Daniel 1
Living Bible
1 1-2 Three years after King Jehoiakim began to rule in Judah, Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar attacked Jerusalem with his armies, and the Lord gave him victory over Jehoiakim. When he returned to Babylon, he took along some of the sacred cups from the Temple of God and placed them in the treasury of his god in the land of Shinar.
3-4 Then he ordered Ashpenaz, who was in charge of his palace personnel,[a] to select some of the Jewish youths brought back as captives—young men of the royal family and nobility of Judah—and to teach them the Chaldean language and literature. “Pick strong, healthy, good-looking lads,” he said; “those who have read widely in many fields, are well informed, alert and sensible, and have enough poise to look good around the palace.”
5 The king assigned them the best of food and wine from his own kitchen during their three-year training period, planning to make them his counselors when they graduated.
6 Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were four of the young men chosen, all from the tribe of Judah. 7 However, their superintendent gave them Babylonian names, as follows:
Daniel was called Belteshazzar;
Hananiah was called Shadrach;
Mishael was called Meshach;
Azariah was called Abednego.
8 But Daniel made up his mind not to eat[b] the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the superintendent for permission to eat other things instead. 9 Now as it happened, God had given the superintendent a special appreciation for Daniel and sympathy for his predicament. 10 But he was alarmed by Daniel’s suggestion.
“I’m afraid you will become pale and thin compared with the other youths your age,” he said, “and then the king will behead me for neglecting my responsibilities.”
11 Daniel talked it over with the steward who was appointed by the superintendent to look after Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 and suggested a ten-day diet of only vegetables and water; 13 then, at the end of this trial period the steward could see how they looked in comparison with the other fellows who ate the king’s rich food and decide whether or not to let them continue their diet.
14 The steward finally agreed to the test. 15 Well, at the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the youths who had been eating the food supplied by the king! 16 So after that the steward fed them only vegetables and water, without the rich foods and wines!
17 God gave these four youths great ability to learn, and they soon mastered all the literature and science of the time; and God gave to Daniel special ability in understanding the meanings of dreams and visions.
18-19 When the three-year training period was completed, the superintendent brought all the young men to the king for oral exams, as he had been ordered to do. King Nebuchadnezzar had long talks with each of them, and none of them impressed him as much as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they were put on his regular staff of advisors. 20 And in all matters requiring information and balanced judgment, the king found these young men’s advice ten times better than that of all the skilled magicians and wise astrologers in his realm.
21 Daniel held this appointment as the king’s counselor until the first year of the reign of King Cyrus.
Footnotes
- Daniel 1:3 who was in charge of his palace personnel, literally, “his chief eunuch”; see 2 Kings 20:17-18. to teach them the Chaldean language and literature. The language was Aramaic; the literature would have included mathematics, astronomy, and history—plus a strong dose of alchemy and magic!
- Daniel 1:8 made up his mind not to eat, literally, “determined that he would not defile himself with.” The defilement was probably in eating pork or other foods outlawed in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14:3-21. He asked the superintendent for permission to eat other things instead, literally, “He asked the superintendent to allow him not to defile himself.”
Daniel 1
Lexham English Bible
Daniel’s Development in the King’s Court
1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim the king of Judah into his hand and some of[a] of the utensils of the temple of God,[b] and he brought them to the land of Shinar to the temple of his gods, and he brought the utensils to the treasury[c] of his gods.
3 And the king ordered[d] Ashpenaz, the commander of his court officials, to bring some of the Israelites[e] from the royal family[f] and from the lords,[g] 4 youths who have no physical defect,[h] and who are handsome,[i] and who are prudent[j] in all wisdom and endowed with knowledge,[k] and who understand insight, and who have the ability[l] in them to serve in the palace of the king. And the king ordered him to teach them the literature and the language of the Chaldeans. 5 And the king assigned to them his daily portion[m] from the fine food of the king, and from the wine that he drank,[n] and instructed that they were to be educated for three years.[o] And at the end of their training, they were to be stationed[p] before[q] the king. 6 Now there was among them from the Judeans,[r] Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 7 And the commander of the court officials gave them names, and he called Daniel, Belteshazzar; and Hananiah, Shadrach; and Mishael, Meshach; and Azariah, Abednego.
