And so it proved; for at the end of ten days their countenances
appeared fairer and fatter than the others did, who ate the king's
meat. And Melzar took away the wine and the good food, and gave them
pulse and water, as they had asked.
As for these four young men, God gave them skill to learn; and He gave
Daniel the power to understand visions and dreams.
So at the end of the three years the prince of the eunuchs
brought them, and a number of the other captives, in before King
Nebuchadnezzar; and the king communed with them; and among them all, he
found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. So they remained
near the king, and when anything was wanted of them, they were there to
do it.
The king found, when he talked with them, that their wisdom and
understanding was far beyond that of any of the others, and ten times
better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in his kingdom.
These four young men, captives in a strange land, eating and drinking
nothing but bread and water, were brave, faithful and obedient.
"They had set the Lord always before them." Their one aim was to please
Him; and as we go on with their story, we shall see that God was with
them, and enabled them to be "more than conquerors through Him Who had
loved them."
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