Daniel 1:5–16

5 The king assigned them a daily amount of food and winek from the king’s table.l They were to be trained for three years,m and after that they were to enter the king’s service.n

6 Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel,o Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.p 7 The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar;q to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.r

8 But Daniel resolved not to defiles himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. 9 Now God had caused the official to show favort and compassionu to Daniel, 10 but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned yourc food and drink.v Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.”

11 Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 12 “Please testw your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.”x 14 So he agreed to this and testedy them for ten days.

15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.z 16 So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.a