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Daniel 1:1-7;17-21 NIV
1 In the third year of the
reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon
came to Jerusalem and besieged it.
2 And the Lord delivered
Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the
articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple
of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god.
3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court
officials, to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family
and the nobility-
4 young men without any
physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of
learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve
in the king's palace. He was to teach them the language and
literature of the Babylonians.
5 The king assigned them a
daily amount of food and wine from the king's table. They were to be
trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the
king's service.
6 Among these were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and
Azariah.
7 The chief official gave them
new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach;
to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.
17 To these four young men God
gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and
learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all
kinds.
18 At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in,
the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar.
19 The king talked with them,
and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so
they entered the king's service.
20 In every matter of wisdom
and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found
them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his
whole kingdom.
21 And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.
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