Daniel 1:1–7

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah ^acame Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. ²And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with ^bpart of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried ^cinto the land of Shinar to the house of his god; ^dand he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.

³And the king spake unto Ashpenaz ^ethe master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed, and of ^fthe princes; ⁴children in whom was no ^gblemish, but well favoured, and ^hiskilful in all wisdom, and cunning in ⁱknowledge, and understanding ^ikscience, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and ^lwhom they might teach ^imthe learning and the tongue of ⁿthe Chaldeans. ⁵And the king appointed them ⁿⁿa daily provision of ^othe king’s meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them ^pthree years, that at the end thereof they might ^qstand before the king. ⁶Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, ^rHananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: ⁷unto whom the prince of the eunuchs ^sgave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of ^tBelteshazzar; ^ttand to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abed-^unego.