And he said Daniel to the guardian whom he had assigned [the] chief of the officials over Daniel Hananiah Mishael and Azariah.
12 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.
Put to [the] test please servants your days ten so let people give to us some of the vegetables so we may eat and water so we may drink.
13 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].”
And they may appear before you appearance our and [the] appearance of the youths who are eating [the] delicaci[es] of the king and just as you will see deal with servants your.
14 The guard agreed to do what I suggested, and he tested us like that for ten days.
And he listened to them to the thing this and he put to [the] test them days ten.
15 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.
And from [the] end of days ten it appeared appearance their good and fat of flesh more than all the youths who were eating [the] delicaci[es] of the king.
16 So after that, the guard gave us [only] vegetables to eat; he did not give us the king’s special food and wine.
And he was the guardian taking away delicaci[es] their and [the] wine of drink their and giving to them vegetables.
17 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.
And the youths these [the] four of them he gave to them God knowledge and insight in all writing and wisdom and Daniel he understood every vision and dreams.
18 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.
And from [the] end of the days which he had said the king to bring them and he brought them [the] chief of the officials before Nebuchadnezzar.
19 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.
And he spoke with them the king and not he was found any of all of them like Daniel Hananiah Mishael and Azariah and they stood before the king.
20 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.
And every matter of wisdom of understanding which he sought from them the king and he found them ten hands above all the soothsayer-priests the conjurers who [were] in all kingdom his.
21 I remained [there serving the king more than 60 years], until the first year that Cyrus became king.
And he was Daniel until year one of Cyrus the king.
