Danihelis Prophetæ 1
1 Anno tertio regni Ioakim regis Iuda, venit Nabuchodonosor rex Babylonis in Ierusalem, et obsedit eam;
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 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.
[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 Et ait rex Asphenez praeposito Eunuchorum ut introduceret de filiis Israel, et de semine regio et tyrannorum,
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 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 Chaldaeorum.
[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 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 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 Fuerunt ergo inter eos de filiis Iuda, Daniel, Ananias, Misael, et Azarias.
Among the young Israeli men [who were chosen] were [me], Daniel, and Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, who all came from Judah.
7 Et imposuit eis praepositus eunuchorum, nomina: Danieli, Baltassar: Ananiae, Sidrach: Misaeli, Misach: et Azariae, Abdenago.
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 Proposuit autem Daniel in corde suo ne pollueretur de mensa regis, neque de vino potus eius: et rogavit eunuchorum praepositum ne contaminaretur.
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 Dedit autem Deus Danieli gratiam et misericordiam in conspectu principis eunuchorum.
God had caused Ashpenaz to greatly respect me,
10 Et ait princeps eunuchorum ad Danielem: Timeo ego dominum meum regem, qui constituit vobis cibum et potum: qui si viderit vultus vestros macilentiores prae ceteris adolescentibus coaevis vestris, condemnabitis caput meum regi.
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 Et dixit Daniel ad Malasar, quem constituerat princeps eunuchorum super Danielem, Ananiam, Misaelem, et Azariam:
Ashpenaz had ordered a guard to watch me, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
12 Tenta nos obsecro servos tuos diebus decem, et dentur nobis legumina ad vescendum, et aqua ad bibendum:
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 et contemplare vultus nostros, et vultus puerorum, qui vescuntur cibo regio: et sicut videris, facies cum servis tuis.
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 Qui, audito sermone huiuscemodi, tentavit eos diebus decem.
The guard agreed to do what I suggested, and he tested us like that for ten days.
15 Post dies autem decem apparuerunt vultus eorum meliores, et corpulentiores prae omnibus pueris, qui vescebantur cibo regio.
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 Porro Malasar tollebat cibaria, et vinum potus eorum: dabatque eis legumina.
So after that, the guard gave us [only] vegetables to eat; he did not give us the king’s special food and wine.
17 Pueris autem his dedit Deus scientiam, et disciplinam in omni libro, et sapientia: Danieli autem intelligentiam omnium visionum et somniorum.
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 Completis itaque diebus, post quos dixerat rex ut introducerentur: introduxit eos praepositus eunuchorum in conspectu Nabuchodonosor.
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 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 [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 Et omne verbum sapientiae et intellectus, quod sciscitatus est ab eis Rex, invenit in eis decuplum super cunctos ariolos, et magos, qui erant in universo regno eius.
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 Fuit autem Daniel usque ad annum primum Cyri regis.
I remained [there serving the king more than 60 years], until the first year that Cyrus became king.
