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La señal de la vasija rota

19 Así dijo Jehová: Ve y compra una vasija de barro del alfarero, y lleva contigo de los ancianos del pueblo, y de los ancianos de los sacerdotes; y saldrás al valle del hijo de Hinom,(A) que está a la entrada de la puerta oriental, y proclamarás allí las palabras que yo te hablaré. Dirás, pues: Oíd palabra de Jehová, oh reyes de Judá, y moradores de Jerusalén. Así dice Jehová de los ejércitos, Dios de Israel: He aquí que yo traigo mal sobre este lugar, tal que a todo el que lo oyere, le retiñan los oídos. Porque me dejaron, y enajenaron este lugar, y ofrecieron en él incienso a dioses ajenos, los cuales no habían conocido ellos, ni sus padres, ni los reyes de Judá; y llenaron este lugar de sangre de inocentes. Y edificaron lugares altos a Baal, para quemar con fuego a sus hijos en holocaustos al mismo Baal;(B) cosa que no les mandé, ni hablé, ni me vino al pensamiento. Por tanto, he aquí vienen días, dice Jehová, que este lugar no se llamará más Tofet, ni valle del hijo de Hinom, sino Valle de la Matanza. Y desvaneceré el consejo de Judá y de Jerusalén en este lugar, y les haré caer a espada delante de sus enemigos, y en las manos de los que buscan sus vidas; y daré sus cuerpos para comida a las aves del cielo y a las bestias de la tierra. Pondré a esta ciudad por espanto y burla; todo aquel que pasare por ella se asombrará, y se burlará sobre toda su destrucción. Y les haré comer la carne de sus hijos y la carne de sus hijas, y cada uno comerá la carne de su amigo, en el asedio y en el apuro con que los estrecharán sus enemigos y los que buscan sus vidas.

10 Entonces quebrarás la vasija ante los ojos de los varones que van contigo, 11 y les dirás: Así ha dicho Jehová de los ejércitos: Así quebrantaré a este pueblo y a esta ciudad, como quien quiebra una vasija de barro, que no se puede restaurar más; y en Tofet se enterrarán, porque no habrá otro lugar para enterrar. 12 Así haré a este lugar, dice Jehová, y a sus moradores, poniendo esta ciudad como Tofet. 13 Las casas de Jerusalén, y las casas de los reyes de Judá, serán como el lugar de Tofet, inmundas, por todas las casas sobre cuyos tejados ofrecieron incienso a todo el ejército del cielo, y vertieron libaciones a dioses ajenos.

14 Y volvió Jeremías de Tofet, adonde le envió Jehová a profetizar, y se paró en el atrio de la casa de Jehová y dijo a todo el pueblo: 15 Así ha dicho Jehová de los ejércitos, Dios de Israel: He aquí, yo traigo sobre esta ciudad y sobre todas sus villas todo el mal que hablé contra ella; porque han endurecido su cerviz para no oír mis palabras.

Profecía contra Pasur

20 El sacerdote Pasur hijo de Imer, que presidía como príncipe en la casa de Jehová, oyó a Jeremías que profetizaba estas palabras. Y azotó Pasur al profeta Jeremías, y lo puso en el cepo que estaba en la puerta superior de Benjamín, la cual conducía a la casa de Jehová. Y el día siguiente Pasur sacó a Jeremías del cepo. Le dijo entonces Jeremías: Jehová no ha llamado tu nombre Pasur, sino Magor-misabib.[a] Porque así ha dicho Jehová: He aquí, haré que seas un terror a ti mismo y a todos los que bien te quieren, y caerán por la espada de sus enemigos, y tus ojos lo verán; y a todo Judá entregaré en manos del rey de Babilonia, y los llevará cautivos a Babilonia, y los matará a espada. Entregaré asimismo toda la riqueza de esta ciudad, todo su trabajo y todas sus cosas preciosas; y daré todos los tesoros de los reyes de Judá en manos de sus enemigos, y los saquearán, y los tomarán y los llevarán a Babilonia. Y tú, Pasur, y todos los moradores de tu casa iréis cautivos; entrarás en Babilonia, y allí morirás, y allí serás enterrado tú, y todos los que bien te quieren, a los cuales has profetizado con mentira.

