1In year three of the kingdom of Yoiqim, King of Judea, Nebukadnetsar, King of Babel, came to Jerusalem, and he surrounded it 2And LORD JEHOVAH delivered it and Yoiqim, King of Judea, into his hand, and he carried the implements of the house of LORD JEHOVAH to the land of Senar, to the house of his idol, and the implements he brought to the treasure house of his idol

3And the King said to Ashphaz, the High Eunuch, that he would bring some children of Israel, and some seed of the Kingdom, and some Parthians 4There were no boys of blemish among those who were beautiful in their appearance, and were understanding in wisdom and acquainted with knowledge, and were edified in the mind, those who were able to stand in the temple of the King for his administration, and to teach them the writing and the language of the Chaldeans 5And the King set up for them a daily statute of the delicacies of the King and of the wine that he drinks, and to nourish them three years, and then they would stand before the King 6And there were among them some sons of Yehuda: Daniel and KhananYah and MishEil and Azarayah 7And the High Eunuch gave them names; he called Daniel (Beltshatsar) and KhananYah (Shadrak) and MishEil (Mishak) and Azarayah (Abednego)

8And Daniel set in his mind that he would not eat from the delicacies of the King, and he would not drink from the wine that he drinks, and he begged of the High Eunuch that he would not feed him 9And God gave grace and love to Daniel before the High Eunuch 10And the High Eunuch said to Daniel: “I am afraid of my Lord the King who commanded concerning your food and about your drink, lest he would see your faces more sickly than that of the boys, the sons of your age, and the King will cut off my head!” 11And Daniel said to Mentsar, him whom the High Eunuch authorized over Daniel, and over KhananYah, and over MishEil and over Azarayah 12“Test your Servants ten days, and let them give us grains to eat and water to drink 13And you shall see our complexion and the complexion of the boys who eat of the delicacies of the King, and according to what you see, so do with your Servants”

14And he submitted to this their word, and he tested them ten days 15And after ten days he saw their faces were better, and their flesh fatter than that of all the boys who ate of the delicacies of the King 16And Mentsar was taking their provision for himself, and the wine that they drink, and he was giving them grains to eat and water to drink

17And to these four boys God gave knowledge and understanding in all writing and wisdom, and Daniel understood all visions and dreams

18And after the days that the King had commanded were ended, the High Eunuch brought them before Nebukadnetsar the King 19And the King spoke with them and he had not found among all of them any like Daniel and KhananYah and Mishail and Azraya, and they stood before the King 20And every word of wisdom and of understanding that the King asked them, he found them excelling ten times more than any Sorcerer and Enchanter that was in his kingdom 21And Daniel remained until year one of Kurash the King