Faithfulness in Babylon

⁸ Daniel determined that he would not defile himself with the king’s food^(A) or with the wine he drank. So he asked permission from the chief eunuch not to defile himself.^{(B) 9} God had granted Daniel kindness and compassion from the chief eunuch,^{(C) 10} yet he said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and drink. What if he sees your faces looking thinner than the other young men your age? You would endanger my life^[a] with the king.”

¹¹ So Daniel said to the guard whom the chief eunuch had assigned to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, ¹² “Please test your servants for ten days. Let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. ¹³ Then examine our appearance and the appearance of the young men who are eating the king’s food, and deal with your servants based on what you see.” ¹⁴ He agreed with them about this and tested them for ten days. ¹⁵ At the end of ten days they looked better and healthier^[b] than all the young men who were eating the king’s food.^{(D) 16} So the guard continued to remove their food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables.

Faithfulness Rewarded

¹⁷ God gave these four young men knowledge and understanding^(E) in every kind of literature and wisdom. Daniel also understood visions and dreams^(F) of every kind. ¹⁸ At the end of the time that the king had said to present them, the chief eunuch presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. ¹⁹ The king interviewed them, and among all of them, no one was found equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.^(G) So they began to attend the king. ²⁰ In every matter of wisdom and understanding that the king consulted them about, he found them ten times^[c](H) better than all the magicians and mediums^(I) in his entire kingdom. ²¹ Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.^(J)

²⁴ Above all, fear the Lord and worship him faithfully with all your heart; consider the great things he has done for you.^(A)

A Call to Good Works

¹¹ Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and exiles^(A) to abstain^(B) from sinful^(C) desires that wage war against the soul.^{(D) 12} Conduct^(E) yourselves honorably among the Gentiles,^[a] so that when they slander you as evildoers, they will observe your good works and will glorify God on the day he visits.^(F)

¹³ Submit^(G) to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the emperor^[b] as the supreme authority^{(H) 14} or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good. ¹⁵ For it is God’s will^(I) that you silence the ignorance^(J) of foolish people by doing good. ¹⁶ Submit as free people, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil,^(K) but as God’s slaves.^{(L) 17} Honor everyone. Love^(M) the brothers and sisters.^(N) Fear God.^(O) Honor the emperor.