Lamento de Jeremías

Me sedujiste, oh Jehová, y fui seducido; más fuerte fuiste que yo, y me venciste; cada día he sido escarnecido, cada cual se burla de mí. Porque cuantas veces hablo, doy voces, grito: Violencia y destrucción; porque la palabra de Jehová me ha sido para afrenta y escarnio cada día. Y dije: No me acordaré más de él, ni hablaré más en su nombre; no obstante, había en mi corazón como un fuego ardiente metido en mis huesos; traté de sufrirlo, y no pude. 10 Porque oí la murmuración de muchos, temor de todas partes: Denunciad, denunciémosle. Todos mis amigos miraban si claudicaría. Quizá se engañará, decían, y prevaleceremos contra él, y tomaremos de él nuestra venganza. 11 Mas Jehová está conmigo como poderoso gigante; por tanto, los que me persiguen tropezarán, y no prevalecerán; serán avergonzados en gran manera, porque no prosperarán; tendrán perpetua confusión que jamás será olvidada. 12 Oh Jehová de los ejércitos, que pruebas a los justos, que ves los pensamientos y el corazón, vea yo tu venganza de ellos; porque a ti he encomendado mi causa.

13 Cantad a Jehová, load a Jehová; porque ha librado el alma del pobre de mano de los malignos.

14 Maldito el día en que nací;(C) el día en que mi madre me dio a luz no sea bendito. 15 Maldito el hombre que dio nuevas a mi padre, diciendo: Hijo varón te ha nacido, haciéndole alegrarse así mucho. 16 Y sea el tal hombre como las ciudades que asoló Jehová, y no se arrepintió; oiga gritos de mañana, y voces a mediodía, 17 porque no me mató en el vientre, y mi madre me hubiera sido mi sepulcro, y su vientre embarazado para siempre. 18 ¿Para qué salí del vientre? ¿Para ver trabajo y dolor, y que mis días se gastasen en afrenta?

Footnotes

  1. Jeremías 20:3 Esto es, Terror por todas partes.

The Broken Jar

19 This is what the Lord says: “Go and buy a (A)potter’s earthenware (B)jar, and take some of the (C)elders of the people and some of the [a](D)senior priests. Then go out to the (E)Valley of Ben-hinnom, which is by the entrance of the [b]Potsherd Gate, and (F)proclaim there the words that I tell you, and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, you (G)kings of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: “Behold I am going to bring a (H)disaster upon this place, at which the (I)ears of everyone that hears of it will tingle. Since they have (J)abandoned Me and have (K)made this place foreign, and have burned [c]sacrifices in it to (L)other gods that neither they nor their forefathers nor the kings of Judah had ever known, and since they have filled this place with the (M)blood of the innocent and have built the (N)high places of Baal to burn their (O)sons in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, a thing which I did not command nor speak of, nor did it ever enter My [d]mind; therefore, behold, (P)days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when this place will no longer be called (Q)Topheth or (R)the Valley of Ben-hinnom, but rather the Valley of Slaughter. And I will (S)frustrate the planning of Judah and Jerusalem in this place, and (T)I will make them fall by the sword before their enemies and by the hand of those who seek their life; and I will make their (U)carcasses food for the birds of the sky and the animals of the earth. I will also turn this city into an object of (V)horror and [e]hissing; (W)everyone who passes by it will be appalled and [f]hiss because of all its [g]disasters. And I will make them (X)eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they will eat one another’s flesh during the siege and in the hardship with which their enemies and those who seek their life will torment them.”’

10 “Then you are to break the (Y)jar in the sight of the men who accompany you, 11 and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord of armies says: “To the same extent I will (Z)break this people and this city, just as one breaks a potter’s vessel, which cannot again be repaired; and they will (AA)bury their dead in Topheth, [h]because there is no other place for burial. 12 This is how I will treat this place and its inhabitants,” declares the Lord, “so as to make this city like Topheth. 13 The (AB)houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah will be (AC)defiled like the place Topheth, because of all the (AD)houses on whose rooftops they burned [i]sacrifices to (AE)all the heavenly [j]lights and (AF)poured out drink offerings to other gods.”’”

14 Then Jeremiah came from Topheth, where the Lord had sent him to prophesy; and he stood in the (AG)courtyard of the Lords house and said to all the people, 15 “This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: ‘Behold, I am going to bring on this city and all its towns the entire disaster that I have declared against it, because they have (AH)stiffened their necks so (AI)as not to listen to My words.’”

