CEB 1 In the third year of the rule of Judah's King Jehoiakim, Babylon's King Nebuchadnezzar came to Jerusalem and attacked it. NIV 1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. CEB 2 The Lord handed Judah's King Jehoiakim over to Nebuchadnezzar, along with some of the equipment from God's house. Nebuchadnezzar took these to Shinar, to his own god's temple, putting them in his god's treasury. NIV 2 And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god. CEB 3 Nebuchadnezzar instructed his highest official Ashpenaz to choose royal descendants and members of the ruling class from the Israelites— NIV 3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility— CEB 4 good-looking young men without defects, skilled in all wisdom, possessing knowledge, conversant with learning, and capable of serving in the king's palace. Ashpenaz was to teach them the Chaldean language and its literature. NIV 4 young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. CEB 5 The king assigned these young men daily allotments from his own food and from the royal wine. Ashpenaz was to teach them for three years so that at the end of that time they could serve before the king. NIV 5 The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service. CEB 6 Among these young men from the Judeans were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. NIV 6 Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. CEB 7 But the chief official gave them new names. He named Daniel "Belteshazzar," Hananiah "Shadrach," Mishael "Meshach," and Azariah "Abednego." NIV 7 The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego. CEB 8 Daniel decided that he wouldn't pollute himself with the king's rations or the royal wine, and he appealed to the chief official in hopes that he wouldn't have to do so. NIV 8 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. CEB 9 Now God had established faithful loyalty between Daniel and the chief official; NIV 9 Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, CEB 10 but the chief official said to Daniel, "I'm afraid of my master, the king, who has mandated what you are to eat and drink. What will happen if he sees your faces looking thinner than the other young men in your group? The king will have my head because of you!" NIV 10 but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.” CEB 11 So Daniel spoke to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: NIV 11 Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, CEB 12 "Why not test your servants for ten days? You could give us a diet of vegetables to eat and water to drink. NIV 12 “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. CEB 13 Then compare our appearance to the appearance of the young men who eat the king's food. Then deal with your servants according to what you see." NIV 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.” CEB 14 The guard decided to go along with their plan and tested them for ten days. NIV 14 So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. CEB 15 At the end of ten days they looked better and healthier than all the young men who were eating the king's food. NIV 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. CEB 16 So the guard kept taking away their rations and the wine they were supposed to drink and gave them vegetables instead. NIV 16 So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead. CEB 17 And God gave knowledge, mastery of all literature, and wisdom to these four men. Daniel himself gained understanding of every type of vision and dream. NIV 17 To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds. CEB 18 When the time came to review the young men as the king had ordered, the chief official brought them before Nebuchadnezzar. NIV 18 At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. CEB 19 When the king spoke with them, he found no one as good as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they took their place in the king's service. NIV 19 The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. CEB 20 Whenever the king consulted them about any aspect of wisdom and understanding, he found them head and shoulders above all the dream interpreters and enchanters in his entire kingdom. NIV 20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom. CEB 21 And Daniel stayed in the king's service until the first year of King Cyrus. NIV 21 And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.
NIV 1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. NIV 2 And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god. NIV 3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility— NIV 4 young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. NIV 5 The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service. NIV 6 Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. NIV 7 The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego. NIV 8 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. NIV 9 Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, NIV 10 but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.” NIV 11 Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, NIV 12 “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. NIV 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.” NIV 14 So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. NIV 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. NIV 16 So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead. NIV 17 To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds. NIV 18 At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. NIV 19 The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. NIV 20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom. NIV 21 And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.