Daniel 1:9-16

New International Version

⁹ Now God had caused the official to show favor^(A) and compassion^(B) to Daniel, ¹⁰ but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your^[a] food and drink.^(C) 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^(D) 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.”^{(E) 14} So he agreed to this and tested^(F) 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.^{(G) 16} So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.^(H)