DAN 1:1 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

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

UST 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.

OEB No OEB DAN book available

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

WMBB (Same as above)

NET In the third year of the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon advanced against Jerusalem and laid it under siege.

LSV In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has come to Jerusalem, and lays siege against it;

FBV During the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, attacked Jerusalem and surrounded it.

T4T 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.

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

BBE In the third year of the rule of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem, shutting it in with his forces.

Moff ln the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon went and besieged Jerusalem;

JPS IN THE third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.

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

DRA In the third year of the reign of Joakim king of Juda, Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and besieged it.

YLT 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;

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

RV In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.
(In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Yudah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Yerusalem, and besieged it. )

SLT In the third year to the kingdom of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel to Jerusalem, and he will press it.

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

KJB-1769 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.
(In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Yudah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Yerusalem, and besieged it. )

KJB-1611 ¶ In the thirde yere of the reigne of Iehoiakim King of Iudah, came Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babylon, vnto Ierusalem, and besieged it.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation and punctuation)

Bshps In the third yere of the raigne of Iehoachim king of Iuda, came Nabuchodonozor king of Babylon vnto Hierusalem, & besieged it.
(In the third year of the reign of Yehoachim king of Yuda, came Nabuchodonozor king of Babylon unto Yerusalem, and besieged it.)

Gnva In the thirde yeere of the reigne of Iehoiakim king of Iudah, came Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel vnto Ierusalem and besieged it.
(In the third year of the reign of Yehoiakim king of Yudah, came Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel unto Yerusalem and besieged it. )

Cvdl In ye thirde yeare of ye raigne of Ioachim kynge off Iuda, came Nabuchodonosor kynge of Babilon vnto Ierusalem, & beseged it:
(In ye/you_all third year of ye/you_all reign of Yoachim king off Yuda, came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Yerusalem, and besieged it:)

Wycl In the thridde yeer of the rewme of Joachym, king of Juda, Nabugodonosor, the kyng of Babiloyne, cam to Jerusalem, and bisegide it.
(In the third year of the realm of Yoachym, king of Yuda, Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, came to Yerusalem, and besieged it.)

Luth Im dritten Jahr des Reichs Jojakims, des Königs Judas, kam Nebukadnezar, der König zu Babel, vor Jerusalem und belagerte sie.
(In_the third year the kingdom Yoyakims, the kings Yudas, came Nebukadnezar, the/of_the king to/for Babel, before/in_front_of Yerusalem and besieged they/she/them.)

ClVg Anno tertio regni Joakim regis Juda, venit Nabuchodonosor, rex Babylonis, in Jerusalem, et obsedit eam:
(In_the_year third of_the_kingdom Yoakim king Yuda, he_came Nabuchodonosor, king Babylonis, in/into/on Yerusalem, and obsedit her: )

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 1:1–21: Daniel and his friends began to serve King Nebuchadnezzar

This section forms the introduction to the first division and to the book of Daniel as a whole. It tells how some Hebrew boys came to live in Babylon and serve the Babylonian king.

God allowed the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, to defeat the king of Judah. King Nebuchadnezzar ordered his chief official to choose some boys from Judah and to train them to work in the government of Babylon. Daniel and his three friends were among these boys. They excelled in their studies and the king was pleased with the wise advice they gave.

The phrase “the Lord delivered” (“Adonay gave” in Hebrew) occurs in 1:2, the phrase “God had granted” (“Elohim had given” in Hebrew) occurs in 1:9, and the phrase “God gave” (“Elohim gave” in Hebrew) occurs in 1:17. (1:2a, 1:9, 1:17a). The author used these phrases to emphasize that the Lord is sovereign over the events of history and the lives of his people. God has authority over what happens to Gentile nations and also what happens to his people. This is the theme of this chapter.

Paragraph 1:1–2

Daniel 1:1–2 gives the setting for the first section of Daniel. It tells how God allowed the king of Babylon to defeat the king of Judah.

In Daniel 1:1–2 there are several names of people and places that may be new to your readers. Introduce this new information in a way that is natural in your language. English versions transliterate these names in different ways. It may be helpful to consult how the national translation translates them. It is good to include a map with your translation, showing the location of Babylon and Judah.

1:1a

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah,

¶ In the third year that Jehoiakim was the king of the country of Judah,
¶ There was a king of Judah named Jehoiakim. When/After Jehoiakim had reigned/ruled for more than two years,
¶ The land of Judah had a king named Jehoiakim. He was king for almost three years,

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah: This phrase tells when the events of this chapter happened. The third year of the reign of Jehoiakim was 605 B.C.The Babylonian Chronicles record that in 605 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar won a battle at Carchemish and defeated the whole “region of Hamath” (northern Syria). He then conquered all the “Hatti country.” It was probably at that time that Judah and Jerusalem came under Nebuchadnezzar’s control. During that same year Nebuchadnezzar’s father died, and he returned to Babylon and became king in his father’s place. In those days people dated events by referring to the kings who were ruling at that time. You should translate according to this custom. For example:

During the third year of King Jehoiakim’s reign in Judah (NLT)

In the third year that Jehoiakim was king of Judah (CEV)

