Daniel 1

The book opens with Daniel and his three friends (Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah) being taken captive to Babylon during the reign of King Jehoiakim. They are chosen for their intelligence and beauty to be trained for three years to serve in the king's palace. They are given new Babylonian names (Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego). Daniel resolves not to defile himself with the king's rich food and wine. He proposes a ten-day test of eating only vegetables and water. At the end of the test, they are healthier than the others, and the chief eunuch allows them to continue.