微读圣经

Daniel’s Captivity in Babylon

1In the third year of the reign of King Jehoiakim1:1 2Kg 24:1–2; 2Ch 36:5–6 of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar1:1 Or Nebuchadrezzar1:1 Jr 25:1; 52:12,28–30 of Babylon came to Jerusalem and laid siege to it.

2The Lord handed King Jehoiakim of Judah over to him, along with some of the vessels from the house of God.1:2 2Kg 24:13; 2Ch 36:7–10; Ezr 5:14; Jr 27:19–22; Dn 5:2 Nebuchadnezzar carried them to the land of Babylon,1:2 Lit Shinar1:2 Gn 10:10; 11:2; Is 11:11; Zch 5:11 to the house of his god,1:2 Or gods and put the vessels in the treasury of his god.

3The king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the Israelites from the royal family1:3 2Kg 20:18; 24:15; Is 39:7; Dn 1:9 and from the nobility —

4young men without any physical defect, good-looking, suitable for instruction in all wisdom,1:4 Dn 9:22 knowledgeable, perceptive, and capable of serving in the king’s palace.1:4 Is 39:7 He was to teach them the Chaldean language1:4 Jr 5:15 and literature.

5The king assigned them daily provisions from the royal food and from the wine that he drank.1:5 2Kg 25:30; Dn 11:26 They were to be trained for three years, and at the end of that time they were to attend the king.1:5 Lit to stand before the king1:5 Gn 41:46; 1Sm 16:22

6Among them, from the Judahites, were Daniel,1:6 Ezk 14:14,20; 28:3 Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

7The chief eunuch gave them names; he gave the name Belteshazzar to Daniel, Shadrach to Hananiah, Meshach to Mishael, and Abednego to Azariah.1:7 2Kg 23:34; 24:17; Dn 4:8,19; 5:12; 10:1

Faithfulness in Babylon

8Daniel determined that he would not defile himself with the king’s food1:8 Pr 23:1–2 or with the wine he drank. So he asked permission from the chief eunuch not to defile himself.1:8 Lv 3:17; 11:47; Ps 141:4; Ezk 4:13; Hs 9:3; Ac 10:11–15

9God had granted Daniel kindness and compassion from the chief eunuch,1:9 Gn 39:21; 1Kg 8:50; Jb 5:15; Ps 106:46; Pr 16:7; Ac 7:10

10yet he said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and drink. What if he sees your faces looking thinner than the other young men your age? You would endanger my life1:10 Lit would make my head guilty with the king.”

11So Daniel said to the guard whom the chief eunuch had assigned to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

12“Please test your servants for ten days. Let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink.

13Then examine our appearance and the appearance of the young men who are eating the king’s food, and deal with your servants based on what you see.”

14He agreed with them about this and tested them for ten days.

15At the end of ten days they looked better and healthier1:15 Lit fatter of flesh than all the young men who were eating the king’s food.1:15 Ex 23:25

16So the guard continued to remove their food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables.

Faithfulness Rewarded

17God gave these four young men knowledge and understanding1:17 Jb 32:8; Ac 7:22; Jms 1:5 in every kind of literature and wisdom. Daniel also understood visions and dreams1:17 1Kg 3:10–12; Dn 2:19,30; 4:18–19; 7:1 of every kind.

18At the end of the time that the king had said to present them, the chief eunuch presented them to Nebuchadnezzar.

19The king interviewed them, and among all of them, no one was found equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.1:18–19 Gn 41:37–39 So they began to attend the king.

20In every matter of wisdom and understanding that the king consulted them about, he found them ten times1:20 Lit hands1:20 1Sm 1:8 better than all the magicians and mediums1:20 Pr 3:13–18; Dn 5:11–12 in his entire kingdom.

21Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.1:21 Ezr 1:1–2; Is 45:1; Dn 6:28; 10:1

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