Daniel 1
1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylonia came to Jerusalem and surrounded the city to cut off all supplies to it.
Ngomnyaka wesithathu wokubusa kukaJehoyakhimi inkosi yakoJuda, kwafika uNebhukadinezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni eJerusalema, wayivimbezela.
2 The Lord gave Nebuchadnezzar victory over Jehoiakim king of Judah, and he gave him some of the sacred objects from the house of God. He brought them into the land of Babylonia, to the house of his god, and he placed the sacred objects in his god's treasury.
INkosi yasinikela uJehoyakhimi inkosi yakoJuda esandleni sakhe, lengxenye yezitsha zendlu kaNkulunkulu; wasezisa elizweni leShinari, endlini kankulunkulu wakhe; waletha izitsha endlini yenotho kankulunkulu wakhe.
3 The king spoke to Ashpenaz, his chief official, to bring in some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility—
Inkosi yasikhuluma kuAshipenazi induna yabathenwa bayo, ukuthi alethe abanye kubantwana bakoIsrayeli, lakunzalo yesikhosini, lakuziphathamandla;
4 young men without blemish, attractive in appearance, skillful in all wisdom, filled with knowledge and understanding, and qualified to serve in the king's palace. He was to teach them the Babylonians' literature and language.
amajaha okungelalasici kuwo, amahle ngesimo, azingcwethi kuyo yonke inhlakanipho, alolwazi ngolwazi, alokuqedisisa ekwazini, lokwakulamandla kuwo okuma esigodlweni senkosi, lokuthi bawafundise izincwadi lolimi lwamaKhaladiya.
5 The king counted out for them a daily portion of his delicacies and some of the wine that he drank. These young men were to be trained for three years, and after that, they would serve the king.
Inkosi yasiwamisela into yosuku ngosuku lwayo esabelweni sokudla kwenkosi, lewayinini lokunatha kwayo, lokuthi bawakhulise iminyaka emithathu, ukuze ekupheleni kwayo azekuma phambi kwenkosi.
6 Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, some of the people of Judah.
Njalo kwakukhona phakathi kwabo kubantwana bakoJuda: ODaniyeli, uHananiya, uMishayeli, loAzariya.
7 The chief official gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.
Njalo induna yabathenwa yabatha amabizo; ngoba yamutha uDaniyeli ngokuthi nguBeliteshazari; loHananiya ngokuthi nguShadraki; loMishayeli ngokuthi nguMeshaki; loAzariya ngokuthi nguAbedinego.
8 But Daniel intended in his mind that he would not pollute himself with the king's delicacies or with the wine that he drank. So he asked permission from the chief official that he might not pollute himself.
Kodwa uDaniyeli wazimisela enhliziyweni yakhe ukuthi angazingcolisi ngesabelo sokudla kwenkosi, langewayini yokunatha kwayo; ngakho wacela enduneni yabathenwa ukuthi angazingcolisi.
9 Now God gave Daniel favor and compassion through the respect that the chief official had for him.
UNkulunkulu wasemnika uDaniyeli umusa lesihawu phambi kwenduna yabathenwa.
10 The chief official said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my master the king. He has commanded what food and drink you should have. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men of your own age? The king might have my head because of you.”
Induna yabathenwa yasisithi kuDaniyeli: Ngiyayesaba inkosi yami, inkosi, emise ukudla kwenu lokunathwayo kwenu; ngoba kungani izabona ubuso benu budanile kulamajaha ayintanga yenu? Ngokunjalo lizafaka ikhanda lami engozini enkosini.
11 Then Daniel spoke to the steward whom the chief official had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
UDaniyeli wasesithi kumphathi, induna yabathenwa eyayimmise waba phezu kwaboDaniyeli, uHananiya, uMishayeli, loAzariya:
12 He said, “Please test us, your servants, for ten days. Give us only some vegetables to eat and water to drink.
Ake ulinge inceku zakho insuku ezilitshumi; njalo basinike okwemibhida eyimidumba ukuthi sidle, lamanzi ukuthi sinathe.
13 Then compare our appearance with the appearance of the young men who eat the king's delicacies, and treat us, your servants, based on what you see.”
Kakuthi-ke izimo zethu zibonakale phambi kwakho, lezimo zamajaha adla isabelo sokudla kwenkosi; wenze-ke ezincekwini zakho njengokubona kwakho.
14 So the steward agreed with him to do this, and he tested them for ten days.
Wasebalalela kuloludaba, wabalinga insuku ezilitshumi.
15 At the end of ten days their appearance was more healthy, and they were better nourished, than all the young men who ate the king's delicacies.
Kwathi ekupheleni kwezinsuku ezilitshumi izimo zabo zabonakala zizinhle njalo zizimukile enyameni kulawo wonke amajaha ayesidla isabelo sokudla kwenkosi.
16 So the steward took away their delicacies and their wine and gave them only vegetables.
Ngakho-ke umphathi wasusa isabelo sokudla kwabo, lewayini lokunatha kwabo, wabanika imibhida.
17 As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and insight in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel could understand all kinds of visions and dreams.
Mayelana lala amajaha amane, uNkulunkulu wawanika ulwazi lokuqedisisa kuzo zonke izincwadi, lenhlakanipho. Njalo uDaniyeli waqedisisa ngayo yonke imibono lamaphupho.
18 At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in, the chief official brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.
Kwathi ekupheleni kwezinsuku inkosi eyayitshilo ukuthi bazawangenisa ngazo, induna yabathenwa yawangenisa phambi kukaNebhukadinezari.
19 The king spoke with them, and among the whole group there were none to compare with Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. They stood before the king, ready to serve him.
Inkosi yasikhuluma lawo; njalo phakathi kwawo wonke kakutholwanga onjengoDaniyeli, uHananiya, uMishayeli, loAzariya; ngakho ema phambi kwenkosi.
20 In every question of wisdom and understanding that the king asked them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and those who claimed to speak with the dead, who were in his entire kingdom.
Mayelana lazo zonke izindaba zenhlakanipho lokuqedisisa, inkosi eyayiwabuza ngazo, yawathola esedlula ngokuphindwe katshumi bonke abalumbi lezangoma abasembusweni wayo wonke.
21 Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus.
Njalo uDaniyeli waba khona kwaze kwaba ngumnyaka wokuqala wenkosi uKoresi.
