In the nineteenth year of the reign of Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan, the commander of the body-guard, an officer of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. He burned the temple of Jehovah and the royal palace and all the houses in Jerusalem. All the soldiers of the Chaldeans, who were with the commander of the body-guard, broke down the walls around Jerusalem. The rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had gone over to the king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan carried away captive. But he left some of the poorest of the people to take care of the vineyards and farms.
The pillars of brass that were in the temple of Jehovah, and the stands and the bronze sea that were in the temple of Jehovah the Chaldeans broke in pieces and carried the brass from them to Babylon. Also the pots, the shovels, the snuffers, the bowls, and all the vessels of brass, with which sacrifices were offered in the temple, they took away. The fire-pans and the basins of silver and of gold, the commander of the body-guard also melted and took away.
The commander of the body-guard carried away Seraiah, the chief priest and Zephaniah, the second priest, and the three doorkeepers and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. And the king of Babylon put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So the people of Judah were carried away captive from their own homeland.
Nebuchadrezzar made Gedaliah, the grandson of Shaphan, governor over the people he had left in the land of Judah.
Now Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, had given this command about Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan, the commander of the body-guard, "Take good care of him, and do him no harm; but do to him as he shall tell you." So Nebuzaradan, the commander of the body-guard, said to him, "See, I release you this day from the chains which are upon your hand. If it seems best to you to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will look out for you. But if you do not wish to come with me to Babylon, do not come; go back to Gedaliah, whom the king of Babylon has made governor over the cities of Judah, and live with him among the people, or go wherever it seems right for you to go." So the commander of the body-guard gave Jeremiah food and a present, and sent him away. Then Jeremiah went to Gedaliah, who was at Mizpah, and lived with him among the people who were left in the land.
The Courage of Four Captives
Nebuchadrezzar, the king of Babylon, commanded Ashpenaz, the chief of his servants, to bring to him certain of the Israelites and some of their princes and nobles. They were to be young men who were strong and handsome, well taught and quick to learn and able to serve in the king's palace. And they were to be taught the learning and the language of the Chaldeans. The king gave to them each day some of his rich food and some of the wine which he drank. He also commanded that they should be taught for three years, and that at the end of that time they should enter the royal service.
Among these young men were: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; but the chief of the king's servants gave other names to them. To Daniel he gave the name Belteshazzar, and to Hananiah, Shadrach, and to Mishael, Meshach, and to Azariah, Abednego.
But Daniel made up his mind not to injure himself with the rich food of the king nor with the wine which he drank. So he asked the chief of the king's servants not to make him injure himself. And God helped Daniel to win the kindness and favor of the chief of the king's servants.
But the chief of the king's servants said to Daniel, "I fear that my lord, the king, who has given you your food and your drink will see that your faces are sadder than those of young men who are your own age, and so you will endanger my head with the king."
Daniel said to the guardian whom the chief of the king's servants had put over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, "Try your servants ten days; and let us have vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare the way we look with that of the young men who eat of the king's rich food. Then do to us as seems best." So he did as they asked and tried them ten days. At the end of ten days they looked better and they were fatter than all the young men who ate of the king's rich food. So the guardian took away their rich food and the wine and gave them vegetables.
To these four young men God gave knowledge, learning, and wisdom; and Daniel understood all kinds of visions and dreams.
At the end of the days which the king had fixed for bringing them in, the chief of his servants brought them in to Nebuchadrezzar, and the king talked with them. But not one of all the young men was found equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they began to serve the king. On every subject which called for wisdom and understanding and about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the wise men and magicians who were in his entire kingdom.
A King's Strange Dream
Nebuchadrezzar in the second year of his reign had dreams, and his mind was so troubled that he could not sleep. Then the king sent for the magicians and the wise men, and those who studied the stars to tell him what his dreams meant. So they came in before the king, and he said to them, "I have had a dream and my mind is troubled, for I want to know what the dream means."
Then those who studied the stars said to the king: "O king, live forever! Tell the dream to your servants and we will tell you what it means." The king answered, "What I now say is certain: if you do not tell me the dream and what it means, you shall be torn limb from limb and your houses shall be made ash-heaps. But if you tell the dream and what it means, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honors; therefore tell me the dream and what it means." They answered the second time, "Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will tell what it means." The king replied, "I see clearly that you wish to gain time, for you know that what I have said is certain, and that if you do not tell the dream to me, you will all suffer the same punishment. So you have planned to speak lying and false words before me, until the time when it is to happen has passed. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can tell me what it means." The Chaldeans answered the king, "There is no man on earth who can do what the king asks, for no king, however great and powerful, has ever asked such a thing of any wise man or magician, or of one who studies the stars. What the king asks is too hard. There is no one else who can tell it to the king, except the gods, who do not live with men." This made the king very angry and he ordered all the wise men of Babylon put to death.
So the command was given that the wise men were to be put to death. And search was made for Daniel and his friends that they too might be put to death. Then Daniel spoke wisely, to Arioch, the captain of the king's guard, who had gone out to put the wise men of Babylon to death, and said, "Why is the king's command so harsh?" When Arioch told Daniel the facts, he went to the king and asked that he give him time to tell what the dream meant.
Then Daniel went to his house and told the facts to his friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, that they might ask the God of heaven to be kind to them and to tell Daniel this secret, so that they might not die with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then the secret was told to Daniel in a vision at night, and he praised the God of heaven and said:
"Blessed be the name of God
From everlasting to everlasting!
For wisdom and power are his.
He gives wisdom to the wise,
And knowledge to those who have insight.
He shows the deep, secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And the light of truth dwells in him.
I give thee thanks and praise,
For thou givest me wisdom and strength,
And hast made known the things we asked;
Thou hast made known to us the king's secret!"
Then Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had commanded to kill the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, "Do not kill the wise men of Babylon. Take me to the king, and I will tell him what his dream means."