< Daniela 1 >

1 Tamin’ ny taona fahatelo nanjakan’ i Joiakima, mpanjakan’ ny Joda, no nankanesan’ i Nebokadnezara, mpanjakan’ i Babylona, tany Jerosalema sy nanaovany fahirano azy.
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.
2 Ary ny Tompo nanolotra an’ i Joiakima, mpanjakan’ ny Joda, mbamin’ ny fanaka sasany tao an-tranon’ Andriamanitra ho eo an-tànany, ka nentiny ho any amin’ ny tany Sinara ireny, ho ao an-tranon’ andriamaniny; koa ny fanaka dia nampidiriny tao amin’ ny trano firaketan’ andriamaniny.
[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.
3 Ary ny mpanjaka nandidy an’ i Aspenaza, lehiben’ ny tandapany, hitondra ny sasany amin’ ny Zanak’ Isiraely, dia amin’ ny zanak’ andriana na amin’ ny ambony firazanana,
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.
4 dia zatovo izay tsy nisy kilema, fa tsara tarehy sady kanto amin’ ny fahendrena rehetra sy manam-pahalalana ary mazava saina ka miendrika hitoetra ao an-dapan’ ny mpanjaka sady nasainy nampianarina ny taratasy sy ny tenin’ ny Kaldeana.
[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.
5 Ary ny mpanjaka nampanokana hanina ho an’ ireo isan’ andro avy tamin’ ny haniny sy avy tamin’ ny divay izay fisotrony mba hamelomana azy telo taona, ary rehefa afaka izany, dia hitoetra eo anatrehan’ ny mpanjaka izy.
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.”
6 Ary tamin’ ireo dia nisy avy amin’ ny taranak’ i Joda, dia Daniela sy Hanania sy Misaela ary Azaria.
Among the young Israeli men [who were chosen] were [me], Daniel, and Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, who all came from Judah.
7 Ary izy ireo nomen’ ny lehiben’ ny tandapa anarana, ka Daniela nataony hoe Beltesazara, ary Hanania nataony hoe Sadraka, ary Misaela nataony hoe Mesaka, ary Azaria nataony hoe Abednego.
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.
8 Ary Daniela ninia tao am-pony tsy handoto ny tenany tamin’ ny anjara-hanina avy tamin’ ny hanin’ ny mpanjaka, na tamin’ ny divay izay fisotrony; ka dia nangataka tamin’ ny lehiben’ ny tandapa izy mba havelany tsy handoto ny tenany.
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.
9 Dia nataon’ Andriamanitra nahita fitia sy famindram-po tamin’ ilay lehiben’ ny tandapa Daniela.
God had caused Ashpenaz to greatly respect me,
10 Ary hoy ilay lehiben’ ny tandapa tamin’ i Daniela: Matahotra ny mpanjaka tompoko izay nampanokana ny hohaninareo sy ny hosotroinareo aho; fa hanao ahoana raha mahita ny tarehinareo mahia noho ny an’ ny zatovo namanareo izy, moa tsy hahameloka ahy amin’ ny mpanjaka va ianareo, ka hotapahiny ny lohako?
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!”
11 Dia hoy Daniela tamin’ ny mpiadidy, izay notendren’ ny lehiben’ ny tandapa ho mpiadidy an’ i Daniela sy Hanania sy Misaela ary Azaria:
Ashpenaz had ordered a guard to watch me, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
12 Masìna ianao, izahao toetra hafoloana izahay mpanomponao, ary aoka homena hanin-kotrana hohaninay sy rano hosotroinay.
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.
13 Dia aoka hizahana eo anatrehanao ny tarehinay sy ny tarehin’ ny zatovo izay mihinana ny anjara avy amin’ ny hanin’ ny mpanjaka, ary araka izay hitanao no ataovy amin’ ny mpanomponao.
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].”
14 Ary nanaiky izany teny izany izy ka nizaha toetra azy hafoloana.
The guard agreed to do what I suggested, and he tested us like that for ten days.
15 Ary nony tapitra ny hafoloana, dia hita fa mandimandina sy matavy aza ny tarehiny noho ny an’ ny zatovo rehetra izay nihinana anjara avy tamin’ ny hanin’ ny mpanjaka.
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.
16 Dia najanon’ ilay mpiadidy ny anjara-haniny sy ny divay hosotroiny, ka hanin-kotrana no nomeny azy.
So after that, the guard gave us [only] vegetables to eat; he did not give us the king’s special food and wine.
17 Ary ireo zatovo efa-dahy ireo dia nomen’ Andriamanitra fahalalana sy saina ny amin’ ny taratasy sy ny fahendrena rehetra; ary Daniela nahafantatra ny amin’ ny fahitana sy ny nofy rehetra.
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.
18 Ary nony tonga ny andro nasain’ ny mpanjaka hampidirana azy, dia nentin’ ilay lehiben’ ny tandapa niditra teo anatrehan’ i Nebokadnezara izy.
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.
19 Ary ny mpanjaka niresaka taminy, ka tsy nisy hita izay tahaka an’ i Daniela sy Hanania sy Misaela ary Azaria tamin’ izy rehetra, ka dia nitoetra teo anatrehan’ ny mpanjaka izy ireo.
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.
20 Ary ny amin’ ny fahendrena sy ny fahalalana rehetra izay nanontanian’ ny mpanjaka azy, dia hitany fa nanan-tombo im-polo heny noho ny ombiasy rehetra sy ny mpisikidy izay teo amin’ ny fanjakany rehetra aza izy.
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.
21 Ary Daniela nahatratra ny taona voalohany nanjakan’ i Kyrosy mpanjaka.
I remained [there serving the king more than 60 years], until the first year that Cyrus became king.

< Daniela 1 >