En el año tercero del reinado de Joacim, rey de Judá, vino Nabucodonosor, rey de Babilonia^a, a Jerusalén^b y la sitió. 2 Y el Señor entregó en sus manos^a a Joacim, rey de Judá, y algunos de los utensilios de la casa de Dios^b; los llevó a la tierra de Sinar^c, a la casa de su dios¹, colocando² los utensilios en la casa del tesoro de su dios^3d. 3 Entonces el rey mandó¹ a Aspenaz, jefe de sus oficiales², que trajera de los hijos de Israel a algunos de la familia³ real y de los nobles^a, 4 jóvenes en quienes no hubiera defecto alguno, de buen parecer^a, inteligentes en toda rama del saber^b, dotados de entendimiento y habilidad para discernir^c y que tuvieran la capacidad para servir¹ en el palacio del rey; y le mandó que les enseñara la escritura y la lengua de los caldeos^d. 5 El rey les asignó una ración diaria de los manjares del rey y del vino que él bebía^a, y mandó que los educaran¹ por tres años, al cabo de los cuales entrarían al servicio² del rey^b. 6 Entreestos estaban Daniel^a, Ananías, Misael y Azarías, de los hijos de Judá. 7 Y el jefe de los oficiales les puso nuevos nombres: a Daniel le puso Beltsasar^a; a Ananías, Sadrac; a Misael, Mesac; y a Azarías, Abed-nego^b.

8 Se propuso Daniel en su corazón no contaminarse con los manjares^a del rey ni con el vino que él bebía^b, y pidió al jefe de los oficiales que le permitiera no contaminarse^c. 9 Dios concedió a Daniel hallar favor¹ y gracia ante el jefe de los oficiales^a, 10 y el jefe de los oficiales dijo a Daniel: Temo a mi señor el rey, porque él ha asignado vuestra comida y vuestra bebida; ¿por qué ha de ver vuestros rostros más macilentos que los de los demás jóvenes de vuestra edad? Así pondríais en peligro¹ mi cabeza ante el rey. 11 Pero Daniel dijo al mayordomo a quien el jefe de los oficiales había nombrado sobre Daniel, Ananías, Misael y Azarías: 12 Te ruego que pongas a prueba a tus siervos por diez días, y que nos den legumbres para comer y agua para beber^a. 13 Que se compare después¹ nuestra apariencia en tu presencia con la apariencia de los jóvenes que comen los manjares del rey, y haz con tus siervos según lo que veas.

14 Los escuchó, pues, en esto y los puso a prueba por diez días. 15 Al cabo de los diez días su aspecto parecía mejor y estaban más rollizos^1a que todos los jóvenes que habían estado comiendo los manjares del rey. 16 Así que el mayordomo siguió suprimiendo¹ los manjares y el vino que debían beber, y les daba legumbres^a.

17 A estos cuatro jóvenes Dios les dio conocimiento e inteligencia en toda clase de literatura¹ y sabiduría^a; además Daniel entendía toda clase de visiones y sueños^b. 18 Al cabo de los días que el rey había fijado¹ para que fueran presentados², el jefe de los oficiales los trajo ante Nabucodonosor. 19 El rey habló con ellos, y de entre todos ellos no se halló ninguno como Daniel, Ananías, Misael y Azarías^a; entraron, pues, al servicio¹ del rey^b. 20 Y en todo asunto de sabiduría y¹ conocimiento^a que el rey les consultó, los encontró diez veces^b superiores a todos los magos^2c y encantadores que había en todo su reino^d. 21 Daniel estuvo allí hasta el año primero del rey Ciro^a.

In the third year of the reign of ^aJehoiakim king of Judah, ^bNebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 The ^aLord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the ^bvessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of ^cShinar, to the house of his ¹god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his ^2dgod.

3 Then the king ¹ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his ²officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the ³royal ^afamily and of the nobles, 4 youths in whom was ^ano defect, who were good-looking, showing ^bintelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for ¹serving in the king’s ²court; and he ordered him to teach them the ³literature and ^clanguage of the ^dChaldeans. 5 The king appointed for them a daily ration from the ^aking’s choice food and from the wine which he drank, and appointed that they should be ¹educated three years, at the end of which they were to ^2benter the king’s personal service. 6 Now among them from the sons of Judah were ^aDaniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 7 Then the commander of the officials assigned new names to them; and to Daniel he assigned the name ^aBelteshazzar, to Hananiah ^bShadrach, to Mishael ^cMeshach and to Azariah ^dAbed-nego.

