UDanyeli 1
1 Ngomnyaka wesithathu wokubusa kukaJehoyakhimi inkosi yakoJuda, kwafika uNebhukadinezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni eJerusalema, wayivimbezela.
During the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, attacked Jerusalem and surrounded 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.
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 Inkosi yasikhuluma kuAshipenazi induna yabathenwa bayo, ukuthi alethe abanye kubantwana bakoIsrayeli, lakunzalo yesikhosini, lakuziphathamandla;
Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to take charge of some of the captured Israelites from the royal and noble families,
4 amajaha okungelalasici kuwo, amahle ngesimo, azingcwethi kuyo yonke inhlakanipho, alolwazi ngolwazi, alokuqedisisa ekwazini, lokwakulamandla kuwo okuma esigodlweni senkosi, lokuthi bawafundise izincwadi lolimi lwamaKhaladiya.
“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 Inkosi yasiwamisela into yosuku ngosuku lwayo esabelweni sokudla kwenkosi, lewayinini lokunatha kwayo, lokuthi bawakhulise iminyaka emithathu, ukuze ekupheleni kwayo azekuma phambi kwenkosi.
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 Njalo kwakukhona phakathi kwabo kubantwana bakoJuda: ODaniyeli, uHananiya, uMishayeli, loAzariya.
Among those chosen were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, from the tribe of Judah.
7 Njalo induna yabathenwa yabatha amabizo; ngoba yamutha uDaniyeli ngokuthi nguBeliteshazari; loHananiya ngokuthi nguShadraki; loMishayeli ngokuthi nguMeshaki; loAzariya ngokuthi nguAbedinego.
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 Kodwa uDaniyeli wazimisela enhliziyweni yakhe ukuthi angazingcolisi ngesabelo sokudla kwenkosi, langewayini yokunatha kwayo; ngakho wacela enduneni yabathenwa ukuthi angazingcolisi.
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 UNkulunkulu wasemnika uDaniyeli umusa lesihawu phambi kwenduna yabathenwa.
God had helped Daniel to be viewed with kindness and sympathy by the chief eunuch.
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.
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 UDaniyeli wasesithi kumphathi, induna yabathenwa eyayimmise waba phezu kwaboDaniyeli, uHananiya, uMishayeli, loAzariya:
Daniel then spoke with the guard that the chief eunuch had put in charge of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
12 Ake ulinge inceku zakho insuku ezilitshumi; njalo basinike okwemibhida eyimidumba ukuthi sidle, lamanzi ukuthi sinathe.
“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 Kakuthi-ke izimo zethu zibonakale phambi kwakho, lezimo zamajaha adla isabelo sokudla kwenkosi; wenze-ke ezincekwini zakho njengokubona kwakho.
“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 Wasebalalela kuloludaba, wabalinga insuku ezilitshumi.
The guard agreed to the proposal they made and tested them for ten days.
15 Kwathi ekupheleni kwezinsuku ezilitshumi izimo zabo zabonakala zizinhle njalo zizimukile enyameni kulawo wonke amajaha ayesidla isabelo sokudla kwenkosi.
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 Ngakho-ke umphathi wasusa isabelo sokudla kwabo, lewayini lokunatha kwabo, wabanika imibhida.
After that the guard didn't give them the rich food and wine, just vegetables.
17 Mayelana lala amajaha amane, uNkulunkulu wawanika ulwazi lokuqedisisa kuzo zonke izincwadi, lenhlakanipho. Njalo uDaniyeli waqedisisa ngayo yonke imibono lamaphupho.
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 Kwathi ekupheleni kwezinsuku inkosi eyayitshilo ukuthi bazawangenisa ngazo, induna yabathenwa yawangenisa phambi kukaNebhukadinezari.
When their time of education ordered by the king was over, the chief eunuch brought all the young men before King Nebuchadnezzar.
19 Inkosi yasikhuluma lawo; njalo phakathi kwawo wonke kakutholwanga onjengoDaniyeli, uHananiya, uMishayeli, loAzariya; ngakho ema phambi kwenkosi.
The king talked with them and none could compare with Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they entered the king's service.
20 Mayelana lazo zonke izindaba zenhlakanipho lokuqedisisa, inkosi eyayiwabuza ngazo, yawathola esedlula ngokuphindwe katshumi bonke abalumbi lezangoma abasembusweni wayo wonke.
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 Njalo uDaniyeli waba khona kwaze kwaba ngumnyaka wokuqala wenkosi uKoresi.
Daniel remained in this position until the first year of King Cyrus' reign.
