ダニエル書 1
1 ユダの王エホヤキムの治世の第三年にバビロンの王ネブカデネザルはエルサレムにきて、これを攻め囲んだ。
In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylonia came to Jerusalem and surrounded the city to cut off all supplies to it.
2 主はユダの王エホヤキムと、神の宮の器具の一部とを、彼の手にわたされたので、彼はこれをシナルの地の自分の神の宮に携えゆき、その器具を自分の神の蔵に納めた。
The Lord gave Nebuchadnezzar victory over Jehoiakim king of Judah, and he gave him some of the sacred objects from the house of God. He brought them into the land of Babylonia, to the house of his god, and he placed the sacred objects in his god's treasury.
3 時に王は宦官の長アシペナズに、イスラエルの人々の中から、王の血統の者と、貴族たる者数人とを、連れて来るように命じた。
The king spoke to Ashpenaz, his chief official, to bring in some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility—
4 すなわち身に傷がなく、容姿が美しく、すべての知恵にさとく、知識があって、思慮深く、王の宮に仕えるに足る若者を連れてこさせ、これにカルデヤびとの文学と言語とを学ばせようとした。
young men without blemish, attractive in appearance, skillful in all wisdom, filled with knowledge and understanding, and qualified to serve in the king's palace. He was to teach them the Babylonians' literature and language.
5 そして王は王の食べる食物と、王の飲む酒の中から、日々の分を彼らに与えて、三年のあいだ彼らを養い育て、その後、彼らをして王の前に、はべらせようとした。
The king counted out for them a daily portion of his delicacies and some of the wine that he drank. These young men were to be trained for three years, and after that, they would serve the king.
6 彼らのうちに、ユダの部族のダニエル、ハナニヤ、ミシャエル、アザリヤがあった。
Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, some of the people of Judah.
7 宦官の長は彼らに名を与えて、ダニエルをベルテシャザルと名づけ、ハナニヤをシャデラクと名づけ、ミシャエルをメシャクと名づけ、アザリヤをアベデネゴと名づけた。
The chief official gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.
8 ダニエルは王の食物と、王の飲む酒とをもって、自分を汚すまいと、心に思い定めたので、自分を汚させることのないように、宦官の長に求めた。
But Daniel intended in his mind that he would not pollute himself with the king's delicacies or with the wine that he drank. So he asked permission from the chief official that he might not pollute himself.
9 神はダニエルをして、宦官の長の前に、恵みとあわれみとを得させられたので、
Now God gave Daniel favor and compassion through the respect that the chief official had for him.
10 宦官の長はダニエルに言った、「わが主なる王は、あなたがたの食べ物と、飲み物とを定められたので、わたしはあなたがたの健康の状態が、同年輩の若者たちよりも悪いと、王が見られることを恐れるのです。そうすればあなたがたのために、わたしのこうべが、王の前に危くなるでしょう」。
The chief official said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my master the king. He has commanded what food and drink you should have. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men of your own age? The king might have my head because of you.”
11 そこでダニエルは宦官の長がダニエル、ハナニヤ、ミシャエルおよびアザリヤの上に立てた家令に言った、
Then Daniel spoke to the steward whom the chief official had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
12 「どうぞ、しもべらを十日の間ためしてください。わたしたちにただ野菜を与えて食べさせ、水を飲ませ、
He said, “Please test us, your servants, for ten days. Give us only some vegetables to eat and water to drink.
13 そしてわたしたちの顔色と、王の食物を食べる若者の顔色とをくらべて見て、あなたの見るところにしたがって、しもべらを扱ってください」。
Then compare our appearance with the appearance of the young men who eat the king's delicacies, and treat us, your servants, based on what you see.”
14 家令はこの事について彼らの言うところを聞きいれ、十日の間、彼らをためした。
So the steward agreed with him to do this, and he tested them for ten days.
15 十日の終りになってみると、彼らの顔色は王の食物を食べたすべての若者よりも美しく、また肉も肥え太っていた。
At the end of ten days their appearance was more healthy, and they were better nourished, than all the young men who ate the king's delicacies.
16 それで家令は彼らの食物と、彼らの飲むべき酒とを除いて、彼らに野菜を与えた。
So the steward took away their delicacies and their wine and gave them only vegetables.
17 この四人の者には、神は知識を与え、すべての文学と知恵にさとい者とされた。ダニエルはまたすべての幻と夢とを理解した。
As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and insight in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel could understand all kinds of visions and dreams.
18 さて、王が命じたところの若者を召し入れるまでの日数が過ぎたので、宦官の町は彼らをネブカデネザルの前に連れていった。
At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in, the chief official brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.
19 王が彼らと語ってみると、彼らすべての中にはダニエル、ハナニヤ、ミシャエル、アザリヤにならぶ者がなかったので、彼らは王の前にはべることとなった。
The king spoke with them, and among the whole group there were none to compare with Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. They stood before the king, ready to serve him.
20 王が彼らにさまざまの事を尋ねてみると、彼らは知恵と理解において、全国の博士、法術士にまさること十倍であった。
In every question of wisdom and understanding that the king asked them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and those who claimed to speak with the dead, who were in his entire kingdom.
21 ダニエルはクロス王の元年まで仕えていた。
Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus.
