Daniel’s Resolve

⁸ But Daniel ^[a]made up his mind that he would not ^(A)defile himself with the ^(B)king’s choice food or with the ^(C)wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself. ⁹ Now God granted Daniel ^(D)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 ^[b]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 ^(E)given some vegetables to eat and water to drink. ¹³ Then let our appearance be ^[c]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 ^(F)better, and ^[d]they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king’s choice food. ¹⁶ So the overseer continued to ^[e]withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept ^(G)giving them vegetables.