When Nebuchadnezzar took the princes of Judah to Babylon, he put a court official named Ashpenaz in charge of them. Nebuchadnezzar told Ashpenaz to find the healthiest and the smartest young boys among them. These young boys would be trained for three years. The training would prepare them to be important officials in Babylon. The boys had to learn to read, write, and speak the Akkadian language of Babylon. They were also expected to eat the same kind of food that the king and his court ate. Four of these boys were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Ashpenaz gave them new Babylonian names: Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and  Abednego. Would this education cause them to stop serving Jehovah?

These four boys were determined to obey Jehovah. They knew that they should not eat the king’s food because Jehovah’s Law said that some of it was unclean. So they said to Ashpenaz: ‘Please do not make us eat the king’s food.’ Ashpenaz told them: ‘If you don’t eat and the king sees you looking sick, he will kill me!’

Daniel had an idea. He said to their guardian: ‘Please give us only vegetables and water for ten days. Then compare us with the boys who eat the king’s food.’ The guardian agreed.

After the ten-day test, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier than all the other boys. Jehovah was pleased that they had obeyed him. He even gave Daniel the wisdom to understand visions and dreams.

When the training was finished, Ashpenaz brought the boys to Nebuchadnezzar. The king spoke with them and saw that Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were more intelligent and alert than all the other boys. He chose these four to work in his royal court. The king would often ask them for advice on important matters. Jehovah had made them wiser than all the king’s wise men and magicians.

Even though they were in a foreign land, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah did not forget that they were Jehovah’s people. Will you too always remember Jehovah, even when your parents are not with you?

Vbe Nebukiadnẹza ghi viọ avbe okoro ọghe Juda sẹ e Babilọn, ọ na wẹẹ ne Aspẹnaz gha gbaroghe iran. E Nebukiadnẹza keghi tama rẹn ne ọ gualọ iran ne egbe rran rẹn kevbe ni mwẹ ẹwaẹn sẹ vbuwe ibiẹka ikpia nọ viọ rre, nọ mieke na ya ukpo eha maa iran emwi. Ọ gha ghi maa iran emwi nẹ, iran ghi gha winna vbe ẹguae ọba vbe Babilọn. Vbuwe ẹghẹ na, ibiẹka ikpia na, ghi ruẹ vbene a ya zẹ urhuẹvbo Akadian hẹ, vbene a ya tie ẹre kevbe vbene a ya gbẹn ọnrẹn. Evbare ne ọba kevbe ekhaẹmwẹ ọnrẹn re, ẹre iran khian vbe gha re. E Daniẹl, Hananaia, Misiaẹl kevbe Azaraia ghaa rre usun ibiẹka ikpia na. Aspẹnaz keghi mu eni e Babilọn ne iran nọ re Bẹtẹsiaza, Siẹdrak, Mesiak kevbe Abẹdnigo. Imamwaemwi na, gha ya iran sẹ e Jehova rae ra?

 Ibiẹka enẹ na, keghi ta muolọ yan rẹn wẹẹ, e Jehova ẹre iran khian họn ẹmwẹ na. Iran rẹnrẹn wẹẹ ọ ma khẹke ne iran rri egbe evbare ne ọba ọghe Babilọn re, rhunmwuda Uhi ọghe Jehova gbodan ghee evbare nii. Iran na ghi tama Aspẹnaz wẹẹ: ‘Lahọ ghẹ mu egbe evbare ne ọba re ne ima.’ Sokpan Aspẹnaz keghi tama iran wẹẹ: ‘Adeghẹ uwa ma na gha rri evbare na, uwa ghi do si amẹ; te Ọba e Nebukiadnẹza gbe mwẹ ruan vbe ọ gha bẹghe uwa!’

Sokpan, e Daniẹl keghi tama Aspẹnaz wẹẹ: ‘Danmwẹ ima ghee la ikpẹdẹ igbe. Gha le uwọnmwẹ ebe ne ima re ne u vbe gha sa amẹ ne ima wọn. U ghi do ya ima gie avbe igbama ni rri evbare ẹguae.’ Aspẹnaz keghi kue yọ.

A ghi viọ iran ladian vbe iyeke ikpẹdẹ igbe, e Daniẹl kevbe ọsiọre eha na rhuarhua sẹ ibiẹka ikpia nikẹre ni ghaa rri evbare ne ọba re. Emwi ne iran ru na, keghi yẹẹ e Jehova. E Jehova keghi rhie ẹwaẹn ne Daniẹl, ne ọ ya gha rhan otọ imina kevbe umian.

Vbe ukpo eha ghi gberra nẹ, Aspẹnaz na viọ ibiẹka na gie Nebukiadnẹza. Vbe ẹghẹ ne ọba ya gha gu iran guan, ọ na do bẹghe ẹre wẹẹ e Daniẹl, Hananaia, Misiaẹl kevbe Azaraia ẹre ọ mwẹ ẹwaẹn sẹ iran nikẹre. Ọ na ghi zẹ iran enẹ na, ne iran gha winna vbe ẹguae ọghe irẹn. Ẹmwẹ ne kpataki ghaa rre otọ na khian ta, ọba ghi vbe nọ iran vbene iran ghee ẹre hẹ. E Jehova keghi ru ẹre, ne ibiẹka enẹ na, mwẹ ẹwaẹn sẹ umẹwaẹn kevbe avbe ọbo eduna hia ni rre otọ e Babilọn.

E Daniẹl, Hananaia, Misiaẹl kevbe Azaraia ma mianmian wẹẹ, eguọmwadia e Jehova ẹre iran khin, uhiẹn vbe iran rre isi. Uwẹ gha ye yerre wẹẹ, ọguọmwadia e Jehova ẹre uwẹ khin vbe u gha rre ehe ne evbibiẹ ruẹ i ye ra?