1. In the third year of the reign of Yehoyaqim, sovereign of Yehuḏah, Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar, sovereign of Baḇel came to Yerushalayim and besieged it.
2. And יהוה gave Yehoyaqim sovereign of Yehuḏah into his hand, with some of the utensils of the House of Elohim, which he brought to the land of Shin‛ar to the house of his mighty one. And he brought the utensils into the treasure house of his mighty one.
3. And the sovereign said to Ashpenaz, the chief of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Yisra’ĕl and some of the sovereign’s descendants and some of the nobles,
4. young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, having insight in all wisdom, having knowledge and understanding learning, capable to stand in the sovereign’s palace, and to teach them the writing and speech of the Chaldeans.
5. And the sovereign appointed for them a daily ration of the sovereign’s food and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end thereof they should stand before the sovereign.