Pashhur Persecutes Jeremiah

20 When Pashhur the priest, the son of (AJ)Immer, who was (AK)chief overseer in the house of the Lord, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things, Pashhur had Jeremiah the prophet (AL)beaten and put him in the (AM)stocks that were at the upper (AN)Benjamin Gate, which was by the house of the Lord. Then on the next day, when Pashhur released Jeremiah from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, “Pashhur is not the name the Lord has (AO)called you, but rather [k](AP)Magor-missabib. For this is what the Lord says: ‘Behold, I am going to make you a (AQ)horror to yourself and to all your friends; and while (AR)your eyes look on, they will fall by the sword of their enemies. So I will (AS)hand all Judah over to the king of Babylon, and he will take them away as (AT)exiles to Babylon and will kill them with the sword. I will also give all the (AU)wealth of this city, all its produce and all its valuable things—even all the treasures of the kings of Judah I will (AV)hand over to their enemies, and they will plunder them, take them away, and bring them to Babylon. And you, (AW)Pashhur, and all who live in your house will go into captivity; and you will enter Babylon, and there you will die and there you will be buried, you and all your (AX)friends to whom you have (AY)falsely prophesied.’”

Jeremiah’s Complaint

Lord, You persuaded me and I let myself be persuaded;
You have (AZ)overcome me and prevailed.
I have become a (BA)laughingstock all day long;
Everyone (BB)mocks me.
For each time I speak, I cry aloud;
I (BC)proclaim violence and destruction,
Because for me the (BD)word of the Lord has [l]resulted
In taunting and derision all day long.
But if I say, “I will not (BE)remember Him
Nor speak anymore in His name,”
Then in (BF)my heart it becomes like a burning fire
Shut up in my bones;
And I am tired of holding it in,
And (BG)I cannot endure it.
10 For (BH)I have heard the whispering of many,
(BI)Terror on every side!
(BJ)Denounce him; let’s denounce him!”
[m]All my (BK)trusted friends,
Watching for my fall, say:
“Perhaps he will be persuaded, so that we may (BL)prevail against him
And take our revenge on him.”
11 But the (BM)Lord is with me like a powerful champion;
Therefore my (BN)persecutors will stumble and not prevail.
They will be put to great shame because they have [n]failed,
An (BO)everlasting disgrace that will not be forgotten.
12 Yet, Lord of armies, who (BP)tests the righteous,
Who sees the [o]mind and the heart;
Let me (BQ)see Your vengeance on them,
For (BR)to You I have disclosed my cause.
13 (BS)Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord!
For He has (BT)saved the soul of the needy one
From the hand of evildoers.

14 Cursed be the (BU)day when I was born;
May the day when my mother gave birth to me not be blessed!
15 Cursed be the man who brought the news
To my father, saying,
“A [p](BV)boy has been born to you!”
And made him very happy.
16 But may that man be like the cities
Which the Lord (BW)overthrew without [q]relenting,
And may he hear an (BX)outcry in the morning
And [r]an alarm for war at noon;
17 Because he did not (BY)kill me [s]before birth,
So that my mother would have been my grave,
And her womb forever pregnant.
18 Why did I ever come out of the womb
To (BZ)look at trouble and sorrow,
So that my (CA)days have been spent in (CB)shame?

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 19:1 Or elders of the
  2. Jeremiah 19:2 I.e., pottery fragment
  3. Jeremiah 19:4 Or incense
  4. Jeremiah 19:5 Lit heart
  5. Jeremiah 19:8 Or whistling
  6. Jeremiah 19:8 Or whistle
  7. Jeremiah 19:8 Lit wounds
  8. Jeremiah 19:11 Or until there is no place left to bury
  9. Jeremiah 19:13 Or incense
  10. Jeremiah 19:13 Lit host; i.e., sun, stars, etc.
  11. Jeremiah 20:3 I.e., horror on every side
  12. Jeremiah 20:8 Lit become
  13. Jeremiah 20:10 Lit Every man of my peace
  14. Jeremiah 20:11 Lit not succeeded; or not acted wisely
  15. Jeremiah 20:12 Lit kidneys
  16. Jeremiah 20:15 Lit male child
  17. Jeremiah 20:16 Lit being sorry
  18. Jeremiah 20:16 Or a trumpet blast
  19. Jeremiah 20:17 Lit from the womb