8 But Daniel ¹made up his mind that he would not ^adefile himself with the ^bking’s choice food or with the ^cwine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself. 9 Now God granted Daniel ^1afavor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials, 10 and the commander of the officials said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking more haggard than the youths who are your own age? Then you would ¹make me forfeit my head to the king.” 11 But Daniel said to the overseer whom the commander of the officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 12 “Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be ^agiven some vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then let our appearance be ¹observed in your presence and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king’s choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see.”

14 So he listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days. 15 At the end of ten days their appearance seemed ^abetter and ¹they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king’s choice food. 16 So the overseer continued to ¹withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept ^agiving them vegetables.

17 As for these four youths, ^aGod gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch of ¹literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds of ^bvisions and dreams.

18 Then at the end of the days which the king had ¹specified ²for presenting them, the commander of the officials ³presented them before Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like ^aDaniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they ^1bentered the king’s personal service. 20 As for every matter of ^awisdom ¹and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ^bten times ^cbetter than all the ^2dmagicians and conjurers who were in all his realm. 21 And Daniel ¹continued until the ^afirst year of Cyrus the king.

In the third year of the reign of ^1aJehoiakim king of Judah, ^2bNebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 The ^aLord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the ^barticles of the house of God; and he brought them into the land of ^1cShinar, to the house of his god, and brought the articles into the treasury of his ^dgod. 2+@Chr 36:5-7; Jer 27:19, 20; Dan 5:1-3

3 And the Babylonian king told Ashpenaz, the chief of his ¹officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some from the royal ^afamily and from the nobles, 2+@Kin 20:17, 18 4 young men ^awithout blemish and handsome in appearance, ^bskillful in all wisdom, endowed with intelligence and discernment, and quick to understand, competent to stand in the presence of the king and able to serve in the king’s palace. He also ordered Ashpenaz to teach them the literature and ^clanguage of the ^1dChaldeans. 5 The king assigned a daily ration for them from ^ahis finest food and from the wine which he drank. They were to be educated and nourished this way for three years so that at the end of that time they were prepared to ^benter the king’s service. 6 Among them from the sons of Judah were: ^aDaniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 7 The commander of the officials gave them Babylonian names: Daniel he named ^aBelteshazzar, Hananiah he named ^bShadrach, Mishael he named ^cMeshach, and Azariah he named ^dAbed-nego.

8 But Daniel made up his mind that he would not ^adefile (taint, dishonor) himself with the ^1bking’s finest food or with the ^cwine which the king drank; so he asked the commander of the officials that he might be excused so that he would not defile himself. Num 6:1-4; 1+@Cor 10:21 9 Now God granted Daniel ^afavor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials, 10 and the commander of the officials said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has prearranged your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking more haggard than the young men who are your own age? Then you would make me forfeit my head to the king.” 11 But Daniel said to the overseer whom the commander of the officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 “Please, test your servants for ten days, and let us be ^agiven some vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then let our appearance and the appearance of the young men who eat the king’s finest food be observed and compared by you, and deal with your servants in accordance with what you see.”

14 So the man listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days. 15 At the end of ten days it seemed that they were looking ^abetter and ¹healthier than all the young men who ate the king’s finest food. 16 So the overseer continued to withhold their fine food and the wine they were to drink, and kept ^agiving them vegetables.

17 As for these four young men, ^aGod gave them knowledge and skill in all kinds of literature and wisdom; Daniel also understood all kinds of ^bvisions and dreams. Luke 21:15; James 1:5-7

18 At the end of the time set by the king to bring all the young men in before him, the commander of the officials presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king spoke with them, and among them all not one was found like ^aDaniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; so they were selected and assigned to ^bstand before the king and enter his personal service. 20 In every matter of ^awisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ^bten times ^cbetter than all the learned ^dmagicians and enchanters (Magi) in his whole realm. 21 And Daniel remained there until the ^1afirst year of the reign of King Cyrus over Babylon; now this was at the end of the seventy-year exile of Judah (the Southern Kingdom) in Babylonia, as foretold by Jeremiah. Ezra 1:1-3; Jer 25:11, 12; 29:10