Daniel 6
1 Edze Darius ŋu be wòatia dumegã alafa ɖeka blaeve be woaɖu dzi le dukɔa me
King Darius decided to divide his kingdom into 120 provinces. He appointed a governor to rule each province.
2 eye wòtsɔ amegã etɔ̃ ɖo wo nu. Ame siawo dometɔ ɖekae nye Daniel. Dziɖulawo ana akɔnta amegãwo ale be fia la mabu naneke o.
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.
3 Azɔ la, Daniel ɖe eɖokui fia le amegãwo kple dziɖulawo dome kple eƒe ŋutete tɔxɛwo ale gbegbe be fia la ɖo be yeatsɔe aɖo fiaɖuƒe blibo la nu.
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.
4 Esia ta amegãwo kple dziɖulawo di mɔnuwo be woatsɔ nya ɖe eŋu le eƒe dzikpɔdɔwo wɔwɔ me gake womete ŋui o. Womete ŋu kpɔ nu gbegblẽ aɖeke le eŋu o, eya ta enye ame si dzi woaka ɖo, elabena gbegblẽ menɔ eme o, eye megblẽa dɔ ɖi hã o.
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.
5 Mlɔeba la, ame siawo gblɔ be, “Míate ŋu akpɔ nutsotso aɖeke le ame sia, Daniel ŋu o, negbe ne nya la ku ɖe eƒe Mawu ƒe se ŋuti ko!”
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].”
6 Ale amegãwo kple dziɖulawo ƒo ƒu yi fia la gbɔ eye wogblɔ nɛ be, “O Fia Darius, nɔ agbe tegbee!
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!
7 Dɔdzikpɔlawo, tatɔwo, dziɖulawo, aɖaŋuɖolawo kple mɔmefiawo katã ɖoe be fia la nade se si ana be ame sia ame si ado gbe ɖa na mawu aɖe alo ame aɖe ŋkeke blaetɔ̃ siwo le mía ŋgɔ me eye menye na wò, O fia, o la, woalée ade dzatawo ƒe do me
[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.
8 Azɔ la, O fia, de se la eye nàna woaŋlɔe ale be womate ŋu atrɔe o, le Mediatɔwo kple Persiatɔwo ƒe se nu eye womate ŋu atrɔe o.”
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.”
9 Ale Fia Darius na woŋlɔ se la.
So King Darius [wrote] the law and signed it.
10 Esi Daniel se be woŋlɔ se la kaka la, eyi ɖe eƒe aƒe me, ge ɖe eƒe xɔ me le dziƒoxɔ dzi eye wòʋu fesrẽ siwo woʋuna dona ɖe Yerusalem gbɔ la da ɖi. Edzea klo, doa gbe ɖa zi etɔ̃ gbe sia gbe, daa akpe na eƒe Mawu abe ale si wòwɔna tsã ene.
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.
11 Tete ame siawo yi le ha me ɖakpɔ Daniel wònɔ gbe dom ɖa henɔ kpekpeɖeŋu biam Mawu.
The officials went together [to my house] and they saw me praying and requesting God to help me.
12 Ale woyi fia la gbɔ eye woƒo nu nɛ tso se si wòde la ŋuti. Wobiae be, “Ɖe mèŋlɔ sedede aɖe be le ŋkeke blaetɔ̃ siwo gbɔna me la, ame sia ame si ado gbe ɖa na mawu alo amegbetɔ aɖe si manye wò, fia o la, woalée ade dzatawo ƒe do me oa?” Fia la ɖo eŋu be, “Se la li eye le Mediatɔwo kple Persiatɔwo ƒe sewo nu la, womate ŋu atrɔe o.”
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.”
13 Tete wogblɔ na fia la be, “O fia, Daniel, ame si nye aboyome siwo tso Yuda la dometɔ ɖeka la metsɔa ɖeke le eme na wò alo lé se si nèna woŋlɔ la me ɖe asi o. Egadoa gbe ɖa zi etɔ̃ gbe sia gbe kokoko.”
