Daniel’s Captivity in Babylon

In the third year of the reign of King Jehoiakim(A) of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar[a](B) of Babylon came to Jerusalem and laid siege to it. The Lord handed King Jehoiakim of Judah over to him, along with some of the vessels from the house of God.(C) Nebuchadnezzar carried them to the land of Babylon,[b](D) to the house of his god,[c] and put the vessels in the treasury of his god.

The king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the Israelites from the royal family(E) and from the nobility— young men without any physical defect, good-looking, suitable for instruction in all wisdom,(F) knowledgeable, perceptive, and capable of serving in the king’s palace.(G) He was to teach them the Chaldean language(H) and literature. The king assigned them daily provisions from the royal food and from the wine that he drank.(I) They were to be trained for three years, and at the end of that time they were to attend the king.[d](J)

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Notas al pie

  1. 1:1 Or Nebuchadrezzar
  2. 1:2 Lit Shinar
  3. 1:2 Or gods
  4. 1:5 Lit to stand before the king

Jerusalem taken by the Babylonians

In the third year of the rule of Judah’s King Jehoiakim, Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar came to Jerusalem and attacked it. The Lord handed Judah’s King Jehoiakim over to Nebuchadnezzar, along with some of the equipment from God’s house. Nebuchadnezzar took these to Shinar, to his own god’s temple, putting them in his god’s treasury.

Training for royal service

Nebuchadnezzar instructed his highest official Ashpenaz to choose royal descendants and members of the ruling class from the Israelites— good-looking young men without defects, skilled in all wisdom, possessing knowledge, conversant with learning, and capable of serving in the king’s palace. Ashpenaz was to teach them the Chaldean language and its literature. The king assigned these young men daily allotments from his own food and from the royal wine. Ashpenaz was to teach them for three years so that at the end of that time they could serve before the king.

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