Daniel 1:8–21

⁸But Daniel resolved not to defile^s himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. ⁹Now God had caused the official to show favor^t and compassion^u to Daniel, ¹⁰but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your^c 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.”

¹¹Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, ¹²“Please test^w your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. ¹³Then 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 tested^y them for ten days.

¹⁵At 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

¹⁷To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding^b of all kinds of literature and learning.^c And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.^d

¹⁸At the end of the time^e set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. ¹⁹The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service.^{f 20}In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians^g and enchanters in his whole kingdom.^h

²¹And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.ⁱ