UDanyeli 1
1 Ngomnyaka wesithathu wokubusa kukaJehoyakhimi inkosi yakoJuda, kwafika uNebhukadinezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni eJerusalema, wayivimbezela.
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 INkosi yasinikela uJehoyakhimi inkosi yakoJuda esandleni sakhe, lengxenye yezitsha zendlu kaNkulunkulu; wasezisa elizweni leShinari, endlini kankulunkulu wakhe; waletha izitsha endlini yenotho kankulunkulu wakhe.
[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 Inkosi yasikhuluma kuAshipenazi induna yabathenwa bayo, ukuthi alethe abanye kubantwana bakoIsrayeli, lakunzalo yesikhosini, lakuziphathamandla;
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 amajaha okungelalasici kuwo, amahle ngesimo, azingcwethi kuyo yonke inhlakanipho, alolwazi ngolwazi, alokuqedisisa ekwazini, lokwakulamandla kuwo okuma esigodlweni senkosi, lokuthi bawafundise izincwadi lolimi lwamaKhaladiya.
[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 Inkosi yasiwamisela into yosuku ngosuku lwayo esabelweni sokudla kwenkosi, lewayinini lokunatha kwayo, lokuthi bawakhulise iminyaka emithathu, ukuze ekupheleni kwayo azekuma phambi kwenkosi.
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 Njalo kwakukhona phakathi kwabo kubantwana bakoJuda: ODaniyeli, uHananiya, uMishayeli, loAzariya.
Among the young Israeli men [who were chosen] were [me], Daniel, and Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, who all came from Judah.
7 Njalo induna yabathenwa yabatha amabizo; ngoba yamutha uDaniyeli ngokuthi nguBeliteshazari; loHananiya ngokuthi nguShadraki; loMishayeli ngokuthi nguMeshaki; loAzariya ngokuthi nguAbedinego.
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 Kodwa uDaniyeli wazimisela enhliziyweni yakhe ukuthi angazingcolisi ngesabelo sokudla kwenkosi, langewayini yokunatha kwayo; ngakho wacela enduneni yabathenwa ukuthi angazingcolisi.
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 UNkulunkulu wasemnika uDaniyeli umusa lesihawu phambi kwenduna yabathenwa.
God had caused Ashpenaz to greatly respect me,
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 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 UDaniyeli wasesithi kumphathi, induna yabathenwa eyayimmise waba phezu kwaboDaniyeli, uHananiya, uMishayeli, loAzariya:
Ashpenaz had ordered a guard to watch me, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
12 Ake ulinge inceku zakho insuku ezilitshumi; njalo basinike okwemibhida eyimidumba ukuthi sidle, lamanzi ukuthi sinathe.
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 Kakuthi-ke izimo zethu zibonakale phambi kwakho, lezimo zamajaha adla isabelo sokudla kwenkosi; wenze-ke ezincekwini zakho njengokubona kwakho.
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 Wasebalalela kuloludaba, wabalinga insuku ezilitshumi.
The guard agreed to do what I suggested, and he tested us like that for ten days.
15 Kwathi ekupheleni kwezinsuku ezilitshumi izimo zabo zabonakala zizinhle njalo zizimukile enyameni kulawo wonke amajaha ayesidla isabelo sokudla kwenkosi.
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 Ngakho-ke umphathi wasusa isabelo sokudla kwabo, lewayini lokunatha kwabo, wabanika imibhida.
So after that, the guard gave us [only] vegetables to eat; he did not give us the king’s special food and wine.
17 Mayelana lala amajaha amane, uNkulunkulu wawanika ulwazi lokuqedisisa kuzo zonke izincwadi, lenhlakanipho. Njalo uDaniyeli waqedisisa ngayo yonke imibono lamaphupho.
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 Kwathi ekupheleni kwezinsuku inkosi eyayitshilo ukuthi bazawangenisa ngazo, induna yabathenwa yawangenisa phambi kukaNebhukadinezari.
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 Inkosi yasikhuluma lawo; njalo phakathi kwawo wonke kakutholwanga onjengoDaniyeli, uHananiya, uMishayeli, loAzariya; ngakho ema phambi kwenkosi.
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 Mayelana lazo zonke izindaba zenhlakanipho lokuqedisisa, inkosi eyayiwabuza ngazo, yawathola esedlula ngokuphindwe katshumi bonke abalumbi lezangoma abasembusweni wayo wonke.
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 Njalo uDaniyeli waba khona kwaze kwaba ngumnyaka wokuqala wenkosi uKoresi.
I remained [there serving the king more than 60 years], until the first year that Cyrus became king.
