Daniel Chapter 1

Daniel Taken to Babylon

¹ In the third year of Jehoiakim’s reign in Judah, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, laid siege to Jerusalem. ² The LORD delivered Jehoiakim to him, along with articles from God’s Temple. He took them to the temple of his god in the land of Shinar/Babylonia and put them in the treasury. ³ He ordered Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring in some of the Israelites, including members of the royal family and the nobles, ⁴ young men with no defects, good looking, intelligent, educated men that could serve in the king’s court. He had him teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians, ⁵ and allotted them a daily ration of the royal food and the wine he drank. He assigned them three years of education; then they were to enter his personal service. ⁶ Among them were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah from the tribe of Judah. ⁷ The chief eunuch renamed them: Daniel was Belteshazzar, Hananiah was Shadrach, Mishael was Meshach, and Azariah was Abed-nego.

Dan 1:1-7

⁸ But Daniel made up his mind not to defile himself with the king’s wine and royal food, and asked the chief eunuch to let him not defile himself. ⁹ God had given the chief eunuch respect and affection for Daniel, ¹⁰ but he told him,

“The king specified what you should eat and drink. I’m afraid my lord would see that you weren’t as healthy as the other youths your age. You’d put my life in danger from him.”

¹¹ Daniel told the steward that the chief eunuch had appointed to oversee them, 

¹² “Test us for ten days. Let us have vegetables and water. ¹³ Then look at us and the youths that eat the king’s food, and deal with us by what you see.”

¹⁴ He agreed and tested them for ten days. ¹⁵ After ten days he could see that they looked better and were healthier than the ones who ate the king’s food. ¹⁶ So the steward took away their wine and royal food and fed them vegetables.

Dan 1:8-16

¹⁷ God gave these four youths an aptitude for learning and skill in every branch of literature and wisdom. Daniel understood visions and dreams. ¹⁸ At the end of the time the king had specified, the chief eunuch brought them in. ¹⁹ The king talked to them, and none of them impressed him like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. ²⁰ In every matter of wisdom and understanding he asked them about, he found them ten times more capable than the magicians and enchanters in his whole empire. ²¹ Daniel continued till the first year of King Cyrus.                                                                                                                              

Dan 1:17-21