¹⁷ God made the four young men smart and wise. They read a lot of books and became well educated. Daniel could also tell the meaning of dreams and visions.

¹⁸ At the end of the three-year period set by King Nebuchadnezzar, his chief palace official brought all the young men to him. ¹⁹ The king interviewed them and discovered that none of the others were as outstanding as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they were given positions in the royal court.