1:3 The king commanded 1 Ashpenaz, 2 who was in charge of his court officials, 3 to choose 4 some of the Israelites who were of royal and noble descent 5 – 1:4 young men in whom there was no physical defect and who were handsome, 6 well versed in all kinds of wisdom, well educated 7 and having keen insight, 8 and who were capable 9 of entering the king’s royal service 10 – and to teach them the literature and language 11 of the Babylonians. 12 1:5 So the king assigned them a daily ration 13 from his royal delicacies 14 and from the wine he himself drank. They were to be trained 15 for the next three years. At the end of that time they were to enter the king’s service. 16 1:6 As it turned out, 17 among these young men 18 were some from Judah: 19 Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 20 1:7 But the overseer of the court officials renamed them. He gave 21 Daniel the name Belteshazzar, Hananiah he named Shadrach, Mishael he named Meshach, and Azariah he named Abednego. 22
1:8 But Daniel made up his mind 23 that he would not defile 24 himself with the royal delicacies or the royal wine. 25 He therefore asked the overseer of the court officials for permission not to defile himself. 1:9 Then God made the overseer of the court officials sympathetic to Daniel. 26 1:10 But he 27 responded to Daniel, “I fear my master the king. He is the one who has decided 28 your food and drink. What would happen if he saw that you looked malnourished in comparison to the other young men your age? 29 If that happened, 30 you would endanger my life 31 with the king!” 1:11 Daniel then spoke to the warden 32 whom the overseer of the court officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: 1:12 “Please test your servants for ten days by providing us with some vegetables to eat and water to drink. 1:13 Then compare our appearance 33 with that of 34 the young men who are eating the royal delicacies; 35 deal with us 36 in light of what you see.” 1:14 So the warden 37 agreed to their proposal 38 and tested them for ten 39 days.
1:15 At the end of the ten days their appearance was better and their bodies were healthier 40 than all the young men who had been eating the royal delicacies. 1:16 So the warden removed the delicacies and the wine 41 from their diet 42 and gave them a diet of vegetables instead. 1:17 Now as for these four young men, God endowed them with knowledge and skill in all sorts of literature and wisdom – and Daniel had insight into all kinds of visions and dreams.
1:18 When the time appointed by the king arrived, 43 the overseer of the court officials brought them into Nebuchadnezzar’s presence. 1:19 When the king spoke with them, he did not find among the entire group 44 anyone like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, or Azariah. So they entered the king’s service. 45 1:20 In every matter of wisdom and 46 insight the king asked them about, he found them to be ten times 47 better than any of the magicians and astrologers that were in his entire empire. 1:21 Now Daniel lived on until the first 48 year of Cyrus the king.