In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and besieged it.
The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the articles of the house of God, and he carried them into the land of Shinar to the house of his god, and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god.
The king spoke to Ashpenaz the commander of his eunuchs, to bring some of the people of Israel, both from the royal seed and from the nobility,
youths in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, and skillful in all wisdom, and endowed with knowledge, and quick to understand, and such as had ability to stand in the king’s palace; and that he should teach them the language and literature of the Chaldeans.
The king appointed for them a daily portion from the king’s choice food and from the wine that he drank, and appointed that they were to be nourished three years, that at the end of them they were to stand before the king.
Now among these were, of the descendants of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
The commander of the eunuchs gave names to them: to Daniel he gave the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego.
Daniel's Faithfulness
But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food, nor with the wine that he drank; so he asked permission of the commander of the eunuchs not to defile himself.
Now God granted Daniel kindness and compassion from the commander of the eunuchs.
The commander of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces worse looking than the youths who are of your own age? Then you would endanger my head to the king.
So then Daniel said to the overseer whom the commander of the eunuchs had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah:
“Test your servants, I beg you, ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat, and water to drink.
Then let our appearance be looked at in your presence, and the appearance of the youths who eat of the king’s choice food, and as you see, deal with your servants.”
So he listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days.
At the end of ten days they were better in their appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate of the king’s choice food.
So the overseer took away their choice food, and the wine that they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.
Now as for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and skill in every kind of literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
At the end of the days that the king had appointed for bringing them in, the commander of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.
The king talked with them, and among all of them no one was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they stood before the king.
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 enchanters who were in all his realm.
Daniel continued even to the first year of King Cyrus.