19 This is what the Lord says: “Go and buy a clay jar from a potter.(A) Take along some of the elders(B) of the people and of the priests and go out to the Valley of Ben Hinnom,(C) near the entrance of the Potsherd Gate. There proclaim the words I tell you, and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, you kings(D) of Judah and people of Jerusalem. This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Listen! I am going to bring a disaster(E) on this place that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle.(F) For they have forsaken(G) me and made this a place of foreign gods(H); they have burned incense(I) in it to gods that neither they nor their ancestors nor the kings of Judah ever knew, and they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent.(J) They have built the high places of Baal to burn their children(K) in the fire as offerings to Baal—something I did not command or mention, nor did it enter my mind.(L) So beware, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when people will no longer call this place Topheth(M) or the Valley of Ben Hinnom,(N) but the Valley of Slaughter.(O)

“‘In this place I will ruin[a] the plans(P) of Judah and Jerusalem. I will make them fall by the sword before their enemies,(Q) at the hands of those who want to kill them, and I will give their carcasses(R) as food(S) to the birds and the wild animals. I will devastate this city and make it an object of horror and scorn;(T) all who pass by will be appalled(U) and will scoff because of all its wounds.(V) I will make them eat(W) the flesh of their sons and daughters, and they will eat one another’s flesh because their enemies(X) will press the siege so hard against them to destroy them.’

10 “Then break the jar(Y) while those who go with you are watching, 11 and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I will smash(Z) this nation and this city just as this potter’s jar is smashed and cannot be repaired. They will bury(AA) the dead in Topheth until there is no more room. 12 This is what I will do to this place and to those who live here, declares the Lord. I will make this city like Topheth. 13 The houses(AB) in Jerusalem and those of the kings of Judah will be defiled(AC) like this place, Topheth—all the houses where they burned incense on the roofs(AD) to all the starry hosts(AE) and poured out drink offerings(AF) to other gods.’”

14 Jeremiah then returned from Topheth, where the Lord had sent him to prophesy, and stood in the court(AG) of the Lord’s temple and said to all the people, 15 “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘Listen! I am going to bring on this city and all the villages around it every disaster(AH) I pronounced against them, because they were stiff-necked(AI) and would not listen(AJ) to my words.’”

Jeremiah and Pashhur

20 When the priest Pashhur son of Immer,(AK) the official(AL) in charge of the temple of the Lord, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things, he had Jeremiah the prophet beaten(AM) and put in the stocks(AN) at the Upper Gate of Benjamin(AO) at the Lord’s temple. The next day, when Pashhur released him from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, “The Lord’s name(AP) for you is not Pashhur, but Terror on Every Side.(AQ) For this is what the Lord says: ‘I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends; with your own eyes(AR) you will see them fall by the sword of their enemies. I will give(AS) all Judah into the hands of the king of Babylon, who will carry(AT) them away to Babylon or put them to the sword. I will deliver all the wealth(AU) of this city into the hands of their enemies—all its products, all its valuables and all the treasures of the kings of Judah. They will take it away(AV) as plunder and carry it off to Babylon. And you, Pashhur, and all who live in your house will go into exile to Babylon. There you will die and be buried, you and all your friends to whom you have prophesied(AW) lies.’”

Jeremiah’s Complaint

You deceived[b](AX) me, Lord, and I was deceived[c];
    you overpowered(AY) me and prevailed.
I am ridiculed(AZ) all day long;
    everyone mocks(BA) me.
Whenever I speak, I cry out
    proclaiming violence and destruction.(BB)
So the word of the Lord has brought me
    insult and reproach(BC) all day long.
But if I say, “I will not mention his word
    or speak anymore in his name,”(BD)
his word is in my heart like a fire,(BE)
    a fire shut up in my bones.
I am weary of holding it in;(BF)
    indeed, I cannot.
10 I hear many whispering,
    “Terror(BG) on every side!
    Denounce(BH) him! Let’s denounce him!”
All my friends(BI)
    are waiting for me to slip,(BJ) saying,
“Perhaps he will be deceived;
    then we will prevail(BK) over him
    and take our revenge(BL) on him.”

11 But the Lord(BM) is with me like a mighty warrior;
    so my persecutors(BN) will stumble and not prevail.(BO)
They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced;(BP)
    their dishonor will never be forgotten.
12 Lord Almighty, you who examine the righteous
    and probe the heart and mind,(BQ)
let me see your vengeance(BR) on them,
    for to you I have committed(BS) my cause.

