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, come hath Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Jerusalem, and layeth siege against 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 giveth into his hand Jehoiakim king of Judah, and some of the vessels of the house of God, and he bringeth them in the land of Shinar, the house of his god, and the vessels he hath brought in the treasure-house 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 saith, to Ashpenaz master of his eunuchs, to bring in out of the sons of Israel, (even of the royal seed, and of the chiefs,)

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.

lads in whom there is no blemish, and of good appearance, and skilful in all wisdom, and possessing knowledge, and teaching thought, and who have ability to stand in the palace of the king, 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 doth appoint for them a rate, day by day, of the king's portion of food, and of the wine of his drinking, so as to nourish them three years, that at the end thereof they may stand before the king.

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

And there are among them out of the sons 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.

and the chief of the eunuchs setteth names on them, and he setteth on Daniel, Belteshazzar; and on Hananiah, Shadrach; and on Mishael, Meshach; and on Azariah, Abed-Nego.

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.

And Daniel purposeth in his heart that he will not pollute himself with the king's portion of food, and with the wine of his drinking, and he seeketh of the chief of the eunuchs that he may not pollute himself.

9 و َجَعَلَ اللهُ دانيالَ يَحظَى بِعَطفِ رَئِيسَ الخُدّامِ.

And God giveth Daniel for kindness and for mercies before 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 saith to Daniel, `I am fearing my lord the king, who hath appointed your food and your drink, for why doth he see your faces sadder than the lads which of your circle? then ye have made my head indebted to the king,'

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

And Daniel saith unto the Meltzar, whom the chief of the eunuchs hath appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

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

`Try, I pray thee, thy servants, ten days; and they give to us of the vegetables, and we eat, and water, and we drink;

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

and our appearance is seen before thee, and the appearance of the lads who are eating the king's portion of food, and as thou seest -- deal with thy servants.'

14 ف َوافَقَ المُشرِفُ عَلَى عَمَلِ هَذا وَامتَحَنَهُمْ لِعَشْرَةِ أيّامٍ.

And he hearkeneth to them, to this word, and trieth 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 their appearance hath appeared better and fatter in flesh then any of the lads who are eating the king's portion of food.

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

And the Meltzar is taking away their portion of food, and the wine of their drink, and is giving to them vegetables.

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

As to these four lads, God hath given to them knowledge and understanding in every literature, and wisdom; and Daniel hath given instruction about every vision and dreams.

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

And at the end of the days that the king had said to bring them in, bring them in doth the chief of the eunuchs 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 speaketh with them, and there hath none been found among them all like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, and they 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 any matter of wisdom understanding that the king hath sought of them, he findeth them ten hands above all the scribes, the enchanters, who in all his kingdom.

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

And Daniel is unto the first year of Cyrus the king.