Daniel 1 – NIRV & OL

New International Reader’s Version

Daniel 1:1-21

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.

O Livro

Daniel 1:1-21

A preparação de Daniel na Babilónia

1Três anos depois do rei Joaquim ter começado a reinar em Judá, o rei da Babilónia, Nabucodonozor, atacou Jerusalém com os seus exércitos. 2E o Senhor deu-lhe a vitória sobre Joaquim. Antes de regressar a Sinar (Babilónia), retirou algumas das taças sagradas do templo de Deus e pô-las depois no tesouro do seu deus.

3Então mandou a Aspenaz, que era o chefe do pessoal de serviço no palácio real, que selecionasse alguns dos jovens judeus trazidos como cativos; 4mancebos de linhagem real, pertencentes à nobreza de Judá, para lhes ensinar a língua dos caldeus e a sua cultura. “Escolham-me uns moços fortes, saudáveis e de bela aparência!”, disse ele. “Devem ser instruídos em todos os domínios do saber, com uma boa cultura geral, e estar preparados para viver no palácio.” 5O rei ordenou que lhes dessem do melhor alimento a comer e do melhor vinho a beber, de tudo aquilo que era servido a ele próprio; e isso durante três anos, para que no final desse período de preparação viessem a ser seus conselheiros.

6Daniel, Hananias, Misael e Azarias foram quatro dos jovens escolhidos de todas as tribos de Judá. 7O responsável pela sua formação pôs-lhes outros nomes, nomes babilónicos. A Daniel chamou Beltessazar, a Hananias, Sadraque, a Misael, Mesaque e a Azarias, Abednego.

8Mas Daniel assentou no seu coração não se contaminar com o alimento e o vinho que o rei lhes dava. Pediu então a esse responsável que lhes permitisse alimentarem-se de outras coisas. 9Aconteceu até que Deus fez com que esse homem tivesse uma certa simpatia especial por Daniel e usasse de uma certa tolerância. 10No entanto, ficou alarmado com a sugestão de Daniel: “Tenho receio que vocês fiquem com um aspeto mais débil, quando comparados com os outros da vossa idade, e que o rei me mande decapitar por ter negligenciado as minhas responsabilidades!”

11Daniel foi ter com o mordomo, a quem o responsável tinha encarregado de cuidar de Daniel, Hananias, Misael e Azarias. 12Sugeriu-lhe que durante dez dias os deixasse submeterem-se a um regime apenas de vegetais e água. 13No final desse período, o mordomo poderia comparar a aparência deles com a dos outros que comiam da comida do rei e logo veria se continuariam com esse regime alimentar.

14O mordomo acabou por concordar. 15No fim dos dez dias, Daniel e os seus três amigos pareciam mais saudáveis e mais bem alimentados que os jovens que tinham comido a comida real. 16O mordomo passou a dar-lhes unicamente vegetais e água, retirando-lhes da alimentação os outros ricos pratos e os vinhos.

17Deus concedeu a estes quatro moços uma grande capacidade de aprendizagem, de tal forma que em breve dominavam os conhecimentos e a cultura daquele tempo. Deus deu mesmo a Daniel uma competência especial para compreender o significado de sonhos e visões.

18Quando aquele período de três anos de preparação e estudo se completou, o responsável nomeado pelo soberano trouxe todos os mancebos à presença deste, para serem examinados. 19O rei Nabucodonozor conversou longamente com cada um deles, mas aqueles que mais o impressionaram foram, sem dúvida, Daniel, Hananias, Misael e Azarias. E passaram a ocupar o seu lugar na equipa de conselheiros reais. 20Em todos os assuntos em que se requeria uma informação exata e a emissão de pareceres inteligentes, o rei achava os juízos destes jovens sempre dez vezes melhores que os dos magos e adivinhos do seu reino.

21Daniel manteve-se nesse lugar de conselheiro do rei até ao primeiro ano do reinado de Ciro1.21 Decorria o ano 539 a.C., ano em que Ciro reinava sobre os medos e persas..