⁸ 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. ⁹ 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)

Daniel’s Vision of a Man

10 In the third year of Cyrus^(A) king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar).^(B) Its message was true^(C) and it concerned a great war.^[a] The understanding of the message came to him in a vision.

² At that time I, Daniel, mourned^(D) for three weeks. ³ I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips;^(E) and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over.