The Book of the Prophet Daniel 1 The Education of Daniel and Other Young Hebrews in the Court of Nebuchadnezzar

 The Book of the Prophet Daniel 1

The Education of Daniel and Other Young Hebrews in the Court of Nebuchadnezzar

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

2 The Lord delivered Jehoiachin king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. He carried them off to the land of Shinar, to the temple of his god, and put the articles in the treasury of his god.

3 Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the chief of his eunuchs, to bring some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility,

4 young men without any physical defect, handsome, well-educated, and skilled in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and understanding, who would have the ability to serve in the king’s palace and would be taught the language and literature of the Chaldeans.

5 The king assigned them a daily ration of the king’s food and of the wine that he drank, and that they should be trained for three years, so that at the end of that time they might stand before the king.

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

7 The chief of the eunuchs gave them other names: to Daniel he gave the name Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, to Mishael Meshach, and to Azariah Abednego.

8 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the king’s food or with the wine that he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

9 Now God had shown favor and compassion to Daniel in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs.

10 Then the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink. Why should he see your faces looking sadder than the faces of the young men who are your equals? So I will risk my life before the king.”

11 Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs 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 let us see how we behave and how the young men who eat the king’s food behave. Treat your servants according to what you see fit.”

14 So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.

15 At the end of the ten days their faces looked better; They were fatter than all the young men who ate the king's food.

16 So the steward took away their portion of food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.

17 Now God gave these four young men knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and wisdom. And Daniel had understanding of all visions and dreams.

18 At the end of the time set by the king for them to be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them before Nebuchadnezzar.

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

20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers in all his kingdom.

21 Daniel lived until the first year of King Cyrus.