13 Sing(BT) to the Lord!
    Give praise to the Lord!
He rescues(BU) the life of the needy
    from the hands of the wicked.(BV)

14 Cursed be the day I was born!(BW)
    May the day my mother bore me not be blessed!
15 Cursed be the man who brought my father the news,
    who made him very glad, saying,
    “A child is born to you—a son!”
16 May that man be like the towns(BX)
    the Lord overthrew without pity.
May he hear wailing(BY) in the morning,
    a battle cry at noon.
17 For he did not kill me in the womb,(BZ)
    with my mother as my grave,
    her womb enlarged forever.
18 Why did I ever come out of the womb(CA)
    to see trouble(CB) and sorrow
    and to end my days in shame?(CC)

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 19:7 The Hebrew for ruin sounds like the Hebrew for jar (see verses 1 and 10).
  2. Jeremiah 20:7 Or persuaded
  3. Jeremiah 20:7 Or persuaded

Daniel y sus compañeros en Babilonia

En el año tercero del reinado de Joacim rey de Judá, vino Nabucodonosor rey de Babilonia a Jerusalén, y la sitió.(A) Y el Señor entregó en sus manos a Joacim rey de Judá, y parte de los utensilios de la casa de Dios; y los trajo a tierra de Sinar, a la casa de su dios, y colocó los utensilios en la casa del tesoro de su dios. Y dijo el rey a Aspenaz, jefe de sus eunucos, que trajese de los hijos de Israel, del linaje real de los príncipes, muchachos en quienes no hubiese tacha alguna, de buen parecer, enseñados en toda sabiduría, sabios en ciencia y de buen entendimiento, e idóneos para estar en el palacio del rey; y que les enseñase las letras y la lengua de los caldeos.(B) Y les señaló el rey ración para cada día, de la provisión de la comida del rey, y del vino que él bebía; y que los criase tres años, para que al fin de ellos se presentasen delante del rey. Entre estos estaban Daniel, Ananías, Misael y Azarías, de los hijos de Judá. A estos el jefe de los eunucos puso nombres: puso a Daniel, Beltsasar; a Ananías, Sadrac; a Misael, Mesac; y a Azarías, Abed-nego.

Y Daniel propuso en su corazón no contaminarse con la porción de la comida del rey, ni con el vino que él bebía; pidió, por tanto, al jefe de los eunucos que no se le obligase a contaminarse. Y puso Dios a Daniel en gracia y en buena voluntad con el jefe de los eunucos; 10 y dijo el jefe de los eunucos a Daniel: Temo a mi señor el rey, que señaló vuestra comida y vuestra bebida; pues luego que él vea vuestros rostros más pálidos que los de los muchachos que son semejantes a vosotros, condenaréis para con el rey mi cabeza. 11 Entonces dijo Daniel a Melsar, que estaba puesto por el jefe de los eunucos sobre Daniel, Ananías, Misael y Azarías: 12 Te ruego que hagas la prueba con tus siervos por diez días, y nos den legumbres a comer, y agua a beber. 13 Compara luego nuestros rostros con los rostros de los muchachos que comen de la ración de la comida del rey, y haz después con tus siervos según veas. 14 Consintió, pues, con ellos en esto, y probó con ellos diez días. 15 Y al cabo de los diez días pareció el rostro de ellos mejor y más robusto que el de los otros muchachos que comían de la porción de la comida del rey. 16 Así, pues, Melsar se llevaba la porción de la comida de ellos y el vino que habían de beber, y les daba legumbres.

17 A estos cuatro muchachos Dios les dio conocimiento e inteligencia en todas las letras y ciencias; y Daniel tuvo entendimiento en toda visión y sueños. 18 Pasados, pues, los días al fin de los cuales había dicho el rey que los trajesen, el jefe de los eunucos los trajo delante de Nabucodonosor. 19 Y el rey habló con ellos, y no fueron hallados entre todos ellos otros como Daniel, Ananías, Misael y Azarías; así, pues, estuvieron delante del rey. 20 En todo asunto de sabiduría e inteligencia que el rey les consultó, los halló diez veces mejores que todos los magos y astrólogos que había en todo su reino. 21 Y continuó Daniel hasta el año primero del rey Ciro.

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The Choice Young Men

In the third year of the reign of (A)Jehoiakim king of Judah, (B)Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the (C)Lord handed Jehoiakim king of Judah over to him, along with some of the (D)vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of (E)Shinar, to the house of his [a]god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his [b](F)god.

