Daniel 1

1 In the third year of King Jehoiakim of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 The Lord handed King Jehoiakim of Judah over to Nebuchadnezzar, along with some of the vessels from God’s house. Nebuchadnezzar brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in his god’s treasury. 3 The king told Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring in some of the Israelite captives from the royal family and the nobility— 4 Young men with no physical defect, handsome in appearance, skilled in every kind of wisdom, knowledgeable, discerning, and able to serve in the king’s palace. The king ordered Ashpenaz to teach them the learning and language of the Chaldeans. 5 The king assigned them a daily portion of food and wine from his own table. They were to be trained for three years and then enter the king’s service. 6 Among them were four young men from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 7 The chief eunuch gave them new names: Daniel became Belteshazzar; Hananiah, Shadrach; Mishael, Meshach; and Azariah, Abednego. [a]

8 Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the king’s food or wine, so he asked the chief eunuch for permission not to defile himself. 9 God caused the chief eunuch to show Daniel mercy and pity. 10 Ashpenaz said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and drink. If he sees that your faces look worse than those of the other young men your age, you will put my head in danger with the king.” 11 Daniel spoke to Amelsad, whom the chief eunuch had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: [b] 12 “Please test your servants for ten days. Let them give us seeds to eat and water to drink.” 13 “Then compare our faces with those of the young men who eat the king’s food, and deal with your servants according to what you see.” 14 Amelsad listened to them and tested them for ten days. 15 At the end of ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who ate the king’s food. 16 So Amelsad kept taking away their food and wine and giving them seeds instead.

17 God gave these four young men understanding and insight in every kind of literature and wisdom. Daniel also understood every kind of vision and dream. 18 At the end of the time the king had specified, the chief eunuch brought them before Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king spoke with them, and no one among them was found equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they entered the king’s service. 20 In every matter of wisdom and knowledge the king asked them about, he found them ten times better than all the chanters and magicians in his whole kingdom. 21 Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.