Daniel 1
1 En el año tercero del reino de Joacim, rey de Judá, vino Nabucodonosor, rey de Babilonia, a Jerusalem, y cercóla.
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 Y el Señor entregó en sus manos a Joacim, rey de Judá, y parte de los vasos de la casa de Dios, y trájolos a tierra de Sennaar a la casa de su dios; y metió los vasos en 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 Y dijo el rey a Aspenez príncipe de sus eunucos, que trajese de los hijos de Israel, del linaje real, y de los príncipes;
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 Muchachos en quien no hubiese alguna mácula, y de buen parecer, y enseñados en toda sabiduría, y sabios en ciencia, y de buen entendimiento, y que tuviesen fuerzas para estar en el palacio del rey, y que les enseñase las letras 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 Y señalóles el rey ración para cada día, de la ración de la comida del rey, y del vino de su beber; que los criase tres años, para que al fin de ellos estuviesen delante del 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 Y fueron entre ellos de los hijos de Judá, 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 A los cuales el príncipe de los eunucos puso nombres. Y puso a Daniel, Baltasar; y a Ananías, Sidrac; y a Misael, Misac; y a Azarías, Abdenago.
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 Y Daniel propuso en su corazón de no contaminarse en la ración de la comida del rey, y en el vino de su beber; y pidió al príncipe de los eunucos de no se contaminar.
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 (Y puso Dios a Daniel en gracia, y en buena voluntad con el príncipe de los eunucos.)
God had caused Ashpenaz to greatly respect me,
10 Y dijo el príncipe de los eunucos a Daniel: Tengo temor de mi señor el rey, que señaló vuestra comida, y vuestra bebida: el cual porque verá vuestros rostros más tristes que los de los muchachos que son semejantes a vosotros, condenaréis para con el rey mi cabeza.
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 Y Daniel dijo a Malasar, que era señalado por el príncipe de los eunucos sobre Daniel, Ananías, Misael, y Azarías:
Ashpenaz had ordered a guard to watch me, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
12 Prueba, yo te ruego, tus siervos diez días, y dénnos de las legumbres a comer, y agua a 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 Y parezcan delante de ti nuestros rostros, y los rostros de los muchachos que comen de la ración de la comida del rey, y según que vieres, harás con 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 Consintió pues con ellos en esto, y probó con ellos diez días.
The guard agreed to do what I suggested, and he tested us like that for ten days.
15 Y al cabo de los diez días pareció el rostro de ellos mejor, y más gordo de carne que los otros muchachos, que comían de la ración de la comida 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 Y fue, que Malasar tomaba la ración de la comida de ellos, y el vino de su beber, y dábales legumbres.
So after that, the guard gave us [only] vegetables to eat; he did not give us the king’s special food and wine.
17 Y a estos cuatro muchachos dióles Dios conocimiento, e inteligencia en todas letras y ciencia: mas Daniel tuvo entendimiento en toda visión 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 Pasados pues los días al fin de los cuales dijo el rey que los trajesen, el príncipe de los eunucos los trajo delante de 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 Y el rey habló con ellos, y no fue hallado entre todos ellos otro como Daniel, Ananías, Misael, y Azarías; y estuvieron delante del 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 Y en todo negocio de sabiduría e inteligencia que el rey les demandó, los halló diez veces sobre todos los magos y astrólogos 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 Y fue Daniel hasta el año primero del rey Ciro.
I remained [there serving the king more than 60 years], until the first year that Cyrus became king.
