Daniel 6
1 King Darius decided to divide his kingdom into 120 provinces. He appointed a governor to rule each province.
Naʻe lelei kia Talaiasi ke fakanofo ʻi he puleʻanga ʻae houʻeiki ʻe toko teau ma toko uofulu, ke māʻolunga ʻi he puleʻanga kotoa pē;
2 He also appointed me and two other men to be administrators, to supervise the governors and to be sure that they did the king’s work [properly], in order that the king would not have to worry about anything.
Pea ke māʻolunga ʻiate kinautolu ʻae kau pule ʻe toko tolu; pea ko e ʻuluaki ʻiate kinautolu ʻa Taniela; koeʻuhi ke fakahā ʻe he houʻeiki ʻae ngaahi ngāue kiate kinautolu, pea ke ʻoua naʻa hoko ha kovi ki he tuʻi ʻi ha meʻa.
3 I soon showed that I was (more capable/able to do the work better) than all the other administrators and the governors. Because of that, the king planned to appoint me to be in charge of the entire empire.
Pea naʻe fokotuʻu ki muʻa ʻae Taniela ni ʻi he kau pule mo e houʻeiki, koeʻuhi naʻe ʻilo ʻae ʻatamai lelei ʻiate ia, pea naʻe fakakaukau ʻae tuʻi ke fakanofo ia ko e pule ki he puleʻanga kotoa pē.
4 Then, the [other] administrators and the governors [became jealous. So they began to] try to find something that they could criticize about the way I was working for the king. But I always did my work faithfully and honestly, and was never lazy. So they could not find anything to criticize.
Pea naʻe toki kumi ʻe he kau pule mo e houʻeiki ke nau ʻilo ha meʻa kia Taniela ʻi he puleʻanga; ka naʻe ʻikai te nau ʻilo ha meʻa pe ha kovi; he naʻa ne angatonu, pea naʻe ʻikai ke ʻilo ha kovi pe ha fai hala ʻiate ia.
5 They concluded, “The only way we can find something for which we can criticize Daniel will be something concerning the laws that his god [his given him].”
Pea naʻe pehē ʻe he kau tangata ni, “ʻE ʻikai te tau ʻilo ha meʻa ʻi he Taniela ni ka ʻi heʻetau maʻu ha meʻa ʻoku kau kiate ia mo e fono ʻa hono ʻOtua.”
6 So the administrators and governors went as one group to the king and said, “(Your Majesty/O king), we wish that you will live a long time!
Pea naʻe toki fakataha ʻae kau pule mo e houʻeiki ko ia ki he tuʻi, pea nau pehē kiate ia, “ʻE tuʻi ko Talaiasi, ke ke moʻui ʻo taʻengata.
7 [We] administrators and governors and district governors and advisors and other officials have all agreed that you should make a law that everyone must obey. We want you to command that for the next thirty days people may pray only to you. If anyone prays to anyone else, either to a human or to a god, he must be thrown into [a pit of] lions.
Kuo fealēleaʻaki fakataha ʻae kau pule kotoa pē ʻoe puleʻanga mo e kau pule [ʻoe ngaahi vahe fonua], mo e houʻeiki, mo e kau fakamatala fono, mo e ngaahi ʻeikitau, ke fokotuʻu ha fono fakapuleʻanga mo fokotuʻu ke maʻu ha tapu, koeʻuhi ko ia kotoa pē ʻe fai ha kole ki ha ʻotua pe ki ha tangata ʻi he ʻaho ʻe tolungofulu, ka kiate koe pe, ʻe tuʻi, ke lī ia ki he ʻana ʻoe fanga laione.
8 And because laws made by [our governments of] Media and Persia cannot be changed, [we want] you, [the head of our government], to sign it.”
Pea ko eni, ʻe tuʻi, ke ke fokotuʻu ʻae fono, mo ke ʻai ho hingoa ki he tohi, koeʻuhi ke ʻoua naʻa fakakeheʻi ia, kae fakatatau ia ki he fono ʻoe kakai Mitia mo Peasia, ʻaia ʻoku ʻikai ke feliliuʻaki.”
9 So King Darius [wrote] the law and signed it.
Ko ia naʻe tohi ai ʻe Talaiasi ki he tohi mo e fono.
10 But when I found out that [the king] had [written and] signed that law, I went home. I knelt down in my upstairs room and prayed. I looked toward Jerusalem, and the windows were open [with the result that everyone could see me while I was praying]. I prayed three times each day, just as I always did, thanking God.
Pea ʻi he ʻilo ʻe Taniela, kuo tohi ʻae fono, naʻa ne hū ki hono fale, pea ko e ngaahi matapā sioʻata ʻi hono fale mohe naʻe ava ki Selūsalema, pea naʻa ne tōmapeʻe ʻo tūʻulutui ʻo liunga tolu ʻi he ʻaho, pea ne lotu mo fakafetaʻi ʻi he ʻao ʻo hono ʻOtua, ʻo hangē ko ʻene faʻa fai ʻi muʻa.
