1In the third year of the reign of Jehoakim king of Judah, came Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it:
2and the Lord(LORDE) delivered Jehoakim the king of Judah into his hand, with certain ornaments of the house of God, which he carried away into the land of Sennar, to the house of his god, and there brought them into his gods treasury.
3And the king spake unto Asphanaz the chief chamberlain, that he should bring him certain of the children of Israel, that were come of the king's seed and of princes,
4young springalds without any blemish, but fair and well favoured, instructed in all wisdom, cunning and understanding: which were able to stand in the king's palace, to read and to learn for to speak Caldeish.
5Unto these the king appointed a certain portion of his own meat, and of the wine, which he drank himself, so to nourish them three years: that afterward they might stand before the king.
6Among these now were certain of the children of Judah: namely Daniel, Ananias, Misael, and Azarias.
7Unto these the chief chamberlain gave other names, and called Daniel, Balthasar: Ananias, Sidrach: Misael, Misach, and Asarias, Abednago.
8But Daniel was at a point with himself, that he would not be defiled thorow the king's meat, nor the wine which he drunk. And this he desired of the chief chamberlain, lest he should defile himself.
9So God gave Daniel favour and grace before the chief chamberlain,
10that he said unto him: I am afraid of my lord the king, which hath appointed you your meat and drink: lest he spy your faces to be worse liking than the other springalds of your age, and so ye shall make me lose(loose) my head unto the king.
11Then Daniel answered Melassar, whom the chief chamberlain had set over Daniel, Ananias, Misael, and Asarias, and said:
12O prove but ten days with thy servants, and let us have pottage to eat, and water to drink:
13Then look upon our faces, and theirs that eat of the king's meat. And as thou seest, so deal with thy servants.
14So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.
15And after the ten days, their faces were better liking and fatter, than all the young springalds, which ate of the king's meat.
16Thus Melassar took away their meat and wine, and gave them pottage therefore.
17God gave now these four springalds cunning and learning in all scripture and wisdom: but unto Daniel specially, he gave understanding of all visions and dreams.
18Now when the time was expired, that the king had appointed to bring in these young springalds unto him: the chief chamberlain brought them before Nabuchodonosor,
19and the king communed with them. But among them all were found none such as Daniel, Ananias, Misael, and Asarias.
20Therefore stood they before the king which in all wisdom and matters of understanding, that he enquired of them, found them ten times better, than all the soothsayers and charmers, that were in all his realm.
21And Daniel abode still, unto the first year of king Cyrus.