Daniel’s Resolve
8 Now Daniel resolved[s] that he would not defile himself with the fine food of the king, and with the wine that he drank,[t] and so he requested from the commander of the court officials permission so that he would not defile himself. 9 And God[u] gave Daniel favor and compassion before[v] the commander of the court officials, 10 and the commander of the court officials said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord, the king, who has determined your food and your drink, for why should[w] he see your face having a worse appearance than the young men who are your age?[x] Then you will endanger my head with the king.” 11 Then[y] Daniel asked the guard[z] whom the commander of the court officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 “Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us some of the vegetables,[aa] and let us eat and let us drink water. 13 Then[ab] let our appearances and the appearance of the young men who are eating the fine food of the king be compared before you,[ac] and then deal with your servants according to what you see.”[ad] 14 So he agreed to this proposal with them, and he tested them for ten days. 15 And at the end of ten days their appearances appeared better and they were healthier of body than all the young men who were eating the fine food of the king. 16 So[ae] the guard continued to withhold[af] their fine food and the wine of their drink, and he gave them[ag] vegetables.
17 And as for these four young men,[ah] God[ai] gave to them knowledge and insight into all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had insight into all visions[aj] and dreams. 18 And at the end of the time the king had set to bring them, the commander of the court officials brought them in before[ak] Nebuchadnezzar. 19 And the king spoke with them, and among all of them no one was found like[al] Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; then they stood before[am] the king. 20 And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired from them, he found them ten times better than all of the magicians[an] and conjurers[ao] that were in his entire kingdom.[ap] 21 And Daniel was there until the first year of Cyrus the king.
Footnotes
- Daniel 1:2 Literally “from the end/extremity/limits”
- Daniel 1:2 Hebrew “the God”
- Daniel 1:2 Literally “the house of the treasury”
- Daniel 1:3 Literally “said to”
- Daniel 1:3 Literally “from the sons/children of Israel”
- Daniel 1:3 Literally “from the seed of the kingship”
- Daniel 1:3 Or “nobles”
- Daniel 1:4 Literally “there is not in them any physical defect”
- Daniel 1:4 Literally “good/pleasing of appearance”
- Daniel 1:4 Or “insightful”
- Daniel 1:4 Literally “who have knowledge of knowledge”
- Daniel 1:4 Literally “strength”
- Daniel 1:5 Literally “the portion of the day on its day”
- Daniel 1:5 Literally “the wine of his drink”
- Daniel 1:5 Literally “and to be educated them years three”
- Daniel 1:5 Literally “they would stand”
- Daniel 1:5 Literally “to the face of”
- Daniel 1:6 Literally “from the children of Judah”
- Daniel 1:8 Literally “Daniel placed upon his heart”
- Daniel 1:8 Literally “the wine of his drink”
- Daniel 1:9 Hebrew “the God”
- Daniel 1:9 Literally “to the face of”
- Daniel 1:10 Literally “to what would”
- Daniel 1:10 Literally “like your age”; “your” is plural
- Daniel 1:11 Hebrew “And”
- Daniel 1:11 Or “overseer”
- Daniel 1:12 Literally “from the vegetables”
- Daniel 1:13 Hebrew “And”
- Daniel 1:13 Literally “in your presence”
- Daniel 1:13 Literally “and according to/that you see”
- Daniel 1:16 Literally “And it happened”
- Daniel 1:16 Literally “he was … withdrawing”
- Daniel 1:16 Hebrew “to them”
- Daniel 1:17 Literally “And these young men, four of them”
- Daniel 1:17 Hebrew “the God”
- Daniel 1:17 Hebrew “vision”
- Daniel 1:18 Literally “to the face of”
- Daniel 1:19 Literally “and he was not found from all of them like”
- Daniel 1:19 Literally “to the face of”
- Daniel 1:20 Or “soothsayer-priests”
- Daniel 1:20 Or “enchanters”
- Daniel 1:20 Literally “in the whole of his kingdom”
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