At that time I, Daniel, mourned(A) for three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips;(B) and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over.

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Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness(A)

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a](B) by the devil.(C) After fasting forty days and forty nights,(D) he was hungry. The tempter(E) came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God,(F) tell these stones to become bread.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’[b](G)

Then the devil took him to the holy city(H) and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,”(I) he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
    and they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[c](J)

Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’[d](K)

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan!(L) For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’[e](M)

11 Then the devil left him,(N) and angels came and attended him.(O)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 4:1 The Greek for tempted can also mean tested.
  2. Matthew 4:4 Deut. 8:3
  3. Matthew 4:6 Psalm 91:11,12
  4. Matthew 4:7 Deut. 6:16
  5. Matthew 4:10 Deut. 6:13

For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

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But Daniel resolved not to defile(A) himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. Now God had caused the official to show favor(B) and compassion(C) to Daniel, 10 but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your[a] food and drink.(D) Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.”

11 Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 12 “Please test(E) your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.”(F) 14 So he agreed to this and tested(G) them for ten days.

15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.(H) 16 So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.(I)

17 To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding(J) of all kinds of literature and learning.(K) And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.(L)

18 At the end of the time(M) set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service.(N) 20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians(O) and enchanters in his whole kingdom.(P)

21 And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.(Q)

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Footnotes

  1. Daniel 1:10 The Hebrew for your and you in this verse is plural.

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