Danihelis Prophetæ 1
1 Anno tertio regni Ioakim regis Iuda, venit Nabuchodonosor rex Babylonis in Ierusalem, et obsedit eam.
During the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, attacked Jerusalem and surrounded it.
2 Et tradidit Dominus in manu eius Ioakim regem Iuda, et partem vasorum domus Dei: et asportavit ea in terram Sennaar in domum dei sui, et vasa intulit in domum Thesauri dei sui.
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 Et ait rex Asphenez præposito Eunuchorum ut introduceret de filiis Israel, et de semine regio et tyrannorum,
Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to take charge of some of the captured Israelites from the royal and noble families,
4 pueros, in quibus nulla esset macula, decoros forma, et eruditos omni sapientia, cautos scientia, et doctos disciplina, et qui possent stare in palatio regis, ut doceret eos litteras, et linguam Chaldæorum.
“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 Et constituit eis rex annonam per singulos dies de cibis suis, et de vino unde bibebat ipse, ut enutriti tribus annis, postea starent in conspectu regis.
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 Fuerunt ergo inter eos de filiis Iuda, Daniel, Ananias, Misael, et Azarias.
Among those chosen were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, from the tribe of Judah.
7 Et imposuit eis præpositus eunuchorum, nomina: Danieli, Baltassar: Ananiæ, Sidrach: Misaeli, Misach: et Azariæ, Abdenago.
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 Proposuit autem Daniel in corde suo ne pollueretur de mensa regis, neque de vino potus eius: et rogavit eunuchorum præpositum ne contaminaretur.
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 Dedit autem Deus Danieli gratiam et misericordiam in conspectu principis eunuchorum.
God had helped Daniel to be viewed with kindness and sympathy by the chief eunuch.
10 Et ait princeps eunuchorum ad Danielem: Timeo ego dominum meum regem, qui constituit vobis cibum et potum: qui si viderit vultus vestros macilentiores præ ceteris adolescentibus coævis vestris, condemnabitis caput meum regi.
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 Et dixit Daniel ad Malasar, quem constituerat princeps eunuchorum super Danielem, Ananiam, Misaelem, et Azariam:
Daniel then spoke with the guard that the chief eunuch had put in charge of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
12 Tenta nos obsecro servos tuos diebus decem, et dentur nobis legumina ad vescendum, et aqua ad bibendum:
“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 et contemplare vultus nostros, et vultus puerorum, qui vescuntur cibo regio: et sicut videris, facies cum servis tuis.
“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 Qui, audito sermone huiuscemodi, tentavit eos diebus decem.
The guard agreed to the proposal they made and tested them for ten days.
15 Post dies autem decem apparuerunt vultus eorum meliores, et corpulentiores præ omnibus pueris, qui vescebantur cibo regio.
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 Porro Malasar tollebat cibaria, et vinum potus eorum: dabatque eis legumina.
After that the guard didn't give them the rich food and wine, just vegetables.
17 Pueris autem his dedit Deus scientiam, et disciplinam in omni libro, et sapientia: Danieli autem intelligentiam omnium visionum et somniorum.
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 Completis itaque diebus, post quos dixerat rex ut introducerentur: introduxit eos præpositus eunuchorum in conspectu Nabuchodonosor.
When their time of education ordered by the king was over, the chief eunuch brought all the young men before King Nebuchadnezzar.
19 Cumque eis locutus fuisset rex, non sunt inventi tales de universis, ut Daniel, Ananias, Misael, et Azarias: et steterunt in conspectu Regis.
The king talked with them and none could compare with Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they entered the king's service.
20 Et omne verbum sapientiæ et intellectus, quod sciscitatus est ab eis rex, invenit in eis decuplum super cunctos ariolos, et magos, qui erant in universo regno eius.
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.
21 Fuit autem Daniel usque ad annum primum Cyri regis.
Daniel remained in this position until the first year of King Cyrus' reign.
