Daniel 1:1-21

It was the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah when Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, marched on Jerusalem and besieged the city. My Lord gave Nebuchadnezzar victory over King Jehoiakim and permitted the Babylonian ruler to remove some of the sacred vessels belonging to the temple of the true God. Nebuchadnezzar carried them away to the land of Babylon and placed the sacred vessels into the temple treasury of his own gods. Later, the king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief officer, to select a certain number of youths from royal or noble families of the Israelites who would be suitable for service in the king’s palace. They were to be handsome young men without defect, well-versed in every branch of wisdom. They were to be intelligent, discerning, and qualified for royal service. Ashpenaz was instructed to teach them the culture, the literature, and the language of the Babylonians. The king provided them a daily allowance of the best food and wine from the king’s table. For three years they were to receive a thorough education, after which they would enter the king’s service. Among these men of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. But the chief official of the palace gave them Babylonian names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego. However, Daniel determined in his heart not to contaminate himself with the food and wine from the royal table, so he begged the chief official to exempt him from the royal diet. Then God moved on the heart of the chief official to show Daniel favor and compassion. But he warned Daniel, “My lord the king has ordered your meat and drink, and I fear that he will notice if your face starts looking worse than the other men your age. You could put my life in jeopardy with the king.” Daniel then appealed to the overseer whom the chief officer put in charge over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Daniel said to him, “Test us, your servants, for ten days. Give us only seeds to eat and water to drink. Then afterward, compare our appearance with those of the young men who eat the king’s food. Then you can decide what to do with us.” So the overseer agreed to do what they requested and tested them for ten days. And when the ten days were completed, they looked healthier and had even gained weight. The four Hebrew young men were in better physical condition compared to any of the others who had eaten their food from the royal table. So the guard replaced their diet of royal food and wine with vegetables and water. God imparted insight and skill in every aspect of literature and science to the four Hebrew men. Daniel also had the unique gift of interpreting every kind of supernatural vision and dream. At the end of the period that the king had assigned for their training, the chief of the palace servants brought them to Nebuchadnezzar’s court. The king interviewed them all, and among all the young men, he found none to equal Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So, the king chose them to serve as his advisers. And when the king questioned them on any point of wisdom or understanding, he found them ten times superior to all the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom. And Daniel continued there in Babylon as a royal adviser until the time Cyrus became king.