Daniel 1
1 En el tercer año del reinado de Joacim, rey de Judá, Nabucodonosor, rey de Babilonia, llegó a Jerusalén y la sitió.
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 El Señor entregó a Joacim, rey de Judá, con algunos de los utensilios de la casa de Dios; y los llevó a la tierra de Sinar, a la casa de su dios. Llevó los utensilios a la casa del tesoro de su dios.
[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 El rey habló con Aspenaz, el maestro de sus eunucos, para que trajera a algunos de los hijos de Israel, de la descendencia real y de los nobles
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 jóvenes en los que no hubiera ningún defecto, sino que fueran bien dotados, diestros en toda sabiduría, dotados de conocimiento, que comprendieran la ciencia y que tuvieran la capacidad de estar en el palacio del rey; y que les enseñara la ciencia y la lengua de los caldeos.
[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 El rey dispuso para ellos una porción diaria de los manjares del rey y del vino que él bebía, y que fueran alimentados durante tres años, para que al final de ellos estuvieran en pie ante el rey.
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 Entre estos hijos de Judá estaban Daniel, Ananías, Misael y Azarías.
Among the young Israeli men [who were chosen] were [me], Daniel, and Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, who all came from Judah.
7 El príncipe de los eunucos les dio nombres: a Daniel le puso el nombre de Beltsasar; a Ananías, el de Sadrac; a Misael, el de Mesac; y a Azarías, el de Abednego.
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 Pero Daniel se propuso en su corazón no contaminarse con los manjares del rey ni con el vino que bebía. Por eso pidió al príncipe de los eunucos que no se contaminara.
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 Ahora bien, Dios hizo que Daniel encontrara bondad y compasión a los ojos del príncipe de los eunucos.
God had caused Ashpenaz to greatly respect me,
10 El príncipe de los eunucos dijo a Daniel: “Temo a mi señor el rey, que ha dispuesto tu comida y tu bebida. Pues, ¿por qué habría de ver vuestras caras más feas que las de los jóvenes de vuestra edad? Entonces pondrías en peligro mi cabeza ante el rey”.
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 Entonces Daniel dijo al mayordomo que el príncipe de los eunucos había designado sobre Daniel, Ananías, Misael y Azarías:
Ashpenaz had ordered a guard to watch me, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
12 “Te ruego que pongas a prueba a tus siervos durante diez días, y que nos den verduras para comer y agua para beber.
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 Entonces que se examinen nuestros rostros ante ti, y el de los jóvenes que comen de los manjares del rey; y según veas, trata a tus siervos.”
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 Así que los escuchó en este asunto, y los puso a prueba durante diez días.
The guard agreed to do what I suggested, and he tested us like that for ten days.
15 Al cabo de diez días, sus rostros parecían más hermosos y estaban más gordos de carne que todos los jóvenes que comían de los manjares del rey.
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 Entonces el mayordomo les quitó los manjares y el vino que les habían dado de beber, y les dio verduras.
So after that, the guard gave us [only] vegetables to eat; he did not give us the king’s special food and wine.
17 En cuanto a estos cuatro jóvenes, Dios les dio conocimiento y destreza en todo tipo de aprendizaje y sabiduría; y Daniel tuvo entendimiento en todas las visiones y sueños.
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 Al cabo de los días que el rey había señalado para traerlos, el príncipe de los eunucos los llevó ante Nabucodonosor.
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 El rey habló con ellos, y entre todos ellos no se encontró ninguno como Daniel, Ananías, Misael y Azarías. Por lo tanto, se presentaron ante el rey.
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 En todo asunto de sabiduría y entendimiento sobre el que el rey les preguntó, los encontró diez veces mejores que todos los magos y encantadores que había en todo su reino.
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 Daniel continuó hasta el primer año del rey Ciro.
I remained [there serving the king more than 60 years], until the first year that Cyrus became king.
