Read the Bible

¹ In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has come to Jerusalem, and lays siege against it;² and the Lord gives into his hand Jehoiakim king of Judah, and some of the vessels of the house of God, and he brings them in [to] the land of Shinar, [to] the house of his god, and the vessels he has brought in [to] the treasure-house of his god.³ And the king says, to Ashpenaz master of his eunuchs, to bring in out of the sons of Israel (even of the royal seed, and of the chiefs),⁴ boys in whom there is no blemish, and of good appearance, and skillful in all wisdom, and possessing knowledge, and teaching thought, and who have ability to stand in the palace of the king, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.⁵ And the king appoints for them a rate, day by day, of the king's portion of food, and of the wine of his drinking, so as to nourish them three years, that at the end thereof they may stand before the king.⁶ And there are among them out of the sons of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,⁷ and the chief of the eunuchs sets names on them, and he sets on Daniel, Belteshazzar; and on Hananiah, Shadrach; and on Mishael, Meshach; and on Azariah, Abed-Nego.

⁸ And Daniel purposes in his heart that he will not defile himself with the king's portion of food, and with the wine of his drinking, and he seeks of the chief of the eunuchs that he may not defile himself.⁹ And God gives Daniel for kindness and for mercies before the chief of the eunuchs;¹⁰ and the chief of the eunuchs says to Daniel, "I am fearing my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink, for why does he see your faces sadder than [those of] the boys which [are] of your circle? Then you have made my head indebted to the king,"¹¹ And Daniel says to the Meltzar, whom the chief of the eunuchs has appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,¹² "Please try your servants [for] ten days; and they give to us from the vegetables and we eat, and water, and we drink;¹³ and our appearance is seen before you, and the appearance of the boys who are eating the king's portion of food, and as you see—deal with your servants."¹⁴ And he listens to them, to this word, and tries them ten days:¹⁵ and at the end of ten days their appearance has appeared better and fatter in flesh then any of the boys who are eating the king's portion of food.¹⁶ And the Meltzar is taking away their portion of food, and the wine of their drink, and is giving to them vegetables.

¹⁷ As for these four boys, God has given to them knowledge and understanding in every [kind of] literature, and wisdom; and Daniel has given instruction about every [kind of] vision and dreams.¹⁸ And at the end of the days that the king had said to bring them in, the chief of the eunuchs brings them in before Nebuchadnezzar.¹⁹ And the king speaks with them, and there has not been found among them all like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, and they stand before the king;²⁰ and [in] any matter of wisdom [and] understanding that the king has sought of them, he finds them ten hands above all the enchanters, the conjurers, who [are] in all his kingdom.²¹ And Daniel is to the first year of Cyrus the king.