1In the third year of the reign of Yehoyaqim, sovereign of Yehuḏah, Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar, sovereign of Baḇel came to Yerushalayim and besieged it.

2And יהוה gave Yehoyaqim sovereign of Yehuḏah into his hand, with some of the utensils of the House of Elohim, which he brought to the land of Shin‛ar to the house of his mighty one. And he brought the utensils into the treasure house of his mighty one.

3And the sovereign said to Ashpenaz, the chief of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Yisra’ĕl and some of the sovereign’s descendants and some of the nobles,

4young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, having insight in all wisdom, having knowledge and understanding learning, capable to stand in the sovereign’s palace, and to teach them the writing and speech of the Chaldeans.

5And the sovereign appointed for them a daily ration of the sovereign’s food and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end thereof they should stand before the sovereign.

6Now among them were from the sons of Yehuḏah: Dani’ĕl, Ḥananyah, Misha’ĕl, and Azaryah.

7And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names. For he called Dani’ĕl, Bĕlteshatstsar; and Ḥananyah, Shaḏraḵ; and Misha’ĕl, Mĕyshaḵ; and Azaryah, Aḇĕḏ-Neg̅o.

8But Dani’ĕl laid it upon his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the sovereign’s food, nor with the wine which he drank. So he asked permission from the chief of the eunuchs not to defile himself.

9And Elohim granted Dani’ĕl kindness and compassion from the chief of the eunuchs,

10but the chief of the eunuchs said to Dani’ĕl, “I fear my master the sovereign, who has appointed your food and drink. For why should he see your faces looking worse than the young men who are your age? Then you would make my head guilty before the sovereign!”

11And Dani’ĕl said to the overseer whom the chief of the eunuchs had set over Dani’ĕl, Ḥananyah, Misha’ĕl, and Azaryah,

12“Please try your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink.

13“Then let our appearances be examined before you, and the appearances of the young men who eat the portion of the sovereign’s food. And do with your servants as you see fit.”

14And he listened to them in this matter, and tried them ten days.

15And at the end of ten days their appearances looked better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the sovereign’s food.

16And it came to be that the overseer took away their portion of food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.

17As for these four young men, Elohim gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom. And Dani’ĕl had understanding in all visions and dreams.

18And at the end of the days, when the sovereign had said that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar.

19And the sovereign spoke with them, and none among them all were found like Dani’ĕl, Ḥananyah, Misha’ĕl, and Azaryah, so they stood before the sovereign.

20And in any word of wisdom and understanding about which the sovereign examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians, the astrologers, who were in all his reign.

21And Dani’ĕl continued until the first year of Sovereign Koresh.