1 ف ِي السَّنَةِ الثّالِثَةِ مِنْ حُكمِ المَلِكِ يَهُوياقِيمَ مَلِكِ يَهُوذا، أتَى نَبُوخَذْناصَّرُ مَلِكُ بابِلَ إلَى مَدينَةِ القُدْسِ وَحاصَرَها بِجَيشِهِ.

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.

2 و َسَمَحَ الرَّبُّ بِأنْ يَهزِمَ نَبُوخَذْناصَّرُ يَهُوياقِيمَ مَلِكَ يَهُوذا. فَسَلَبَ نَبُوخَذْناصَّرُ بَعضَ الآنِيَةِ مِنْ بَيتِ اللهِ، وَأحضَرَها إلَى هَيكَلِ آلِهَتِهِ فِي أرْضِ شِنْعارَ، وَوَضَعَها فِي غُرفَةِ الخَزْنَةِ فِي هَيكَلِ آلِهَتِهِ.

And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with a part of the vessels of the house of God; and he carried them into the land of Shinar to the house of his god and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god.

3 ث ُمَّ أمَرَ المَلِكُ رَئِيسَ الخُدّامِ أشْفْنَزَ بِأنْ يَختارَ بَعضَ الفِتيانِ مِنْ أبناءِ العائِلَةِ المالِكَةِ وَالطَبَقَةِ العُليا مِنْ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ عُمُوماً،

And the king told Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring in some of the children of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility—

4 و َأنْ يَكُونُوا فِتياناً بِلا عَيبٍ وَحِسانَ المَنظَرِ، قادِرِينَ عَلَى تَعَلُّمِ الحِكْمَةِ، وَفُهُماءَ فِي العُلُومِ، مُؤَهَّلِينَ لِلخِدمَةِ فِي قَصرِ المَلِكِ. وَكانَ عَلَيهِمْ أنْ يَتَعَلَّمُوا لُغَةَ الكَلدانِيِّينَ وَآدابَهُمْ.

Youths without blemish, well-favored in appearance and skillful in all wisdom, discernment, and understanding, apt in learning knowledge, competent to stand and serve in the king’s palace—and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.

5 و َقَدْ خَصَّصَ المَلِكُ نَبُوخَذْناصَّرُ لَهُمْ حِصَّةً يَومِيَّةً مِنْ أطعِمَةِ المَلِكِ وَأشرِبَتِهِ الفاخِرَةِ. فَبَعَدَ أنْ يَتَلَقَّى هَؤلاءِ الفِتيانُ تَعليمَهُمْ لِمُدَّةِ ثَلاثِ سَنَواتٍ، يُعَيَّنُونَ لِلعَمَلِ فِي قَصرِ المَلِكِ.

And the king assigned for them a daily portion of his own rich and dainty food and of the wine which he drank. They were to be so educated and so nourished for three years that at the end of that time they might stand before the king.

6 و َكانَ دانيالُ وَحَنَنْيا وَمِيشائِيلُ وَعَزَرْيا مِنْ هَؤلاءِ الفِتيانِ الَّذِينَ تَمَّ اختِيارُهُمْ مِنْ قَبِيلَةِ يَهُوذا.

Among these were of the children of Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

7 و َأعطاهُمْ أشْفْنَزُ أسماءً أرامِيَّةً، فَدَعا دانيالَ بَلْطشاصَّرَ، وَدَعا حَنَنْيا شَدْرَخَ، وَدَعا مِيشائِيلَ مِيشَخَ، وَدَعا عَزَرْيا عَبْدَنَغُوَ.

The chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.

8 أ مّا دانيالَ فَقَدْ صَمَّمَ فِي قَلبِهِ أنْ لا يَتَنَجَّسَ بِحِصَّةِ المَلِكِ اليَومِيَّةِ مِنَ الطَّعامِ وَالخَمرِ. وَلِذا طَلَبَ مِنْ أشْفْنَزَ رَئِيسِ الخُدّامِ أنْ لا يُقَدِّمَ لَهُ طَعاماً يَتَنَجَّسُ بِهِ.

But Daniel determined in his heart that he would not defile himself by the king’s rich and dainty food or by the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not to defile himself.

9 و َجَعَلَ اللهُ دانيالَ يَحظَى بِعَطفِ رَئِيسَ الخُدّامِ.

Now God made Daniel to find favor, compassion, and loving-kindness with the chief of the eunuchs.

