Daniel 1:1-5

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.