Daniel 1
1 I Kong Joakim af Judas tredje regeringsår drog kong Nebukadnezar af Babel til Jerusalem og belejrede det.
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 Kong Jojakim af Juda og en Del af Guds Huses Kar i hans Hånd, og han førte dem til Sinears Land; men Karrene bragte han til 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 Kongen bød derpå sin Overhofmester Asjpenaz at tage nogle Israeliter, dels af kongelig Slægt, dels af adelig Byrd,
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 Mænd uden mindste Lyde og med et smukt Ydre, vel bevandrede i al Visdom, kundskabsrige og lærenemme, egnede til at gøre Tjeneste i Kongens Palads, og lære dem Kaldæernes Skrift og Tungemål
[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 opdrage dem i tre År, for at de så kunde træde i Kongens Tjeneste; og Kongen tildelte dem deres daglige kost af sin egen Mad og af den Vin, han selv drak.
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 Judæerne Daniel, Hananja, Misjael og Azarja;
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 andre Navne, idet han kaldte Daniel Beltsazzar, Hananja Sjadrak, Misjael Mesjak og 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 Men Daniel satte sig for, at han ikke vilde gøre sig uren med kongens Mad eller den Vin Kongen drak; derfor bad han Overhofmesteren om at blive fri for at gøre sig uren dermed.
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 Yndest og Velvilje hos Overhofmesteren;
God had caused Ashpenaz to greatly respect me,
10 men Overhofmesteren sagde til ham: "Jeg frygter for, at min Herre Kongen, som har tildelt eder Mad og brikke, skal finde, at I ser ringere ud end de andre unge Mænd på eders Alder, og at I således skal 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 Så sagde Daniel til den Opsynsmand, som Overhofmesteren havde sat over Daniel, Hananja, Misjael og Azarja:
Ashpenaz had ordered a guard to watch me, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
12 "Prøv engang dine Trælle i ti, Dage og lad os få Grøntsager at spise 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 Sammenlign så vort Udseende med de unge Mænds, som spiser Kongens Mad; så kan du gøre med dine Trælle, efter hvad du ser."
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 Han føjede dem da heri og prøvede 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 da de ti Dage var omme, så de bedre ud og var ved bedre Huld end alle de unge Mænd, som spiste 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 Så lod Opsynsmanden deres Mad og Vinen, de skulde drikke, bringe bort og gav dem Grøntsager i Stedet.
So after that, the guard gave us [only] vegetables to eat; he did not give us the king’s special food and wine.
17 Disse fire unge Mænd gav Gud Kundskab og Indsigt i al Skrift og Visdom; Daniel forstod sig også på alle Hånde 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 da den Tid, Kongen havde fastsat for deres Fremstilling, kom, førte Overhofmesteren dem frem for Nebukadnezar.
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 Da så Kongen talte med dem, fandtes der iblandt dem alle ingen, som kunde måle sig med Daniel, Hananja, Misjael og Azarja, og de trådte derfor i Kongens Tjeneste.
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 når som helst Kongen spurgte dem om noget, der krævede Visdom og Indsigt, fandt han dem ti Gange dygtigere end alle Drømmetydere og Manere i hele sit 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.... til Kong Kyross første År.
I remained [there serving the king more than 60 years], until the first year that Cyrus became king.
