| NET Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1In the third year of the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon advanced against Jerusalem and laid it under siege. | 1In the third year of the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and laid siege to it. |
| 2Now the Lord delivered King Jehoiakim of Judah into his power, along with some of the vessels of the temple of God. He brought them to the land of Babylonia to the temple of his god and put the vessels in the treasury of his god. | 2Within a week, the Lord handed King Jehoiakim of Judah over to him, along with valuable objects from the house of God. Nebuchadnezzar brought them to the temple of his god in the land of Shinar and stored them in its treasure house. |
| 3The king commanded Ashpenaz, who was in charge of his court officials, to choose some of the Israelites who were of royal and noble descent-- | 3Later, the king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief officer, to bring in some Israelis of royal and noble descent. |
| 4young men in whom there was no physical defect and who were handsome, well versed in all kinds of wisdom, well educated and having keen insight, and who were capable of entering the king's royal service--and to teach them the literature and language of the Babylonians. | 4They were to be young men without physical defect, handsome in appearance, skilled in all wisdom, quick to learn, prudent in how they used knowledge, and capable of serving in the king's palace. They were to learn the literature and language of the Chaldeans. |
| 5So the king assigned them a daily ration from his royal delicacies and from the wine he himself drank. They were to be trained for the next three years. At the end of that time they were to enter the king's service. | 5The king assigned them fine food and choice wine on a daily basis, ordering them to be trained for three years, at the end of which time they would enter the king's service. |
| 6As it turned out, among these young men were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. | 6Included among the people of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. |
| 7But the overseer of the court officials renamed them. He gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar, Hananiah he named Shadrach, Mishael he named Meshach, and Azariah he named Abednego. | 7The chief officer assigned the name "Belteshazzar" to Daniel, the name "Shadrach" to Hananiah, the name "Meshach" to Mishael, and the name "Abednego" to Azariah. |
| 8But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the royal delicacies or the royal wine. He therefore asked the overseer of the court officials for permission not to defile himself. | 8Daniel determined within himself not to become defiled by the king's menu of rich foods or by the king's wine, so he requested permission from the chief officer not to defile himself. |
| 9Then God made the overseer of the court officials sympathetic to Daniel. | 9God granted to Daniel grace and compassion on the part of the chief officer. |
| 10But he responded to Daniel, "I fear my master the king. He is the one who has decided your food and drink. What would happen if he saw that you looked malnourished in comparison to the other young men your age? If that happened, you would endanger my life with the king!" | 10The chief officer told Daniel, "I fear his majesty the king, who has determined what you eat and drink. If he notices that your faces are more pale than the other young men in your group, I will forfeit my head to the king." |
| 11Daniel then spoke to the warden whom the overseer of the court officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: | 11But Daniel told the guard whom the chief officer had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, |
| 12"Please test your servants for ten days by providing us with some vegetables to eat and water to drink. | 12"Please test your servants for ten days and let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. |
| 13Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who are eating the royal delicacies; deal with us in light of what you see." | 13Then compare how we look with the young men who ate the king's rich food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you observe." |
| 14So the warden agreed to their proposal and tested them for ten days. | 14So he listened to what Daniel said and tested them for ten days. |
| 15At the end of the ten days their appearance was better and their bodies were healthier than all the young men who had been eating the royal delicacies. | 15At the end of ten days their appearance was better and their faces were well-nourished compared to the young men who ate the king's rich food. |
| 16So the warden removed the delicacies and the wine from their diet and gave them a diet of vegetables instead. | 16So the guard took away their rich food and wine, giving them vegetables. |
| 17Now as for these four young men, God endowed them with knowledge and skill in all sorts of literature and wisdom--and Daniel had insight into all kinds of visions and dreams. | 17As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge, aptitude for learning, and wisdom. Daniel also could understand all kinds of visions and dreams. |
| 18When the time appointed by the king arrived, the overseer of the court officials brought them into Nebuchadnezzar's presence. | 18Then at the end of the training period that the king had established, the chief officer brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. |
| 19When the king spoke with them, he did not find among the entire group anyone like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, or Azariah. So they entered the king's service. | 19When the king spoke to them, none of them compared to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, or Azariah as they stood before the king. |
| 20In every matter of wisdom and insight the king asked them about, he found them to be ten times better than any of the magicians and astrologers that were in his entire empire. | 20In every matter of wisdom or understanding that the king discussed with them, he found them ten times superior to all the astrologers and enchanters in his entire palace. |
| 21Now Daniel lived on until the first year of Cyrus the king. | 21So Daniel remained there in service until the first year of King Cyrus. |
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