Daniel Is Trained in Babylon
1It was the third year that Jehoiakim was king of Judah. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. His armies surrounded the city and attacked it. 2The Lord handed Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, over to him. Nebuchadnezzar also took some of the objects from God’s temple. He carried them off to the temple of his god in Babylon. He put them among the treasures of his god.
3The king gave Ashpenaz an order. Ashpenaz was the chief of Nebuchadnezzar’s court officials. The king told him to bring him some of the Israelites. The king wanted them to serve him in his court. He wanted nobles and men from the royal family. 4He was looking for young men who were healthy and handsome. They had to be able to learn anything. They had to be well educated. They had to have the ability to understand new things quickly and easily. The king wanted men who could serve in his palace. Ashpenaz was supposed to teach them the Babylonian language and writings. 5The king had his servants give them food and wine from his own table. They received a certain amount every day. The young men had to be trained for three years. After that, they could begin to serve the king.
6Some of the men chosen were from Judah. Their names were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 7The chief official gave them new names. He gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar. He gave Hananiah the name Shadrach. He gave Mishael the name Meshach. And he gave Azariah the name Abednego.
8Daniel decided not to make himself “unclean” by eating the king’s food and drinking his wine. So he asked the chief official for a favor. He wanted permission not to make himself “unclean” with the king’s food and wine. 9God had caused the official to be kind and friendly to Daniel. 10But the official refused to do what Daniel asked for. He said, “I’m afraid of the king. He is my master. He has decided what you and your three friends must eat and drink. Other young men are the same age as you. Why should he see you looking worse than them? When he sees how you look, he might kill me.”
11So Daniel spoke to one of the guards. The chief official had appointed him over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 12Daniel said to him, “Please test us for ten days. Give us nothing but vegetables to eat. And give us only water to drink. 13Then compare us with the young men who eat the king’s food. See how we look. After that, do what you want to.” 14So the guard agreed. He tested them for ten days.
15After the ten days Daniel and his friends looked healthy and well fed. In fact, they looked better than any of the young men who ate the king’s food. 16So the guard didn’t require them to eat the king’s special food. He didn’t require them to drink the king’s wine either. He gave them vegetables instead.
17God gave knowledge and understanding to these four young men. So they understood all kinds of writings and subjects. And Daniel could understand all kinds of visions and dreams.
18The three years the king had set for their training ended. So the chief official brought them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19The king talked with them. He didn’t find anyone equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. So they began to serve the king. 20He asked them for advice in matters that required wisdom and understanding. The king always found their answers to be the best. Other men in his kingdom claimed to get knowledge by using magic. But the answers of Daniel and his friends were ten times better than theirs.
21Daniel served in Babylon until the first year Cyrus ruled over the land of Babylon. Cyrus was king of Persia.
Maphunziro a Danieli ku Babuloni
1Chaka chachitatu cha ufumu wa Yehoyakimu mfumu ya Yuda, Nebukadinezara mfumu ya ku Babuloni inabwera ndi kuzinga mzinda wa Yerusalemu ndi kuwuthira nkhondo. 2Ndipo Ambuye anapereka Yehoyakimu mfumu ya ku Yuda mʼdzanja lake, pamodzi ndi zina mwa zida zotumikira mʼNyumba ya Mulungu. Iye anazitenga napita nazo ku nyumba ya mulungu wake ku Babuloni ndi kuziyika mʼnyumba yosungiramo chuma cha mulungu wake.
3Tsono mfumu inalamula Asipenazi, mkulu wa nduna zake kuti abwere nawo ena mwa Aisraeli ochokera mʼbanja laufumu ndi la olemekezeka, 4achinyamata wopanda chilema, okongola, aluso mu nzeru zonse, okhala ndi chidziwitso, achangu pophunzira, odziwa kutumikira mʼnyumba ya mfumu. Ndipo anati awaphunzitsenso kuwerenga chiyankhulo cha Ababuloni. 5Ndipo mfumu imawapatsa tsiku ndi tsiku gawo la chakudya ndi vinyo wa ku nyumba yaufumu, ndi kuti awaphunzitse kwa zaka zitatu, ndipo kenaka adzayambe kutumikira mfumu.
6Pakati pa amenewa panali ena ochokera ku Yuda: Danieli, Hananiya, Misaeli ndi Azariya. 7Mkulu wa nduna za mfumu anawapatsa mayina atsopano: Danieli anamutcha Belitesezara; Hananiya anamutcha Sadirake; Misaeli anamutcha Mesaki; ndi Azariya anamutcha Abedenego.
8Koma Danieli anatsimikiza mtima kuti asadzidetse ndi chakudya ndi vinyo wa mfumu, ndipo anapempha chilolezo kwa mkulu wa nduna za mfumu kuti asadzidetse mwa njira imeneyi. 9Ndipo Mulungu anafewetsa mtima wa ndunayo kuti amukomere mtima ndi kumuchitira chifundo Danieli, 10koma ndunayo inamuwuza Danieli kuti, “Ine ndikuchita mantha ndi mbuye wanga mfumu, amene wapereka chakudya ndi chakumwa chanu. Kodi akuoneni inu owonda kuposa anzanu a misinkhu yanu pa chifukwa chanji? Mfumu ikhoza kundidula mutu chifukwa cha iwe.”
11Ndipo Danieli anati kwa kapitawo amene anali mkulu wa nduna za mfumu amene anamuyika kuti ayangʼanire Danieli, Hananiya, Misaeli ndi Azariya, 12“Chonde mutiyese ife akapolo anu pa masiku khumi: mutipatse masamba okha kuti tidye ndi madzi akumwa. 13Ndipo mudzafananize maonekedwe athu ndi a anyamata amene akudya chakudya cha mfumu, ndi kuti mudzachite ndi anyamata anu monga momwe mudzawaonere.” 14Choncho anawavomera ndipo anawayesa pa masiku khumi.
15Pakutha pa masiku khumi iwo anaoneka athanzi ndi odya bwino kuposa aliyense wa anyamata amene ankadya chakudya cha mfumu aja. 16Choncho kapitawo anawachotsera chakudya ndi vinyo za ku nyumba yaufumu zija nawapatsa ndiwo zamasamba basi.
17Kwa anyamata anayiwa Mulungu anapereka chidziwitso ndi kuzindikira bwino mitundu yonse ya zolembedwa ndi za maphunziro. Ndipo Danieli ankatanthauzira masomphenya ndi maloto a mitundu yonse.
18Ndipo kumapeto kwa masiku amene mfumu inayika kuti adzaonetse anyamatawa ku nyumba yake, mkulu wa nduna za mfumu uja anawapereka iwo kwa Nebukadinezara. 19Mfumu inayankhula nawo, ndipo panalibe wofanana ndi Danieli; Hananiya Misaeli ndi Azariya; Choncho analowa ndi kukhala otumikira mfumu. 20Nthawi zonse mfumu ikawafunsa zonse zofuna nzeru ndi chidziwitso, inkapeza kuti iwo anali oposa amatsenga ndi owombeza onse a mu ufumu wake wonse mopitirira muyeso.
21Ndipo Danieli anali kumeneko mpaka chaka choyamba cha ufumu wa Koresi.
