Daniel and His Friends
1 In the third year that Jehoiakim was king of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia attacked Jerusalem. 2 The Lord let Nebuchadnezzar capture Jehoiakim and take away some of the things used in God's temple. And when the king returned to Babylonia, he put these things in the temple of his own god.
3 One day the king ordered Ashpenaz, his highest palace official, to choose some young men from the royal family of Judah and from other leading Jewish families. 4 The king said, “They must be healthy, handsome, smart, wise, educated, and fit to serve in the royal palace. Teach them how to speak and write our language 5 and give them the same food and wine that I am served. Train them for three years, and then they can become court officials.”
6 Four of the young Jews chosen were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, all from the tribe of Judah. 7 But the king's chief official gave them Babylonian names: Daniel became Belteshazzar, Hananiah became Shadrach, Mishael became Meshach, and Azariah became Abednego.
8 Daniel made up his mind to eat and drink only what God had approved for his people to eat. And he asked the king's chief official for permission not to eat the food and wine served in the royal palace. 9 God had made the official friendly and kind to Daniel. 10 But the man still told him, “The king has decided what you must eat and drink. And I am afraid he will kill me, if you eat something else and end up looking worse than the other young men.”
11 The king's official had put a guard in charge of Daniel and his three friends. So Daniel said to the guard, 12 “For the next ten days, let us have only vegetables and water at mealtime. 13 When the ten days are up, compare how we look with the other young men, and decide what to do with us.” 14 The guard agreed to do what Daniel had asked.
15 Ten days later, Daniel and his friends looked healthier and better than the young men who had been served food from the royal palace. 16 After this, the guard let them eat vegetables instead of the rich food and wine.
17 God made the four young men smart and wise. They read a lot of books and became well educated. Daniel could also tell the meaning of dreams and visions.
18 At the end of the three-year period set by King Nebuchadnezzar, his chief palace official brought all the young men to him. 19 The king interviewed them and discovered that none of the others were as outstanding as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they were given positions in the royal court. 20 From then on, whenever the king asked for advice, he found their wisdom was ten times better than that of any of his other advisors and magicians. 21 Daniel served there until the first year of King Cyrus.
Ehokololo lyaDaniel nookuume ke
Aagundjuka mombala yaNebukadnezzar
1 Momumvo omutitatu sho Jehoiakim a li omukwaniilwa gwaJuda, omukwaniilwa gwaBabilon, edhina lye Nebukadnezzar, okwa matukile Jerusalem e te shi kondeke. 2 Omuwa Kalunga okwe mu kwatitha omukwaniilwa Jehoiakim niikwaniipangitho yimwe yomotempeli. Okwa fala oonkwatwa dhimwe kotempeli yiikalunga ye kuBabilon, e ta tula iikwaniipangitho moompungulilo dhomotempeli yiikalunga ye.
3 Omukwaniilwa okwa lombwele elenga ekuluntu Aspenas, a hogolole mokati kAaisraeli aapika aagundjuka yamwe yomaawagona noomvalekele. 4 Oyo ye na okukala ya shitika, ye na oondunge, ya longekeka noye na omitse omipu mokwiilonga yo yaa na shipo, opo ya longwe okuyakula muuwa. Aspenas okwa li e na oku ya nongeka okulesha nokunyola elaka lyoshilongo. 5 Omukwaniilwa okwa gandja ishewe elaka kutya esiku kehe naa pewe iikulya nomaviinu ngaashi aambala ayehe. Konima yoomvula ndatu otaa ka holoka koshipala shomukwaniilwa. 6 Mumboka ya hogololwa omwa li Daniel, Hanania, Mishael naAzaria, ayehe mbaka oyomezimo lyaJuda. 7 Elenga ekuluntu olye ya lukulula omadhina omape: Beltshazzar, Shadrak, Meshak naAbednego.
8 Daniel okwa tokola, ki inyateke a lye iikulya nokunwa omaviinu gambala, onkee okwi indile Aspenas, e mu kwathe. 9 Kalunga oku uvitithitha Aspenas ohenda, a yaalele Daniel. 10 Aspenas sho a li a tila omukwaniilwa, okwa ti kuDaniel: “Omukwaniilwa oku utha shoka tamu li notamu nu, nongele itamu ondoka mwa fa aagundjuka ooyakweni, nena ota ka dhipaga ndje.”
11 Onkee Daniel okwa yi komutonateli ngoka a tulwa po kuAspenas, e ya tonatele nokwa ti kuye: 12 “Tu yelekela omasiku omulongo. Tu pa, tu lye omboga tse tu nwe omeya. 13 Nena tu yeleka naamati mboka taa li iikulya yambala, opo ihe etokolo lyoye li uthwe kuukwatya wetu.”
14 Aspenas okwe ya pitika, ya kambadhale omasiku omulongo. 15 Sho ethimbo ndyoka lya thiki, oya li ya kola noye na oonkondo ye vule ayehe mboka haa li iikulya yambala. 16 Okuza mpoka omutonateli okwe ya etha, ya tsikile okulya oomboga peha lyaashoka omukwaniilwa e shi ya longekidhila.
17 Kalunga okwa pe aagundjuka mbaka yane oondunge nuunongo mokutseya omanyolo agehe. Daniel okwa pewa omagano gokufatulula wo omamoniko noondjodhi.
18 Konima yomimvo ndhoka ndatu Aspenas okwe ya fala kuNebukadnezzar. 19 Omukwaniilwa okwa kundathana nayo ayehe, ndele Daniel, Hanania, Mishael naAzaria oye mu kumitha ye vule yalwe. Osho ya ningi aayakuli yomukwaniilwa. 20 Omukwaniilwa aluhe sho e ya pula kombinga yiinima tayi pula oondunge nuunongo, okwe ya dhimbulula kutya oye vule lwomulongo oonganga noompulile adhihe moshilongo she ashihe. 21 Daniel okwa hugunine mombala, sigo omukwaniilwa Kores gwaPersia a lala Babilon.
