| New Living Translation | International Standard Version |
| 1During the third year of King Jehoiakim’s reign in Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. | 1In the third year of the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and laid siege to it. |
| 2The Lord gave him victory over King Jehoiakim of Judah and permitted him to take some of the sacred objects from the Temple of God. So Nebuchadnezzar took them back to the land of Babylonia and placed them in the treasure-house 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. |
| 3Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief of staff, to bring to the palace some of the young men of Judah’s royal family and other noble families, who had been brought to Babylon as captives. | 3Later, the king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief officer, to bring in some Israelis of royal and noble descent. |
| 4“Select only strong, healthy, and good-looking young men,” he said. “Make sure they are well versed in every branch of learning, are gifted with knowledge and good judgment, and are suited to serve in the royal palace. Train these young men in the language and literature of Babylon. ” | 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. |
| 5The king assigned them a daily ration of food and wine from his own kitchens. They were to be trained for three years, and then they would enter the royal 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. |
| 6Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were four of the young men chosen, all from the tribe of Judah. | 6Included among the people of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. |
| 7The chief of staff renamed them with these Babylonian names: Daniel was called Belteshazzar. Hananiah was called Shadrach. Mishael was called Meshach. Azariah was called 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 was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods. | 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. |
| 9Now God had given the chief of staff both respect and affection for Daniel. | 9God granted to Daniel grace and compassion on the part of the chief officer. |
| 10But he responded, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has ordered that you eat this food and wine. If you become pale and thin compared to the other youths your age, I am afraid the king will have me beheaded.” | 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 spoke with the attendant who had been appointed by the chief of staff to look after 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 us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water,” Daniel said. | 12"Please test your servants for ten days and let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. |
| 13“At the end of the ten days, see how we look compared to the other young men who are eating the king’s food. Then make your decision 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." |
| 14The attendant agreed to Daniel’s suggestion 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, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king. | 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 after that, the attendant fed them only vegetables instead of the food and wine provided for the others. | 16So the guard took away their rich food and wine, giving them vegetables. |
| 17God gave these four young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom. And God gave Daniel the special ability to interpret the meanings 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 training period ordered by the king was completed, the chief of staff brought all the young men to King Nebuchadnezzar. | 18Then at the end of the training period that the king had established, the chief officer brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. |
| 19The king talked with them, and no one impressed him as much as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they entered the royal service. | 19When the king spoke to them, none of them compared to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, or Azariah as they stood before the king. |
| 20Whenever the king consulted them in any matter requiring wisdom and balanced judgment, he found them ten times more capable than any of the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom. | 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. |
| 21Daniel remained in the royal service until the first year of the reign of King Cyrus. | 21So Daniel remained there in service until the first year of King Cyrus. |
| Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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