< Daniel 1 >

1 After King Jehoiakim had been ruling in Judah for almost three years, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem [with his army] and surrounded the city.
L'anno terzo del regno di Ioiakìm re di Giuda, Nabucodònosor re di Babilonia marciò su Gerusalemme e la cinse dassedio.
2 [After two years, ] Yahweh allowed Nebuchadnezzar’s [soldiers] to capture Jehoiakim, [who was the] King of Judah. They also took some of the things that were in the temple of God, and took them to Babylonia. There Nebuchadnezzar put them in the temple of his god.
Il Signore mise Ioiakìm re di Giuda nelle sue mani, insieme con una parte degli arredi del tempio di Dio, ed egli li trasportò in Sennaàr e depositò gli arredi nel tesoro del tempio del suo dio.
3 Then Nebuchadnezzar commanded Ashpenaz, the chief official in his palace, to bring [to him] some of the Israeli men [whom they had brought to Babylon. He wanted men] who belonged to important families, including the family of the King of Judah.
Il re ordinò ad Asfenàz, capo dei suoi funzionari di corte, di condurgli giovani israeliti di stirpe reale o di famiglia nobile,
4 [King Nebuchadnezzar wanted only] men who were very healthy, handsome/good-looking, wise, well-educated, capable of learning many things, and suitable for working in the palace. He also wanted to teach them the Babylonian language and have them read things that had been written in the Babylonian language.
senza difetti, di bell'aspetto, dotati di ogni scienza, educati, intelligenti e tali da poter stare nella reggia, per essere istruiti nella scrittura e nella lingua dei Caldei.
5 The king commanded [his servants], “Give them the same kind of food and wine that is given to me. Train them for three years. Then they will become my servants.”
Il re assegnò loro una razione giornaliera di vivande e di vino della sua tavola; dovevano esser educati per tre anni, al termine dei quali sarebbero entrati al servizio del re.
6 Among the young Israeli men [who were chosen] were [me], Daniel, and Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, who all came from Judah.
Fra di loro vi erano alcuni Giudei: Daniele, Anania, Misaele e Azaria;
7 But Ashpenaz gave us [Babylonian] names. The name he gave to me was Belteshazzar, the name he gave to Hananiah was Shadrach, the name he gave to Mishael was Meshach, and the name he gave to Azariah was Abednego.
però il capo dei funzionari di corte chiamò Daniele Baltazzàr; Anania Sadràch; Misaele Mesàch e Azaria Abdènego.
8 But I decided that I would not eat the kind of food that the king ate, or drink the wine that he drank, because that would make me (ritually defiled/unacceptable to God). So I asked Ashpenaz to allow me to eat and drink other things.
Ma Daniele decise in cuor suo di non contaminarsi con le vivande del re e con il vino dei suoi banchetti e chiese al capo dei funzionari di non farlo contaminare.
9 God had caused Ashpenaz to greatly respect me,
Dio fece sì che Daniele incontrasse la benevolenza e la simpatia del capo dei funzionari.
10 but he was worried about what I suggested. He said, “My master, the king, has commanded that you eat the kinds of food and drink that he does. If [you eat other things and as a result] you become more thin and pale than the other young men who are your age, he will [order his soldiers to] cut off my head because of what you have done!”
Però egli disse a Daniele: «Io temo che il re mio signore, che ha stabilito quello che dovete mangiare e bere, trovi le vostre facce più magre di quelle degli altri giovani della vostra età e io così mi renda colpevole davanti al re».
11 Ashpenaz had ordered a guard to watch me, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
Ma Daniele disse al custode, al quale il capo dei funzionari aveva affidato Daniele, Anania, Misaele e Azaria:
12 So I said to this guard: “[Please] test us for ten days. [During that time] give us [only] vegetables to eat and water to drink.
«Mettici alla prova per dieci giorni, dandoci da mangiare legumi e da bere acqua,
13 After ten days, see how we look, and see how the other young men look, the ones who are eating the kind of food that the king eats. Then you can decide about [what food you will let us eat].”
poi si confrontino, alla tua presenza, le nostre facce con quelle dei giovani che mangiano le vivande del re; quindi deciderai di fare con noi tuoi servi come avrai constatato».
14 The guard agreed to do what I suggested, and he tested us like that for ten days.
Egli acconsentì e fece la prova per dieci giorni;
15 After ten days, [he saw that] my three friends and I looked healthier [DOU] than the young men who had been eating the food that the king wanted them to eat.
terminati questi, si vide che le loro facce erano più belle e più floride di quelle di tutti gli altri giovani che mangiavano le vivande del re.
16 So after that, the guard gave us [only] vegetables to eat; he did not give us the king’s special food and wine.
D'allora in poi il sovrintendente fece togliere l'assegnazione delle vivande e del vino e diede loro soltanto legumi.
17 And God gave to us four young men wisdom and the ability to study many things that Babylonians had written and studied. And [he also gave to] me the ability to understand the meaning of visions and dreams.
Dio concesse a questi quattro giovani di conoscere e comprendere ogni scrittura e ogni sapienza e rese Daniele interprete di visioni e di sogni.
18 When those three years that the king had set for training us young men from Judah were ended, Ashpenaz brought all of us to King Nebuchadnezzar.
Terminato il tempo stabilito dal re entro il quale i giovani dovevano essergli presentati, il capo dei funzionari li portò a Nabucodònosor.
19 The king talked with [each of] us, and realized that none of the other young men were as capable as Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah and I were. So we four became the king’s special advisors/servants.
Il re parlò con loro, ma fra tutti non si trovò nessuno pari a Daniele, Anania, Misaele e Azaria, i quali rimasero al servizio del re;
20 In all important matters, the king found that what we [four men] advised was ten times as good as what all the magicians and sorcerers/fortune-tellers in his kingdom advised.
in qualunque affare di sapienza e intelligenza su cui il re li interrogasse, li trovò dieci volte superiori a tutti i maghi e astrologi che c'erano in tutto il suo regno.
21 I remained [there serving the king more than 60 years], until the first year that Cyrus became king.
Così Daniele vi rimase fino al primo anno del re Ciro.

< Daniel 1 >