Carried to Babylon
1 1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and laid siege to it. 2 And the Sovereign Father handed Jehoiakim king of Judah over to him, along with some of the articles from the house of our Father; and he carried them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and brought the articles into the treasure house of his god. 1 1 v2 Shinar is the ancient name for Babylonia, the region surrounding the city of Babylon.
3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his court officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, from the royal family and from the nobility— 4 youths with no physical defects, handsome, skilled in all wisdom, gifted with knowledge and quick to understand, able to serve in the king's palace—and to teach them the writing and language of the Chaldeans. 5 The king assigned them a daily portion of the royal food and of the wine he drank, to be trained for three years, so that at the end of that time they might stand before the king.
6 Among them were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, from the sons of Judah. 7 And the chief official gave them new names: to Daniel he gave the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego. 2 2 v7 Their birth names each honored the Father of Israel; the new Babylonian names honored Babylon's gods — an attempt to reshape the young men's identity.
Daniel Stands Firm
8 But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the royal food or with the wine the king drank, so he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself. 3 3 v8 Royal food likely included meats forbidden under Jewish law or food sacrificed to Babylonian gods — both would make it defiling for a faithful Israelite. 9 Now our Father gave Daniel favor and compassion in the eyes of the chief official. 10 But the chief official said to Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see your faces looking worse than the other youths your age? You would put my head on the line with the king."
11 Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 "Please test your servants for ten days. Give us only vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then compare our appearance with that of the youths who eat the royal food, and do with us as you see fit." 14 So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. 15 At the end of ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than all the youths who ate the royal food. 16 So the steward took away their assigned food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables instead.
The Father Grants Wisdom
17 As for these four youths, our Father gave them knowledge and skill in every kind of writing and wisdom; and Daniel could understand visions and dreams of every kind.
18 At the end of the time the king had set for bringing them in, the chief official presented them before Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king spoke with them, and none of them could match Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; so they entered the king's service. 20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom. 21 And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.