1 In the third year of the reign {malkhut: royal authority} of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem and laid siege {yatsar: military encirclement} to it.
2 And the Lord {Adonai, Sovereign Disposer} gave Jehoiakim, king of Judah, into his power, along with some of the vessels from the house of God {Elohim, Source of Sanctity}; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and put the vessels into the treasury of his god.
3 The king directed Ashpenaz {ashpenaz: High Babylonian Official}, chief of his eunuchs {sarisav: court officials}, to bring some from among the Israelites, including those from the royal line and the noble class.
4 Young men who had no defect in them, of good appearance, skillful in all wisdom, knowing knowledge {da’at: experiential insight} and understanding learning, and who had strength {koach: inner strength} to stand in the king’s palace, were to be taught the literature and the language of the Chaldeans.
5 And the king {melekh: royal ruler} set for them a daily portion {devar-yom: daily assigned share} from the king’s food and from the wine of his drinking, and appointed that they be raised for three years; and at the end of those years they would stand before the king.
6 And among them were some from the sons {benei: descendants} of Judah {Yehudah: tribal ancestor}: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
7 And the chief {sar: administrative leader} of the eunuchs gave names {shemot: official designations} to them: he named Daniel Belteshazzar, Hananiah Shadrach, Mishael Meshach, and Azariah Abed-nego.
8 And Daniel {Daniyyel: God my Judge} set his mind not to defile himself with the king’s portion {fatbag: royal ration} or the wine served to him, and he requested the chief of the eunuchs to grant him permission to avoid defilement.
9 And God {haElohim, Sovereign Mover} caused Daniel to receive favor {chesed: steadfast kindness} and compassion before the chief of the eunuchs.
10 And the chief of the eunuchs {sar hasarisim: palace overseers} said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. If he sees you more downcast than the other young men your age, then you would make me liable {hiyyavtem: risk of punishment} before the king.”
11 Then Daniel spoke to the steward {meltsar: royal steward} whom the chief eunuch {sar hasarisim: court commander} had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
12 Please put your servants to the test for ten days, and let us be given vegetables {zeroim: edible plants} to eat {ve-nokhlah: cohortative permission} and water to drink.
13 Then let our appearance be examined before you and also the appearance of the youths who eat the king’s portion {patbag: appointed ration}; and as you see, deal with your servants {avadeikha: those who serve}.
14 So he listened {vayishma: attentive hearing} to them concerning this matter {davar: subject under consideration}, and tested them for ten days.
15 And at the end of ten days, their appearance {marʾehem: visible condition} was seen to be better and healthier in flesh than all the youths who were eating the portion {patbag: royal ration} of the king.
16 And it happened that the steward {hameltsar: official in charge} removed their provisions and the wine designated for their consumption, and gave them vegetables {zeronim: seed-based foods}.
17 And as for these four youths, God {ha-Elohim, Bestower of Learning} gave them knowledge {madda‘: thorough knowledge} and insight in every book and wisdom, and Daniel understood every vision and dream.
18 And at the end of the days that the king {melek: royal ruler} had designated for their presentation, the chief of the eunuchs brought them before Nebuchadnezzar {nevukhadnetsar: Babylonian sovereign}.
19 The king addressed them, and none {nimtsa: not discovered} among them all matched Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; consequently they stood {amad: presented for service} before the king.
20 In every matter of wisdom {chokhmat: skillful discernment} and understanding that the king questioned them about, he found that they were ten times {yadot: measures} superior to all the magicians and enchanters throughout his whole kingdom.
21 And Daniel {daniyyel: God the Judge} continued there until the first year of Cyrus the king {melekh: royal ruler}.