11 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah , Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged e it. 2 The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand , along with some e of the vessels of the house of God ; and he brought them to the land of Shinar , to the house of his [1]god , and he brought the vessels into the treasury e of his [1] god . 3 Then the king [3]ordered Ashpenaz , the chief of his [4]officials , to bring in some of the sons of Israel , including some of the [5]royal family and of the nobles , 4 youths in whom was no e defect , who were good-looking e , showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom , endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge , and who had ability for [6]serving in the king's [7]court ; and he ordered him to teach them the [8]literature and language of the Chaldeans . 5 The king appointed for them a daily ration from the king's choice food and from the wine which he drank , and appointed that they should be [9]educated three years , at the end of which they were to [10] enter the king's personal service e . 6 Now among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel , Hananiah , Mishael and Azariah . 7 Then 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 .
8 But Daniel [11]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. 9 Now God granted Daniel [12] favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials , 10 and the commander of the officials 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 looking more haggard than the youths who are your own age ? Then you would [13]make me forfeit my head to the king ." 11 But Daniel said to the overseer whom the commander of the officials had appointed over Daniel , Hananiah , Mishael and Azariah , 12 "Please test your servants for ten days , and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink . 13 "Then let our appearance be [14]observed 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 ." 14 So he listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days . 15 At the end of ten days their appearance seemed better and [15]they were fatter e than all the youths who had been eating the king's choice food . 16 So the overseer continued to [16]withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink , and kept giving them vegetables .
17 As for these four youths , God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch of [17]literature and wisdom ; Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams . 18 Then at the end of the days which the king had [18]specified [19]for presenting them, the commander of the officials [20]presented them before Nebuchadnezzar . 19 The king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like Daniel , Hananiah , Mishael and Azariah ; so they [21] entered the king's personal service e . 20 As for every matter of wisdom [22]and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the [23] magicians and conjurers who were in all his realm . 21 And Daniel [24]continued until the first year of Cyrus the king .
