Daniel 1

Daniel and His Friends Obey God

1 In the third year of the reign of *2 Kin. 24:1, 2; 2 Chr. 36:5–7; Jer. 25:1; 52:12–30Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with *2 Chr. 36:7; Jer. 27:19, 20; Dan. 5:2some of the articles of the house of God, which he carried *Gen. 10:10; 11:2; Is. 11:11; Zech. 5:11into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; *2 Chr. 36:7and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god.

3 Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring *2 Kin. 20:17, 18; Is. 39:7some of the children of Israel and some of the king’s descendants and some of the nobles, 4 young men *Lev. 24:19, 20in whom therewas no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and *Acts 7:22whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans. 5 And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of thattime they might *Gen. 41:46; 1 Sam. 16:22; 1 Kin. 10:8; Dan. 1:19serve before the king. 6 Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.