Stolen from His Home

By Mary Vee
Daniel 1

From Young Daniel's Journal

Photo Courtesy

The court official told my friends and I to not be afraid, but we were.

My name is Daniel and I use to live in Judah.

The soldiers came to our homes and spoke a language I didn't understand. We weren't doing anything wrong. He ordered my friends and I to go with him. Anyone who resisted would have chains put on their wrists and feet and forced to walk. 

My mom cried out but the soldiers pulled her away from me.

They didn't want everyone, only the boys who fit what the king ordered. They went to the royal family and the nobility looking for young men about my age. They looked at our eyes, our teeth, our arms and legs to see if we had anything physically wrong with us. 

The officials took us to a big room and asked questions. Those of us who knew the answers and showed we could learn quickly were told the Babylonian king wanted us to serve in the palace.

I didn't consider it an honor. I wanted to stay home.

The officials gave us Babylonian names. Everyone had to call me Belteshazzar from now on, my friend Hananiah was called Shadrach. Mishael was named Meshach. Azariah was named Abednego. 

The journey to Babylon took a long time. I've never traveled this far from home before. My feet ached. Blisters formed. We walked over mountains, and turned east. The city popped up in the horizon like a giant. The closer we came, the bigger the city grew. 

The officials said we would begin long days of school as soon as we arrived. We would be taught the language spoken by the Babylonians and their literature. If I have to be here, I'd rather learn their language so I can understand the people than to know understand them. The king said we would only have three years to learn everything he wanted. At that time he will decide who goes where.

On the journey, the official served us Babylonian food. He then said the king wanted us to have an assigned amount of food to eat every day and wine from the royal table when we arrived at the palace.

I missed my parents, my bed, my home, the people, my land, my language, even our food. I didn't want the palace, or to have a Babylonian king proud of me.

I have no idea how long we'll have to stay here.

I really would like to go home.

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1. What did the soldiers do?
2. Who sent them?
3. Why did they only take certain boys?
4. What did they want the boys to do?
5. What was Daniel's new name?
6. What did Daniel want to do?