Then the king told Ashpenaz, the chief of his [c]officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the [d]royal (G)family and of the nobles, youths in whom there was (H)no impairment, who were good-looking, suitable for (I)instruction in every kind of expertise, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability to [e]serve in the king’s [f]court; and he ordered Ashpenaz to teach them the [g]literature and (J)language of the (K)Chaldeans. The king also allotted for them a daily ration from the (L)king’s choice food and from the wine which he drank, and ordered that they be educated for three years, at the end of which they were to [h](M)enter the king’s personal service. Now among them from the sons of Judah were (N)Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Then the commander of the officials assigned new names to them; and to Daniel he assigned the name (O)Belteshazzar, to Hananiah (P)Shadrach, to Mishael (Q)Meshach, and to Azariah (R)Abed-nego.

Daniel’s Resolve

But Daniel [i]made up his mind that he would not (S)defile himself with the (T)king’s choice food or with the (U)wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself. Now God granted Daniel (V)favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials. 10 The commander of the officials said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has allotted your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking gaunt in comparison to the youths who are your own age? Then you would [j]make me forfeit my head to the king.” 11 But Daniel said to the overseer whom the commander of the officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 “Please put your servants to the test for ten days, and let us be (W)given some vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then let our appearance be [k]examined in your presence and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king’s choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see.”

14 So he listened to them in this matter, and put them to the test for ten days. 15 And at the end of ten days their appearance seemed (X)better, and [l]they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king’s choice food. 16 So the overseer continued to [m]withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept (Y)giving them vegetables.

17 And as for these four youths, (Z)God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every kind of [n]literature and expertise; Daniel even understood all kinds of (AA)visions and dreams.

18 Then at the end of the days which the king had [o]specified [p]for presenting them, the commander of the officials [q]presented them before Nebuchadnezzar. 19 And the king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like (AB)Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; so they [r](AC)entered the king’s personal service. 20 As for every matter of (AD)expertise [s]and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them (AE)ten times (AF)better than all the (AG)soothsayer priests and conjurers who were in all his realm. 21 And Daniel [t]continued until the (AH)first year of Cyrus the king.

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Footnotes

  1. Daniel 1:2 Or gods
  2. Daniel 1:2 Or gods
  3. Daniel 1:3 Or eunuchs, and so throughout the ch
  4. Daniel 1:3 Lit seed of the monarchy
  5. Daniel 1:4 Lit stand
  6. Daniel 1:4 Lit palace
  7. Daniel 1:4 Or writing
  8. Daniel 1:5 Lit stand before the king
  9. Daniel 1:8 Lit set upon his heart
  10. Daniel 1:10 Lit make my head guilty
  11. Daniel 1:13 Lit seen
  12. Daniel 1:15 Lit fat of flesh
  13. Daniel 1:16 Lit take away
  14. Daniel 1:17 Or writing
  15. Daniel 1:18 Lit said
  16. Daniel 1:18 Lit to bring them in
  17. Daniel 1:18 Lit brought them in
  18. Daniel 1:19 Lit stood before the king
  19. Daniel 1:20 Lit of
  20. Daniel 1:21 Lit was until

Daniel’s Training in Babylon

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim(A) king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar(B) king of Babylon(C) came to Jerusalem and besieged it.(D) And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried(E) off to the temple of his god in Babylonia[a] and put in the treasure house of his god.(F)

Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility(G) young men without any physical defect, handsome,(H) showing aptitude for every kind of learning,(I) well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language(J) and literature of the Babylonians.[b] The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine(K) from the king’s table.(L) They were to be trained for three years,(M) and after that they were to enter the king’s service.(N)

Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel,(O) Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.(P) The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar;(Q) to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.(R)

But Daniel resolved not to defile(S) 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(T) and compassion(U) to Daniel, 10 but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your[c] food and drink.(V) 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(W) 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.”(X) 14 So he agreed to this and tested(Y) 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.(Z) 16 So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.(AA)

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

18 At the end of the time(AE) 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.(AF) 20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians(AG) and enchanters in his whole kingdom.(AH)

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

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Footnotes

  1. Daniel 1:2 Hebrew Shinar
  2. Daniel 1:4 Or Chaldeans
  3. Daniel 1:10 The Hebrew for your and you in this verse is plural.