Daniel 1:1-7
Read Daniel 1 in full →Daniel Brought to Babylon
1In the third year of the reign of aJehoiakim king of Judah, bNebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2And 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 2,dgod.
3Then the king said for Ashpenaz, the chief of his 1officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal aseed and of the nobles, 4youths in whom was ano defect, who were good in appearance, showing binsight in every branch of wisdom, being thoroughly 1knowledgeable and discerning knowledge, and who had ability to stand in the king’s palace; and he said for him to teach them the 2literature and ctongue of the dChaldeans. 5And 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 bstand before the king. 6Now among them from the sons of Judah were aDaniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 7Then the commander of the officials set names for them; and for Daniel he set the name aBelteshazzar, for Hananiah bShadrach, for Mishael cMeshach, and for Azariah dAbed-nego.