THE STORY OF DANIEL AND HIS FRIENDS (1.1—6.28)
The Young Men at Nebuchadnezzar's Court
1 In the third year that Jehoiakim was king of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia attacked Jerusalem and surrounded the city. 2 The Lord let him capture King Jehoiakim and seize some of the Temple treasures. He took some prisoners back with him to the temple of his gods in Babylon, and put the captured treasures in the temple storerooms.
3 The king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief official, to select from among the Israelite exiles some young men of the royal family and of the noble families. 4 They had to be handsome, intelligent, well-trained, quick to learn, and free from physical defects, so that they would be qualified to serve in the royal court. Ashpenaz was to teach them to read and write the Babylonian language. 5 The king also gave orders that every day they were to be given the same food and wine as the members of the royal court. After three years of this training they were to appear before the king. 6 Among those chosen were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, all of whom were from the tribe of Judah. 7 The chief official gave them new names: Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
8 Daniel made up his mind not to let himself become ritually unclean by eating the food and drinking the wine of the royal court, so he asked Ashpenaz to help him, 9 and God made Ashpenaz sympathetic to Daniel. 10 Ashpenaz, however, was afraid of the king, so he said to Daniel, “The king has decided what you are to eat and drink, and if you don't look as fit as the other young men, he may kill me.”
11 So Daniel went to the guard whom Ashpenaz had placed in charge of him and his three friends. 12 “Test us for ten days,” he said. “Give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then compare us with the young men who are eating the food of the royal court, and base your decision on how we look.”
14 He agreed to let them try it for ten days. 15 When the time was up, they looked healthier and stronger than all those who had been eating the royal food. 16 So from then on the guard let them continue to eat vegetables instead of what the king provided.
17 God gave the four young men knowledge and skill in literature and philosophy. In addition, he gave Daniel skill in interpreting visions and dreams.
18 At the end of the three years set by the king, Ashpenaz took all the young men to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked with them all, and Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah impressed him more than any of the others. So they became members of the king's court. 20 No matter what question the king asked or what problem he raised, these four knew ten times more than any fortuneteller or magician in his whole kingdom. 21 Daniel remained at the royal court until Cyrus, the emperor of Persia, conquered Babylonia.
Taiti ta Daniele rota ndi Bereazii ndaro be
Agoànji Goko Nebukadenezara roya
1 Ndroa nina 'dimiri Jehoiakima 'bädri'ba Yuda ro rosi oko, Nebukadenezara 'bädri'ba Babelona ro ikyi te ago mudri Yerusalema rote. 2 Opi ozo Jehoiakima 'bädri'ba Yuda ro te drì ndaro ya, rukä lakazà Yekalu ro robe. Nda ugu ànya te le Babelona ya, ago dro lakazà alokado se kai te voŋgaodroro lui modo ndaro roya.
3 'Bädri'ba ta Asepenaza, dri'ba 'desi losiro ndaro te, agoànji azaka ezine ni kamba'bai Yisaraele'bai ro lakosi, ni zelevo 'bädri'ba ro kode 'di 'desi ro yasi. 4 Ànyari a'done teinye mämbiako liŋgyiliŋgyiro, tauni kado ta cini robe, embaembaro tavouni be, tauniuniro ndrindri, ago unina ndi ruindune kadoro zo 'bädri'ba roya. Asepenaza modo ri ni ànya embane kala ndi taegyi Babelona'bai rosi. 5 'Bädri'ba 'ba tate ŋgaonya toco ndi vino kado se 'bädri'ba kabe onyana ago umvuna 'do modona ozone ayani ànyari. Ànya embane ndroa nätu, ago voigyesi oko oloci ànya robe ruindune 'bädri'ba ri. 6 'Dise anjibe 'dina kwoi lako ni Daniele, Anania, Misaela ago Azaria, se cini kwoi ni 'bakala Yuda ro yasi. 7 Dri'ba 'desi losi ro ozo ävuru aza te ànyari, zi Daniele te Beletesazara, zi Anania te Sadaraka, zi Misaela te Mesaka, ago zi Azaria te Abedenego.
8 Daniele usutate ko andivo ndaro enjine ŋgaonya toco ndi vino se 'bädri'ba kabe umvuna ana si, ta'dota nda eji Asepenaza te ole ozone ndäri ko ŋga iyi onyane ago umvune, 9 ago Lu 'ba Asepenaza te yauni ka'dane ago tadriolene Daniele ri. 10 'Dooko Asepenaza atate Daniele ri ekye: “Ma orivoya turituriro ni 'bädri'ba ri, tana nda ra ta ni ämiri ŋga iyi onyane ago umvune, oko ondro ka'do nda kondre ami bete orweorwero ndrani agoànji azi amiro ri, 'dooko nda ufuna ma ndi.”
11 'Dooko Daniele atate mano se 'desiro Asepenaza kaka'dabe vo Daniele, Anania, Misaela ndi Azaria be ro ondrene ana ri ekye: 12 “Molo'baru miri, nyojo ta ama ruindu'bai miro kwoi ro u'duna 'butealo; u'du kwoi ya mi'ba ozo toto agba ayani onyane ndi gyi be umvune ämäri. 13 'Dooko mindre a'do toto amaro agoànji se kayibe ŋgaonya se toco 'bädri'ba ro onyana 'do be, ago miye ta ama ruindu'bai miro ri oso mindre ama be ronye.”
14 Nda le tase ànya kejibe ana tadrina te ago ojo ta ànyaro te u'duna 'butealo. 15 Ondro u'du 'butealo kokyete oko, andre be lomvo ànyaro a'dote kadopara ago oseosero ndrani agoànji se kabe ŋgaonya toco 'bädri'ba ro onyana iyi drisi. 16 Ta'dota voondre'ba ana na ŋgaonya se toco ndi vino se 'bädri ra tana be ozobe ànyari ana te ago nda go ozote agba ayani onyane ànyari.
17 Lu ozo tauni, tauzi ndi tatenyi be te kadoro agoànji se su kwoi ri. Ndra na, nda ozo tauni takaci rulofo ndi tori itiro be te Daniele ri.
18 Ondro ndroa se nätu 'bädri'ba kotibe agoànji ana eziza nda kandra ana kokyete oko, Asepenaza ezi ànya te Nebukadenezara kandra. 19 'Bädri'ba atate ànya yibe, ago ànya cini lakosi, nda usu 'diaza kote oso Daniele, Anania, Misaela ndi Azaria be ronye; ta'dota oloci ànya te ruindune 'bädri'ba ri. 20 Tase cini 'bädri'ba kabe ejina kode rriti se cini nda kabe tana itina, lidri su kwoi niyi ṛo kadopara perena 'butealo ndrani tetedri'bai ndi taläkä'bai cini se 'bädri ndaro ya drisi. 21 Daniele rite goko 'bädri'ba roya lau madale Sairasi 'bädri'ba Peresia ro ru Babelona gwo.