Faithfulness in Babylon

⁸ Daniel determined that he would not defile himself with the king’s food^(A) or with the wine he drank. So he asked permission from the chief official not to defile himself.^{(B) 9} God had granted Daniel favor and compassion from the chief official,^{(C) 10} yet he said to Daniel, “My lord the king assigned your food and drink. I’m afraid of what would happen if he saw your faces looking thinner than those of the other young men your age. You would endanger my life^[a] with the king.”

¹¹ So Daniel said to the guard whom the chief official had assigned to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, ¹² “Please test your servants for 10 days. Let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. ¹³ Then examine our appearance and the appearance of the young men who are eating the king’s food, and deal with your servants based on what you see.” ¹⁴ He agreed with them about this and tested them for 10 days. ¹⁵ At the end of 10 days they looked better and healthier^[b] than all the young men who were eating the king’s food.^{(D) 16} So the guard continued to remove their food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables.

Faithfulness Rewarded

¹⁷ God gave these four young men knowledge and understanding^(E) in every kind of literature and wisdom. Daniel also understood visions and dreams^(F) of every kind.

The Valley of Dry Bones

37 The hand of the Lord was on me,^(A) and He brought me out by His Spirit^(B) and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. ² He led me all around them. There were a great many of them on the surface of the valley, and they were very dry. ³ Then He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

I replied, “Lord God, only You know.”^(C)

⁴ He said to me, “Prophesy concerning these bones and say to them: Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! ⁵ This is what the Lord God says to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you will live.^{(D) 6} I will put tendons on you, make flesh grow on you, and cover you with skin. I will put breath in you so that you come to life. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.”^(E)

⁷ So I prophesied as I had been commanded. While I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. ⁸ As I looked, tendons appeared on them, flesh grew, and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. ⁹ He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath,^[a] prophesy, son of man. Say to it: This is what the Lord God says: Breath, come from the four winds and breathe into these slain so that they may live!”^{(F) 10} So I prophesied as He commanded me; the breath^[b] entered them,^(G) and they came to life and stood on their feet, a vast army.

¹¹ Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel.^(H) Look how they say, ‘Our bones are dried up,^(I) and our hope has perished;^(J) we are cut off.’^{(K) 12} Therefore, prophesy and say to them: This is what the Lord God says: I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them,^(L) My people, and lead you into the land of Israel. ¹³ You will know that I am Yahweh, My people, when I open your graves and bring you up from them.^{(M) 14} I will put My Spirit in you,^(N) and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I am Yahweh. I have spoken, and I will do it.”^(O) This is the declaration of the Lord.