Chapter 10

¹ Therefore, that what was spoken by the Lord might be fulfilled and the prophet shown to be truthful, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came and took all the treasures that were found in the house of the Lord and led the people into captivity; and he took for himself as servants the sons of the king and the nobler of the Parthommin, among whom were chosen also Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah—whose lineage the Scripture passed over in silence, but it recounted their piety and faithfulness and the deed that took place there.

² For they, having possessed the fear of God from childhood, were unwilling to partake of the king’s table or to drink of the wine of his drink, lest they should defile their own pure mouth.

³ O blessed youths, who kept the covenant of the fathers and did not transgress the law given through Moses, but feared the God proclaimed through it!

⁴ These, being captives in a foreign land, were not deceived by varied delicacies, nor enslaved by the wine of pleasure, nor enticed by royal glory; though seized and carried off, they kept their own mouth chaste and pure, so that a pure word, proceeding from a pure mouth, might through it hymn the heavenly Father, as it is written: If you bring forth what is precious from what is worthless, you shall be as my mouth.

⁵ Do you understand, then, O man, what has been said? A fatherly mouth brought forth a precious Word from itself, so that a second time again the Word might be shown to be begotten by holy ones—always begetting the holy ones, and himself again begotten by holy ones.