Daniel 1

02/01/25 • -1 min

Daniel Taken to Babylon

1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, 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 placed the vessels in the treasury of his god. 3 Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, 4 youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king’s palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. 5 The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king. 6 Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah. 7 And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.

Daniel’s Faithfulness

8 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. 9 And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs, 10 and 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.” 11 Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 “Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king’s food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see.” 14 So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. 15 At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king’s food. 16 So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.

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

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Da 1:1–21.

Daniel Taken to Babylon

Daniel’s Faithfulness

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Da 1:1–21.

Previous Episode

Psalm 90

90 A Prayer of Moses, the man of God.

1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place

in all generations.

2 Before the mountains were brought forth,

or ever you had formed the earth and the world,

from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

3 You return man to dust

and say, “Return, O children of man!”

4 For a thousand years in your sight

are but as yesterday when it is past,

or as a watch in the night.

5 You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream,

like grass that is renewed in the morning:

6 in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;

in the evening it fades and withers.

7 For we are brought to an end by your anger;

by your wrath we are dismayed.

8 You have set our iniquities before you,

our secret sins in the light of your presence.

9 For all our days pass away under your wrath;

we bring our years to an end like a sigh.

10 The years of our life are seventy,

or even by reason of strength eighty;

yet their span is but toil and trouble;

they are soon gone, and we fly away.

11 Who considers the power of your anger,

and your wrath according to the fear of you?

12 So teach us to number our days

that we may get a heart of wisdom.

13 Return, O Lord! How long?

Have pity on your servants!

14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,

that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,

and for as many years as we have seen evil.

16 Let your work be shown to your servants,

and your glorious power to their children.

17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,

and establish the work of our hands upon us;

yes, establish the work of our hands!

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ps 90:title–17.

Next Episode

Daniel 2

2 Now in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams; and his spirit was troubled and his sleep left him. 2 So the king said to call the magicians and the conjurers and the sorcerers and the ⌊astrologers⌋ to tell to the king his dreams. And they came in and they stood ⌊before⌋ the king. 3 And the king said to them, “⌊I have had a dream⌋ and my spirit is anxious to know the dream.”

4 And the ⌊astrologers⌋ said to the king in Aramaic, “O king, live forever! Tell the dream to your servants and we will reveal the explanation.” 5 The king answered and said to the ⌊astrologers⌋, “The command from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its explanation, then you will be broken into pieces and your houses will be laid in ruins. 6 But if you tell me the dream and its explanation, you will receive gifts and rewards and great honor from me. Therefore, tell me the dream and its explanation.” 7 They answered once more and said, “Let the king tell the dream to his servants and we will make the explanation known.” 8 The king answered and said, “⌊Certainly⌋ I know that ⌊you are trying to gain time⌋ ⌊because⌋ you have seen ⌊that this matter is firmly decreed by me⌋, 9 for if you do not make the dream known to me, ⌊your verdict is fixed⌋, and you have conspired to say a lying and deceitful word to me until the ⌊circumstances⌋ will change. Therefore, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can tell me its explanation.” 10 The ⌊astrologers⌋ answered the king and said, “There is not a man on earth that is able to reveal the word of the king; ⌊in fact⌋, no great and powerful king has ever asked a thing like this of any magician or conjurer or ⌊astrologer⌋. 11 And the thing that the king is asking is too difficult and ⌊there is no one who⌋ can reveal it to the king except the gods ⌊whose dwelling is not with mortals⌋.”

12 Because of this the king became angry, and he became very much enraged, and he said that all the wise men of Babylon are to be destroyed. 13 And the decree was issued, and the wise men ⌊were on the verge of being executed⌋, and they searched for Daniel and his companions to be executed. 14 Then Daniel responded prudently and discretely to Arioch, the commander of the imperial guard of the king, who had gone out to execute the wise men of Babylon. 15 ⌊He asked⌋ and said to Arioch, the royal official of the king, “⌊Why⌋ is the decree from the king so severe?” Then Arioch explained the matter to Daniel. 16 And Daniel went in and requested from the king that he would give him time, and ⌊he would tell the king⌋ the explanation.

17 Then Daniel went to his home, and he made the matter known to Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, his companions, 18 and told them to seek mercy ⌊from the God of heaven⌋ concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions, along with the remainder of the wise men of Babylon, would not be killed.

19 Then in a vision of the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel; then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.

20 Daniel ⌊said⌋:

“Let his name, the name of God, be blessed ⌊throughout the ages⌋,

for the wisdom and the power ⌊are his⌋.

21 And he changes the times and the seasons,

and he deposes kings and he sets up kings;

he gives wisdom to wise men

and knowledge to men who know understanding.

22 He reveals the deep and the hidden things;

he knows what is in the darkness,

and the light dwells with him.

23 To you, O God of my ancestors,

I give thanks and I give praises,

for the wisdom and the power you gave to me,

and now you have made known to me

what we have asked from you,

for you have made known to us the matter of the king.”

Daniel Praises God and Interprets the King’s Dream

24 ⌊Therefore⌋ Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon; he went and thus he said to him: “You must not destroy the wise men of Babylon; take me in before the king and I will give the explanation to the king.”

25 Then Arioch ⌊quickly⌋ brought Daniel in before the king and thus he said to him: “I have found a man among ⌊the exiles⌋ of Judah who ⌊can relate⌋ the explanation to the king.” 26 ⌊The king then asked⌋ and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able ...