10 ف َقالَ رَئِيسُ الخُدّامِ لِدانيالَ: «أنا خائِفٌ مِنْ مَولايَ المَلِكِ الَّذِي حَدَّدَ حِصَّةَ طَعامِكُمْ، وَأخافُ أنْ يَرَى أنَّكُمْ فِي حالَةٍ سَيِّئَةٍ بِالمُقارَنَةِ بِالفِتيانِ الآخَرِينَ الَّذِينَ فِي مِثلِ عُمرِكُمْ. فَحِينَئِذٍ، تَكُونُونَ أنتُمُ السَّبَبَ فِي قَطعِ رأسِي.»

And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, I fear, lest my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink, should see your faces worse looking or more sad than the other youths of your age. Then you would endanger my head with the king.

11 ف َقالَ دانيالُ للِمُشرِفِ الَّذِي عَيَّنَهُ رَئِيسُ الخُدّامِ عَلَى دانِيالَ وَحَنَنْيا وَمِيشائِيلَ وَعَزَرْيا:

Then said Daniel to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

12 « امْتَحِنّا، نَحنُ خُدّامَكَ، لِمُدَّةِ عَشْرَةِ أيّامٍ، وَلا تُقَدِّمْ لَنا سِوَى الخُضْرَواتِ وَالماءِ.

Prove your servants, I beseech you, for ten days and let us be given a vegetable diet and water to drink.

13 ث ُمَّ قارِنّا بِالفِتيانِ الآخَرِينَ الَّذِينَ يَأكُلُونَ مِنْ طَعامِ المَلِكِ الفاخِرِ وَخَمرِهِ. وَحِينَئِذٍ، افعَلْ ما تَراهُ مُناسِباً.»

Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat of the king’s dainties be observed and compared by you, and deal with us your servants according to what you see.

14 ف َوافَقَ المُشرِفُ عَلَى عَمَلِ هَذا وَامتَحَنَهُمْ لِعَشْرَةِ أيّامٍ.

So consented to them in this matter and proved them ten days.

15 و َفِي نِهايَةِ الأيّامِ العَشرَةِ، بَدَت أجسادُهُمْ أفضَلَ وَأكثَرَ صِحَّةً مِنْ كُلِّ الفِتيانِ الَّذِينَ أكَلُوا مِنْ أطعِمَةِ المَلِكِ الفاخِرَةِ وَخَمرِهِ.

And at the end of ten days it was seen that they were looking better and had taken on more flesh than all the youths who ate of the king’s rich dainties.

16 ف َاستَمَرَّ المُشرِفُ بَتَقدِيمِ الخُضارِ لَهُمْ، وَاستِبْعادِ الطَّعامِ وَالخَمرِ المَلَكِيِّ الفاخِرِ.

So the steward took away their dainties and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables.

17 و َأعطَى اللهُ هَؤلاءِ الفِتيانَ الأربَعَةَ مَعرِفَةً وَفِهماً فِي الكِتابَةِ وَفِي كُلِّ العُلُومِ. وَكانَ دانيالُ قادِراً عَلَى تَفسِيرِ الرُؤى وَالأحلامِ.

As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

18 و َفِي نِهايَةِ المُدَّةِ الَّتِي حَدَّدَها المَلِكُ لِتَربِيَتِهِمْ، أتَى رَئِيسُ الخُدّامِ بِهِمْ إلَى المَلِكِ نَبُوخَذْناصَّرَ.

Now at the end of the time which the king had set for bringing, the chief of the eunuchs brought them before Nebuchadnezzar.

19 ف َتَحَدَّثَ المَلِكُ إلَيهِمْ جَمِيعاً، وَوَجَدَ أنْ لا أحَدَ يُقارَنُ بِدانِيالَ وَحَنَنْيا وَمِيشائِيلَ وَعَزَرْيا، فَتَمَّ تَعْيِينُهُمْ فِي خِدمَةِ المَلِكِ.

And the king conversed with them, and among them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they were assigned to stand before the king.

20 ف َمَهما كانَت نَواحِي العُلُومِ وَالحِكْمَةِ الَّتِي سَألَ المَلِكُ عَنها، وَجَدَ أنَّ فَهْمَهُمْ يَفُوقُ بِعَشَرِ مَرّاتٍ فَهْمَ أيِّ مُنَجِّمٍ أوْ ساحِرٍ فِي مَملَكَتِهِ كُلِّها.

And in all matters of wisdom and understanding concerning which the king asked them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters who were in his whole realm.

21 و َاستَمَرَّ دانِيالُ فِي خِدمَةِ المَلِكِ حَتَّى السَّنَةِ الأُولَى لِحُكمِ المَلِكِ كُورَشَ.

And Daniel continued there even to the first year of King Cyrus.