The Choice Young Men

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 handed Jehoiakim king of Judah over to him, along with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his [a]god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his [b]god.

3Then the king told Ashpenaz, the chief of his [c]officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the [d]royal family and of the nobles, 4youths in whom there was no impairment, who were good-looking, suitable for instruction in every kind of expertise, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability to [e]serve in the king’s [f]court; and he ordered Ashpenaz to teach them the [g]literature and language of the Chaldeans. 5The king also allotted for them a daily ration from the king’s choice food and from the wine which he drank, and ordered that they be educated for three years, at the end of which they were to [h]enter the king’s personal service. 6Now among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 7Then the commander of the officials assigned new names to them; and to Daniel he assigned the name Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, to Mishael Meshach, and to Azariah Abed-nego.

Daniel’s Resolve

8But Daniel [i]made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself. 9Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials. 10The commander of the officials said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has allotted your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking gaunt in comparison to the youths who are your own age? Then you would [j]make me forfeit my head to the king.” 11But Daniel said to the overseer whom the commander of the officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12“Please put your servants to the test for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13Then let our appearance be [k]examined in your presence and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king’s choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see.”

14So he listened to them in this matter, and put them to the test for ten days. 15And at the end of ten days their appearance seemed better, and [l]they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king’s choice food. 16So the overseer continued to [m]withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables.

17And as for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every kind of [n]literature and expertise; Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams.

18Then at the end of the days which the king had [o]specified [p]for presenting them, the commander of the officials [q]presented them before Nebuchadnezzar. 19And the king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; so they [r]entered the king’s personal service. 20As for every matter of expertise [s]and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the soothsayer priests and conjurers who were in all his realm. 21And Daniel [t]continued until the first year of Cyrus the king.