In the third year: Jehoiakim had ruled over Judah for more than two full years when the Babylonian army came and surrounded the city of Jerusalem.Jehoiakim’s father Josiah had died at the battle of Megiddo in 609 B.C. Jehoahaz became king in his place. Three months later, the Egyptians decided to make Jehoiakim the king of Judah in the place of Jehoahaz. Daniel 1:1 says that the story began in the third year of Jehoiakim’s reign. However Jeremiah 25:1, 9 and 46:2 indicate that Nebuchadnezzar became king in the fourth year of Jehoiakim’s reign. The difference between these two texts is probably due to the different ways people counted the first year a king began to reign.In Egypt and Palestine, the months between the king’s accession to the throne and the following New Year were counted as “year one.” In Babylonia, the months between the king’s accession to the throne until the New Year were not counted as part of the first year. The first year of a king’s reign started at the New Year. (See Lucas, pp. 50–51.) So Daniel may have been following the Babylonian way of counting, while Jeremiah followed the Palestinian way of counting.

the reign: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as reign refers to the period of time when a king rules. In some languages it may be natural to translate this using a verb. For example:

Jehoiakim reigned/ruled over Judah

Jehoiakim king of Judah: In some languages it may be natural to place Jehoiakim’s title before his name. For example:

King Jehoiakim, the ruler of Judah

the king of Judah, Jehoiakim

Jehoiakim is also mentioned in 2 Kings 23:34–24:6 and 2 Chronicles 36:4–8. See how his name is spelled there. He had a son named Jehoiachin (2 Kings 24:8 and 2 Chronicles 36:9). You should be careful how you spell these two names so that people do not confuse them.

king: The title king normally refers to the hereditary ruler of a country. If your culture is not familiar with the word king, you may have to use a different word. In some languages people use the word “chief” or “big man” to describe a person who fills this role.

Judah: The tribe of Judah was originally one of the twelve tribes that had formed the united kingdom of Israel. But several hundred years before, Judah and another tribe (Benjamin) had left the united kingdom and formed a new kingdom with their own king. Their kingdom was called Judah.

1:1b

Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem

Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, came/marched against the city of Jerusalem.
the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, led his army to Jehoiakim’s city, Jerusalem.
and then King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia and his soldiers/men attacked its capital city Jerusalem.

Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem: The text implies that Nebuchadnezzar came to Jerusalem with his army in order to attack it. In some languages it may be natural to indicate this by saying:

Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem with his army

Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched on Jerusalem

Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon: Nebuchadnezzar was the ruler of Babylonia from 605 to 562 B.C. Babylonia was a large nation to the east of Israel. In some languages it may be natural to put the king’s title before his name. For example:

the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar

King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon

Nebuchadnezzar: The name Nebuchadnezzar also occurs in 2 Kings 24:1, Ezra 1:7, Esther 2:6, and Jeremiah 21:2. If you have translated any of those books, translate it as you did there.

king of Babylon: Babylon was the capital city of Babylonia and the Babylonian Empire. Nebuchadnezzar ruled from the city of Babylon over the whole of Babylonia. In some languages it may be more natural to name the country rather than the city. For example:

King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia (GNT)

Both terms, Babylon and Babylonia, are correct. Sometimes, as here, people used the name of the city as a political term to refer to the whole country. In many cases it will be best to use the same name that the majority language translation uses.

The ancient land of Babylonia included the southern part of the modern country called Iraq. This land extended approximately from the city Baghdad in the north to the city of Basra in the south. In the west, it extended approximately to the modern border of Saudi Arabia. On the east, it bordered the modern country of Iran. You may want to include a map to help your readers locate this ancient country.

The ancient city of Babylon was located in what is today the suburbs of the city of Baghdad. This is where Nebuchadnezzar built his palace. The city had many temples and beautiful gardens. The city was so beautiful that people called it one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Babylon: In the Hebrew language, Babylon is called Babel. The Bible mentions Babel in Genesis 10:10 and 11:9, when the people of the east tried to build a tower that would reach up to heaven. The name of the city Babylon also occurs in Psalm 137:1. The name of the country Babylonia occurs in Joshua 7:21 and Isaiah 11:11.

came to Jerusalem: Jerusalem was the capital city of the kingdom of Judah. In some languages it may be necessary to make this information explicit in some way. There are at least two options:

Supply this information in the text. For example:
Nebuchadnezzar came to the capital city of Jerusalem
Include the information in a footnote or book introduction.

Use the appropriate option for your language situation.

The city of Jerusalem is mentioned many times in the Bible. See how you referred to it in Psalm 51:18, Mark 1:5, Luke 2:22, or John 1:19.

1:1c

and besieged it.

His soldiers surrounded it.
They camped around the city in order to force its people to surrender.

besieged it: The Hebrew verb that the BSB translates as besieged means “encircled, blockaded.” In those days, armies often surrounded a city before they attacked it. In this way they could stop the people in the city from getting food and supplies. They wanted the people to surrender without fighting. Other ways to translate this include:

surrounded it with his army (NCV)

laid siege (NET)

surrounded it in order to make the inhabitants surrenderTranslator’s Handbook on Daniel.

In some languages it may not be necessary to use two separate verbs (“came” and besieged) to describe this action. It may be more natural to use just one. For example:

Nebuchadnezzar and his armies besieged Jerusalem.

General Comment on 1:1

Daniel 1:1 may contain a lot of new information for your readers. Some languages introduce new information and new characters in a certain way. Introduce them in a way that is natural in your language. You may choose to reorder some of the information and to have shorter sentences. For example:

A long time ago, there was a king of Judah named Jehoiakim. In the third year of his reign, the king of the country of Babylon decided to attack Judah. That king’s name was Nebuchadnezzar. King Nebuchadnezzar sent his soldiers to Jerusalem, the capital of Judah. They surrounded the city and prepared to attack it.