Daniel - Chapter 1

In the first chapter of Daniel we meet, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. These four young men were from the royal family and nobility of Judah, and they were exiled by the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar. Since these young men were handsome and bright, they were chosen to be trained for three years to learn the literature and language of the Babylonians, so they could serve the king. In their training, they were given choice foods and wine from the king, but Daniel resolved not to defile himself with that food, so he asked if they could eat vegetables and water. At first the guard was afraid to do that, because if the king found out and they were weaker, the king might "have his head!" Daniel asked for 10 days to test them, so the guard agreed, and after ten days they were healthier than the other men. After the allotted time, the men were brought before the king, and Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah and in every matter the king asked them, they were ten times better than the other men. The last verse, 21, tells us that Daniel remained in the kingdom until the first year of King Cyrus, who was king of Persia.