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Daniel in Nebuchadnezzar’s Court

During the third year of King Jehoiakim’s reign in Judah,[a] King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. The Lord gave him victory over King Jehoiakim of Judah and permitted him to take some of the sacred objects from the Temple of God. So Nebuchadnezzar took them back to the land of Babylonia[b] and placed them in the treasure-house of his god.

Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief of staff, to bring to the palace some of the young men of Judah’s royal family and other noble families, who had been brought to Babylon as captives. “Select only strong, healthy, and good-looking young men,” he said. “Make sure they are well versed in every branch of learning, are gifted with knowledge and good judgment, and are suited to serve in the royal palace. Train these young men in the language and literature of Babylon.[c] The king assigned them a daily ration of food and wine from his own kitchens. They were to be trained for three years, and then they would enter the royal service.

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Footnotes

  1. 1:1 This event occurred in 605 B.c., during the third year of Jehoiakim’s reign (according to the calendar system in which the new year begins in the spring).
  2. 1:2 Hebrew the land of Shinar.
  3. 1:4 Or of the Chaldeans.

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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Footnotes

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