¹ In the third year of^◦ the kingdom of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Jerusalem, and besieged her.

² And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, and the end of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them into the land of Shinar to the house of his God; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his God.

³ And the king said to Ashpenaz, the greatest^◦ of his eunuchs, that he should bring from the sons of Israel, and from the seed of the kingdom, and from the princes^▵,

⁴ children in whom was not^◦ any blemish, but of good appearance, and intelligent in all wisdom, and knowing knowledge, and understanding what was known, and such as had power in them to stand in the palace^◦ of the king, and whom they might teach the books and the tongue of the Chaldeans.

⁵ And the king provided for them the word^* of the day in the day from the meat of the king, and from the wine of his feast, and to have them grow·​·up for three years, and at the end of them they might stand before the king.

⁶ And there were among^◦ them, of the sons of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

⁷ And for them^◦ the prince of the eunuchs set names; and he set for Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and for Hananiah, Shadrach; and for Mishael, Meshach; and for Azariah, Abednego.

⁸ But Daniel set in his heart that he would not pollute himself with the meat of the king and with the wine of his feast; and he sought of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not pollute himself.

⁹ And God gave Daniel mercy and compassion before the prince of the eunuchs.

¹⁰ And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I^◦ fear my lord the king, who has provided your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces gloomier than the children who are of your likeness^◦? And you shall endanger my head to the king.

¹¹ And Daniel said to^▵ Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had appointed^◦ over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

¹² Prove thy servants, I pray^◦ thee, ten days; and let them give us of the zeroim^* and we will eat, and water and we will drink.

¹³ And let our appearance be seen before thee, and the appearance of the children that eat of the meat of the king; and as^◦ thou seest, let it be done with thy servants.

¹⁴ And he hearkened to them for this thing, and proved them ten days.

¹⁵ And at the end of ten days their appearance appeared better and more nourished in flesh than all the children who did eat the meat of the king.

¹⁶ And it was that Melzar carried away their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them zeroim.

¹⁷ And to these four children, God gave them knowledge and made· them ·intelligent in all books and wisdom; and to Daniel He gave understanding in all visions and dreams.

¹⁸ And at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them before Nebuchadnezzar.

¹⁹ And the king spoke with^◦ them; and there was not found from among all of them any like^◦ Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; and they stood before the king.

²⁰ And in all words of wisdom of understanding, that the king sought of them^◦, he found them ten hands over^* all the magicians and diviners^◦ that were in all his kingdom.

²¹ And Daniel was there until the first^◦ year of^◦ king Cyrus.