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Daniel 1

¹In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came and besieged Jerusalem. ²And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God. He carried them to the land of Shinar, to his god's temple, and he took the vessels into the his temple-treasury.

³The king told Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs that he should bring some of the Israelites, from the royal family and from the nobility, ⁴young people who were physically perfect, but who were good looking, and skilled in all wisdom, and knowledgeable, and who understood information, who would be able to stand in the king's palace. He was also to teach them the philosophy and language of the Chaldeans. ⁵The king set aside a daily portion of the his best food and his own wine for them. They were to be cared for and trained for three years. At the end of that time they would appear before the king.

⁶Among among them were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah from the children of Judah. ⁷And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names. He named Daniel Belteshazzar; Hananiah he named Shadrach; Mishael, Meshach; and Azariah, Abed-nego. ⁸But Daniel made a firm decision that he would not pollute himself with the king's best food or wine, so he asked the chief of the eunuchs for permission not to pollute himself.

⁹God gave Daniel kindness and compassion from the chief of the eunuchs. ¹⁰The chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has set aside your food and drink. What good would it do for him to see you guys looking worse than the other young people your own age? You would put my head in danger!" ¹¹Then Daniel said to the steward that the chief of the eunuchs had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: ¹²"I ask you to test your servants for ten days. Let them give us vegetables to eat, and water to drink. ¹³Then examine what we look like, and what the young people who eat the king's best food look like. After that, deal with your servants according to what you see." ¹⁴So he listened to them on this, and tested them for ten days.

¹⁵At the end of ten days their appearance was better, and they were fatter than all the young people who ate the king's best food. ¹⁶So the steward took away their portion of the best food and wine and gave them vegetables.

¹⁷And God gave these four young people knowledge and skill in all the information and wisdom: and Daniel had insight into all visions and dreams.

¹⁸At the end of the time that the king had set aside before bringing them into his presence, the chief of the eunuchs took them before Nebuchadnezzar. ¹⁹And the king talked with them; and none were found among them like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, so they served before the king. ²⁰And the king found them ten times better than all the magicians and conjurers in all his empire in every area of wisdom and understanding he asked them about. ²¹And Daniel lived up to the first year of king Cyrus.

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