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Daniel 1:5

ESV The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king.
NIV The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service.
NASB The king also allotted for them a daily ration from the king’s choice food and from the wine which he drank, and ordered that they be educated for three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king’s personal service.
CSB The king assigned them daily provisions from the royal food and from the wine that he drank. They were to be trained for three years, and at the end of that time they were to attend the king.
NLT The king assigned them a daily ration of food and wine from his own kitchens. They were to be trained for three years, and then they would enter the royal service.
KJV And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king.
NKJV And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king.

What does Daniel 1:5 mean?

Nebuchadnezzar seems to have planned to mold children from noble Jewish families into willing allies for his conquest. This would make them useful agents to understand and control the Jewish people. The most intelligent and attractive youths were taken for special training, including education in Babylonian language and ideals (Daniel 1:3–4). Undoubtedly, this would have included efforts to transform them into followers of Babylonian religion, as well.

This verse suggests that part of the captives' reeducation was immersion in Babylonian culture. They were to be given the same food and drink as the king. This would have created a sense of prestige and privilege, not to mention obligation. For young men, taken from their families, these efforts would have created immense pressure to conform. To emphasize their intended purpose, the captives were renamed according to Babylonian preferences (Daniel 1:7).

Modern-day believers, too, are often under intense pressure to be what the world desires. Some of that comes in the form of persecution, but it can also come through the temptations of luxury. The apostle Paul exhorts: "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:2).
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