< Daniel 1 >

1 Yudahene Yehoiakim dii ade ne mfe abiɛsa mu no, Babiloniahene Nebukadnessar baa Yerusalem de nʼasraafo betuaa ɔman no ano.
In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.
2 Awurade maa no dii Yudahene Yehoiakim so nkonim. Bere a Nebukadnessar resan akɔ Babilonia no, ɔtasee akronkronne bi fii Onyankopɔn asɔredan mu, de kɔɔ nʼabosonnan mu koguu adekorabea hɔ wɔ Babilonia asase so.
And the Lord delivered into his hand Jehoiakim king of Judah, along with some of the articles from the house of God. He carried these off to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, where he put them in the treasury of his god.
3 Afei ɔhene no ka kyerɛɛ ne piamfohene Aspenas se, ɔmfa mmerante no bi a wofi Yuda adehye abusua mu, ne wɔn a wofi mmusua atitiriw mu a wɔde wɔn aba Babilonia sɛ nnommum no mmra ahemfi hɔ,
Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his court officials, to bring in some Israelites from the royal family and the nobility—
4 mmerante ahoɔdenfo a wɔn ho nni dɛm, na wɔn ho yɛ fɛ. Hwɛ sɛ wɔwɔ nhumu, na wɔadom wɔn osuahu mu akyɛde a wonim nyansa, na wɔwɔ nnyinaso bi a ɛbɛma wɔatumi asom wɔ ahemfi hɔ. Kyerɛ mmerante no Kaldeafo kasa ne ne nhoma.
young men without blemish, handsome, gifted in all wisdom, knowledgeable, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace—and to teach them the language and literature of the Chaldeans.
5 Ɔhene no hyɛe sɛ, daa wɔmfa aduan ne nsa a efi ne didipon so mmrɛ wɔn. Na ɛsɛ sɛ wɔtetew wɔn mfe abiɛsa, na wɔn mu bi abɛyɛ nʼasomfo.
The king assigned them daily provisions of the royal food and wine. They were to be trained for three years, after which they were to enter the king’s service.
6 Mmerante baanan bi a woyii wɔn no ne Daniel, Hanania, Misael ne Asaria a wɔn nyinaa fi Yuda abusuakuw mu.
Among these young men were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
7 Piamfohene no de din foforo totoo wɔn. Ɔtoo Daniel Beltesasar; ɔtoo Hanania Sadrak; ɔtoo Misael Mesak na ɔtoo Asaria Abednego.
The chief official gave them new names: To Daniel he gave the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.
8 Na Daniel yɛɛ nʼadwene sɛ ɔrenni aduan, nnom nsa a ɔhene no de bɛbrɛ wɔn no, ɔsrɛɛ piamfohene no sɛ ɔmma no kwan na wangu ne ho fi.
But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or wine. So he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself.
9 Na Onyankopɔn maa Daniel nyaa piamfohene no anim adɔe ne mmɔborɔhunu.
Now God had granted Daniel favor and compassion from the chief official,
10 Piamfohene no ka kyerɛɛ Daniel se, “Me wura ɔhene no ahyɛ sɛ munni saa aduan yi, na monnom nsa no. Sɛ mofonfɔn na wɔde mo toto mmabun a wɔyɛ mo tipɛnfo no ho a, ɔhene no bɛma wɔatwa me ti sɛ matoto mʼadwuma ase.”
but he said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. For why should he see your faces looking thinner than those of the other young men your age? You would endanger my head before the king!”
11 Daniel ka kyerɛɛ ɔsomfo a piamfohene no de no asi ɔno ne Hanania, Misael ne Asaria so no se,
Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
12 “Ma yɛn nhabamma ne nsu nnadu, na fa sɔ yɛn hwɛ.
“Please test your servants for ten days. Let us be given only vegetables to eat and water to drink.
13 Afei fa yɛn toto mmerante afoforo no a wɔredi ɔhene nnuan pa no ho, na hwɛ sɛnea yɛte. Ɛno akyi, yɛ wo nkoa sɛnea wuhu.”
Then compare our appearances with those of the young men who are eating the royal food, and deal with your servants according to what you see.”
14 Enti ɔsomfo no penee asɛm a Daniel de too nʼanim no so, sɔɔ wɔn hwɛɛ nnadu.
So he consented to this and tested them for ten days.
15 Nnadu no akyi, wohuu sɛ wɔn anim ayɛ fɛ na wɔwɔ honam sen mmerante a wodii ahennuan no nyinaa.
And at the end of ten days, they looked healthier and better nourished than all the young men who were eating the king’s food.
16 Enti ɔsomfo no sii gyinae sɛ ɔbɛtoa so ama wɔn nhabamma nko ara, na wamfa ahennuan amma wɔn.
So the steward continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and he gave them vegetables instead.
17 Na mmerantewa baanan yi Nyankopɔn maa wɔn nhomanim ne nyansahu nyinaa mu nimdeɛ, na Daniel nyaa anisoadehu ne dae nkyerɛase ho nimdeɛ.
To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding in every kind of literature and wisdom. And Daniel had insight into all kinds of visions and dreams.
18 Bere a ɔhene no ahyɛ no soe no, ɔpanyin no de mmerante yi nyinaa brɛɛ Nebukadnessar.
Now at the end of the time specified by the king, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar.
19 Ɔhene no ne wɔn nyinaa kasae, na wɔn mu biara ansɔ nʼani gye sɛ, Daniel, Hanania, Misael ne Asaria. Enti wɔde wɔn kaa ɔhene no piamfo no ho.
And the king spoke with them, and among all the young men he found no one equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they entered the king’s service.
20 Asɛm biara a ehia nyansa ne ntease a ɔhene no bisa wɔn no ohu sɛ wɔsen nkonyaayifo ne pɛadeahufo a wɔwɔ nʼaheman mu nyinaa no mpɛn du.
In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom.
21 Daniel tenaa hɔ ara kosii ɔhene Kores adedi afe a edi kan mu.
And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.

< Daniel 1 >