Daniel
Ethiopian Bible (EBV)
Daniel
Chapter 1 of 14
1In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against Jerusalem and besieged it. 2The LORD handed Jehoiakim king of Judah over to him, along with vessels from the house of the LORD. He carried them off to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and he put the vessels in the treasure house of his god. 3The king told Ashpenaz, the chief of his eunuchs, to bring some of the Israelites from among the captives, and to bring some from the royal family. 4They were to be young men without any defect, handsome in appearance, skilled in all wisdom, wise in counsel and discerning, men with the ability to serve in the king's palace in his presence. He was to teach them the writings and the language of Persia. 5The king assigned them a daily ration from the king's table, each day's portion, and from the wine he drank. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they would serve before the king. 6Among them were some from the people of Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael. 7The chief of the eunuchs changed their names. He called Daniel Belteshazzar, Hananiah Shadrach, Mishael Meshach, and Azariah Abednego. 8But Daniel resolved in his heart that he would not eat from the king's table or drink his wine, and he begged the chief of the eunuchs not to make him eat it. 9And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the eyes of the chief of the eunuchs. 10The chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, "I'm afraid of my lord the king, because he has assigned your food and your drink. If he sees that you look thinner than the other young men your age, the king will have my head." 11Then Daniel spoke to Amesd, whom the chief of the eunuchs had put in charge of Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael. 12He said, "Please test your servants for ten days. Give us produce of the earth to eat and water to drink. 13Then look at our appearance and the appearance of the young men who eat from the king's table, and deal with your servants according to what you see." 14He listened to them and tested them for ten days. 15When the ten days were over, they looked healthier and their appearance was better than all the young men who ate from the king's table. 16After that, Amesd took away their rations and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables instead. 17To these four young men God gave wisdom, knowledge, and understanding in all learning, and Daniel was wise in every kind of vision and in the interpretation of dreams. 18At the end of the time the king had set for bringing them in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them before King Nebuchadnezzar. 19The king spoke with them, and among them all no one was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael. So they entered the king's service. 20In every matter of wisdom and counsel that the king asked them about, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers in his kingdom. 21And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus. ‹
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Daniel · Chapter 1 of 14