Daniel’s Training in Babylon

1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim^(A) king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar^(B) king of Babylon^(C) came to Jerusalem and besieged it.^{(D) 2} And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried^(E) off to the temple of his god in Babylonia^[a] and put in the treasure house of his god.^(F)

³ Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility^(G)— ⁴ young men without any physical defect, handsome,^(H) showing aptitude for every kind of learning,^(I) well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language^(J) and literature of the Babylonians.^{[b] 5} The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine^(K) from the king’s table.^(L) They were to be trained for three years,^(M) and after that they were to enter the king’s service.^(N)

⁶ Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel,^(O) Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.^{(P) 7} The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar;^(Q) to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.^(R)

¹⁰ At that time the officers of Nebuchadnezzar^(A) king of Babylon advanced on Jerusalem and laid siege to it, ¹¹ and Nebuchadnezzar himself came up to the city while his officers were besieging it. ¹² Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his attendants, his nobles and his officials all surrendered^(B) to him.

In the eighth year of the reign of the king of Babylon, he took Jehoiachin prisoner. ¹³ As the Lord had declared,^(C) Nebuchadnezzar removed the treasures^(D) from the temple of the Lord and from the royal palace, and cut up the gold articles^(E) that Solomon^(F) king of Israel had made for the temple of the Lord. ¹⁴ He carried all Jerusalem into exile:^(G) all the officers and fighting men,^(H) and all the skilled workers and artisans—a total of ten thousand. Only the poorest^(I) people of the land were left.

¹⁵ Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachin^(J) captive to Babylon. He also took from Jerusalem to Babylon the king’s mother,^(K) his wives, his officials and the prominent people^(L) of the land. ¹⁶ The king of Babylon also deported to Babylon the entire force of seven thousand fighting men, strong and fit for war, and a thousand skilled workers and artisans.^(M)

¹⁰ In the spring, King Nebuchadnezzar sent for him and brought him to Babylon,^(A) together with articles of value from the temple of the Lord, and he made Jehoiachin’s uncle,^[a] Zedekiah, king over Judah and Jerusalem.