Daniel 1
1 Yudahene Yehoiakim dii adeɛ ne mfeɛ mmiɛnsa mu no, Babiloniahene Nebukadnessar baa Yerusalem de nʼakodɔm bɛtuaa ɔman no.
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. Ɛberɛ a Nebukadnessar resane akɔ Babilonia no, ɔtasee akronkronneɛ bi firii Onyankopɔn asɔredan mu, de kɔɔ nʼabosomdan mu kɔguu 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 nʼapiafoɔhene Aspenas sɛ, ɔmfa mmeranteɛ no bi a wɔfiri Yuda adehyeɛ abusua mu, ne wɔn a wɔfiri mmusua atitire mu a wɔde wɔn aba Babilonia sɛ nneduafoɔ no mmra ahemfie 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 mmeranteɛ ahoɔdenfoɔ a wɔn ho nni dɛm, na wɔn ho yɛ fɛ. Hwɛ sɛ wɔwɔ nhunumu, na wɔadom wɔn osuahunu mu akyɛdeɛ a wɔnim nyansa, na wɔwɔ nnyinasoɔ bi a ɛbɛma wɔatumi asom wɔ ahemfie hɔ. Kyerɛ mmeranteɛ no Kaldeafoɔ kasa ne ne nwoma.
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 hyɛɛ sɛ, daa wɔmfa aduane ne nsã a ɛfiri ne didipono so mmrɛ wɔn. Na ɛsɛ sɛ wɔtete wɔn mfeɛ mmiɛnsa, na wɔn mu bi abɛyɛ nʼasomfoɔ.
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 Mmeranteɛ baanan bi a wɔyii wɔn no ne Daniel, Hanania, Misael ne Asaria a wɔn nyinaa firi Yuda abusuakuo mu.
Among these young men were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
7 Apiafoɔhene no de din foforɔ totoo wɔn. Ɔtoo Daniel Beltesasar; ɔtoo Hanania Sadrak; ɔtoo Misael Mesak ɛnna 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 aduane, nnom nsã a ɔhene no de bɛbrɛ wɔn no, ɔsrɛɛ apiafoɔhene no sɛ ɔmma no ɛkwan 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 apiafoɔhene no anim adɔeɛ ne mmɔborɔhunu.
Now God had granted Daniel favor and compassion from the chief official,
10 Apiafoɔhene no ka kyerɛɛ Daniel sɛ, “Me wura ɔhene no ahyɛ sɛ monni saa aduane yi, na monnom nsã no. Sɛ mofonfɔn na yɛde mo toto mmabunu a wɔyɛ mo tipɛnfoɔ 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 ɔsomfoɔ a apiafoɔhene no de no asi ɔno ne Hanania, Misael ne Asaria so no sɛ,
Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
12 “Ma yɛn nhahamma ne nsuo dadu, 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 mmeranteɛ afoforɔ no a wɔredi ɔhene nnuane pa no ho, na hwɛ sɛdeɛ yɛte. Ɛno akyi yɛ wo nkoa sɛdeɛ wohunu.”
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, ɔsomfoɔ no penee asɛm a Daniel de too nʼanim no so, sɔɔ wɔn hwɛɛ dadu.
So he consented to this and tested them for ten days.
15 Dadu no akyi, wɔhunuu sɛ wɔn anim ayɛ fɛ na wɔwɔ honam sene mmeranteɛ a wɔdii ahennuane 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, ɔsomfoɔ no sii gyinaeɛ sɛ ɔbɛtoa so ama wɔn nhahamma nko ara, na wamfa ahennuane 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 mmerantewaa baanan yi Onyankopɔn maa wɔn nwomanim ne nyansahu nyinaa mu nimdeɛ, na Daniel nyaa anisoadehunu ne daeɛ nkyerɛaseɛ 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 Ɛberɛ a ɔhene no ahyɛ no duruiɛ no, ɔpanin no de mmeranteɛ 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 kasaeɛ, na wɔn mu biara ansɔ nʼani gye sɛ, Daniel, Hanania, Misael ne Asaria. Enti, wɔde wɔn kaa ɔhene no apiafoɔ 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 ɛhia nyansa ne nteaseɛ a ɔhene no bisa wɔn no ɔhunu sɛ, wɔ sene nkonyaayifoɔ ne pɛadeɛhunufoɔ a wɔwɔ nʼahemman mu nyinaa no mpɛn edu.
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, kɔsii ɔhene Kores adedie afe a ɛdi ɛkan mu.
And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.
