Daniel 1

bishnat shalosh lemalkhut yehoyaqim melekh-yehudah ba nevukhadnetsar melekh-bavel yerushalai͏m vayyatsar aleha

In the third year of the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and laid siege to it.

vayyitten adonay beyado et-yehoyaqim melekh-yehudah umiqtsat kele vet-ha'elohim vayevi'em erets-shinar bet elohayw ve'et-hakkelim hevi bet otsar elohayw

The Sovereign delivered King Jehoiakim of Judah into his power, together with some of the vessels of the House of God, and he brought them to the land of Shinar to the house of his god; he deposited the vessels in the treasury of his god.

vayyomer hammelekh le'ashpenaz rav sarisayw lehavi mibbene yisra'el umizzera hammelukhah umin-happartemim

Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief officer, to bring some Israelites of royal descent and of the nobility—

yeladim asher en-bahem kol-mum vetove mareh umaskilim bekhol-khokhmah veyode'e da'at umevine madda va'asher koakh bahem la'amod behekhal hammelekh ulelammedam sefer uleshon kasdim

youths without blemish, handsome, proficient in all wisdom, knowledgeable and intelligent, and capable of serving in the royal palace—and teach them the writings and the language of the Chaldeans.

vayeman lahem hammelekh devar-yom beyomo mippat-bag hammelekh umiyyen mishtayw ulegaddelam shanim shalosh umiqtsatam ya'amdu lifne hammelekh

The king allotted daily rations to them from the king’s food and from the wine he drank. They were to be educated for three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king’s service.

vayehi vahem mibbene yehudah daniyyel khananyah misha'el va'azaryah

Among them were the Judahites Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

vayyasem lahem sar hassarisim shemot vayyasem ledaniyyel beleteshatsar velakhananyah shadrakh ulemisha'el meshakh vela'azaryah aved nego

The chief officer gave them new names; he named Daniel Belteshazzar, Hananiah Shadrach, Mishael Meshach, and Azariah Abed-nego.

vayyasem daniyyel al-libbo asher lo-yitga'al befat-bag hammelekh uveyen mishtayw vayevaqqesh missar hassarisim asher lo yitga'al

Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the king’s food or the wine he drank, so he sought permission of the chief officer not to defile himself,

vayyitten ha'elohim et-daniyyel lekhesed ulerakhamim lifne sar hassarisim

and God disposed the chief officer to be kind and compassionate toward Daniel.

vayyomer sar hassarisim ledaniyyel yare ani et-adoni hammelekh asher minnah et-ma'akhalkhem ve'et-mishtekhem asher lammah yireh et-penekhem zo'afim min-hayeladim asher kegilekhem vekhiyyavtem et-roshi lammelekh

The chief officer said to Daniel, “I fear that my lord the king, who allotted food and drink to you, will notice that you look out of sorts, unlike the other youths of your age—and you will put my life in jeopardy with the king.”

vayyomer daniyyel el-hammeltsar asher minnah sar hassarisim al-daniyyel khananyah misha'el va'azaryah

Daniel replied to the guard whom the chief officer had put in charge of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

nas-na et-avadekha yamim asarah veyittenu-lanu min-hazzero'im venokhelah umayim venishteh

“Please test your servants for ten days, giving us legumes to eat and water to drink.

veyera'u lefanekha marenu umareh hayeladim ha'okhelim et pat-bag hammelekh vekha'asher tireh aseh im-avadekha

Then compare our appearance with that of the youths who eat of the king’s food, and do with your servants as you see fit.”

vayyishma lahem laddavar hazzeh vayenassem yamim asarah

He agreed to this plan of theirs, and tested them for ten days.

umiqtsat yamim asarah nirah marehem tov uveri'e basar min-kol-hayeladim ha'okhelim et pat-bag hammelekh

When the ten days were over, they looked better and healthier than all the youths who were eating of the king’s food.

vayehi hammeltsar nose et-pat-bagam veyen mishtehem venoten lahem zere'onim

So the guard kept on removing their food, and the wine they were supposed to drink, and gave them legumes.

vehayeladim ha'elleh arbatam natan lahem ha'elohim madda vehaskel bekhol-sefer vekhokhmah vedaniyyel hevin bekhol-khazon vakhalomot

God made all four of these young men intelligent and proficient in all writings and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding of visions and dreams of all kinds.

ulemiqtsat hayyamim asher-amar hammelekh lahavi'am vayevi'em sar hassarisim lifne nevukhadnetsar

When the time the king had set for their presentation had come, the chief officer presented them to Nebuchadnezzar.

vayedabber ittam hammelekh velo nimtsa mikkullam kedaniyyel khananyah misha'el va'azaryah vayya'amdu lifne hammelekh

The king spoke with them, and of them all none was equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; so these entered the king’s service.

vekhol devar khokhmat binah asher-biqqesh mehem hammelekh vayyimtsa'em eser yadot al kol-hakhartummim ha'ashafim asher bekhol-malkhuto

Whenever the king put a question to them requiring wisdom and understanding, he found them to be ten times better than all the magicians and exorcists throughout his realm.

vayehi daniyyel ad-shenat akhat lekhoresh hammelekh

Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus.