Shine On

1 In the third year of the reign of (A) Jehoiakim king of Judah, (B) Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.

2 The (C) LORD gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the (D) vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of (E) Shinar, to the house of his [a] god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his (F) god.

3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his [b] officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal (G) family and of the nobles, 4 youths in whom was (H) no defect, who were good-looking, showing (I) intelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for serving in the king's court; and he ordered him to teach them the [c] literature and (J) language of the (K) Chaldeans.
5 The king appointed for them a daily ration from the (L) king's choice food and from the wine which he drank, and appointed that they should be educated three years, at the end of which they were to (M) enter the king's personal service.

6 Now among them from the sons of Judah were (N) Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.

-Daniel 1:1-6