Daniel 1
NASB
Dan 1:1
Dan 1:2
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The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his (Or {gods}) god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his god.
Dan 1:3
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Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his (Or {eunuchs,} and so throughout the ch) officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal family and of the nobles,
Dan 1:4
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youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every {branch of} wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for serving in the king's court; and {he ordered him} to teach them the (Or {writing}) literature and language of the Chaldeans.
Dan 1:5
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The king appointed for them a daily ration from the king's choice food and from the wine which he drank, and {appointed} that they should be educated three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king's personal service.
Dan 1:6
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Now among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.
Dan 1:7
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Then the commander of the officials assigned {new} names to them; and to Daniel he assigned {the name} Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, to Mishael Meshach and to Azariah Abed-nego.
Dan 1:8
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But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king's choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought {permission} from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.
Dan 1:9
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Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials,
Dan 1:10
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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 make me forfeit my head to the king."
Dan 1:11
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But Daniel said to the overseer whom the commander of the officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah,
Dan 1:12
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"Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink.
Dan 1:13
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~"Then let our appearance be observed 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."
Dan 1:14
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So he listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days.
Dan 1:15
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At the end of ten days their appearance seemed better and they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king's choice food.
Dan 1:16
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So the overseer continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables.
Dan 1:17
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As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every {branch of} literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all {kinds of} visions and dreams.
Dan 1:18
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Then at the end of the days which the king had specified for presenting them, the commander of the officials presented them before Nebuchadnezzar.
Dan 1:19
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The king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's personal service.
Dan 1:20
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As for every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians {and} conjurers who {were} in all his realm.
Dan 1:21
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And Daniel continued until the first year of Cyrus the king.
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