11 The officials went together [to my house] and they saw me praying and requesting God to help me.
Pea naʻe toki fakataha ʻae kau tangata ni, pea naʻa nau ʻilo ʻa Taniela, ʻoku ne lotu mo fai ʻene hū ʻi he ʻao ʻo hono ʻOtua.
12 So they returned to the king and said to him, “[Do you remember] that you wrote a law stating that for the next thirty days people may pray only to you, and if anyone prays to anyone else, either to a human or to a god, he will be thrown into [a pit of] lions?” The king replied, “[Yes, that is the law that I wrote]. It is a law of [our governments of] Media and Persia, which cannot be canceled.”
Pea naʻa nau ʻunuʻunu atu, ʻo lea ʻi he ʻao ʻoe tuʻi ki he fono ʻae tuʻi. “ʻIkai kuo ke tohi ʻae fono, ke ʻilonga ha tangata ʻe fai ha kole ki ha ʻotua pe ha tangata ʻi he ʻaho ʻe tolungofulu, ka kiate koe pe, ʻe tuʻi, ʻe lī ia ki he ʻana ʻoe fanga laione?” Pea naʻe lea ʻae tuʻi ʻo ne pehēange, “ʻOku moʻoni ʻae meʻa, ʻo fakatatau ki he fono ʻae kakai Mitia ʻaia ʻoku ʻi he fānau pōpula ʻo Siuta, ʻoku ʻikai te ke liliu.
13 Then they said to the king, “Well, that [man] Daniel, one of the men who were brought from Judah, is not paying any attention to you or the law that you [signed]. He prays [to his god] three times each day!”
Pea naʻa nau lea ʻo pehē ʻi he ʻao ʻoe tuʻi, “Ko e Taniela na ʻaia ʻoku ʻi he fānau pōpula ʻo Siuta, ʻoku ʻikai te ne tokanga kiate koe, pe ki he fono ʻaia kuo ke tohi, ka ʻoku ne fai ʻene lotu ʻo liunga tolu ʻi he ʻaho.”
14 When the king heard that, he was very distressed. He tried to find a way to save me. All the rest of that day he tried to think of a way to rescue me.
Pea ʻi he fanongo ʻae tuʻi ki he lea ni, naʻa ne mamahi lahi, pea naʻe tokanga lahi hono loto kia Taniela ke fakahaofi ia, pea naʻa ne feinga ʻo aʻu ki he tō hifo ʻae laʻā ke fakahaofi ia.
15 [In the evening, many of] [HYP] the officials went together to the king and said, “(Your Majesty/O king), you know that [our governments of] Media and Persia have declared that no law that the king signs can be canceled/changed. [So Daniel must be thrown to the lions!]”
Pea naʻe toki fakataha ʻae kau tangata ni ki he tuʻi, pea nau pehē ki he tuʻi, “Ke ke ʻilo, ʻe tuʻi, ʻoku pehē ʻae fono ʻae kakai Mitia mo Peasia, ke ʻilonga ha fono pe ha tapu ʻoku fokotuʻu ʻe he tuʻi ʻe ʻikai siʻi liliu ia.”
16 So the king gave the order, and his servants brought me and threw me into a pit where the lions [were]. [Before they threw me in], the king said to me, “I hope/wish that your God, whom you worship regularly, will rescue you!”
Pea naʻe toki fekau ʻe he tuʻi, pea naʻa nau ʻomi ʻa Taniela, pea lī ia ki he ʻana ʻoe fanga laione. Ka naʻe lea ʻae tuʻi ʻo ne pehē kia Taniela, “Ko ho ʻOtua, ʻaia ʻoku ke faʻa tauhi, te ne fakahaofi koe.”
17 They rolled a huge stone across the entrance to the pit. Then the king [fastened a string across the entrance and put wax at each end, and stamped the wax with] the seal from his [ring] and the seals [of the rings] of his officials, in order that no one could [secretly] rescue me.
Pea naʻe ʻomi ha maka, ʻo ʻai ki he ngutu ʻoe ʻana: pea naʻe pulusi ia ʻe he tuʻi ʻaki hono fakaʻilonga ʻoʻona, pea mo e fakaʻilonga ʻo ʻene houʻeiki; koeʻuhi ke ʻoua naʻa liliu ʻae meʻa kia Taniela.
18 Then the king returned to his palace. That night he refused to eat any food. He would not allow anyone to entertain him [because he did not want to be happy, with the result that he would forget about me. And that night] he was unable to sleep [because he was worried about me].
Pea naʻe ʻalu ʻae tuʻi ki hono fale, pea ne ʻaukai ʻi he pō ʻo ʻaho, pea naʻe ʻikai ke ʻomi ki hono ʻao ʻae ngaahi meʻa fasi hiva: pea naʻe mahuʻi ʻae mohe meiate ia.
