The Choice Young Men

In the third year of the reign of (A)Jehoiakim king of Judah, (B)Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the (C)Lord handed Jehoiakim king of Judah over to him, along with some of the (D)vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of (E)Shinar, to the house of his [a]god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his [b](F)god.

Then the king told Ashpenaz, the chief of his [c]officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the [d]royal (G)family and of the nobles, youths in whom there was (H)no impairment, who were good-looking, suitable for (I)instruction in every kind of expertise, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability to [e]serve in the king’s [f]court; and he ordered Ashpenaz to teach them the [g]literature and (J)language of the (K)Chaldeans. The king also allotted for them a daily ration from the (L)king’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 [h](M)enter the king’s personal service.

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Footnotes

  1. Daniel 1:2 Or gods
  2. Daniel 1:2 Or gods
  3. Daniel 1:3 Or eunuchs, and so throughout the ch
  4. Daniel 1:3 Lit seed of the monarchy
  5. Daniel 1:4 Lit stand
  6. Daniel 1:4 Lit palace
  7. Daniel 1:4 Or writing
  8. Daniel 1:5 Lit stand before the king

Daniel’s Development in the King’s Court

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim the king of Judah into his hand and some of[a] of the utensils of the temple of God,[b] and he brought them to the land of Shinar to the temple of his gods, and he brought the utensils to the treasury[c] of his gods.

And the king ordered[d] Ashpenaz, the commander of his court officials, to bring some of the Israelites[e] from the royal family[f] and from the lords,[g] youths who have no physical defect,[h] and who are handsome,[i] and who are prudent[j] in all wisdom and endowed with knowledge,[k] and who understand insight, and who have the ability[l] in them to serve in the palace of the king. And the king ordered him to teach them the literature and the language of the Chaldeans. And the king assigned to them his daily portion[m] from the fine food of the king, and from the wine that he drank,[n] and instructed that they were to be educated for three years.[o] And at the end of their training, they were to be stationed[p] before[q] the king.

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Footnotes

  1. Daniel 1:2 Literally “from the end/extremity/limits”
  2. Daniel 1:2 Hebrew “the God”
  3. Daniel 1:2 Literally “the house of the treasury”
  4. Daniel 1:3 Literally “said to”
  5. Daniel 1:3 Literally “from the sons/children of Israel”
  6. Daniel 1:3 Literally “from the seed of the kingship”
  7. Daniel 1:3 Or “nobles”
  8. Daniel 1:4 Literally “there is not in them any physical defect”
  9. Daniel 1:4 Literally “good/pleasing of appearance”
  10. Daniel 1:4 Or “insightful”
  11. Daniel 1:4 Literally “who have knowledge of knowledge”
  12. Daniel 1:4 Literally “strength”
  13. Daniel 1:5 Literally “the portion of the day on its day”
  14. Daniel 1:5 Literally “the wine of his drink”
  15. Daniel 1:5 Literally “and to be educated them years three”
  16. Daniel 1:5 Literally “they would stand”
  17. Daniel 1:5 Literally “to the face of”