Daniel 1:8–2:18

8 But 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. 9 Now God zahad brought Daniel into favour and atender love with the prince of the eunuchs. 10 And 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. 11 Then said Daniel to ||Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, bten days; and let them give us †cpulse †to eat, and water to drink. 13 Then 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. 14 So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days. 15 And 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. 16 Thus Melzar took away dthe portion of their meat, and dthe wine that they should drink; and gave them cpulse.

17 As 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. 19 And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore lstood they before the king. 20 And 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.

2 And ain the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith bhis spirit was troubled, and chis sleep brake from him. 2 ccThen the king commanded to call dthe magicians, and dthe astrologers, and ethe sorcerers, and fthe Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and gstood before the king. 3 And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and bmy spirit was troubled to know the dream. 4 Then spake fthe Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, *ggO king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation. 5 The king answered and said to fthe Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall hbe †cut in pieces, and hiyour houses shall be made a dunghill. 6 But kif ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me lgifts and ||rewards and great honour: mtherefore shew me the dream, and the interpretation thereof. 7 They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation of it. 8 The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would †ngain the time, nnbecause ye see the thing is gone from me. 9 But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, othere is but one decree for you: for ye have pprepared lying and qcorrupt words to speak before me, ntill the time be changed: mtherefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof. 10 fThe Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king’s matter: rtherefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any dmagician, or dastrologer, or fChaldean. 11 And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, sexcept tthe gods, uwhose dwelling is not with flesh. 12 uuFor this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all vthe wise men of Babylon. 13 And the decree went forth that vthe wise men should be slain; and they sought wDaniel and his fellows to be slain.

14 Then Daniel †answered with counsel and xwisdom to Arioch the ||†captain of the king’s guard, which was gone forth to slay vthe wise men of Babylon: 15 He answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain, Why is the decree so xxhasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel. 16 Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation. 17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to yHananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: 18 zThat they would desire mercies †of athe God of heaven concerning this bsecret; ||that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of ccthe wise men of Babylon.