Daniel:1:3-21
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And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs ,
that he should bring certain of the children of Israel ,
and of the king '
s seed ,
and of the princes ;
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Children in whom was no blemish ,
but well favoured ,
and skilful in all wisdom ,
and cunning in knowledge ,
and understanding science ,
and such as had ability in them to stand in the king '
s palace ,
and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans .
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And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king '
s meat ,
and of the wine which he drank :
so nourishing them three years ,
that at the end thereof they might stand before the king .
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Now among these were of the children of Judah ,
Daniel ,
Hananiah ,
Mishael ,
and Azariah :
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Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names :
for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar ;
and to Hananiah ,
of Shadrach ;
and to Mishael ,
of Meshach ;
and to Azariah ,
of Abednego .
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But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king '
s meat ,
nor with the wine which he drank :
therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself .
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Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs .
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And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel ,
I fear my lord the king ,
who hath appointed your meat and your drink :
for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort ?
then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king .
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Then said Daniel to Melzar ,
whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel ,
Hananiah ,
Mishael ,
and Azariah ,
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Prove thy servants ,
I beseech thee ,
ten days ;
and let them give us pulse to eat ,
and water to drink .
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Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee ,
and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king '
s meat :
and as thou seest ,
deal with thy servants .
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So he consented to them in this matter ,
and proved them ten days .
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And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king '
s meat .
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Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat ,
and the wine that they should drink ;
and gave them pulse .
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As for these four children ,
God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom :
and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams .
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Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in ,
then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar .
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And the king communed with them ;
and among them all was found none like Daniel ,
Hananiah ,
Mishael ,
and Azariah :
therefore stood they before the king .
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And in all matters of wisdom and understanding ,
that the king enquired of them ,
he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm .
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And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus .
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