19 At dawn the next morning, the king got up and went quickly to the pit where the lions were.
Pea naʻe tuʻu hake ʻae tuʻi ʻi he pongipongi ʻo hengihengi ʻaupito, pea ne ʻalu fakavave ki he ʻana ʻoe fanga laione.
20 When he came near it, he was very worried. He called out, “Daniel, you who serve the all-powerful God! Was your God, whom you worship regularly, able to save you from the lions?”
Pea ʻi heʻene hoko ki he ʻana, naʻa ne kalanga ʻi he leʻo mamahi kia Taniela; pea naʻe lea ʻae tuʻi ʻo pehē kia Taniela, “ʻE Taniela, ko e tamaioʻeiki ʻae ʻOtua moʻui, ʻoku mālohi ho ʻOtua ʻaia ʻoku ke tauhi maʻuaipē, ke fakahaofi koe mei he fanga laione?”
21 I answered, “(Your Majesty/O king), I hope that you will live a long time!
Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Taniela ki he tuʻi, ʻE tuʻi, ke ke moʻui ʻo taʻengata.
22 [Yes], my God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths, in order that they would not harm me! [He did that] because [he knows that] I have done nothing that he thinks is wrong. And, (Your Majesty/O king), I never did anything wrong to you!”
Kuo fekau ʻe hoku ʻOtua ʻa ʻene ʻāngelo, pea kuo tāpuni ʻae ngutu ʻoe fanga laione ke ʻoua naʻa nau fakamamahi au: koeʻuhi naʻe ʻilo ʻae lelei ʻiate au ʻi hono ʻao: pea ʻi ho ʻao foki ʻe tuʻi naʻe ʻikai te u fai kovi.”
23 The king was extremely happy, and he commanded [his servants] to lift me out of the pit. [When they did that, they] saw that the lions had not wounded me at all. [God had protected me] because I trusted in him.
Ko ia naʻe fiefia lahi ʻaupito ʻae tuʻi koeʻuhi ko ia, pea ne fekau ke nau toʻo hake ʻa Taniela mei he ʻana. Ko ia naʻe toʻo hake ʻa Taniela mei he ʻana, pea naʻe ʻikai ʻilo ha lavea siʻi ʻiate ia, koeʻuhi naʻa ne tui ki hono ʻOtua.
24 Then the king commanded that the men who had accused me should be seized and be thrown, along with their wives and children, into the pit where the lions were. [When they were thrown into the pit], the lions leaped on them and crushed their bones before they fell onto the bottom of the pit!
Pea naʻe fekau ʻe he tuʻi ke nau ʻomi ʻae kau tangata ko ia naʻe talatalaakiʻi ʻa Taniela, pea naʻa nau lī ʻakinautolu ki he ʻana ʻoe fanga laione, ʻakinautolu, mo ʻenau fānau, mo honau ngaahi uaifi; pea naʻe mālohi ʻae fanga laione kiate kinautolu, pea fesiʻi fakaikiiki honau ngaahi hui kotoa pē, ʻi he teʻeki te nau hoko hifo ki he takele ʻoe ʻana.
25 Then King Darius wrote [this message and sent it throughout his kingdom] to the people of every people-group and nation and from all language groups: “I wish/hope that everything is going very well with you!
Pea naʻe tohi ʻe he tuʻi ko Talaiasi ki he kakai kotoa pē, mo e ngaahi puleʻanga mo e ngaahi lea, ʻaia ʻoku nofo ʻi māmani fulipē; “Ke tupulekina ʻae melino kiate kimoutolu.
26 I command that everyone in my kingdom should fear and revere the God that Daniel [worships]. He is the all-powerful God, and he will live forever. His kingdom will never be destroyed; he will rule forever.
ʻOku ou fai fono, koeʻuhi ke tetetete mo ilifia ʻae kakai ki he ʻOtua ʻo Taniela, ʻi he ngaahi potu kotoa pē ʻo hoku puleʻanga: “He ko e ʻOtua moʻui ia, pea ʻoku tuʻumaʻu, ʻo taʻengata: ko hono puleʻanga ʻe ʻikai ʻauha, pea ko ʻene pule ʻe aʻu atu ki he ngataʻanga.
27 He rescues and saves [his people]. He performs all kinds of miracles in heaven and on the earth. He rescued Daniel from the power of the lions!”
ʻOku ne maluʻi mo fakahaofi, pea ʻoku ne fai ʻae ngaahi mana mo e ngaahi meʻa fakaofo ʻi he langi mo māmani, ko ia ia kuo fakahaofi ʻa Taniela mei he mālohi ʻoe fanga laione.”
28 So I was successful [all] during the time that Darius ruled and during the time that Cyrus, [the King] of Persia, ruled.
Pea naʻe monūʻia ʻae Taniela ni ʻi he kei pule ʻa Talaiasi, pea mo e pule ʻa Kolesi ko e Peasia.
