Daniel 1

All 21 verses in the Clear Bible Translation. Tap a verse to compare the KJV and read what it means.

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1. 1In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.
2. 2The Lord handed King Jehoiakim of Judah over to Nebuchadnezzar, along with some of the vessels from the house of God. Nebuchadnezzar took them to the land of Shinar and placed the vessels in the treasure house of his god.
3. 3The king told Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the Israelites, and of the king's descendants, and of the princes.
4. 4Young men without any physical defect, handsome, skilled in all wisdom, knowledgeable, understanding science, and capable of serving in the king's palace, whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans.
5. 5The king assigned them a daily portion of food and wine from his own table. Their training would last 3 years, and after that they would enter the king's service.
6. 6Now among these were some of the children of Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
7. 7The prince of the eunuchs gave them names: he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar, Hananiah the name Shadrach, Mishael the name Meshach, and Azariah the name Abednego.
8. 8But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself by eating the king's food or drinking his wine. So he asked the chief court official for permission to avoid defiling himself.
9. 9Now God had caused the chief official to show favor and tender love toward Daniel.
10. 10But the official told Daniel, "I'm afraid of my lord the king. He's the one who decided what you would eat and drink. If he sees that you look worse than the other young men your age, you would make me risk my life with the king."
11. 11So Daniel went to the steward whom the chief official had put in charge of him, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
12. 12"Please test us for 10 days," Daniel said. "Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink."
13. 13"Then compare how we look with the young men who eat the king's food, and decide what to do with us based on what you see."
14. 14The steward agreed to the test and gave them 10 days.
15. 15When the 10 days were up, their appearances looked healthier and better nourished than all the young men who had been eating the king's food.
16. 16So the steward took away their portion of meat and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables instead.
17. 17God gave these four young men knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
18. 18At the end of the time the king had specified, the prince of the eunuchs brought them before Nebuchadnezzar.
19. 19The king talked with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they stood before the king.
20. 20In all matters of wisdom and understanding that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers in his entire realm.
21. 21Daniel remained in service there all the way until the 1st year of King Cyrus.