1In the third year of the realm of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, Nebuchad-nezzar, and the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem, and besieged it.

2And the Lord betook in his hand Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, and he took a part of the vessels of the house of God; and he bare out those into the land of Shinar, into the house of his god, and he took the vessels into the house of treasure of his god.

3And the king said to Ashpenaz, sovereign of his honest servants and chaste [or provost of geldings], that he should bring in of the sons of Israel, and of the king’s seed, and the children of tyrants, [or strong men],

4in which were no wem, fair in shape, and learned in all wisdom, wary in knowing, and taught in chastising, either learning, and that might stand in the palace of the king, that he should teach them the letters and language of Chaldees.

5And the king ordained to them lifelode by each day of his meats, and of the wine whereof he drank; that they nourished by three years, should stand afterward before the sight of the king.

6Therefore Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, of the sons of Judah, were among them.

7And the sovereign of the honest servants and chaste putted to them names; to Daniel he putted Belte-shazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach, and to Azariah, Abednego.

8Forsooth Daniel purposed in his heart, that he should not be defouled of the board of the king, neither of the wine of his drink; and he prayed the sovereign of the honest servants and chaste, that he should not be defouled.

9Forsooth God gave grace and mercy to Daniel, in the sight of the prince of honest servants and chaste.

10And the prince of honest servants and chaste said to Daniel, I dread my lord the king, that ordained to you meat and drink; and if he see your faces leaner than other young waxing men, your even-elders, ye shall condemn mine head to the king.

11And Daniel said to Melzar, whom the prince of honest servants and chaste had ordained on Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

12I beseech, assay thou us thy servants by ten days, and pottages be given to us to eat, and water to drink;

13and behold thou our cheers, and the cheers of children that eat the king’s meat; and as thou seest, so do thou with thy servants.

14And when he heard such a word, he assayed them ten days.

15Forsooth after ten days the cheers of them appeared better and fatter, than all the children that ate the king’s meat.

16Certainly Melzar took [away] the meats, and the wine of the drink of them, and gave them pottages.

17Forsooth to these children God gave knowing and learning in each book, and in all wisdom; but to Daniel God gave understanding of all visions and dreams.

18Therefore when the days were [ful] filled, after which the king said, that they should be brought in, the sovereign of honest servants and chaste brought in them, in the sight of Nebuchadnezzar.

19And when the king had spoken to them, such were not found of all, as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; and they stood in the sight of the king.

20And each word of wisdom and of understanding, which the king asked of them, he found in them tenfold, over all false diviners and astronomers or astrologers that were in all his realm.

21Forsooth Daniel was there till to the first year of King Cyrus.