Daniel 1
International Children’s Bible
Daniel Taken to Babylon
1 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and surrounded it with his army. This happened during the third year that Jehoiakim was king of Judah. 2 The Lord allowed Nebuchadnezzar to capture Jehoiakim king of Judah. Nebuchadnezzar also took some of the things from the Temple of God. He carried them to Babylonia and put them in the temple of his gods.
3 Then King Nebuchadnezzar gave an order to Ashpenaz, his chief officer. He told Ashpenaz to bring some of the men from Judah into his house. He wanted them to be from important families. And he wanted those who were from the family of the king of Judah. 4 King Nebuchadnezzar wanted only healthy, young, Israelite men. These men were not to have anything wrong with their bodies. They were to be handsome and well educated. They were to be able to learn and understand things. He wanted those who were able to serve in his palace. Ashpenaz was to teach them the language and writings of the Babylonians. 5 The king gave the young men a certain amount of food and wine every day. That was the same kind of food that the king ate. They were to be trained for three years. Then the young men would become servants of the king of Babylon. 6 Among those young men were some from the people of Judah. These were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.
7 Then Ashpenaz, the chief officer, gave them Babylonian names. Daniel’s new name was Belteshazzar. Hananiah’s was Shadrach. Mishael’s was Meshach. And Azariah’s new name was Abednego.
8 Daniel decided not to eat the king’s food and wine because that would make him unclean. So he asked Ashpenaz for permission not to make himself unclean in this way.
9 God made Ashpenaz want to be kind and merciful to Daniel. 10 But Ashpenaz said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my master, the king. He ordered me to give you this food and drink. If you don’t eat this food, you will begin to look worse than other young men your age. The king will see this. And he will cut off my head because of you.”
11 Ashpenaz had ordered a guard to watch Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 12 Daniel said to the guard, “Please give us this test for ten days: Don’t give us anything but vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then after ten days compare us with the other young men who eat the king’s food. See for yourself who looks healthier. Then you judge for yourself how you want to treat us, your servants.”
14 So the guard agreed to test them for ten days. 15 After ten days they looked very healthy. They looked better than all of the young men who ate the king’s food. 16 So the guard took away the king’s special food and wine. He gave Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah vegetables instead.
17 God gave these four men wisdom and the ability to learn. They learned many kinds of things people had written and studied. Daniel could also understand all kinds of visions and dreams.
18 The end of the three years came. And Ashpenaz brought all of the young men to King Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked to them. He found that none of the young men were as good as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. So those four young men became the king’s servants. 20 Every time the king asked them about something important, they showed much wisdom and understanding. He found they were ten times better than all the fortune-tellers and magicians in his kingdom. 21 So Daniel continued to be the king’s servant until the first year Cyrus was king.
Daniel 1
Expanded Bible
Daniel Taken to Babylon
1 During the third year that Jehoiakim was king of Judah [C 605 bc], Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon [C ruled 605–562 bc] came to Jerusalem and ·surrounded it with his army [besieged/L pressed it]. 2 The Lord ·allowed Nebuchadnezzar to capture Jehoiakim king of Judah [L gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand; C God was in control, not Nebuchadnezzar]. Nebuchadnezzar also took some of the ·things [articles; utensils; C cups, forks, and other items used in ritual; 5:2–4; Ex. 27:9; 30:27; 31:8–9; Ezra 1:9–11] from the ·Temple [L house] of God, which he carried to ·Babylonia [L the land of Shinar] and put in the ·temple [L house of the treasury] of his ·gods [or god; C probably Marduk, the chief god of Babylon].
3 Then King Nebuchadnezzar ordered Ashpenaz, ·his chief officer [or the chief of his eunuchs], to bring some of the ·men of Judah into his palace. He wanted them to be from important families, including the family of the king of Judah [L …sons of Israel, from the royal family and from the nobility]. 4 King Nebuchadnezzar wanted only ·young Israelite men [L children] who had ·nothing wrong with them [L no blemish; 2 Sam. 14:25; Song 4:4]. They were to be ·handsome [L of good appearance] and ·well educated [L skilled in all wisdom], ·capable of learning [L knowing knowledge] and understanding, and able to ·serve [L stand] in his palace [Gen. 41:33]. Ashpenaz was to teach them the language and ·writings [literature] of the ·Babylonians [L Chaldeans; C probably Akkadian and Aramaic; the literature would include myths and legends as well as divination texts]. 5 The king ·gave the young men [L allotted/assigned to them] ·a certain amount of food and wine every day, just like the food he ate [L a daily ration of the royal food and wine he drank]. The young men were to be ·trained [educated] for three years, and then they would ·become servants of the king of Babylon [L stand before the king]. 6 Among those young men were Daniel [C “God is my judge”], Hananiah [C “The Lord is gracious to me”], Mishael [C “Who is like God”], and Azariah [C “The Lord is my helper”] from the ·people [L sons] of Judah.
7 Ashpenaz, the chief ·officer [or of the eunuchs], gave them names [C Babylonian, that is Akkadian, names]. Daniel’s new name was Belteshazzar, Hananiah’s was Shadrach, Mishael’s was Meshach, and Azariah’s was Abednego [C the new names praised Babylonian gods].
8 Daniel ·decided [L set his heart] not to eat the king’s food or drink his wine because that would ·defile [contaminate] him [C perhaps would make him ritually unclean, but more likely because he depended on God to sustain him]. So he ·asked [sought] ·Ashpenaz [L the chief officer/or of the eunuchs] for permission not to ·defile [contaminate] himself in this way.
9 God made Ashpenaz, the chief ·officer [or of the eunuchs], want to be ·kind [loving] and ·merciful [gracious] to Daniel, 10 but ·Ashpenaz [L the chief officer/or of the eunuchs] said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my master, the king. He ·ordered me to give you this [L allotted/assigned your] food and drink. If you begin to look ·worse [thinner] than other ·young men [children; youth] your age, the king will see this. Then ·he will cut off my head because of you [L you will forfeit my head to the king].”
11 Daniel spoke to the ·guard [or attendant; steward] whom the chief ·officer [or of the eunuchs] had ·appointed [allotted/assigned] over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 “Please give us this test for ten days: Don’t give us anything but vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then compare how we look with how the other ·young men [children; youth] look who eat the king’s ·food [rations]. See for yourself and then decide how you want to treat us, your servants.”
14 So the ·guard [or attendant; steward] ·agreed to test [L listened to them on this matter and tested] them for ten days. 15 After ten days they looked healthier and ·better fed [L their flesh was fatter] than all the ·young men [children; youths] who ate the king’s ·food [rations]. 16 So the ·guard [or attendant; steward] took away the king’s special food and wine, feeding them vegetables instead.
17 God gave these four ·young men [children; youths] ·wisdom [knowledge] and ·the ability to learn many things that people had written and studied [insight into wisdom and literature]. Daniel could also understand visions and dreams.
18 At the end of the ·time [L days] ·set for them by the king [L which the king said to bring them; v. 5], ·Ashpenaz [L the chief officer/or of the eunuchs] brought all the young men to King Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked to them and found that none of the young men were ·as good as [L like] Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So ·those four young men became the king’s servants [L they stood before the king]. 20 Every time the king ·asked them about [L sought from them] something important, they showed much wisdom and understanding. They were ten times better than all the ·magicians [enchanters] and ·fortune-tellers [diviners] in his kingdom! 21 So Daniel ·continued to be the king’s servant [was there] until the first year Cyrus was king.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.