|
jameslindlibrary.org
|
|
Records
Translation of Daniel (6th century BCE). Chapter 1:1-16
In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuhadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and laid siege to it.
The Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his power…
Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch to take certain of the Israelite exiles of the blood royal and of the nobility, who were to be young men of good looks and bodily without fault…. well-informed, intelligent and fit for service in the royal court; and he was to instruct them in the literature and the language of the Chaldeans.
The king assigned them a daily allowance of food and wine from the royal table.
Their training was to last for three years…
Among them were certain young men from Judah called Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah…
Now Daniel determined not to contaminate himself by touching the food and wine assigned to him by the king, and he begged the master of the eunuchs not to make him do so.
God made the master show kindness and goodwill to Daniel and he said to him 'I am afraid of my lord the king: he has assigned you your food and drink and if he sees you looking dejected unlike the other young men of your own age, it will cost me my head.'
Then Daniel said to the guard whom the master of the eunuchs had put in charge of Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah and himself 'Submit us to this test for ten days.
Give us only vegetables to eat and water to drink; then compare our looks with those of the young men who have lived on the food assigned by the king and be guided in your treatment of us by what you see.'
The guard listened to what they said and tested them for ten days.
At the end of ten days they looked healthier and were better nourished than all the young men who had lived on the food assigned them by the king.
So the guard took away the assignment of food and the wine they were to drink and gave them only the vegetables.
