Књига пророка Данила 1
1 Године треће царовања Јоакима, цара Јудиног дође Навуходоносор, цар вавилонски на Јерусалим, и опколи га.
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 И Господ му даде у руку Јоакима, цара Јудиног и део судова дома Божијег, и однесе их у земљу Сенар у дом бога свог, и метну судове у ризницу бога свог.
[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 И рече цар Асфеназу старешини својих дворана да доведе између синова Израиљевих, и од царског семена и од кнезова,
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 Младиће на којима нема мане, и који су лепог лица и научени свакој мудрости и вешти знању и разумни и који могу стајати у царском двору, па да их учи књигу и језик халдејски.
[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 И одреди им цар оброк на дан од јела царског и од вина које он пијаше, да се хране три године, а после да стоје пред царем.
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 А међу њима беху од синова Јудиних Данило, Ананија, Мисаило и Азарија.
Among the young Israeli men [who were chosen] were [me], Daniel, and Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, who all came from Judah.
7 А старешина над дворанима даде им имена, и Данилу наде име Валтасар, а Ананији Седрах, а Мисаилу Мисах, а Азарији Авденаго.
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 Али Данило науми да се не скврни оброком јела царевог и вином које он пијаше, и замоли се старешини над дворанима да се не скврни.
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 И даде Бог Данилу те нађе милост и љубав у старешине над дворанима.
God had caused Ashpenaz to greatly respect me,
10 И рече старешина над дворанима Данилу: Бојим се господара свог цара, који вам је одредио јело и пиће; јер кад цар види лица ваша лошија него у осталих младића, ваших врсника, зашто да ми учините да будем главом крив цару?
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 А Данило рече Амелсару, ког старешина над дворанима постави над Данилом, Ананијом, Мисаилом и Азаријом:
Ashpenaz had ordered a guard to watch me, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
12 Огледај слуге своје за десет дана, нека нам се даје вариво да једемо и вода да пијемо.
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 Па онда нека нам се виде лица пред тобом и лица младића који једу царско јело, па како видиш, онако чини са слугама својим.
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 И послуша их у том, и огледа их за десет дана.
The guard agreed to do what I suggested, and he tested us like that for ten days.
15 А после десет дана лица им дођоше лепша и меснатија него у свих младића који јеђаху царско јело.
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 И Амелсар узимаше јело њихово и вино које њима требаше пити, и даваше им варива.
So after that, the guard gave us [only] vegetables to eat; he did not give us the king’s special food and wine.
17 И даде Бог свој четворици младића знање и разум у свакој књизи и мудрости; а Данилу даде да разуме сваку утвару и сне.
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 И кад прође време по коме цар беше рекао да их изведу, изведе их старешина над дворанима пред Навуходоносора.
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 И говори цар с њима, и не нађе се међу свима њима ни један као Данило, Ананија, Мисаило и Азарија; и стајаху пред царем.
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 И у свему чему треба мудрост и разум, за шта их цар запита, нађе да су десет пута бољи од свих врача и звездара што их беше у свему царству његовом.
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 И оста Данило до прве године цара Кира.
I remained [there serving the king more than 60 years], until the first year that Cyrus became king.
