t[See ver. 3 above]
y[See ver. 5 above]
z[See ver. 5 above]
ad[See ver. 5 above]
ae[See ver. 5 above]
at[See ver. 1 above]
av[See ver. 2 above]
aw[See ver. 1 above]
az[See ver. 2 above]
ba[See ver. 1 above]
be[See ver. 2 above]
bf[See ver. 1 above]
bi[See ver. 2 above]
bl[See ver. 7 above]
bp[See ver. 7 above]
bw[See ver. 8 above]
bx[See ver. 8 above]
cc[See ver. 12 above]
cd[See ver. 10 above]
cg[See ver. 12 above]
cq[See ver. 16 above]

Daniel 1

Daniel Taken to Babylon

1In the third year of athe reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of bthe vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to cthe land of Shinar, to the house of his god, dand placed the vessels in the treasury of his god. 3Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, ehis chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family
Hebrew  of the seed of the kingdom
and of gthe nobility,
4youths without hblemish, of good appearance and iskillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king’s palace, and to jteach them the literature and language of the kChaldeans. 5The king assigned them a daily portion of lthe food that the king ate, and of mthe wine that he drank. They were to be educated for nthree years, and at the end of that time they were to ostand before the king. 6Among these were pDaniel, qHananiah, rMishael, and sAzariah of the tribe of Judah. 7And tthe chief of the eunuchs ugave them names: vDaniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.

Daniel’s Faithfulness

8But Daniel wresolved that he would not xdefile himself with ythe king’s food, or with zthe wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to aadefile himself. 9 abAnd God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs, 10and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king.” 11Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12Test your servants for acten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat adthe king’s food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see.” 14So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. 15At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate aethe king’s food. 16 afSo the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them agvegetables.

17As for these four youths, ahGod gave them learning and aiskill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had ajunderstanding in all visions and dreams. 18At the end of akthe time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. 19And the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore althey stood before the king. 20And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all amthe magicians and anenchanters that were in all his kingdom. 21And Daniel aowas there until the first year of apKing Cyrus.

Daniel 6

Daniel and the Lions’ Den

1It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom aq120 arsatraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; 2and over them asthree high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these atsatraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. 3Then this Daniel became audistinguished above all avthe other high officials and awsatraps, because axan excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned ayto set him over the whole kingdom. 4Then azthe high officials and bathe satraps bbsought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, bcbut they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, bdand no error or fault was found in him. 5Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”

6Then these behigh officials and bfsatraps came by agreement
Or  came thronging; also verses 11, 15
to the king and said to him, “O bhKing Darius, live forever!
7All the bihigh officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the bjcounselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an bkinjunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. 8Now, O king, establish blthe injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to bmthe law of bnthe Medes and the Persians, bowhich cannot be revoked.” 9Therefore King Darius signed the document and bpinjunction.

10When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where bqhe had windows in his upper chamber open brtoward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees bsthree times a day and prayed and btgave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. 11Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God. 12Then they bucame near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, “O king! Did you not sign bvan injunction, that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered and said, “The thing stands fast, according to the law of bwthe Medes and Persians, bxwhich cannot be revoked.” 13Then they answered and said before the king, byDaniel, who is one bzof the exiles cafrom Judah, cbpays no attention to you, O king, or ccthe injunction you have signed, but makes his petition cdthree times a day.”

14Then cethe king, when he heard these words, cfwas much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him. 15Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no cginjunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.”

16Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared
Aramaic answered and said; also verse 20
to Daniel, “May ciyour God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!”
17 cjAnd a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, ckand the king sealed it clwith his own signet and with the signet of his cmlords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. 18Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; cnno diversions were brought to him, and cosleep fled from him.

19Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. 20As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of cpthe living God, cqhas your God, whom you serve continually, crbeen able to deliver you from the lions?” 21Then Daniel said to the king, cs“O king, live forever! 22My God ctsent his angel cuand shut the lionsmouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless cvbefore him; cwand also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” 23Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and cxno kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. 24And the king commanded, and cythose men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lionsthey, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.

25Then King Darius wrote to all czthe peoples, nations, and languages dathat dwell in all the earth: dbPeace be multiplied to you. 26 dcI make a decree, that in all my royal dominion ddpeople are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel,

for dehe is dfthe living God,
enduring forever;
his kingdom shall never be destroyed,
dgand his dominion shall be dhto the end.
27He delivers and rescues;
he works disigns and wonders
in heaven and on earth,
he who has djsaved Daniel
from the power of the lions.”
28So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and dkthe reign of dlCyrus the Persian.

Copyright information for ESV