< Danihelis Prophetæ 1 >

1 Anno tertio regni Ioakim regis Iuda, venit Nabuchodonosor rex Babylonis in Ierusalem, et obsedit eam.
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 Et tradidit Dominus in manu eius Ioakim regem Iuda, et partem vasorum domus Dei: et asportavit ea in terram Sennaar in domum dei sui, et vasa intulit in domum Thesauri dei sui.
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 Et ait rex Asphenez præposito Eunuchorum ut introduceret de filiis Israel, et de semine regio et tyrannorum,
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 pueros, in quibus nulla esset macula, decoros forma, et eruditos omni sapientia, cautos scientia, et doctos disciplina, et qui possent stare in palatio regis, ut doceret eos litteras, et linguam Chaldæorum.
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 Et constituit eis rex annonam per singulos dies de cibis suis, et de vino unde bibebat ipse, ut enutriti tribus annis, postea starent in conspectu regis.
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 Fuerunt ergo inter eos de filiis Iuda, Daniel, Ananias, Misael, et Azarias.
Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, some of the people of Judah.
7 Et imposuit eis præpositus eunuchorum, nomina: Danieli, Baltassar: Ananiæ, Sidrach: Misaeli, Misach: et Azariæ, Abdenago.
The chief official gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.
8 Proposuit autem Daniel in corde suo ne pollueretur de mensa regis, neque de vino potus eius: et rogavit eunuchorum præpositum ne contaminaretur.
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 Dedit autem Deus Danieli gratiam et misericordiam in conspectu principis eunuchorum.
Now God gave Daniel favor and compassion through the respect that the chief official had for him.
10 Et ait princeps eunuchorum ad Danielem: Timeo ego dominum meum regem, qui constituit vobis cibum et potum: qui si viderit vultus vestros macilentiores præ ceteris adolescentibus coævis vestris, condemnabitis caput meum regi.
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 Et dixit Daniel ad Malasar, quem constituerat princeps eunuchorum super Danielem, Ananiam, Misaelem, et Azariam:
Then Daniel spoke to the steward whom the chief official had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
12 Tenta nos obsecro servos tuos diebus decem, et dentur nobis legumina ad vescendum, et aqua ad bibendum:
He said, “Please test us, your servants, for ten days. Give us only some vegetables to eat and water to drink.
13 et contemplare vultus nostros, et vultus puerorum, qui vescuntur cibo regio: et sicut videris, facies cum servis tuis.
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 Qui, audito sermone huiuscemodi, tentavit eos diebus decem.
So the steward agreed with him to do this, and he tested them for ten days.
15 Post dies autem decem apparuerunt vultus eorum meliores, et corpulentiores præ omnibus pueris, qui vescebantur cibo regio.
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 Porro Malasar tollebat cibaria, et vinum potus eorum: dabatque eis legumina.
So the steward took away their delicacies and their wine and gave them only vegetables.
17 Pueris autem his dedit Deus scientiam, et disciplinam in omni libro, et sapientia: Danieli autem intelligentiam omnium visionum et somniorum.
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 Completis itaque diebus, post quos dixerat rex ut introducerentur: introduxit eos præpositus eunuchorum in conspectu Nabuchodonosor.
At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in, the chief official brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.
19 Cumque eis locutus fuisset rex, non sunt inventi tales de universis, ut Daniel, Ananias, Misael, et Azarias: et steterunt in conspectu Regis.
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 Et omne verbum sapientiæ et intellectus, quod sciscitatus est ab eis rex, invenit in eis decuplum super cunctos ariolos, et magos, qui erant in universo regno eius.
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 Fuit autem Daniel usque ad annum primum Cyri regis.
Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus.

< Danihelis Prophetæ 1 >