Daniele 1
1 Il terzo anno del regno di Joiakim, re di Giuda, Nebucadnetsar, re di Babilonia, venne contro Gerusalemme, e l’assediò.
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 Il Signore gli diede nelle mani Joiakim, re di Giuda, e una parte degli utensili della casa di Dio; e Nebucadnetsar portò gli utensili nel paese di Scinear, nella casa del suo dio, e li mise nella casa del tesoro del suo dio.
[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 E il re disse a Ashpenaz, capo de’ suoi eunuchi, di menargli alcuni de’ figliuoli d’Israele di stirpe reale e di famiglie nobili,
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 giovani senza difetti fisici, belli d’aspetto, dotati d’ogni sorta di talenti, istruiti e intelligenti, tali che avessero attitudine a stare nel palazzo del re; e d’insegnar loro la letteratura e la lingua de’ Caldei.
[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 Il re assegnò loro una porzione giornaliera delle vivande della mensa reale, e del vino ch’egli beveva; e disse di mantenerli per tre anni, dopo i quali sarebbero passati al servizio del re.
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 Or fra questi c’erano, di tra i figliuoli di Giuda, Daniele, Hanania, Mishael e Azaria;
Among the young Israeli men [who were chosen] were [me], Daniel, and Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, who all came from Judah.
7 e il capo degli eunuchi diede loro altri nomi: a Daniele pose nome Beltsatsar; ad Hanania, Shadrac; a Mishael, Meshac, e ad Azaria, Abed-nego.
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 E Daniele prese in cuor suo la risoluzione di non contaminarsi con le vivande del re e col vino che il re beveva; e chiese al capo degli eunuchi di non obbligarlo a contaminarsi;
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 e Dio fece trovare a Daniele grazia e compassione presso il capo degli eunuchi.
God had caused Ashpenaz to greatly respect me,
10 E il capo degli eunuchi disse a Daniele: “Io temo il re, mio signore, il quale ha fissato il vostro cibo e le vostre bevande; e perché vedrebb’egli il vostro volto più triste di quello dei giovani della vostra medesima età? Voi mettereste in pericolo la mia testa presso il re”.
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 Allora Daniele disse al maggiordomo, al quale il capo degli eunuchi aveva affidato la cura di Daniele, di Hanania, di Mishael e d’Azaria:
Ashpenaz had ordered a guard to watch me, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
12 “Ti prego, fa’ coi tuoi servi una prova di dieci giorni, e ci siano dati de’ legumi per mangiare, e dell’acqua per bere;
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 poi ti si faccia vedere l’aspetto nostro e l’aspetto de’ giovani che mangiano le vivande del re; e secondo quel che vedrai, ti regolerai coi tuoi servi”.
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 Quegli accordò loro quanto domandavano, e li mise alla prova per dieci giorni.
The guard agreed to do what I suggested, and he tested us like that for ten days.
15 E alla fine de’ dieci giorni, essi avevano migliore aspetto ed erano più grassi di tutti i giovani che aveano mangiato le vivande del re.
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 Così il maggiordomo portò via il cibo e il vino ch’eran loro destinati, e dette loro de’ legumi.
So after that, the guard gave us [only] vegetables to eat; he did not give us the king’s special food and wine.
17 E a tutti questi quattro giovani Iddio dette conoscenza e intelligenza in tutta la letteratura, e sapienza; e Daniele s’intendeva d’ogni sorta di visioni e di sogni.
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 E alla fine del tempo fissato dal re perché que’ giovani gli fossero menati, il capo degli eunuchi li presentò a Nebucadnetsar.
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 Il re parlò con loro; e fra tutti que’ giovani non se ne trovò alcuno che fosse come Daniele, Hanania, Mishael e Azaria; e questi furono ammessi al servizio del re.
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 E su tutti i punti che richiedevano sapienza e intelletto, e sui quali il re li interrogasse, il re li trovava dieci volte superiori a tutti i magi ed astrologi ch’erano in tutto il suo regno.
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 Così continuò Daniele fino al primo anno del re Ciro.
I remained [there serving the king more than 60 years], until the first year that Cyrus became king.
