Daniel 1
1 During the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, attacked Jerusalem and surrounded it.
Ngomnyaka wesithathu wokubusa kukaJehoyakhimi inkosi yakwaJuda, uNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni wafika eJerusalema walihanqa.
2 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.
UThixo wanikela uJehoyakhimi inkosi yakwaJuda ezandleni zakhe, kanye lezinye impahla zethempeli likaNkulunkulu. Konke wakuthwala wakusa ethempelini likankulunkulu wakhe eBhabhiloniya wakufaka endlini yenotho kankulunkulu wakhe.
3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to take charge of some of the captured Israelites from the royal and noble families,
Kwathi-ke inkosi yasilaya u-Ashiphenazi, induna yezikhulu zesigodlo sayo ukuthi alethe abanye bama-Israyeli besikhosini lasezikhulwini,
4 “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.”
amajaha amizimba ingelasici, amahle, atshengisa ukufundiseka ezintweni zonke, azi okunengi, aphangisayo ukuzwisisa njalo abonakala efanele ukukhonza esigodlweni senkosi. Ayemele awafundise ulimi lezincwadi zamaBhabhiloni.
5 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.
Inkosi yababela ukudla okukhethiweyo okwansuku zonke kanye lewayini kuthathwa kokwakulungiselwe inkosi. Babezafundiswa okweminyaka emithathu, kuthi ngemva kwalokho baqalise ukusebenza esigodlweni.
6 Among those chosen were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, from the tribe of Judah.
Phakathi kwalabo babekhona ababephuma koJuda: uDanyeli, loHananiya, loMishayeli kanye lo-Azariya.
7 The chief eunuch gave them new names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.
Indunankulu yabanika amabizo amatsha: uDanyeli kwathiwa nguBhelitheshazari; uHananiya waba nguShadreki, uMishayeli waba nguMeshaki; u-Azariya waba ngu-Abhediniko.
8 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.
Kodwa uDanyeli wazimisela ukuthi angazingcolisi ngokudla kwesikhosini lewayini lakhona, yikho wasecela kundunankulu imvumo yokuthi angazingcolisi kanjalo.
9 God had helped Daniel to be viewed with kindness and sympathy by the chief eunuch.
UNkulunkulu wayekwenzile ukuthi Indunankulu imthande njalo imhawukele uDanyeli,
10 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!”
kodwa wathi kuDanyeli, “Ngiyamesaba umhlekazi wami inkosi, onguye okumisileyo ukudla kwenu lokokunatha. Kambe akayikulibona yini selikhangeleka kubi kulamanye amajaha angontanga benu? Inkosi ingahle ingiqume ikhanda ngenxa yenu.”
11 Daniel then spoke with the guard that the chief eunuch had put in charge of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
UDanyeli wasesithi enxuseni elalibekwe yindunankulu phezu kwaboDanyeli, loHananiya, loMishayeli lo-Azariya,
12 “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.
“Ake uzilinge izinceku zakho okwensuku ezilitshumi nje: Ungasiphi lutho ngaphandle kwemibhida ukuba sidle yona lamanzi okunatha.
13 “After that, compare us with those young men who ate the king's rich food. Then decide on the basis of what you see.”
Lapho-ke ubusufananisa imizimba yethu laleyo eyamajaha adla ukudla kwesikhosini, ubususenza njengokubona kwakho ezincekwini zakho.”
14 The guard agreed to the proposal they made and tested them for ten days.
Lakanye inxusa lakuvuma lokho labalinga okwensuku ezilitshumi.
15 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.
Ekupheleni kwensuku ezilitshumi bakhangeleka bephila ngcono njalo bezimukile kulamajaha ayesidla ukudla kwesikhosini.
16 After that the guard didn't give them the rich food and wine, just vegetables.
Yikho inxusa laselisusa ukudla kwabo kwekhethelo kanye lewayini ababelinatha labapha imibhida.
17 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.
La amajaha amane uNkulunkulu wawanika ulwazi lokuzwisisa zonke izibhalo lemfundo. Njalo uDanyeli wayezwisisa imibono lamaphupho wonke ehlukeneyo.
18 When their time of education ordered by the king was over, the chief eunuch brought all the young men before King Nebuchadnezzar.
Ekupheleni kwesikhathi esasibekwe yinkosi ukuthi balethwe, indunankulu yabethula kuNebhukhadineza.
19 The king talked with them and none could compare with Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they entered the king's service.
Inkosi yakhuluma labo yafumana engekho olingana loDanyeli, loHananiya, loMishayeli kanye lo-Azariya; ngakho bangeniswa ukusebenzela inkosi.
20 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.
Kuzozonke izindaba zokuhlakanipha lokuzwisisa inkosi eyababuza ngazo yabafumana bebedlula bonke omasalamusi lezangoma ngokuphindwe katshumi kuwo wonke umbuso wayo.
21 Daniel remained in this position until the first year of King Cyrus' reign.
UDanyeli wahlala khona kwaze kwaba ngumnyaka wokuqala weNkosi uKhurosi.
