⁸ But Daniel resolved not to defile^(A) himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. ⁹ Now God had caused the official to show favor^(B) and compassion^(C) to Daniel, ¹⁰ but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your^[a] food and drink.^(D) Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.”

¹¹ Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, ¹² “Please test^(E) your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. ¹³ Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.”^{(F) 14} So he agreed to this and tested^(G) them for ten days.

¹⁵ At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.^(H)

¹³ No temptation^[a] has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful;^(A) he will not let you be tempted^[b] beyond what you can bear.^(B) But when you are tempted,^[c] he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

⁶ For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”^[a](A) made his light shine in our hearts^(B) to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.^(C)

⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay^(D) to show that this all-surpassing power is from God^(E) and not from us. ⁸ We are hard pressed on every side,^(F) but not crushed; perplexed,^(G) but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted,^(H) but not abandoned;^(I) struck down, but not destroyed.^{(J) 10} We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus,^(K) so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.^(L)