UDanyeli 1
1 Ngomnyaka wesithathu wokubusa kukaJehoyakhimi inkosi yakoJuda, kwafika uNebhukadinezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni eJerusalema, wayivimbezela.
In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.
2 INkosi yasinikela uJehoyakhimi inkosi yakoJuda esandleni sakhe, lengxenye yezitsha zendlu kaNkulunkulu; wasezisa elizweni leShinari, endlini kankulunkulu wakhe; waletha izitsha endlini yenotho kankulunkulu wakhe.
And the Lord delivered into his hand Jehoiakim the king of Judah and a portion of the vessels of the house of God. And he carried them away into the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into the treasure chamber of his god.
3 Inkosi yasikhuluma kuAshipenazi induna yabathenwa bayo, ukuthi alethe abanye kubantwana bakoIsrayeli, lakunzalo yesikhosini, lakuziphathamandla;
And the king told Ashpenaz, the chief of the eunuchs, that he should bring in some of the sons of Israel, and some of the offspring of the king and of the sovereigns:
4 amajaha okungelalasici kuwo, amahle ngesimo, azingcwethi kuyo yonke inhlakanipho, alolwazi ngolwazi, alokuqedisisa ekwazini, lokwakulamandla kuwo okuma esigodlweni senkosi, lokuthi bawafundise izincwadi lolimi lwamaKhaladiya.
young men, in whom there was no blemish, noble in appearance, and accomplished in all wisdom, cautious in knowledge, and well-educated, and who could stand in the palace of the king, so that he might teach them the letters and the language of the Chaldeans.
5 Inkosi yasiwamisela into yosuku ngosuku lwayo esabelweni sokudla kwenkosi, lewayinini lokunatha kwayo, lokuthi bawakhulise iminyaka emithathu, ukuze ekupheleni kwayo azekuma phambi kwenkosi.
And the king appointed for them provisions for each day, from his own food and from the wine which he himself drank, so that, after being nourished for three years, they would stand in the sight of the king.
6 Njalo kwakukhona phakathi kwabo kubantwana bakoJuda: ODaniyeli, uHananiya, uMishayeli, loAzariya.
Now, among those of the sons of Judah, there were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
7 Njalo induna yabathenwa yabatha amabizo; ngoba yamutha uDaniyeli ngokuthi nguBeliteshazari; loHananiya ngokuthi nguShadraki; loMishayeli ngokuthi nguMeshaki; loAzariya ngokuthi nguAbedinego.
And the chief of the eunuchs assigned names to them: to Daniel, Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.
8 Kodwa uDaniyeli wazimisela enhliziyweni yakhe ukuthi angazingcolisi ngesabelo sokudla kwenkosi, langewayini yokunatha kwayo; ngakho wacela enduneni yabathenwa ukuthi angazingcolisi.
But Daniel resolved in his heart that he would not be polluted with the king’s meal, nor with the wine he drank, and he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not be contaminated.
9 UNkulunkulu wasemnika uDaniyeli umusa lesihawu phambi kwenduna yabathenwa.
And so God gave Daniel grace and mercy in the sight of the leader of the eunuchs.
10 Induna yabathenwa yasisithi kuDaniyeli: Ngiyayesaba inkosi yami, inkosi, emise ukudla kwenu lokunathwayo kwenu; ngoba kungani izabona ubuso benu budanile kulamajaha ayintanga yenu? Ngokunjalo lizafaka ikhanda lami engozini enkosini.
And the leader of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has appointed food and drink for you, who, if he should see that your faces are leaner than those of the other youths your age, you would condemn my head to the king.”
11 UDaniyeli wasesithi kumphathi, induna yabathenwa eyayimmise waba phezu kwaboDaniyeli, uHananiya, uMishayeli, loAzariya:
And Daniel said to Malasar, whom the leader of the eunuchs had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
12 Ake ulinge inceku zakho insuku ezilitshumi; njalo basinike okwemibhida eyimidumba ukuthi sidle, lamanzi ukuthi sinathe.
“I beg you to test us, your servants, for ten days, and let roots be given to us to eat and water to drink,
13 Kakuthi-ke izimo zethu zibonakale phambi kwakho, lezimo zamajaha adla isabelo sokudla kwenkosi; wenze-ke ezincekwini zakho njengokubona kwakho.
and then observe our faces, and the faces of the children who eat the king’s food, and then deal with your servants according to what you see.”
14 Wasebalalela kuloludaba, wabalinga insuku ezilitshumi.
When he had heard these words, he tested them for ten days.
15 Kwathi ekupheleni kwezinsuku ezilitshumi izimo zabo zabonakala zizinhle njalo zizimukile enyameni kulawo wonke amajaha ayesidla isabelo sokudla kwenkosi.
But, after ten days, their faces appeared better and fatter than all the children who had eaten from the king’s food.
16 Ngakho-ke umphathi wasusa isabelo sokudla kwabo, lewayini lokunatha kwabo, wabanika imibhida.
Thereafter, Malasar took away their portions and their wine for drinking, and he gave them roots.
17 Mayelana lala amajaha amane, uNkulunkulu wawanika ulwazi lokuqedisisa kuzo zonke izincwadi, lenhlakanipho. Njalo uDaniyeli waqedisisa ngayo yonke imibono lamaphupho.
Yet, to these children, God gave knowledge and instruction in every book, and wisdom, but to Daniel, also the understanding of all visions and dreams.
18 Kwathi ekupheleni kwezinsuku inkosi eyayitshilo ukuthi bazawangenisa ngazo, induna yabathenwa yawangenisa phambi kukaNebhukadinezari.
And when the time was completed, after which the king had said that they would be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before the sight of Nebuchadnezzar.
19 Inkosi yasikhuluma lawo; njalo phakathi kwawo wonke kakutholwanga onjengoDaniyeli, uHananiya, uMishayeli, loAzariya; ngakho ema phambi kwenkosi.
And, when the king conversed with them, there had not been found any so great in all the world as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; and so they stood in the sight of the king.
20 Mayelana lazo zonke izindaba zenhlakanipho lokuqedisisa, inkosi eyayiwabuza ngazo, yawathola esedlula ngokuphindwe katshumi bonke abalumbi lezangoma abasembusweni wayo wonke.
And in every concept of wisdom and understanding, about which the king consulted with them, he found them to be ten times better than all the seers and astrologers put together, who were in his entire kingdom.
21 Njalo uDaniyeli waba khona kwaze kwaba ngumnyaka wokuqala wenkosi uKoresi.
And so Daniel remained, even until the first year of king Cyrus.
