Daniel 1
1 During the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, attacked Jerusalem and surrounded it.
猶大王約雅金在位第三年，巴比倫王拿步高前來圍攻耶路撒冷，
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.
上主將猶大王約雅金和天主殿內的一部分器皿，交在拿步高手中，他便將這些器皿帶到史納爾地方，存放在他神殿的庫房內。
3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to take charge of some of the captured Israelites from the royal and noble families,
君王吩咐他的宦官長阿市培納次，要他由以色列子民中，選一些王室或貴族的青年，
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.”
他們應沒有缺陷，容貌俊美，足智多才，富有知識，明察事理，適合在王宮內充當侍從，應教給他們加色丁文字和語言。
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.
君王且給他們指定了，每天要吃君王所吃的食品和所飲的美酒，如此教養他們三年；期滿以後，他們便可侍立在君王左右。
6 Among those chosen were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, from the tribe of Judah.
他們中為猶大後裔的，有達尼爾、阿納尼雅、米沙耳和阿匝黎雅。
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.
宦官長另給他們起了名字：給達尼爾起名叫貝特沙匝，阿納尼雅叫沙得辣客，米沙耳叫默沙客，阿匝黎雅叫阿貝得乃哥。
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.
但是阿尼爾心中早已拿定主意，決不讓自己為君王的食品和君王飲的美酒所玷污，所以他請求宦官長使自己免受玷污。
9 God had helped Daniel to be viewed with kindness and sympathy by the chief eunuch.
天主賞達尼爾在宦官長眼中獲得寵遇和同情。
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!”
宦官長對達尼爾說：「我害怕我的主上君王，他原給你們指定了飲食，若見你們的面容比你們同年的青年消瘦，這樣你們豈不是將我的頭斷送給君王! 」
11 Daniel then spoke with the guard that the chief eunuch had put in charge of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
達尼爾對宦官長派來照管達尼爾、阿納尼雅、米沙耳和阿匝黎雅的人說：「
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.
請你一連十天試一試你的僕人們，只給我們蔬菜吃，清水喝；
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.”
然後，你親自觀察我們的容貌，和那些吃君王食品的青年的容貌，就照你所觀察的，對待你的僕人們罷! 」
14 The guard agreed to the proposal they made and tested them for ten days.
他答應了他們的要求，試驗了他們十天。
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.
十天以後，他們的容貌比那些吃君王食品的青年顯得更為美麗，肌肉更為豐滿。
16 After that the guard didn't give them the rich food and wine, just vegetables.
負責照管的人，遂將他們的食品和應喝的美酒撤去，祇給他們蔬菜。
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.
至於這四個青年，天主賜給了他們精通各種文字和學問的才智與聰明，而且達尼爾還通曉各種神視和夢兆。
18 When their time of education ordered by the king was over, the chief eunuch brought all the young men before King Nebuchadnezzar.
君王規定帶他們進宮的期限一滿，宦官長就領他們進見拿步高。
19 The king talked with them and none could compare with Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they entered the king's service.
君王和他們交談，發現其中沒有一個能及得上達尼爾、阿納尼雅、米沙耳和阿匝黎雅的，於是他們隨侍在君王前，
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.
君王無論詢問他們什麼智識和學問，發現他們都十倍於自己全國所有的巫師和術士。
21 Daniel remained in this position until the first year of King Cyrus' reign.
達尼爾就這樣一直到居魯士王元年。
