Daniel

Matthew(i) 1 In the thyrde yeare of the raygne of Iehoakim kinge of Iuda, came Nabuchodonosor kyng of Babylon vnto Ierusalem, & beseged it 2 and the Lord deliuered Iehoakim the kinge of Iuda into his hande, with certayne ornamentes of the house of God, whiche he caryed awaye vnto the lande of Sennar, to the house of his God, and there he broughte them into hys Goddes treasurye. 3 And the kyng spake vnto Asphanaz the chefe chamberlayne, that he shulde brynge hym certayne of the chyldren of Israel, that were come of the kynges sede & of prynces, 4 yonge spryngaldes wythout anye blemyshe, but fayre & welfauoured, instructe in all wisdome, connyng and vnderstanding: whiche were able to stande in the kynges palace, to reade and to learne for to speake Caldeish. 5 Vnto these the king appoynted a certayne porcyon of hys owne meate, and of the wyne, which he drancke hym selfe, so to noryshe them thre yeare: that afterwarde they myght stande before the kynge. 6 Amonge these nowe were certayne of the chyldren of Iuda: namely Daniel, Ananias, Misael & Azarias. 7 Vnto these the chefe chamberlayne gaue other names, & called Daniel, Balthazar: Ananias, Sidrach, Misael, Misach, and Asarias, Abednago. 8 But Daniel was at a poynte wyth hym self, that he wolde not be defyled thorowe the kynges meate, nor the wyne whiche he droncke. And this he desyred of the chefe Chamberlaine, leste he shulde defyle hym selfe. 9 So God gaue Daniel fauoure and grace before the chefe chamberlayne, 10 that he said vnto hym: I am afraied of my Lorde the kynge, whiche hath appoynted you youre meate & drinck: lest he spye your faces to be worse lykyng then the other springaldes of youre age, and so ye shall make me lose my head vnto the kynge. 11 Then Daniel aunswered Melassar, whom the chefe chamberlayne had set ouer Daniell, Ananias, Misael and Asarias, & sayde: 12 O proue but ten dayes with thy seruauntes, and let vs haue potage to eate, & water to drincke: 13 then loke vpon oure faces, & theyrs that eate of the kynges meate. And as thou seyst, so deale wyth thy seruauntes. 14 So he consented to them in thys matter, and proued them .x. dayes. 15 And after the ten dayes, theyr faces were better lykyng & fatter, then al the younge spryngaldes whiche ate of the kynges meate. 16 Thus Melassar toke awaye theyr meate, and wyne, and gaue them potage therefore. 17 God gaue nowe these foure spryngaldes connyng and learnyng in all scrypture and wysdome: but vnto Daniell specyally, he gaue vnderstandynge of all vysyons and dreames. 18 Nowe when the tyme was expyred, that the kynge hath appoynted to bryng in these yonge spryngaldes vnto hym: the chefe chamberlain broughte them before Nabuchodonosor, 19 and the kynge communed with them. But among them all were founde none suche as Daniel, Ananias, Misael, and Asarias. Therfor stode they before the kynge, 20 whiche in all wysdome and matters of vnderstandynge, that he enquered of them, founde them ten tymes better then all the sothsayers and charmers, that were in all hys realme. 21 And Daniel abode styl, vnto the fyrste yeare of kynge Cyrus.