Daniel 1
1 Treće godine kraljevanja Jojakima, kralja Judeje, dođe Nabukodonozor, kralj Babilona, na Jeruzalem te ga opsjede.
After King Jehoiakim had been ruling in Judah for almost three years, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem [with his army] and surrounded the city.
2 Gospodin mu dade u ruke Jojakima, kralja judejskog, i dio predmeta iz Doma Božjega; on ih dopremi u zemlju Šinear i pohrani predmete u riznici svojih bogova.
[After two years, ] Yahweh allowed Nebuchadnezzar’s [soldiers] to capture Jehoiakim, [who was the] King of Judah. They also took some of the things that were in the temple of God, and took them to Babylonia. There Nebuchadnezzar put them in the temple of his god.
3 Kralj naredi Ašfenazu, starješini svojih dvorjanika, da dovede od Izraelaca nekoliko dječaka kraljevskoga ili velikaškog roda:
Then Nebuchadnezzar commanded Ashpenaz, the chief official in his palace, to bring [to him] some of the Israeli men [whom they had brought to Babylon. He wanted men] who belonged to important families, including the family of the King of Judah.
4 neka budu bez nedostatka, lijepi, vrsni u svakoj mudrosti, dobro poučeni i bistri, prikladni da stoje na kraljevu dvoru; Ašfenaz neka ih nauči pismu i jeziku Kaldejaca.
[King Nebuchadnezzar wanted only] men who were very healthy, handsome/good-looking, wise, well-educated, capable of learning many things, and suitable for working in the palace. He also wanted to teach them the Babylonian language and have them read things that had been written in the Babylonian language.
5 Kralj im odredi dnevni obrok od kraljevskih jela i od vina sa svoga stola. Neka se odgajaju tri godine, a poslije toga imali bi stajati pred kraljem.
The king commanded [his servants], “Give them the same kind of food and wine that is given to me. Train them for three years. Then they will become my servants.”
6 Među njima bijahu Judejci: Daniel, Hananija, Mišael i Azarja.
Among the young Israeli men [who were chosen] were [me], Daniel, and Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, who all came from Judah.
7 Dvorjanički starješina nadjene im imena: Daniel će se zvati Baltazar, Hananija Šadrak, Mišael Mešak, Azarja Abed Nego.
But Ashpenaz gave us [Babylonian] names. The name he gave to me was Belteshazzar, the name he gave to Hananiah was Shadrach, the name he gave to Mishael was Meshach, and the name he gave to Azariah was Abednego.
8 Daniel je u srcu odlučio da se neće okaljati kraljevim jelima i vinom s njegova stola, pa zamoli dvorjaničkog starješinu da ga poštedi te se ne okalja.
But I decided that I would not eat the kind of food that the king ate, or drink the wine that he drank, because that would make me (ritually defiled/unacceptable to God). So I asked Ashpenaz to allow me to eat and drink other things.
9 Bog dade Danielu te nađe dobrohotnost i smilovanje u dvorjaničkog starješine.
God had caused Ashpenaz to greatly respect me,
10 Starješina reče Danielu: “Bojim se svoga gospodara kralja; on vam je odredio jelo i pilo, pa ako vidi da su vam lica mršavija nego u drugih dječaka vaše dobi, ja ću zbog vas biti kriv pred kraljem.”
but he was worried about what I suggested. He said, “My master, the king, has commanded that you eat the kinds of food and drink that he does. If [you eat other things and as a result] you become more thin and pale than the other young men who are your age, he will [order his soldiers to] cut off my head because of what you have done!”
11 Tada reče Daniel čuvaru koga bijaše dvorjanički starješina odredio Danielu, Hananiji, Mišaelu i Azarji:
Ashpenaz had ordered a guard to watch me, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
12 “Molim te, pokušaj sa svojim slugama deset dana: neka nam se daje povrće za jelo i voda za pilo.
So I said to this guard: “[Please] test us for ten days. [During that time] give us [only] vegetables to eat and water to drink.
13 Vidjet ćeš onda kakvi ćemo biti mi a kakvi dječaci koji jedu od kraljevih jela, pa učini sa svojim slugama po onome što budeš vidio.”
After ten days, see how we look, and see how the other young men look, the ones who are eating the kind of food that the king eats. Then you can decide about [what food you will let us eat].”
14 On pristade i stavi ih na kušnju deset dana.
The guard agreed to do what I suggested, and he tested us like that for ten days.
15 A nakon deset dana oni bijahu ljepši i ugojeniji nego svi dječaci koji jeđahu od kraljevih jela.
After ten days, [he saw that] my three friends and I looked healthier [DOU] than the young men who had been eating the food that the king wanted them to eat.
16 Od tada čuvar dokinu njihova jela i obrok vina što su imali piti te im davaše povrća.
So after that, the guard gave us [only] vegetables to eat; he did not give us the king’s special food and wine.
17 Ovoj četvorici dječaka dade Bog znanje i razumijevanje svih knjiga i mudrosti. Daniel razumijevaše viđenja i sne.
And God gave to us four young men wisdom and the ability to study many things that Babylonians had written and studied. And [he also gave to] me the ability to understand the meaning of visions and dreams.
18 Pošto se navršilo vrijeme određeno od kralja da mu ih dovedu, dvorjanički starješina uvede ih pred Nabukodonozora.
When those three years that the king had set for training us young men from Judah were ended, Ashpenaz brought all of us to King Nebuchadnezzar.
19 Kralj razgovaraše s njima i među svima ne nađe se nijedan kao Daniel, Hananija, Mišael i Azarja. I tako oni ostadoše pred kraljem.
The king talked with [each of] us, and realized that none of the other young men were as capable as Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah and I were. So we four became the king’s special advisors/servants.
20 I u svemu mudrom i umnom o čemu ih ispitivaše kralj nađe da su deset puta vrsniji od svih čarobnika i gatalaca što ih bijaše u svem njegovu kraljevstvu.
In all important matters, the king found that what we [four men] advised was ten times as good as what all the magicians and sorcerers/fortune-tellers in his kingdom advised.
21 Daniel ostade ondje do prve godine kralja Kira.
I remained [there serving the king more than 60 years], until the first year that Cyrus became king.
