Daniel 1:2-5

English Standard Version

² And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of ^(A)the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to ^(B)the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, ^(C)and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god. ³ Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, ^(D)his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family^[a] and of ^(E)the nobility, ⁴ youths without ^(F)blemish, of good appearance and ^(G)skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king's palace, and to ^(H)teach them the literature and language of the ^(I)Chaldeans. ⁵ The king assigned them a daily portion of ^(J)the food that the king ate, and of ^(K)the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for ^(L)three years, and at the end of that time they were to ^(M)stand before the king.