Daniel 1:8-16

Amplified Bible

Daniel’s Resolve

⁸ But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile (taint, dishonor) himself with the ^[a]king’s finest food or with the wine which the king drank; so he asked the commander of the officials that he might [be excused so that he would] not defile himself.^{(A) 9} Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials, ¹⁰ and the commander of the officials said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has prearranged your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking more haggard than the young men who are your own age? Then you would 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, test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink. ¹³ Then let our appearance and the appearance of the young men who eat the king’s finest food be observed and compared by you, and deal with your servants in accordance with what you see.”

¹⁴ So the man listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days. ¹⁵ At the end of ten days it seemed that they were looking better and ^[b]healthier than all the young men who ate the king’s finest food. ¹⁶ So the overseer continued to withhold their fine food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables.