Daniel 1:3-20

3Then the king told Ashpenaz, the chief of his 1officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the 2royal 3family and of the nobles, 4youths in whom there was 4no impairment, who were good-looking, suitable for 5instruction in every kind of expertise, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability to 6serve in the king’s 7court; and he ordered Ashpenaz to teach them the 8literature and 9language of the 10Chaldeans. 5The king also allotted for them a daily ration from the 11king’s choice food and from the wine which he drank, and ordered that they be educated for three years, at the end of which they were to 1213enter the king’s personal service. 6Now among them from the sons of Judah were 14Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 7Then the commander of the officials assigned new names to them; and to Daniel he assigned the name 15Belteshazzar, to Hananiah 16Shadrach, to Mishael 17Meshach, and to Azariah 18Abed-nego.

8But Daniel 19made up his mind that he would not 20defile himself with the 21king’s choice food or with the 22wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself. 9Now God granted Daniel 23favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials. 10The commander of the officials said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has allotted your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking gaunt in comparison to the youths who are your own age? Then you would 24make me forfeit my head to the king.” 11But Daniel said to the overseer whom the commander of the officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12“Please put your servants to the test for ten days, and let us be 25given some vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13Then let our appearance be 26examined in your presence and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king’s choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see.”

14So he listened to them in this matter, and put them to the test for ten days. 15And at the end of ten days their appearance seemed 27better, and 28they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king’s choice food. 16So the overseer continued to 29withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept 30giving them vegetables.

17And as for these four youths, 31God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every kind of 32literature and expertise; Daniel even understood all kinds of 33visions and dreams.

18Then at the end of the days which the king had 34specified 35for presenting them, the commander of the officials 36presented them before Nebuchadnezzar. 19And the king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like 37Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; so they 3839entered the king’s personal service. 20As for every matter of 40expertise 41and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them 42ten times 43better than all the 44soothsayer priests and conjurers who were in all his realm.