1. In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came
to Jerusalem and besieged it.
2. And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the artricles
from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in
the treasure house of his god.
3. Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring in some of the Israelites
from the royal family and the nobility --
4. young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning,
well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the kings palace. He was to teach
them the language and literature of the Babylonians.
5. The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the kings table. They were to be
trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the kings service.
6. Among these were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.
7. The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah,
Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.
8. But Daniel resolved not to defile 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 and sympathy to Daniel
10. but the official told Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and
drink. 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 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."
14. So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.
15. At the end of the ten days whey looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young
men who are ate the royal food.
16. So the guard took away their choice food and wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables
instead.
17. To these four young men God gave knowkedge and understanding of all kinds of literature and
learning. And Daniel could undrestand visions and dreams of all kinds.
18. At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in, the chief official presented them to
Nebuchadnezzar.
19. the king talked with them, and he found non equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so
they entered the kings service
20. In every matter of wisdom and undestanding anout which the king questioned them, he found
them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.
21. And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyprus.