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!”
14 Esi fia la se nya sia la, ese veve ŋutɔ. Eɖo kplikpaa be yeaɖe Daniel eye wòdze agbagba ɖe sia ɖe be yeaɖee va se ɖe ɣe ɖo to.
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.
15 Tete ameawo yi fia la gbɔ le ha me eye wogblɔ nɛ be, “Ɖo ŋku edzi, O fia, be le Mediatɔwo kple Persiatɔwo ƒe se nu la, womate ŋu atrɔ se aɖeke si fia de la o.”
[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!]”
16 Ale fia la ɖe gbe, wokplɔ Daniel vɛ eye wokɔe ƒu gbe ɖe dzatawo ƒe do me. Fia la gblɔ na Daniel be, “Wò Mawu si nèsubɔna atraɖii la naɖe wò!”
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!”
17 Wokɔ kpe aɖe da ɖe doa nu eye fia la tsɔ eya ŋutɔ ƒe ŋkɔsigɛ kple eƒe ame ŋkutawo ƒe ŋkɔsigɛwo tre do la nu ale be womagatrɔ nya si dzɔ ɖe Daniel dzi la o.
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.
18 Tete fia la trɔ yi eƒe fiasã me. Meɖu nu fiẽ ma o eye womewɔ dzidzɔdonamenu aɖeke hã nɛ o. Mete ŋu dɔ alɔ̃ o.
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].
19 Le ŋdi kanya esi dzite tso ko la, fia la fɔ eye wòɖe abla yi dzatawo ƒe do la gbɔ.
At dawn the next morning, the king got up and went quickly to the pit where the lions were.
20 Esi wòte ɖe do la ŋu la, eyɔ Daniel kple nublanuigbe be, “Daniel, Mawu gbagbe la subɔla, ɖe wò Mawu si nèsubɔna atraɖii la te ŋu ɖe wò tso dzatawo ƒe asi mea?”
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?”
21 Daniel ɖo eŋu be, “O fia, nɔ agbe tegbee!
I answered, “(Your Majesty/O king), I hope that you will live a long time!
22 Nye Mawu ɖo eƒe dɔla aɖe ɖa eye wòde ga nu na dzataawo. Womewɔ nuvevi aɖekem o elabena nyemeɖi fɔ aɖeke le Mawu ŋkume o eye nenema ke nyemewɔ nu vɔ̃ aɖeke kpɔ le wò ŋkume o, O fia.”
[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!”
23 Tete fia la kpɔ dzidzɔ ŋutɔ eye wòɖe gbe be woaɖe Daniel le do la me. Esi woɖe Daniel le do la me la, womekpɔ abi aɖeke le eŋu o elabena eɖo ŋu ɖe eƒe Mawu ŋu.
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.
24 Le fia la ƒe gbeɖeɖe nu la, wolé ame siwo tsɔ aʋatsonya ɖe Daniel ŋu la de dzatawo ƒe do la me kple wo srɔ̃wo kple wo viwo. Womekpɔ ɖo do la gɔme hafi dzataawo lé wo, vuvu wo eye wogbã woƒe ƒuwo o.
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!
25 Tete Fia Darius ŋlɔ agbalẽ na eƒe amewo katã, dukɔwo kple ame siwo tso gbegbɔgblɔwo katã me le anyigba la dzi la be, “Eme nenyo na mi ŋutɔŋutɔ!”
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!
26 Nyee de se be le nye fiaɖuƒea me la, ame sia ame navɔ̃ eye wòade bubu Daniel ƒe Mawu ŋu.
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.
27 Eɖea ame eye wòxɔna na ame.
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!”
28 Ale eme nyo na Daniel le Darius ƒe fiaɖuɣi kple Persiatɔ, Sirus ƒe fiaɖuɣi.
So I was successful [all] during the time that Darius ruled and during the time that Cyrus, [the King] of Persia, ruled.
