- In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim
king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged
it.
- And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of
Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles 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.
- Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of
his court officials, to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family
and the nobility --
- 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 king's palace. He was to teach
them the language and literature of the Babylonians.
- 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.
- Among these were some from Judah: Daniel,
Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.
- The chief official gave them new names:
to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach;
and to Azariah, Abednego.
- 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.
- Now God had caused the official to show
favor and sympathy to Daniel,
- 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."
- Daniel then said to the guard whom the
chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah,
- "Please test your servants for ten
days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink.
- 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."
- So he agreed to this and tested them for
ten days.
- At the end of the ten days they looked
healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal
food.
- So the guard took away their choice food
and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.
- To these four young men God gave knowledge
and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could
understand visions and dreams of all kinds.
- At the end of the time set by the king
to bring them in, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar.
- The king talked with them, and he found
none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the
king's service.
- In every matter of wisdom and understanding
about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than
all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.
- And Daniel remained there until the first
year of King Cyrus.
Back |
Home |
Next