Daniel 1

¹In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.

²And the Lord gave into his hand Jehoiakim king of Judah, and some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god; and the vessels he brought to the treasury of his god.

³And the king said to Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring from the sons of Israel, and from the offspring of the royal line and from the nobles.

⁴youths in whom there was no defect of any kind, good of appearance, and skilled in all wisdom, and possessing knowledge, and understanding learning, and in whom there was strength to stand in the palace of the king; and to teach them the script and the tongue of the Chaldeans.

⁵And the king assigned them a daily portion from the delicacies of the king and from the wine of his feast, to train them for three years; and at the end of which they were to stand before the king.

⁶Now among them were some of the sons of Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

⁷And the chief of the eunuchs set names for them; and he set for Daniel Belteshazzar, and for Hananiah Shadrach, and for Mishael Meshach, and for Azariah Abednego.

⁸And Daniel set upon his heart that he would not defile himself with the provisions of the king and with the wine of his feast, and he sought from the chief of the court officials that he might not defile himself.

⁹And God gave Daniel loyal love and compassion before the chief of the eunuchs.

¹⁰And the chief of the court officials said to Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who has assigned your food and your drink; why should he see your faces looking downcast compared to the youths of your age, so that you would forfeit my head to the king?

¹¹Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah:

¹²Please test your servants ten days, and let there be given to us some of the vegetables to eat, and water to drink.

¹³And let our appearance be seen before you, and the appearance of the youths who eat the king's provisions; and as you see, do with your servants.

¹⁴So he listened to them concerning this matter and tested them ten days.

¹⁵And at the end of ten days their appearance was better and they were healthier of body than all the youths who were eating the provisions of the king.

¹⁶So the steward was taking away their royal food and the wine of their drinking and giving them vegetables.

¹⁷And these four youths, God gave them knowledge and understanding in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had discernment in all kinds of visions and dreams.

¹⁸At the end of the days that the king had said to bring them, the chief of the eunuchs brought them before Nebuchadnezzar.

¹⁹And the king spoke with them, and none were found among them all like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; and they stood before the king.

²⁰And in every matter of wisdom and understanding that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters who were in all his kingdom.

²¹And Daniel continued until the first year of Cyrus the king.