< ダニエル書 1 >
1 ユダの王エホヤキムの治世の第三年にバビロンの王ネブカデネザルはエルサレムにきて、これを攻め囲んだ。
During the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, attacked Jerusalem and surrounded it.
2 主はユダの王エホヤキムと、神の宮の器具の一部とを、彼の手にわたされたので、彼はこれをシナルの地の自分の神の宮に携えゆき、その器具を自分の神の蔵に納めた。
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.
3 時に王は宦官の長アシペナズに、イスラエルの人々の中から、王の血統の者と、貴族たる者数人とを、連れて来るように命じた。
Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to take charge of some of the captured Israelites from the royal and noble families,
4 すなわち身に傷がなく、容姿が美しく、すべての知恵にさとく、知識があって、思慮深く、王の宮に仕えるに足る若者を連れてこさせ、これにカルデヤびとの文学と言語とを学ばせようとした。
“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.”
5 そして王は王の食べる食物と、王の飲む酒の中から、日々の分を彼らに与えて、三年のあいだ彼らを養い育て、その後、彼らをして王の前に、はべらせようとした。
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.
6 彼らのうちに、ユダの部族のダニエル、ハナニヤ、ミシャエル、アザリヤがあった。
Among those chosen were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, from the tribe of Judah.
7 宦官の長は彼らに名を与えて、ダニエルをベルテシャザルと名づけ、ハナニヤをシャデラクと名づけ、ミシャエルをメシャクと名づけ、アザリヤをアベデネゴと名づけた。
The chief eunuch gave them new names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.
8 ダニエルは王の食物と、王の飲む酒とをもって、自分を汚すまいと、心に思い定めたので、自分を汚させることのないように、宦官の長に求めた。
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.
9 神はダニエルをして、宦官の長の前に、恵みとあわれみとを得させられたので、
God had helped Daniel to be viewed with kindness and sympathy by the chief eunuch.
10 宦官の長はダニエルに言った、「わが主なる王は、あなたがたの食べ物と、飲み物とを定められたので、わたしはあなたがたの健康の状態が、同年輩の若者たちよりも悪いと、王が見られることを恐れるのです。そうすればあなたがたのために、わたしのこうべが、王の前に危くなるでしょう」。
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!”
11 そこでダニエルは宦官の長がダニエル、ハナニヤ、ミシャエルおよびアザリヤの上に立てた家令に言った、
Daniel then spoke with the guard that the chief eunuch had put in charge of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
12 「どうぞ、しもべらを十日の間ためしてください。わたしたちにただ野菜を与えて食べさせ、水を飲ませ、
“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.
13 そしてわたしたちの顔色と、王の食物を食べる若者の顔色とをくらべて見て、あなたの見るところにしたがって、しもべらを扱ってください」。
“After that, compare us with those young men who ate the king's rich food. Then decide on the basis of what you see.”
14 家令はこの事について彼らの言うところを聞きいれ、十日の間、彼らをためした。
The guard agreed to the proposal they made and tested them for ten days.
15 十日の終りになってみると、彼らの顔色は王の食物を食べたすべての若者よりも美しく、また肉も肥え太っていた。
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.
16 それで家令は彼らの食物と、彼らの飲むべき酒とを除いて、彼らに野菜を与えた。
After that the guard didn't give them the rich food and wine, just vegetables.
17 この四人の者には、神は知識を与え、すべての文学と知恵にさとい者とされた。ダニエルはまたすべての幻と夢とを理解した。
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.
18 さて、王が命じたところの若者を召し入れるまでの日数が過ぎたので、宦官の町は彼らをネブカデネザルの前に連れていった。
When their time of education ordered by the king was over, the chief eunuch brought all the young men before King Nebuchadnezzar.
19 王が彼らと語ってみると、彼らすべての中にはダニエル、ハナニヤ、ミシャエル、アザリヤにならぶ者がなかったので、彼らは王の前にはべることとなった。
The king talked with them and none could compare with Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they entered the king's service.
20 王が彼らにさまざまの事を尋ねてみると、彼らは知恵と理解において、全国の博士、法術士にまさること十倍であった。
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.
Daniel remained in this position until the first year of King Cyrus' reign.