Daniel 6
1 Ọ dị Daraiọs mma ịhọpụta ndịisi dị otu narị na iri abụọ, ndị ga-anọ nʼalaeze ahụ niile dịka ndị nnọchite anya eze.
King Darius decided to divide his kingdom into 120 provinces. He appointed a governor to rule each province.
2 O họpụtakwara ndịisi atọ ọzọ dịka ndịisi ha, nke otu onye nʼime ha bụ Daniel. Ndị a bụ ndị ga na-agụkọrọ ha otu ihe si aga, ka ihe ọbụla ghara ifunarị eze.
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 Ọ dịghị anya, ọ pụtara ihe nye eze na Daniel kwesiri ntụkwasị obi karịa ndịisi na ndị nlekọta ahụ niile. Nʼihi na amamihe ya, na ike ọrụ ya dị ukwuu. Nke a mere ka eze chee echiche kpebie ime ya onyeisi nʼalaeze niile.
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 Nʼihi nke a, ndịisi ọkwa ha dị elu na ndịisi ndị ọzọ bidoro chọwa mkpesa ha ga-enye iji megide Daniel nʼihe gbasara ọchịchị. Ma ọ dịghị ihe ebubo ọbụla maọbụ omume ọjọọ ọbụla ha chọpụtara, nʼihi na ọ kwesiri ntụkwasị obi. Ọ dịghịkwa omume ọjọọ maọbụ nke aghụghọ ọbụla a chọpụtara nʼọrụ ya.
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 Nʼikpeazụ, ndị ikom a sịrị, “O nweghị otu anyị ga-esi chọta ihe a ga-eji boo nwoke a bụ Daniel ebubo, karịakwa nʼihe metụtara iwu ofufe Chineke ya.”
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 Ya mere, ndịisi ndị a na ndị ozi ndị ahụ kpebiri jekwuru eze ahụ sị ya, “Eze Daraiọs, dịrịkwa ndụ ruo mgbe niile!
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 Ndịisi alaeze gị niile, ndị ukwu na ndị nta, ndị na-anọchi anya eze na ndị ndụmọdụ na ndị ị tinyere ka ha na-achị zukọtara kpebie na eze kwesiri inye iwu nke ga-ekwu na a chọghị ka onye ọbụla rịọọ ihe ọbụla nʼaka chi maọbụ nʼaka mmadụ ọbụla karịa gị eze, site nʼoge i nyere iwu a tutu iri ụbọchị atọ agafee. Onye ọbụla nupuru isi nʼiwu a ka a ga-atụba nʼolulu ọdụm.
[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 Anyị chọkwara ka gị bụ eze kwagide iwu a ma jirikwa aka gị dee aha gị nʼakwụkwọ iwu ahụ. Nʼihi na anyị chọrọ ka ọ bụrụ iwu nke na-agaghị enwe mgbanwe, nke a na-apụghị ịkagbukwa akagbu, dịka iwu ndị Midia na Peshịa si dị.”
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 Ya mere, Daraiọs jiri aka ya dee aha ya nʼakwụkwọ iwu ahụ.
So King Darius [wrote] the law and signed it.
10 Ma mgbe Daniel maara na iwu a adịla ire, ọ banyere nʼụlọ ya, nʼelu ụlọ elu nke ebe obibi ya, o meghere oghereikuku ya chere ihu na Jerusalem. Nʼebe ahụ ka ọ na-anọ ekpe ekpere na ekele Chineke ya, ugboro atọ nʼụbọchị dịka ọ na-eme na mbụ.
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 Ndị iro ya gbakọtara hụ na Daniel na-ekpe ekpere na-arịọkwa Chineke arịrịọ.
The officials went together [to my house] and they saw me praying and requesting God to help me.
12 Ha jekwuru eze sị ya, “I chetakwara iwu ahụ i nyere, nke sị na onye ọbụla ekwesighị ịrịọ chi ọzọ maọbụ mmadụ arịrịọ ọbụla karịa gị, tutu iri ụbọchị atọ agafee, na onye ọbụla nupuru isi nʼiwu a ka a ga-atụba nʼolulu ọdụm?” Eze sịrị, “Ya bụ iwu ka dịkwa, dịka iwu ndị Midia na Peshịa nke e nweghị ike ịkagbu akagbu.”
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 Mgbe ahụ, ha gwara eze, “Daniel, onye bụ otu nʼime ndị si Juda a dọtara nʼagha adịghị aṅa gị ntị, gị onye a na-asọpụrụ, maọbụ nye iwu ahụ i nyere bụ nke e dere nʼakwụkwọ. Ọ nọkwa na-ekpe ekpere ya ugbo atọ nʼụbọchị.”
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 Obi jọrọ eze njọ nke ukwuu mgbe ọ nụrụ ihe ndị a. O kpebiri nʼobi ya ime ihe niile ịhụ na Daniel ataghị ahụhụ. Ya mere, ụbọchị ahụ niile, site nʼụtụtụ ruo nʼanyasị, ọ nọ na-eche otu ọ ga-esi mee nke a.
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 Mgbe ahụ, ndị ikom ndị a bịakwutere eze sị ya, “Chetakwa, gị eze, na dịka iwu ndị Midia na Peshịa si dị, ọ dịghị iwu ọbụla eze nyere maọbụ ụkpụrụ nke e mere ka o guzosie ike ga-agbanwe.”
[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 Nʼikpeazụ, eze nyere iwu, ha kpụpụtara Daniel tụba ya nʼolulu ọdụm. Eze gwara Daniel, “Ka Chineke gị, onye ahụ ị na-efe mgbe niile, zọpụta gị.”
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 E wetara nkume dị ukwuu jiri mechie ọnụ olulu ọdụm ahụ. Eze jikwa mgbaaka akara ya na mgbaaka ndịisi ọzọ kaa akara e ji nyachie ọnụ olulu ahụ. E mere nke a ka ọnọdụ Daniel hapụ ịgbanwe.
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 Mgbe eze lọbatara nʼụlọeze ya, o dinara nʼihe ndina ya buo ọnụ, onweghịkwa nri ebutere ya. Nʼabalị ahụ, o nweghị ike rahụ ụra.
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 Nʼìhè mbụ nke ụtụtụ, mgbe chị na-abọ, eze biliri mee ngwangwa, gaa nʼolulu ọdụm ahụ.
At dawn the next morning, the king got up and went quickly to the pit where the lions were.
20 Mgbe ọ bịaruru nso olulu ahụ, ọ kpọrọ Daniel oku nʼolu obi ntiwa sị, “Daniel, ohu Chineke dị ndụ, Chineke gị ahụ ị na-efe mgbe niile, o nwekwara ike ịzọpụta gị nʼaka ọdụm?”
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 Ya mere, Daniel sịrị eze, “Eze, dịrị ndụ ruo mgbe niile!
I answered, “(Your Majesty/O king), I hope that you will live a long time!
22 Chineke m zitere mmụọ ozi ka o mechie ọnụ ọdụm ndị a, ka ha si otu a hapụ inwe ike ịmetụ m aka, nʼihi na Chineke maara na aka m dị ọcha. Ọ makwaara na o nweghị ihe ọbụla m mere mejọọ gị.”
[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 Ọṅụ juru eze ahụ obi! O nyere iwu ka e si nʼime olulu ahụ dọpụta Daniel. Mgbe a kpọpụtara Daniel, o nweghị ihe ọbụla a hụrụ mere ya nʼahụ, nʼihi na ọ tụkwasịrị Chineke ya obi.
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 Mgbe ahụ, eze nyere iwu ka e jide ndị ahụ boro Daniel ebubo. O nyere iwu ka a tụnye ha nʼolulu ọdụm ahụ, ha na ndị nwunye ha na ụmụ ha. Ọdụm ndị ahụ dị nʼime olulu ahụ jidere ndị ahụ dọrie ma ọkpụkpụ ha tupu ha adaruo ala.
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 Emesịa, eze Daraiọs depụtara ozi a nʼakwụkwọ nye iwu ka a gụọra ya mmadụ niile, mba niile na asụsụ niile dị iche iche nʼelu ụwa. “Ka ọ dịrị unu na mma.
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 “Ana m enye iwu na mmadụ niile nọ nʼalaeze m kwesiri ịtụ egwu na ịma jijiji nʼihu Chineke nke Daniel.
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 Ọ na-agbapụta ndị ya, na-azọpụtakwa.
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 Ya mere, ihe gaara Daniel nke ọma nʼoge niile Daraiọs bụ eze, na nʼoge Sairọs onye Peshịa chịkwara dịka eze.
So I was successful [all] during the time that Darius ruled and during the time that Cyrus, [the King] of Persia, ruled.
