Daniel 1:8-21 - Daniel's Resolve

⁸ But Daniel was at a point with himself, that he would not be defiled through the king's meat, nor the wine which he drunk. And this he desired of the chief chamberlain, lest he should defile himself. ⁹ So God gave Daniel favour and grace before the chief chamberlain, ¹⁰ that he said unto him, "I am afraid of my lord the king, which hath appointed you your meat and drink: lest he spy your faces to be worse liking than the other springaldes of your age, and so ye shall make me lose my head unto the king."

¹¹ Then Daniel answered Melzar, whom the chief chamberlain had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, and said, ¹² "O prove but ten days with thy servants, and let us have pottage to eat, and water to drink: ¹³ Then look upon our faces, and theirs that eat of the king's meat. And as thou seest, so deal with thy servants." ¹⁴ So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days. ¹⁵ And after the ten days, their faces were better liking and fatter, than all the young springaldes, which ate of the king's meat. ¹⁶ Thus Melzar took away their meat and wine, and gave them pottage therefore.

¹⁷ God gave now these four springaldes cunning and learning in all scripture and wisdom: but unto Daniel specially, he gave understanding of all visions and dreams. ¹⁸ Now when the time was expired, that the king had appointed to bring in these young springaldes unto him: the chief chamberlain brought them before Nebuchadnezzar, ¹⁹ and the king communed with them. But among them all were found none such as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. ²⁰ Therefore stood they before the king, which in all wisdom and matters of understanding that he enquired of them, found them ten times better than all the soothsayers and charmers that were in all his realm. ²¹ And Daniel abode still, unto the first year of king Cyrus.