Daniel 1
1 I Jojakims, Judas Konges, Regerings tredje Aar drog Nebukadnezar, Kongen af Babel, til Jerusalem og belejrede den.
During the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, attacked Jerusalem and surrounded it.
2 Og Herren gav Jojakim, Judas Konge, i hans Haand samt en Del af Guds Hus's Kar, og dem lod han føre til Sinears Land, til sin Guds Hus; og Karrene lod han føre ind i sin Guds Skatkammer.
The Lord allowed him to defeat King Jehoiakim, and also to remove some of the objects used in the Temple of God. He took them back to Babylon, to the house of his god, placing them in the treasury of his god.
3 Og Kongen sagde til Aspenas, sin Overhofmester, at han skulde lade nogle komme af Israels Sønner, baade af den kongelige Slægt og af de fornemme,
Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to take charge of some of the captured Israelites from the royal and noble families,
4 unge Mennesker, aldeles uden Lyde og smukke af Udseende, med Gave til at forstaa al Slags Visdom og til at lære Kundskab og blive kyndige i Vidskab, og i hvilke der var Dygtighed til at tjene i Kongens Palads; og at han skulde lade dem lære kaldæisk Skrift og Tungemaal.
“They are to be young men without any physical defect who are good-looking,” he said. “They must be well-educated, quick to learn, have good insight, and be well able to serve in the king's palace and be taught the literature and language of Babylon.”
5 Og Kongen bestemte, at de Dag for Dag skulde have deres Del af Kongens Mad og af den Vin, som han drak, og at man skulde opdrage dem i tre Aar; og naar de vare til Ende, da skulde de staa for Kongens Ansigt.
The king also provided them with a daily allowance of the same kind of rich food and wine he was served. At the end of their three years of education they would enter the king's service.
6 Iblandt dem var der af Judas Børn: Daniel, Hanania, Misael og Asaria.
Among those chosen were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, from the tribe of Judah.
7 Og Overhofmesteren gav dem Navne: Daniel kaldte han Beltsazar og Hanania Sadrak og Misael Mesak og Asaria Abed-Nego.
The chief eunuch gave them new names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.
8 Men Daniel satte sig for i sit Hjerte, at han ikke vilde besmitte sig med Kongens Mad og med den Vin, som han drak; derfor begærede han af Overhofmesteren, at han maatte blive fri for at besmitte sig.
However, Daniel made up his mind not to make himself impure by eating the king's rich food and wine. He asked the chief eunuch to allow him not to make himself impure.
9 Og Gud lod Daniel finde Naade, og Barmhjertighed for Overhofmesterens Ansigt.
God had helped Daniel to be viewed with kindness and sympathy by the chief eunuch.
10 Og Overhofmesteren sagde til Daniel: Jeg frygter for min Herre, Kongen, som har bestemt eders Mad og eders Drikke; thi hvorfor skulde han se, at eders Ansigter saa slettere ud end Drengenes, som ere jævnaldrende med eder, og I bringe Skyld over mit Hoved hos Kongen!
But the chief eunuch told Daniel, “I'm afraid of what my lord the king would do to me. He's the one who decided what you should eat and drink. What if he were to see you looking pale and sickly compared to the other young men of your age. Because of you the king would have my head!”
11 Da sagde Daniel til den Melzar, som Overhofmesteren havde sat over Daniel, Hanania, Misael og Asaria:
Daniel then spoke with the guard that the chief eunuch had put in charge of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
12 Forsøg dog med dine Tjenere i ti Dage; og lad dem give os Grøntsager at æde og Vand at drikke;
“Please put us, your servants, to the test and just give us vegetables to eat and water to drink for ten days,” Daniel told him.
13 og lad da vort Udseende blive synet af dig som og de Drenges Udseende, hvilke æde af Kongens Mad; og som du da ser, saa gør med dine Tjenere!
“After that, compare us with those young men who ate the king's rich food. Then decide on the basis of what you see.”
14 Og han adlød dem i denne Sag og forsøgte det med dem i ti Dage.
The guard agreed to the proposal they made and tested them for ten days.
15 Og efter at ti Dage vare til Ende, viste det sig, at deres Udseende var smukkere, og at de vare federe af Kød end alle Drengene, som aade Kongens Mad.
When the ten days were up they looked healthier and better fed than all the young men who had eaten the king's rich food.
16 Da borttog Melzar deres Mad og den Vin, de skulde drikke, og gav dem Grøntsager.
After that the guard didn't give them the rich food and wine, just vegetables.
17 Og disse fire unge Mennesker gav Gud Kundskab og Forstand i al Slags Skrift og Visdom; men Daniel forstod sig paa alle Slags Syner og Drømme.
God gave these four young men the ability to learn and understand in all areas of literature and knowledge, while Daniel was also given the gift of interpreting all kinds of visions and dreams.
18 Og der Dagene vare til Ende, efter hvilke Kongen havde sagt, at man skulde føre dem frem, da førte Overhofmesteren dem frem for Nebukadnezars Ansigt.
When their time of education ordered by the king was over, the chief eunuch brought all the young men before King Nebuchadnezzar.
19 Og Kongen talte med dem, og ingen af dem alle sammen blev funden som Daniel, Hanania, Misael og Asaria; og de stode for Kongens Ansigt.
The king talked with them and none could compare with Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they entered the king's service.
20 Og i alle Sager, der krævede Visdom og Indsigt, og om hvilke Kongen spurgte dem, fandt han dem ti Gange at overgaa alle de Spaamænd og Besværgere, som vare i hans hele Rige.
Whatever subject the king asked them about, everything that required wisdom of understanding, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.
21 Og Daniel blev indtil Kong Kyrus's første Aar.
Daniel remained in this position until the first year of King Cyrus' reign.
