1 ¶ In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came unto Jerusalem and besieged it.

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

2 A nd the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand with part of the vessels of the house of God which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.

وَسَمَحَ 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.

3 A nd the king spoke unto Ashpenaz the prince of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the sons of Israel of the royal lineage of the princes,

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

4 y oung men in whom there was no blemish whatsoever but who were good looking and taught in all wisdom and wise in knowledge and of good understanding, and that had strength in them to stand in the king’s palace, that they might be taught the letters and speech of the Chaldeans.

وَأنْ 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.

5 A nd the king appointed them a daily provision of the king’s food and of the wine which he drank, so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king.

وَقَدْ 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.

6 N ow among these of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah:

وَكانَ دانيالُ وَحَنَنْيا وَمِيشائِيلُ وَعَزَرْيا مِنْ هَؤلاءِ الفِتيانِ الَّذِينَ تَمَّ اختِيارُهُمْ مِنْ قَبِيلَةِ يَهُوذا.

7 u nto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego.

وَأعطاهُمْ أشْفْنَزُ أسماءً أرامِيَّةً، فَدَعا دانيالَ بَلْطشاصَّرَ، وَدَعا حَنَنْيا شَدْرَخَ، وَدَعا مِيشائِيلَ مِيشَخَ، وَدَعا عَزَرْيا عَبْدَنَغُوَ.

8 ¶ And Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s food, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

أمّا 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.

9 ( And God brought Daniel into grace and mercy with the prince of the eunuchs.)

وَجَعَلَ اللهُ دانيالَ يَحظَى بِعَطفِ رَئِيسَ الخُدّامِ.

10 A nd the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink; for when he shall see your faces more downcast than the other young men who are like unto you, then ye shall condemn my head before the king.

فَقالَ 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.»

11 T hen Daniel said to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

فَقالَ دانيالُ للِمُشرِفِ الَّذِي عَيَّنَهُ رَئِيسُ الخُدّامِ عَلَى دانِيالَ وَحَنَنْيا وَمِيشائِيلَ وَعَزَرْيا:

12 P rove, now, with thy slaves ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink.

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

13 T hen let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenances of the young men that eat of the portion of the king’s food; and as thou seest, deal with thy slaves.

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

14 S o he consented to them in this matter and proved them ten days.

فَوافَقَ المُشرِفُ عَلَى عَمَلِ هَذا وَامتَحَنَهُمْ لِعَشْرَةِ أيّامٍ.

15 A nd at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than the young men who ate the portion of the king’s food.

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

16 T hus Melzar took the portion of their food and the wine that they should drink and gave them vegetables.

فَاستَمَرَّ المُشرِفُ بَتَقدِيمِ الخُضارِ لَهُمْ، وَاستِبْعادِ الطَّعامِ وَالخَمرِ المَلَكِيِّ الفاخِرِ.

17 ¶ And unto these four young men, God gave them knowledge and intelligence in all letters and science; furthermore Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

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

18 N ow at the end of the days after which the king had said he should bring them in, the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.

وَفِي نِهايَةِ المُدَّةِ الَّتِي حَدَّدَها المَلِكُ لِتَربِيَتِهِمْ، أتَى رَئِيسُ الخُدّامِ بِهِمْ إلَى المَلِكِ نَبُوخَذْناصَّرَ.

19 A nd the king communed with them, and none among them all was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; and therefore they stood before the king.

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

20 A nd in all matters of wisdom and intelligence, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.

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

21 A nd Daniel continued even unto the first year of King Cyrus.

وَاستَمَرَّ دانِيالُ فِي خِدمَةِ المَلِكِ حَتَّى السَّنَةِ الأُولَى لِحُكمِ المَلِكِ كُورَشَ.