1In the thridde yeer of the rewme of Joachym, king of Juda, Nabugodonosor, the kyng of Babiloyne, cam to Jerusalem, and bisegide it.
2And the Lord bitook in his hond Joachym, the kyng of Juda, and he took a part of the vessels of the hous of God; and he bar out tho in to the lond of Sennaar, in to the hous of his god, and he took the vessels in to the hous of tresour of his god.
3And the kyng seide to Asphaneth, souereyn of his onest seruauntis and chast, that he schulde brynge yn of the sones of Israel, and of the kyngis seed, and the children of tirauntis, in whiche weren no wem,
4faire in schap, and lerned in al wisdom, war in kunnyng, and tauyt in chastisyng, and that myyten stonde in the paleis of the kyng, that he schulde teche hem the lettris and langage of Caldeis.
5And the king ordeynede to hem lijflode bi ech dai of hise meetis, and of the wyn wherof he drank; that thei nurschid bi thre yeer, schulden stonde aftirward bifor the siyt of the kyng.
6Therfor Danyel, Ananye, Myzael, and Azarie, of the sones of Juda, weren among hem.
7And the souereyn of onest seruauntis and chast puttide to hem names; to Danyel he puttide Balthasar; to Ananye, Sidrach; to Mysael, Misach; and to Azarie, Abdenago.
8Forsothe Danyel purposide in his herte, that he schulde not be defoulid of the boord of the kyng, nether of the wyn of his drink; and he preiede the souereyn of onest seruauntis and chast, that he schulde not be defoulid.
9Forsothe God yaf grace and merci to Daniel, in the siyt of the prince of onest seruauntis and chast.
10And the prince of onest seruauntis and chast seide to Daniel, Y drede my lord the king, that ordeinede to you mete and drynk; and if he seeth youre faces lennere than othere yonge wexynge men, youre eueneeldis, ye schulen condempne myn heed to the kyng.
11And Danyel seide to Malazar, whom the prince of onest seruauntis and chast hadde ordeynede on Danyel, Ananye, Mysael, and Asarie,
12Y biseche, asaie thou vs thi seruauntis bi ten daies, and potagis be youun to vs to ete, and water to drynke; and biholde thou oure cheris,
13and the cheris of children that eten the kyngis mete; and as thou seest, so do thou with thi seruauntis.
14And whanne he herde siche a word, he asaiede hem bi ten daies.
15Forsothe after ten daies the cheris of hem apperiden betere and fattere, than alle the children that eeten the kyngis mete.
16Certis Malazar took the metis, and the wyn of the drynk of hem, and yaf to hem potagis.
17Forsothe to these children God yaf kunnyng and lernyng in ech book, and in al wisdom; but to Daniel God yaf vndurstondyng of alle visiouns and dremys.
18Therfor whanne the daies weren fillid, aftir whiche the kyng seide, that thei schulden be brouyt yn, the souereyn of onest seruauntis and chast brouyte in hem, in the siyt of Nabugodonosor.
19And whanne the kyng hadde spoke to hem, siche weren not foundun of alle, as Daniel, Ananye, Misael, and Azarie; and thei stoden in the siyt of the king.
20And ech word of wisdom and of vndurstondyng, which the king axide of hem, he foond in hem ten fold ouer alle false dyuynouris and astronomyens, that weren in al his rewme.
21Forsothe Danyel was til to the firste yeer of king Cyrus.