Danyeri 1
1 Mu mwaka ogwokusatu ogw’obufuzi bwa Yekoyakimu kabaka wa Yuda, Nebukadduneeza kabaka w’e Babulooni n’alumba Yerusaalemi.
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 Mukama n’awaayo Yekoyakimu kabaka wa Yuda, mu mukono gwa Nebukadduneeza, era n’ebintu ebimu eby’omu yeekaalu ya Katonda, Nebukadduneeza n’abiggyamu n’abitwala e Babulooni n’abiteeka mu ggwanika ery’omu ssabo lya lubaale we.
[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 Nebukadduneeza n’alagira Asupenaazi omukulu w’abalaawe be alonde mu Bayisirayiri ab’omu lulyo olulangira, ne mu bakungu,
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 abavubuka abataliiko kamogo, abalabika obulungi mu maaso, nga bategeevu mu nsonga zonna ne mu by’amagezi byonna, era abakalabakalaba mu kutegeera, era abasaanira okuweereza mu lubiri lwa kabaka. Asupenaazi yalina obuvunaanyizibwa obw’okubayigirizanga amagezi g’Abakaludaaya, n’olulimi lwabwe.
[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 Kabaka n’alagira baweebwenga ku mmere ne ku wayini ebyagabulwanga ku mmeeza ya kabaka. Baali baakutendekebwa okumala emyaka esatu, n’oluvannyuma bagende baweereze kabaka.
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 Mu abo abaalondebwa mwe mwali abaava mu Yuda, era n’amannya gaabwe baali Danyeri, ne Kananiya, ne Misayeri, ne Azaliya.
Among the young Israeli men [who were chosen] were [me], Daniel, and Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, who all came from Judah.
7 Asupenaazi n’abawa amannya amaggya: Danyeri n’amutuuma Berutesazza, Kananiya n’amutuuma Saddulaaki, Misayeri n’amutuuma Mesaki, ne Azaliya n’amutuuma Abeduneego.
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 Naye Danyeri n’amalirira mu mutima gwe obuteeyonoonyesa na mmere na wayini ebyavanga ku mmeeza ya kabaka, n’asaba Asupenaazi amukkirize aleme kweyonoonyesa.
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 Mu biro ebyo Katonda n’akozesa Asupenaazi okulaga ekisa n’okusaasira eri Danyeri.
God had caused Ashpenaz to greatly respect me,
10 Asupenaazi n’agamba Danyeri nti, “Ntidde mukama wange kabaka, eyalagidde mulye emmere eyo n’ebyokunywa ebyo. Singa anaabalaba nga mukozze okusinga abavubuka abalala ab’emyaka gyammwe, kabaka ajja kunzita.”
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 Awo Danyeri n’agamba omusigire wa Asupenaazi, Asupenaazi gwe yassaawo okulabiriranga Danyeri, ne Kananiya, ne Misayeri ne Azaliya nti,
Ashpenaz had ordered a guard to watch me, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
12 “Nkwegayiridde ogezese abaddu bo okumala ennaku kkumi, oleme kubawa kintu kirala kyonna okuggyako enva endiirwa n’amazzi ag’okunywa.
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 N’oluvannyuma otugeraageranye n’abavubuka abalala abalya ku mmere ya kabaka, olyoke okole nga bw’onoolaba.”
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 N’akkiriziganya nabo ku nsonga eyo, n’abagezesa okumala ennaku kkumi.
The guard agreed to do what I suggested, and he tested us like that for ten days.
15 Awo ennaku ekkumi bwe zaggwaako, bo baali banyiridde era nga bafaanana bulungi okusinga abavubuka abaalyanga ku mmere ya kabaka.
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 Awo omusigire n’alekayo okubawa emmere yaabwe ey’enjawulo ne wayini gwe baali bateekwa okunywa, n’abawa enva endiirwa.
So after that, the guard gave us [only] vegetables to eat; he did not give us the king’s special food and wine.
17 Abavubuka abo abana, Katonda n’abawa amagezi n’okutegeera eby’okuyiga eby’engeri zonna; Danyeri n’asukkirira mu kutegeera okw’okuvvuunula okwolesebwa okw’engeri zonna, n’ebirooto.
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 Awo ekiseera kabaka kye yalagira abavubuka bonna baleetebwe, bwe kyatuuka, Asupenaazi n’abaleeta n’abalaga eri Nebukadduneeza.
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 Kabaka n’ayogera nabo, ne mutalabika mu bo bonna eyenkanaankana nga Danyeri, ne Kananiya, ne Misayeri ne Azaliya mu kutegeera; kyebaava baweebwa emirimu egy’obuvunaanyizibwa mu lubiri lwa kabaka.
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 Buli nsonga ey’amagezi n’ey’okutegeera kabaka gye yababuuzanga, baali bagitegeera emirundi kkumi okusinga abasawo n’abafumu bonna, mu bwakabaka bwe bwonna.
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 Awo Danyeri n’aba muweereza mukulu mu bwakabaka okutuusa ku mwaka ogw’olubereberye ogwa Kabaka Kuulo.
I remained [there serving the king more than 60 years], until the first year that Cyrus became king.
