Daniel 1
1 Mgbe afọ atọ gafere site na mgbe Jehoiakim bidoro bụrụ eze na-achị Juda, Nebukadneza eze na-achị Babilọn bịara buso Jerusalem agha.
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 Onyenwe anyị nyefere Jehoiakim, eze Juda nʼaka ya, na ihe ụfọdụ e jiri chọọ ụlọnsọ Chineke mma. O buuru ha niile gawa Shaịna nʼụlọ chi ya, dobe ha nʼime nʼụlọakụ chi ya.
[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 Eze nyere Ashipenaz, onyeisi ndị ozi ya iwu ka ọ kpọbata ụmụ okorobịa sitere nʼezinaụlọ eze na nke ndị ọchịchị nʼala Izrel nʼije ozi eze.
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 Ụmụ okorobịa ndị a ga-abụ ndị nʼenweghị nkwarụ ọbụla nʼahụ ha, ndị mara mma ile anya na ndị nwere nghọta banyere ihe ọmụma dị iche iche. Ha kwesikwara ịbụ ndị maara ihe, ndị na-amụta ihe ọsịịsọ na ndị tozuru oke ije ozi nʼụlọeze. Ọ ga-akụziri ha asụsụ na akwụkwọ ọgụgụ dị iche iche nke ndị Kaldịa.
[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 Onye eze si nʼoche nri ya na-ewepụta nri na mmanya a ga-enye ha kwa ụbọchị. Ha ga-anọ nʼọzụzụ a afọ atọ, nke ọ ga-abụ e mechaa, ha ga-abụ ndị kwesiri ịnọ nʼije ozi nʼobi onye eze.
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 Ndị so nʼime ha bụ Daniel, na Hananaya, na Mishael, na Azaraya, ha bụ ndị Juda.
Among the young Israeli men [who were chosen] were [me], Daniel, and Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, who all came from Judah.
7 Ma onyeisi ndị na-ejere eze ozi nyere ha aha ọhụrụ ọzọ Daniel ka ọ kpọrọ Belteshaza; Hananaya ka ọ kpọrọ Shedrak; ọ kpọrọ Mishael, Mishak; kpọkwa Azaraya, Abednego.
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 Ma Daniel kpebiri nʼobi ya na ọ gaghị emerụ onwe ya site nʼiri nri maọbụ ịṅụ mmanya eze. Ya mere ọ rịọrọ onyeisi ndị ozi ka ọ hapụ ya ka ọ ghara imerụ onwe ya.
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 Ma Chineke mere ka Daniel nweta ihuọma na obi ebere nʼaka onyeisi ndị na-ejere eze ozi. O nwekwara ọmịiko nʼebe Daniel nọ nʼihi ọnọdụ ha.
God had caused Ashpenaz to greatly respect me,
10 Ma onyeozi a gwara Daniel, “Ana m atụ egwu nʼihi onyenwe m eze, onye kwuru ihe unu ga-eri na ihe unu ga-aṅụ. Ọ bụrụ na ọ hụ na unu tara ahụ karịa ndị ọgbọ unu ndị ọzọ, ndụ m ga-anọ na nsogbu nʼaka onye eze.”
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 Daniel sịrị onyeisi ahụ e tinyere ọrụ ilekọta Daniel, na Hananaya, na Mishael, na Azaraya nʼaka,
Ashpenaz had ordered a guard to watch me, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
12 “Biko, nye anyị naanị ahịhịa nri, na mmiri ọṅụṅụ, ka ọ bụrụ ihe oriri anyị na ihe ọṅụṅụ anyị. Jiri ya lee anyị ule ụbọchị iri.
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 Jirizie anya gị chọpụta ma o nwere ihe dị iche nʼetiti anyị na ndị ọzọ, ndị na-eri nri ọma nke eze nyere, site nʼihe ị hụrụ, mee ụmụodibo gị otu o kwesiri.”
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 O kwenyere ime ihe ha kwuru, ọ nwalere ha abalị iri.
The guard agreed to do what I suggested, and he tested us like that for ten days.
15 Mgbe ụbọchị iri ahụ zuru, a chọpụtara na ahụ dị ha mma, chọpụtakwa na ha dị mma ile anya karịa ụmụ okorobịa ndị ọzọ e ji nri ọma niile eze nyere zụọ.
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 Ya mere onyeisi ozi ahụ wepụrụ nri na mmanya ọma ahụ ha kwesiri iri ma nye ha naanị akwụkwọ nri.
So after that, the guard gave us [only] vegetables to eat; he did not give us the king’s special food and wine.
17 Chineke mere ka ụmụ okorobịa anọ ndị a nwee ọgụgụisi pụrụ iche na nghọta nʼihe ọbụla gbasara edemede na amamihe niile. Daniel nwekwara nghọta ịkọwa ụdị ọhụ niile na nrọ niile.
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 Mgbe oge eze nyere a ga-eji kpọbata ha nʼije ozi ya zuru, onyeisi ndị na-eje ozi chere ha nʼihu Nebukadneza.
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 Ha na eze kparịtakwara ụka. Ma nʼime ụmụ okorobịa ahụ niile a zụrụ, o nweghị nke amamihe ya juru eze afọ dịka amamihe Daniel, na Hananaya, na Mishael, na Azaraya. Nʼihi nke a, o mere ka ha soro bụrụ ndị na-adụ ya ọdụ.
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 Mgbe ọ bụlakwa eze chọrọ ndụmọdụ banyere amamihe na nghọta, ọ na-achọpụta na ndụmọdụ ha na-enye ya na-adị mma okpukpu iri karịa ndụmọdụ nke ndị majiki ya na ndị maara ihe banyere kpakpando nọ nʼalaeze ya na-enye ya.
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 Daniel nọgidere bụrụ onye na-adụ eze ọdụ tutu ruo afọ mbụ nke Sairọs bidoro ịchị dịka eze.
I remained [there serving the king more than 60 years], until the first year that Cyrus became king.
