1 I te toru o nga tau o te kingitanga o Iehoiakimi kingi o Hura ka tae mai a Nepukaneha kingi o Papurona ki Hiruharama, whakapaea ana e ia.

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

2 N a ka hoatu e te Ariki a Iehoiakimi kingi o Hura ki tona ringa, me etahi o nga oko o te whare o te Atua, a kawea ana e ia ki te whenua o Hinara, ki te whare o tona atua; i mauria atu ano nga oko e ia ki te whare taonga o tona atua.

The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his god.

3 N a ka ki atu te kingi ki a Ahapenata rangatira o ana unaka, kia tikina etahi o nga tama a Iharaira, ara o nga uri o te kingi o nga rangatira hoki;

Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal family and of the nobles,

4 E tahi tama kahore nei o ratou koha, he pai ano te ahua, e matau ana ki nga whakaaro nui katoa, e mohio ana ki nga tikanga, e matau ana ki nga whakaaro mohio, he hunga e pai ana hei tu ki te whare o te kingi; a mana ratou e whakaako ki te matauran ga, ki te reo hoki o nga Karari.

youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for serving in the king’s court; and he ordered him to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.

5 I whakaritea ano e te kingi tetahi wahi o ta te kingi kai ma ratou, he mea mo ia ra, mo ia ra, me tetahi wahi o te waina i inumia e ia, a kia toru nga tau e whangaia ai ratou; kia taka ai aua tau, ka tu ratou ki te aroaro o te kingi.

The king appointed for them a daily ration from the king’s choice food and from the wine which he drank, and appointed that they should be educated three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king’s personal service.

6 N a i roto i enei ko etahi o nga tama a Hura, ko Raniera, ko Hanania, ko Mihaera, ko Ataria.

Now among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.

7 N a ka tapa he ingoa mo ratou e te rangatira unaka: ko tana ingoa mo Raniera, ko Peretehatara; mo Hanania, ko Hataraka; mo Mihaera, ko Mehaka; mo Ataria, ko Apereneko.

Then the commander of the officials assigned new names to them; and to Daniel he assigned the name Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, to Mishael Meshach and to Azariah Abed-nego. Daniel’s Resolve

8 O tiia kua takoto to Raniera whakaaro i roto i tona ngakau, kia kaua ia e poke i ta te kingi kai, i te waina ranei i inumia e ia. Na ka tono ia ki te rangatira unaka kia kaua ia e whakapoke i a ia.

But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.

9 N a, kua mea te Atua kia manakohia a Raniera, kia arohaina e te rangatira unaka.

Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials,

10 N a ka mea te rangatira unaka ki a Raniera, E wehi aha ahau i toku ariki, i te kingi, nana nei i whakarite ta koutou e kai ai, ta koutou e inu ai: hei aha hoki i tirohia mai ai e ia o koutou mata he kino iho i o nga tamariki pena me koutou te kau matua? ma kona ka meinga ahau e koutou kia hopohopo ki toku upoko i te kingi.

and the commander of the officials said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking more haggard than the youths who are your own age? Then you would make me forfeit my head to the king.”

11 A no ra ko Raniera ki a Meretara, ki ta te rangatira unaka i whakarite ai hei kaitirotiro mo Raniera, ratou ko Hanania, ko Mihaera, ko Ataria:

But Daniel said to the overseer whom the commander of the officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah,

12 T ena ra, whakamatauria au pononga, kia tekau nga ra; me homai e ratou he pini hei kai ma matou, he wai hoki hei inu ma matou.

“Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink.

13 H ei reira ka mea kia tirohia o matou mata i tou aroaro, me te mata ano o nga taitamariki e kai ana i te kai a te kingi; na kia rite ki tau e kite ai tau e mea ai ki au pononga.

Then let our appearance be observed in your presence and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king’s choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see.”

14 H eoi ka whakaaetia e ia tenei mea a ratou, a kotahi tekau nga ra i whakamatauria ai ratou e ia.

So he listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days.

15 N a, i te mutunga o nga ra kotahi tekau, ka kitea o ratou mata, ataahua atu, tetere atu i o nga tamariki katoa i kai i ta te kingi kai.

At the end of ten days their appearance seemed better and they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king’s choice food.

16 H eoi ka tangohia atu e Meretara te wahi kai ma ratou, me te waina ano hei inu ma ratou, a homai ana e ia he pini ma ratou.

So the overseer continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables.

17 N a, ko aua tama tokowha, i homai e te Atua ki a ratou he matauranga, he mohio ki nga pukapuka katoa, ki nga whakaaro nunui: a i a Raniera te mohio ki nga kite katoa, ki nga moemoea.

As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams.

18 N a, i te takanga o nga ra i ki ai te kingi kia kawea atu ratou, ka kawea atu ratou e te rangatira unaka ki te aroaro o Nepukaneha.

Then at the end of the days which the king had specified for presenting them, the commander of the officials presented them before Nebuchadnezzar.

19 N a ka korerorero te kingi ki a ratou; a kihai i kitea i roto i a ratou katoa tetahi e rite ana ki a Raniera ratou ko Hanania, ko Mihaera, ko Ataria: na tu ana ratou i te aroaro o te kingi.

The king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s personal service.

20 N a, i nga mea katoa o te whakaaro nui, o te matauranga i ui ai te kingi ki a ratou, ka kitea e ia tekau noa atu to ratou pai i to nga tohunga maori katoa, i to nga kaititiro whetu puta noa i tona kingitanga.

As for every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and conjurers who were in all his realm.

21 I tutuki ano a Raniera a tae noa ki te tuatahi o nga tau o Kingi Hairuha.

And Daniel continued until the first year of Cyrus the king.