³ they must abstain from wine^(A) and other fermented drink and must not drink vinegar^(B) made from wine or other fermented drink. They must not drink grape juice or eat grapes^(C) or raisins. ⁴ As long as they remain under their Nazirite vow, they must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, not even the seeds or skins.

¹³ He will love you and bless you^(A) and increase your numbers.^(B) He will bless the fruit of your womb,^(C) the crops of your land—your grain, new wine^(D) and olive oil^(E)—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you.^(F)

¹⁴ then I will send rain^(A) on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains,^(B) so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil.

⁴ Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink^(A) and that you do not eat anything unclean.^(B)

²¹ No priest is to drink wine when he enters the inner court.^(A)

³ Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility^(A)— ⁴ young men without any physical defect, handsome,^(B) showing aptitude for every kind of learning,^(C) well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language^(D) and literature of the Babylonians.^{[a] 5} The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine^(E) from the king’s table.^(F) They were to be trained for three years,^(G) and after that they were to enter the king’s service.^(H)

⁶ Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel,^(I) Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.^{(J) 7} The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar;^(K) to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.^(L)

⁸ But Daniel resolved not to defile^(M) 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^(N) and compassion^(O) to Daniel, ¹⁰ but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your^[b] food and drink.^(P) 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^(Q) 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.”^{(R) 14} So he agreed to this and tested^(S) 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.^{(T) 16} So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.^(U)

³ I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips;^(A) and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over.