Daniel 1:8–21

⁸But Daniel ^vpurposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with ^othe portion of the king’s ^wxmeat, nor with ^wythe wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. ⁹Now God ^zahad brought Daniel into favour and ^atender love with the prince of the eunuchs. ¹⁰And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces ^†worse liking than the children which are of your ^||sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king. ¹¹Then said Daniel to ^||Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, ¹²Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ^bten days; and let them give us ^†cpulse ^†to eat, and water to drink. ¹³Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of ^dthe portion of the king’s meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants. ¹⁴So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days. ¹⁵And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and ^efatter in flesh than all the children which did eat ^dthe portion of the king’s meat. ¹⁶Thus Melzar took away ^dthe portion of their meat, and ^dthe wine that they should drink; and gave them ^cpulse.

¹⁷As for these four children, ^fGod gave them ^gknowledge and ^gskill in all ^glearning and ^gwisdom: and ^||Daniel ^hhad understanding in all visions and ⁱdreams. ^18*Now at the end of ^kthe days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. ¹⁹And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore ^lstood they before the king. ²⁰And in all matters of ^†wisdom and understanding, that ^mthe king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all ^nothe magicians and ^opastrologers that were in all his realm. ^21*And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus.