Daniel refuses to eat the king's food
8 But Daniel decided that God did not want him to eat the king's food and wine. He knew that it might be against God's rules. So he asked the king's special officer that he might not have to eat the king's food. 9 God had already caused the officer to like Daniel and to be kind to him. 10 But the officer said to Daniel, ‘I am afraid of the king, who is my master. He has chosen the food that he wants you to eat. If you eat different food, you might become weaker than the other young men. If the king sees that, he might kill me!’
11 The officer had chosen a guard to watch Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. So Daniel spoke to this man. 12 He said, ‘Please sir, watch us for ten days. Give us only vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 After ten days, see what our faces and our bodies look like. Also see what the other young men who eat the king's food look like. When you look at them and you look at us, you can decide what to do with us.’
14 The guard agreed to what they said. He watched them for ten days. 15 After ten days, their faces seemed more handsome than the young men who ate the king's food. Their bodies also seemed to be fatter. 16 So the guard no longer gave them the king's food and wine to eat. He gave vegetables and water to them instead.
