Daniel 1
1 I Jojakims, Judas Konges, Regerings tredje Aar drog Nebukadnezar, Kongen af Babel, til Jerusalem og belejrede den.
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 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.
[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 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 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 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.
[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 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 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 Iblandt dem var der af Judas Børn: Daniel, Hanania, Misael og Asaria.
Among the young Israeli men [who were chosen] were [me], Daniel, and Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, who all came from Judah.
7 Og Overhofmesteren gav dem Navne: Daniel kaldte han Beltsazar og Hanania Sadrak og Misael Mesak og Asaria 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 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.
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 Og Gud lod Daniel finde Naade, og Barmhjertighed for Overhofmesterens Ansigt.
God had caused Ashpenaz to greatly respect me,
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 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 Da sagde Daniel til den Melzar, som Overhofmesteren havde sat over Daniel, Hanania, Misael og Asaria:
Ashpenaz had ordered a guard to watch me, 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;
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 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 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 Og han adlød dem i denne Sag og forsøgte det med dem i ti Dage.
The guard agreed to do what I suggested, and he tested us like that 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.
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 Da borttog Melzar deres Mad og den Vin, de skulde drikke, og gav dem Grøntsager.
So after that, the guard gave us [only] vegetables to eat; he did not give us the king’s special food and wine.
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.
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 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 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 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 [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 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.
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 Og Daniel blev indtil Kong Kyrus's første Aar.
I remained [there serving the king more than 60 years], until the first year that Cyrus became king.
