Daniel 1
1 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.
Ngomnyaka wesithathu wokubusa kukaJehoyakhimi inkosi yakwaJuda, uNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni wafika eJerusalema walihanqa.
2 [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.
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 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.
Kwathi-ke inkosi yasilaya u-Ashiphenazi, induna yezikhulu zesigodlo sayo ukuthi alethe abanye bama-Israyeli besikhosini lasezikhulwini,
4 [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.
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 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.”
Inkosi yababela ukudla okukhethiweyo okwansuku zonke kanye lewayini kuthathwa kokwakulungiselwe inkosi. Babezafundiswa okweminyaka emithathu, kuthi ngemva kwalokho baqalise ukusebenza esigodlweni.
6 Among the young Israeli men [who were chosen] were [me], Daniel, and Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, who all came from Judah.
Phakathi kwalabo babekhona ababephuma koJuda: uDanyeli, loHananiya, loMishayeli kanye lo-Azariya.
7 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.
Indunankulu yabanika amabizo amatsha: uDanyeli kwathiwa nguBhelitheshazari; uHananiya waba nguShadreki, uMishayeli waba nguMeshaki; u-Azariya waba ngu-Abhediniko.
8 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.
Kodwa uDanyeli wazimisela ukuthi angazingcolisi ngokudla kwesikhosini lewayini lakhona, yikho wasecela kundunankulu imvumo yokuthi angazingcolisi kanjalo.
9 God had caused Ashpenaz to greatly respect me,
UNkulunkulu wayekwenzile ukuthi Indunankulu imthande njalo imhawukele uDanyeli,
10 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!”
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 Ashpenaz had ordered a guard to watch me, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
UDanyeli wasesithi enxuseni elalibekwe yindunankulu phezu kwaboDanyeli, loHananiya, loMishayeli lo-Azariya,
12 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.
“Ake uzilinge izinceku zakho okwensuku ezilitshumi nje: Ungasiphi lutho ngaphandle kwemibhida ukuba sidle yona lamanzi okunatha.
13 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].”
Lapho-ke ubusufananisa imizimba yethu laleyo eyamajaha adla ukudla kwesikhosini, ubususenza njengokubona kwakho ezincekwini zakho.”
14 The guard agreed to do what I suggested, and he tested us like that for ten days.
Lakanye inxusa lakuvuma lokho labalinga okwensuku ezilitshumi.
15 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.
Ekupheleni kwensuku ezilitshumi bakhangeleka bephila ngcono njalo bezimukile kulamajaha ayesidla ukudla kwesikhosini.
16 So after that, the guard gave us [only] vegetables to eat; he did not give us the king’s special food and wine.
Yikho inxusa laselisusa ukudla kwabo kwekhethelo kanye lewayini ababelinatha labapha imibhida.
17 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.
La amajaha amane uNkulunkulu wawanika ulwazi lokuzwisisa zonke izibhalo lemfundo. Njalo uDanyeli wayezwisisa imibono lamaphupho wonke ehlukeneyo.
18 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.
Ekupheleni kwesikhathi esasibekwe yinkosi ukuthi balethwe, indunankulu yabethula kuNebhukhadineza.
19 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.
Inkosi yakhuluma labo yafumana engekho olingana loDanyeli, loHananiya, loMishayeli kanye lo-Azariya; ngakho bangeniswa ukusebenzela inkosi.
20 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.
Kuzozonke izindaba zokuhlakanipha lokuzwisisa inkosi eyababuza ngazo yabafumana bebedlula bonke omasalamusi lezangoma ngokuphindwe katshumi kuwo wonke umbuso wayo.
21 I remained [there serving the king more than 60 years], until the first year that Cyrus became king.
UDanyeli wahlala khona kwaze kwaba ngumnyaka wokuqala weNkosi uKhurosi.
