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.
Ẹ̀kọ́ Daniẹli ní Babeli
1Ní ọdún kẹta tí Jehoiakimu jẹ ọba Juda, Nebukadnessari ọba Babeli wá sí Jerusalẹmu, ó sì kọlù ú pẹ̀lú àwọn ọmọ-ogun rẹ̀. 2Olúwa sì fa Jehoiakimu ọba Juda lé e lọ́wọ́, pẹ̀lú àwọn ohun èlò ilé Ọlọ́run. Àwọn nǹkan wọ̀nyí ni ó kó lọ sí ilé òrìṣà ní Babeli, sí inú ilé ìṣúra òrìṣà rẹ̀.
3Nígbà náà ni ọba pàṣẹ fún Aṣipenasi, olórí àwọn ìwẹ̀fà ààfin rẹ̀ pé, kí ó mú nínú àwọn ọmọ Israẹli tí wọ́n wá láti ìdílé ọba àti lára àwọn tí ó wá láti ilé ọlá. 4Àwọn ọ̀dọ́mọkùnrin tí kò ní àbùkù ara, tí wọ́n rẹwà, tí wọ́n sì fi ìfẹ́ sí ẹ̀kọ́ hàn, tí wọ́n sì ní ìmọ̀, tí òye tètè ń yé àti àwọn tí ó kún ojú òṣùwọ̀n láti ṣiṣẹ́ ní ààfin ọba kí ó kọ́ wọ́n ní èdè àti onírúurú ẹ̀kọ́ ìwé ti àwọn Babeli. 5Ọba pèsè oúnjẹ ojoojúmọ́ àti wáìnì láti orí tábìlì i rẹ̀ fún wọn, ó sì kọ́ wọn fún ọdún mẹ́ta. Lẹ́yìn náà ni wọn yóò bẹ̀rẹ̀ sí í ṣiṣẹ́ fún ọba.
6Lára àwọn wọ̀nyí ni àwọn tó wá láti Juda: Daniẹli, Hananiah, Miṣaeli àti Asariah. 7Olórí àwọn ìwẹ̀fà fún wọn ní orúkọ tuntun: Ó fún Daniẹli ní Belteṣassari, ó fún Hananiah ní Ṣadraki, ó fún Miṣaeli ní Meṣaki àti Asariah ní Abednego.
8Ṣùgbọ́n Daniẹli pinnu ní ọkàn ara rẹ̀ pé òun kò ní ba ara òun jẹ́ pẹ̀lú oúnjẹ àti wáìnì ọba, nígbà náà ni ó gba ààyè lọ́wọ́ olórí àwọn ìwẹ̀fà wí pé òun kò fẹ́ ba ara òun jẹ́ ní ọ̀nà yìí. 9Ọlọ́run mú kí Daniẹli rí ojúrere àti àánú gbà láti ọwọ́ olórí àwọn ìwẹ̀fà, 10Ṣùgbọ́n olórí àwọn ìwẹ̀fà sọ fún Daniẹli pé, “Mo bẹ̀rù olúwa mi, ẹni tí o ti pèsè oúnjẹ àti ohun mímu rẹ. Báwo ni ìrísí rẹ yóò ṣe burú jù ti àwọn ọ̀dọ́mọkùnrin ẹlẹgbẹ́ ẹ̀ rẹ lọ? Nígbà náà ni èmi yóò fi orí mi wéwu lọ́dọ̀ ọba.”
11Nígbà náà ni Daniẹli sọ fún olùṣọ́ tí olórí àwọn ìwẹ̀fà yàn lórí i Daniẹli, Hananiah, Miṣaeli àti Asariah pé, 12Jọ̀wọ́ dán àwa ìránṣẹ́ rẹ wò fún ọjọ́ mẹ́wàá: Má ṣe fún wa ní ohun kankan, àfi ewébẹ̀ láti jẹ àti omi láti mu. 13Nígbà náà ni kí o fi ìrísí i wa wé ti àwọn ọ̀dọ́mọkùnrin tí wọ́n ń jẹ oúnjẹ ọba, kí o sì ṣe àwa ìránṣẹ́ rẹ ní ìbámu pẹ̀lú u bí o bá ṣe rí i sí. 14Bẹ́ẹ̀ ni ó sì gbà láti dán wọn wò fún ọjọ́ mẹ́wàá.
15Lẹ́yìn ọjọ́ kẹwàá ara wọn le, wọ́n sì sanra ju àwọn ọ̀dọ́mọkùnrin tí wọ́n ń jẹ oúnjẹ ọba lọ. 16Bẹ́ẹ̀ ni olùṣọ́ mú oúnjẹ àdídùn àti wáìnì tí ó yẹ kí wọ́n mu kúrò, ó sì fún wọn ní ewébẹ̀ dípò rẹ̀.
17Ọlọ́run fún àwọn ọ̀dọ́mọkùnrin mẹ́rẹ̀ẹ̀rin wọ̀nyí ní ìmọ̀ àti òye nínú gbogbo onírúurú ìwé àti ẹ̀kọ́ ọ wọn: Daniẹli sì ní òye ìran àti àlá ní oríṣìíríṣìí.
18Ní òpin ìgbà tí ọba dá, pé kí a mú wọn wá sínú ààfin, olórí àwọn ìwẹ̀fà mú wọn wá síwájú ọba Nebukadnessari. 19Ọba sì bá wọn sọ̀rọ̀, ó sì rí i pé kò sí ẹni tí ó dàbí i Daniẹli, Hananiah, Miṣaeli àti Asariah; Nítorí náà wọ́n bẹ̀rẹ̀ sí ní ṣe iṣẹ́ ọba. 20Nínú gbogbo ọ̀ràn ọgbọ́n àti òye tí ọba ń béèrè lọ́wọ́ wọn, ó rí i pé wọ́n sàn ní ìlọ́po mẹ́wàá ju gbogbo àwọn amòye àti ọlọ́gbọ́n tí ó wà ní gbogbo ìjọba rẹ̀.
21Daniẹli sì wà níbẹ̀ títí di ọdún kìn-ín-ní ọba Kirusi.
