¶ In the third year of the reign of Iehoakim king of Iudah, came Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon unto Ierusalem, and besieged it:
and the Lord delivered Iehoakim the king of Iudah into his hand, with certain ornaments of the house of God, which he carried away into the land of Sennar, to the house of his god, and there brought them into his gods treasury.
And the king spake unto Asphanaz the chief chamberlain, that he should bring him certain of the children of Israel, that were come of the king's seed and of princes,
young springalds without any blemish, but fair and well favoured, instructed in all wisdom, cunning and understanding: which were able to stond in the king's palace, to read and to learn for to speak Caldeish.
Unto these the king appointed a certain portion of his own meat, and of the wine, which he drank himself, so to nourish them three years: that afterward they might stond before the king.
Among these now were certain of the children of Iudah: namely Daniel, Ananias, Misael, and Azarias.
Unto these the chief chamberlain gave other names, and called Daniel, Balthasar: Ananias, Sidrach: Misael, Misach, and Asarias, Abednago.
¶ But Daniel was at a point with himself, that he would not be defiled thorow the king's meat, nor the wine which he drunk. And this he desired of the chief chamberlain, lest he should defile himself.
So God gave Daniel favour and grace before the chief chamberlain,
that he said unto him: I am afraid of my lord the king, which hath appointed you your meat and drink: lest he spy your faces to be worse liking then the other springalds of your age, and so ye shall make me lose my head unto the king.
Then Daniel answered Melassar, whom the chief chamberlain had set over Daniel, Ananias, Misael, and Asarias, and said:
O prove but ten days with thy servants, and let us have pottage to eat, and water to drink:
Then look upon our faces, and theirs that eat of the king's meat. And as thou seest, so deal with thy servants.
So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.
And after the ten days, their faces were better liking and fatter, then all the young springalds, which ate of the king's meat.
Thus Melassar took away their meat and wine, and gave them pottage therefore.
¶ God gave now these four springalds cunning and learning in all scripture and wisdom: but unto Daniel specially, he gave understanding of all visions and dreams.
Now when the time was expired, that the king had appointed to bring in these young springalds unto him: the chief chamberlain brought them before Nabuchodonosor,
and the king communed with them. But among them all were found none such as Daniel, Ananias, Misael, and Asarias.
Therefore stood they before the king which in all wisdom and matters of understanding, that he enquired of them, found them ten times better, then all the soothsayers and charmers, that were in all his realm.
And Daniel abode still, unto the first year of king Cyrus.
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Praise the Everlasting Lord for His Faithful Word.