The Choice Young Men

1 In the third year of the reign of aJehoiakim king of Judah, bNebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.

2 The aLord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the bvessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of cShinar, to the house of his 1god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his 1dgod.

3 Then the king 1ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his 2officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the 3royal afamily and of the nobles,

4 youths in whom was ano defect, who were good-looking, showing bintelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for 1serving in the king’s 2court; and he ordered him to teach them the 3literature and clanguage of the dChaldeans.

5 The king appointed for them a daily ration from the aking’s choice food and from the wine which he drank, and appointed that they should be 1educated three years, at the end of which they were to 2benter the king’s personal service.

6 Now among them from the sons of Judah were aDaniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.