Daniel Removed to Babylon 1 UDB After King Jehoiakim had been ruling in Judah for almost three years, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem with his army and surrounded the city so that the city would be weakened before the army attacked. BSB BSB: In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.
2 UDB After two years, the Lord gave Nebuchadnezzar's soldiers victory over Jehoiakim, who was the king of Judah. They also took some of the sacred objects that were in the temple of God and took them to Babylonia in the land of Shinar. There Nebuchadnezzar put them in the treasure house of his god. BSB BSB: And the Lord delivered into his hand Jehoiakim king of Judah, along with some of the articles from the house of God. He carried these off to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, where he put them in the treasury of his god.
3 UDB Then Nebuchadnezzar commanded Ashpenaz, the chief official in his palace, to bring to him some of the Israelite men whom they had brought to Babylon. These were men who belonged to important families, including the family of the king of Judah. BSB BSB: Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his court officials, to bring in some Israelites from the royal family and the nobility—
4 UDB King Nebuchadnezzar wanted only men who were very healthy, handsome, wise, well educated, capable of learning many things, and suitable for working in the palace. He wanted to teach them the Babylonian language so that they could understand the writings of the Babylonians. BSB BSB: young men without blemish, handsome, gifted in all wisdom, knowledgeable, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace—and to teach them the language and literature of the Chaldeans.
5 UDB The king commanded his servants, "Give them the fine, rich foods and wine served to me. Train them for three years and then they will become my servants." BSB BSB: The king assigned them daily provisions of the royal food and wine. They were to be trained for three years, after which they were to enter the king’s service.
6 UDB Among the young Israelite men who were chosen were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, who all came from Judah. BSB BSB: Among these young men were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
7 UDB Ashpenaz gave them Babylonian names. He gave to Daniel the name Belteshazzar, he gave to Hananiah the name Shadrach, he gave to Mishael the name Meshach, and he gave to Azariah the name Abednego. BSB BSB: The chief official gave them new names: To Daniel he gave the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.
Daniel’s Faithfulness 8 UDB But Daniel decided that he would not eat the kind of food that the king ate or drink the wine that the king drank because that would make him ritually defiled. So he asked Ashpenaz, the chief of the king's officials, for permission to eat and drink other food so that he might not defile himself. BSB BSB: But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or wine. So he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself.
9 UDB God gave Daniel kindness and compassion in the relationship he had with Ashpenaz. The chief official had great respect for Daniel. BSB BSB: Now God had granted Daniel favor and compassion from the chief official,
10 UDB He said to Daniel, "My master the king has chosen what food and drink you should have. If you eat other things and you become thinner and paler than the other young men who are your age, he could order his soldiers to cut off my head because you did not follow his directions." BSB BSB: but he said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. For why should he see your faces looking thinner than those of the other young men your age? You would endanger my head before the king!”
11 UDB The chief official assigned a servant to give Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah their food and drink. Daniel spoke to him. BSB BSB: Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
12 UDB He said, "Please test your servants! For ten days give us only vegetables to eat and water to drink. BSB BSB: “Please test your servants for ten days. Let us be given only vegetables to eat and water to drink.
13 UDB After ten days, see whether we look healthy or not. Also see how those who eat the king's food look. Then you do to us whatever you think is best." BSB BSB: Then compare our appearances with those of the young men who are eating the royal food, and deal with your servants according to what you see.”
14 UDB The servant agreed to this test. He gave them the food Daniel requested for ten days. BSB BSB: So he consented to this and tested them for ten days.
15 UDB After ten days, he saw that they looked healthier and better nourished than all the young men who had been eating the food the king chose for them. BSB BSB: And at the end of ten days, they looked healthier and better nourished than all the young men who were eating the king’s food.
16 UDB So after that he took away the king's special food and wine, and he gave them only vegetables to eat. BSB BSB: So the steward continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and he gave them vegetables instead.
Daniel’s Wisdom 17 UDB God gave to these four young men wisdom and the ability to study many things that the Babylonians had written and studied. He also gave to Daniel the ability to understand the meaning of visions and dreams. BSB BSB: To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding in every kind of literature and wisdom. And Daniel had insight into all kinds of visions and dreams.
18 UDB After three years, the king chose a day when those who were in training would come before him. Ashpenaz, the chief of the king's officials, presented them all to Nebuchadnezzar. BSB BSB: Now at the end of the time specified by the king, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar.
19 UDB The king talked with them and realized that none of the other young men were as capable as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they stood together, ready to begin their service to the king. BSB BSB: And the king spoke with them, and among all the young men he found no one equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they entered the king’s service.
20 UDB In every question requiring wisdom and understanding, the king found these men advised him ten times more effectively than his magicians and those who claimed to speak with the dead. There were none better than these four in his entire kingdom. BSB BSB: In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom.
21 UDB Daniel remained there serving the king more than sixty years until the first year that Cyrus became king. BSB BSB: And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.