May 17

1 In the third year of the reign of Jeliorakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.

2 And the LORD gave Jehovah king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure-house of his god.

3 And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes;

4 Children in whom they no blemish, but well favoured, and skilled in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as And ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.

5 And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank; so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king.

6 Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah:

7 Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names; for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abed nege.

8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

9 New God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.

10 And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink; for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make we endanger my head to the king.

11 Then said Daniel to Meizar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.

13 Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat; and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.

14 So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.

15 And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat.

16 Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink, and gave them pulse.

17 As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

18 Now at the end of the days that the king

had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.

19 And the king commanded with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Michael, and Azariah; therefore stood they before the king.

20 And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.

21 And Daniel continued even unto the first year of King Cyrus.

"Duty, like God, is the same everywhere." The act of these boys is an admirable refutation and rebuke of the feeling that often is felt and expressed by both men and boys: "I can't live as a Christian here." If one can't live as a Christian "here," wherever that may be, he cannot do it anywhere. The religion that will give way to the world, instead of making the world give way to it, isn't worth much. Many grown men, in all probability, had given up their Hebrew worship on account of just that sort of feeling. Four boys taught them they could live true to Jehovah even in the court of Nebuchadnezzar. And the secret of their fidelity in the midst of such unusually seductive temptations was that one of them "purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself." What if Daniel had thought, "I am only a boy; it is the business of those who are older to take the initiative in this thing." Let the boys who think that it would be hard for them to live a Christian life in their circumstances answer.

The Rev. Perley B. Davis uses the habits of the ermine in beautiful illustration here: "Its far is snow-white, and, so sensitive is it to defilement of any kind, that its hunters, it is said, trap it by driving it into a circle of mud which they have laid for the purpose. Through that it will not go. It would rather be caught and killed than sully its perfect purity! If Christians feared death less than dishonor, the church would cease to be reproached by the world."

Closet Promise.—He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: He that keepeth thee will not slumber.—Psalm cxxi. 3.

"Leave God to order all thy ways, And hope in Him whatever betide, Thou'th find Him in the evil days Thy all-sufficient strength and guide; Trust His rich promises of grace,

So shall they be fulfill'd in thee; God never yet forsake at need The soul that trusted Him indeed, Who trusts in God's exchanging love, Builds on the rock that naught can move."