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Four Young Israelites at the Babylonian Court

In the third year of the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.(A) The Lord gave King Jehoiakim of Judah into his power, as well as some of the vessels of the house of God. These he brought to the land of Shinar,[a] and he placed the vessels in the treasury of his gods.(B)

Then the king commanded his palace master Ashpenaz to bring some of the Israelites of the royal family and of the nobility: young men without physical defect and handsome, versed in every branch of wisdom, endowed with knowledge and insight, and competent to serve in the king’s palace; they were to be taught the literature and language of the Chaldeans.(C) The king assigned them a daily portion of the royal rations of food and wine. They were to be educated for three years, so that at the end of that time they could be stationed in the king’s court.(D)

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Footnotes

  1. 1.2 Gk: Heb adds to the house of his own gods

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”