¶ The Prophete sheweth the captiuite of Iehoakim Kyng of Iuda. Of the sonnes that were in captiuytie, the Kynge commaundeth to those whiche of them shulde be taught the lernynge and language of Chaldees. They are alowed the kynges fedyng. Daniel absteyneth from the meate of the Kynge of Babylon.
CAPI. I.
IN the thyrde yeare of the raigne of [unspec A] Iehoakim Kynge of Iuda, came Nabu∣chodonolor kynge of Babylon vnto Ieru∣salem, and beseged it and the Lorde dely¦uered Iehoakim the kynge of Iuda in to hys hande / with certayne ornamentes of the house of God, whiche he caryed away vnto the lande of Sc̄nar, to the house of his God and there he brought them into hys goddes treasury. And the kynge spake vnto Aspha∣naz the chefe chamberlayne, that he shulde brynge hym certayne of the chyldren of Is∣rael, that were come of the kynges sede and of prynces, yonge spryngaldes without any blemysh, but fayre & welfauoured, instructe in all wysdome, connynge and vnderstan∣dynge: whiche were able to stande in the kin¦ges palace, to rede and to lerne for to speake Caldeysh.
Unto these the kynge apoynted a certayne [unspec B] porcyon of his owne meate, and of the wyne whiche he dranke hym selfe, so to norysh thē thre yere: that afterward they myght stande before the kynge. Amonge these nowe were certayne of the chyldrē of Iuda: namely Da¦niel / Ananias / Misael and Azarias. Unto these the chefe chamberlayne gaue other na∣mes, and called Daniel / Balthasar: Anam∣as / Sidrach: Misael / Misach: & Asarias / Abednago. But Daniell was at a poynte wyth hym selfe / that he wolde not be de∣fyled thorowe the kynges meate / nor the wy¦ne whyche he dronke. And this he desyred of [unspec C] the chefe Chamberlayne, left he shuld defyle hym self. So God gaue Daniel fauour and grace before the chefe chamberlayne, that he sayde vnto hym: I am afrayed of my Lorde the kyng / whiche hath appoynted you your meate & dryncke: lest he spye your faces to be worse lykyng then the other spryngaldes of your age, & so ye shal make me lose my heade vnto the kynge.
Then Daniel answered Melassar, whom the chefe chāberlayne had set ouer Daniell, Ananias / Misael and Asarias, and sayd: O proue but ten dayes with thy seruauntes / & let vs haue Potage to eate, and Water to drynck: then loke vpon our faces, and theirs that eate of the Kynges meate. And as thou seyst / so deale wyth thy seruauntes. So he consented to them in thys matter / and proued them tenne dayes. And after the tenne dayes, theyre faces were betterr ly∣kynge and fatter / then all the yonge spryn¦galdes / whyche dyd eate of the KYNGES meate.
Thus Melassar toke a way their meate [unspec D] and wyne / and gaue them potage therfore. God gaue nowe these foure springaldes con¦nynge and leruyng in al scrypture and wys¦dome: but vnto Danyell specyally / he gaue vnderstandyng of al visyons and dreames. Nowe when the tyme was expyred / that the kyng had appoynted to bryng in these yong spryngaldes vnto hym: the chefe chamber∣layne brought them before Nabuchodono∣sor / and the kynge communed with them. But amonge them all were founde none su∣che as Daniel / Ananias / Misael / and Asa∣rias. Therfore stode they before the kynge / whiche in all wysdome and matters of vn∣derstandynge / that he enquered of them, founde thē ten times better / then al the soth∣sayers and charmers / that were in all hys realme. And Daniel abode styll / vnto the fyrste yeare of kynge Cyrus.