< Daniele 1 >

1 Na mobu ya misato ya bokonzi ya Yeoyakimi, mokonzi ya Yuda, Nabukodonozori, mokonzi ya Babiloni, ayaki kobundisa Yelusalemi mpe azingelaki yango.
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 Yawe akabaki Yeoyakimi, mokonzi ya Yuda, elongo na ndambo ya bisalelo ya Tempelo ya Nzambe na maboko ya Nabukodonozori. Nabukodonozori, mokonzi ya Babiloni, amemaki bisalelo yango kati na tempelo ya nzambe na ye, na Shineari, mpe atiaki yango kati na ndako oyo babombelaka bomengo ya nzambe na ye.
[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 Mokonzi apesaki mitindo epai ya Ashipenazi, mokonzi ya bakalaka na ye ya lokumu, ete ayeisa na Babiloni ndambo ya bana ya Isalaele oyo babotama na mabota ya bakonzi to ya bato ya lokumu,
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 bilenge mibali oyo banzoto na bango ezanga mbeba, ya bilongi kitoko, ya mayele mpe ya bwanya, oyo bazali na makoki ya koyekola kotanga mpe kokoma makambo ya ndenge na ndenge, oyo bazali na bososoli mpe bakoka mpo na kosala kati na ndako ya mokonzi; Ashipenazi asengelaki kolakisa bango koloba, kokoma mikanda mpe kotanga lokota ya bato ya Babiloni.
[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 Mokonzi akatelaki bango mpo na mokolo na mokolo, bilei oyo basengeli kolia mpe masanga oyo basengeli komela: nyonso ezalaki kowuta na mesa na ye. Mibu misato, basengelaki koyekola; na sima nde bakoki kosala mosala ya mokonzi.
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 Kati na ndambo ya bato oyo bawutaki na Yuda, ezalaki na Daniele, Anania, Mikaeli mpe Azaria.
Among the young Israeli men [who were chosen] were [me], Daniel, and Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, who all came from Judah.
7 Mokonzi ya bakalaka ya lokumu apesaki bango bakombo ya sika; apesaki Daniele kombo Belitsatsari; Anania, Shadraki; Mikaeli, Meshaki; mpe Azaria, Abedinego.
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 Daniele azwaki mokano ya koboya komikomisa mbindo na nzela ya bilei mpe ya vino ya mokonzi; ayebisaki mokonzi ya bakalaka ya lokumu ete apesa ye nzela te ya komikomisa mbindo na lolenge wana.
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 Boye, Nzambe asalaki ete Daniele azwa ngolu mpe bolamu na miso ya mokonzi ya bakalaka ya lokumu.
God had caused Ashpenaz to greatly respect me,
10 Kasi mokonzi ya bakalaka ya lokumu alobaki na Daniele: — Nazali kobanga mokonzi, nkolo na ngai, oyo akateli bino bilei oyo bosengeli kolia mpe masanga oyo bosengeli komela! Mpo na nini bokolinga ete mokonzi amona bilongi na bino ekonda koleka bilongi ya bilenge mosusu ya mibu na bino? Bomoni te ete wana bokobomisa ngai epai ya mokonzi?
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 Daniele alobaki na mosali oyo mokonzi ya bakalaka ya lokumu aponaki mpo ete abatela Daniele, Anania, Mikaeli mpe Azaria:
Ashpenaz had ordered a guard to watch me, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
12 « Nabondeli yo, meka basali na yo mikolo zomi: pesa biso kaka bandunda lokola bilei mpe mayi mpo na komela; kopesa biso eloko mosusu te!
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 Sima na mikolo yango, okotala yo moko bilongi na biso mpe bilongi ya bilenge mosusu oyo bazali kolia bilei ya mokonzi; bongo okosala basali na yo ndenge yo moko okomona. »
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 Mosala andimaki bosenga na bango mpe amekaki bango mikolo zomi.
The guard agreed to do what I suggested, and he tested us like that for ten days.
15 Sima na mikolo yango zomi, bakomaki bilongi kitoko mpe banzoto ngebungebu koleka bilenge oyo bazalaki kolia bilei ya mokonzi.
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 Boye, mosali yango akomaki kotia pembeni bilei mpe vino oyo bazalaki kobongisela bango mpe kopesa bango kaka bandunda.
So after that, the guard gave us [only] vegetables to eat; he did not give us the king’s special food and wine.
17 Nzambe apesaki bilenge wana minei boyebi mpe bososoli kati na makambo nyonso: koloba, kokoma, kotanga mikanda, mayele mpe bwanya. Mpe Daniele akomaki na makoki ya kolimbola bimoniseli mpe bandoto ya ndenge na ndenge.
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 Sima na mikolo oyo mokonzi akataki mpo ete bamemela ye bango, mokonzi ya bakalaka ya lokumu amemaki bango liboso ya Nabukodonozori.
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 Mokonzi asololaki na bango; mpe kati na bilenge nyonso oyo bamemelaki ye, amonaki ete moko te akokani na Daniele, na Anania, na Mikaeli mpe na Azaria. Boye, bakomaki kosala kati na ndako ya mokonzi.
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 Na makambo nyonso oyo mokonzi azalaki kotuna bango, oyo ezalaki kosenga bwanya mpe bososoli, amonaki ete bazali mayele mbala zomi koleka bato ya soloka mpe ya maji ya mokili na ye mobimba.
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 Mpe Daniele awumelaki kosala kati na ndako ya mokonzi kino na mobu ya liboso ya mokonzi Sirisi.
I remained [there serving the king more than 60 years], until the first year that Cyrus became king.

< Daniele 1 >