1In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.
1猶大王約雅敬在位第三年，巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒來到耶路撒冷，將城圍困。
2The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his god.
2主將猶大王約雅敬，並神殿中器皿的幾分交付他手。他就把這器皿帶到示拿地，收入他 神的廟裡，放在他 神的庫中。
3Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal family and of the nobles,
3王吩咐太監長亞施毗拿，從以色列人的宗室和貴冑中帶進幾個人來，
4youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every [branch of] wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for serving in the king's court; and [he ordered him] to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.
4就是年少沒有殘疾、相貌俊美、通達各樣學問、知識聰明俱備、足能侍立在王宮裡的，要教他們迦勒底的文字言語。
5The king appointed for them a daily ration from the king's choice food and from the wine which he drank, and [appointed] that they should be educated three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king's personal service.
5王派定將自己所用的膳和所飲的酒，每日賜他們一分，養他們三年。滿了三年，好叫他們在王面前侍立。
6Now among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.
6他們中間有猶大族的人：但以理、哈拿尼雅、米沙利、亞撒利雅。
7Then the commander of the officials assigned [new] names to them; and to Daniel he assigned [the name] Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, to Mishael Meshach and to Azariah Abed-nego.
7太監長給他們起名：稱但以理為伯提沙撒，稱哈拿尼雅為沙得拉，稱米沙利為米煞，稱亞撒利雅為亞伯尼歌。
8But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king's choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought [permission] from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.
8但以理卻立志不以王的膳和王所飲的酒玷污自己，所以求太監長容他不玷污自己。
9Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials,
9神使但以理在太監長眼前蒙恩惠，受憐憫。
10and the commander of the officials said to Daniel, 'I am afraid of my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking more haggard than the youths who are your own age? Then you would make me forfeit my head to the king.'
10太監長對但以理說：我懼怕我主我王，他已經派定你們的飲食；倘若他見你們的面貌比你們同歲的少年人肌瘦，怎麼好呢？這樣，你們就使我的頭在王那裡難保。
11But Daniel said to the overseer whom the commander of the officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah,
11但以理對太監長所派管理但以理、哈拿尼雅、米沙利、亞撒利雅的委辦說：
12'Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink.
12求你試試僕人們十天，給我們素菜吃，白水喝，
13'Then let our appearance be observed in your presence and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king's choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see.'
13然後看看我們的面貌和用王膳那少年人的面貌，就照你所看的待僕人罷！
14So he listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days.
14委辦便允准他們這件事，試看他們十天。
15At the end of ten days their appearance seemed better and they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king's choice food.
15過了十天，見他們的面貌比用王膳的一切少年人更加俊美肥胖。
16So the overseer continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables.
16於是委辦撤去派他們用的膳，飲的酒，給他們素菜吃。
17As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every [branch of] literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all [kinds of] visions and dreams.
17這四個少年人，神在各樣文字學問（學問：原文是智慧）上賜給他們聰明知識；但以理又明白各樣的異象和夢兆。
18Then at the end of the days which the king had specified for presenting them, the commander of the officials presented them before Nebuchadnezzar.
18尼布甲尼撒王預定帶進少年人來的日期滿了，太監長就把他們帶到王面前。
19The king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's personal service.
19王與他們談論，見少年人中無一人能比但以理、哈拿尼雅、米沙利、亞撒利雅，所以留他們在王面前侍立。
20As for every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians [and] conjurers who [were] in all his realm.
20王考問他們一切事，就見他們的智慧聰明比通國的術士和用法術的勝過十倍。
21And Daniel continued until the first year of Cyrus the king.
21到古列王元年，但以理還在。