Raniera 6
1 I pai a Tariuha kia whakaritea etahi ariki kotahi rau e rua tekau mo te kingitanga, hei kawana mo te kingitanga katoa;
King Darius decided to divide his kingdom into 120 provinces. He appointed a governor to rule each province.
2 E toru hoki nga rangatira nui mo enei, a ko Raniera tetahi o ratou; ma nga ariki ra nga korero e homai ki enei, kei he nga mea a te kingi.
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 Katahi ka whakanuia tenei Raniera ki runga ake i nga rangatira nui, i nga ariki, no te mea he pai rawa te wairua i roto i a ia, a i whakaaro te kingi kia meinga ia hei rangatira mo te kingitanga katoa.
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 Katahi nga rangatira nunui ratou ko nga ariki ka rapu take mo Raniera i roto i nga mea o te kingitanga; heoi kihai i kitea tetahi take, tetahi he; he mahi pono hoki tana, kahore ona kino, ona he.
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 Katahi ka mea aua tangata, E kore e kitea e tatou he take mo tenei Raniera, ki te kahore e kitea he mea mona i roto i te ture a tona Atua.
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 Katahi enei rangatira nunui ratou ko nga ariki ka huihui ki te kingi; ko ta ratou korero tenei ki a ia, E Kingi Tariuha, kia ora tonu koe.
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 Kua korerorero nga rangatira nunui katoa o te kingitanga, nga kawana, nga ariki, nga kaiwhakatakoto whakaaro, nga rangatira, kia whakatakotoria he tikanga kingi, kia whakapumautia he ture kaha, ara ki te inoia he mea e tetahi ki tetahi atua, tang ata ranei, a kia toru tekau ra ano nga ra, he mea ehara i te inoi ki a koe, e te kingi, me maka ia ki te ana o nga raiona.
[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 Na mau e whakapumau te ture, e te kingi, whaitohungia hoki te mea i tuhituhia, kei puta ke, kia rite ai ki te ture a nga Meri, a nga Pahi, e kore nei e puta ke.
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 Mo reira whaitohungia ana e Kingi Tariuha te mea i tuhituhia me te ture.
So King Darius [wrote] the law and signed it.
10 Na ka mohio a Raniera ka oti taua mea i tuhituhia te whaitohu, haere ana ia ki tona whare; na ko ona matapihi tuwhera tonu ai i roto i tona ruma ki te ritenga atu o Hiruharama; e toru nga tukunga o ona turi i te ra, inoi ana ia, whakawhetai ana ki te aroaro o tona Atua, pera ana me tana i mua.
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 Katahi ka huihui aua tangata, ka kite i a Raniera e karakia ana, e inoi ana ki te aroaro o tona Atua.
The officials went together [to my house] and they saw me praying and requesting God to help me.
12 Katahi ratou ka whakatata, a ka korero i te ture a te kingi ki te aroaro o te kingi; Kihai ianei i whaitohungia e koe he ture, na, ko nga tangata katoa e inoi ana ki tetahi atua, tangata ranei, i enei rangi e toru tekau, he mea ehara i te inoi k i a koe, e te kingi, ka maka ki te ana raiona? Ka whakahoki te kingi, ka mea, He pono taua mea na, e rite ana ki te ture a nga Meri, a nga Pahi, e kore nei e puta ke.
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 Katahi ratou ka whakahoki, ka mea ki te aroaro o te kingi, Ko te Raniera ra, ko tera o nga tama o nga whakarau o Hura, kahore ona mahara ki a koe, e te kingi, ki te ture ano i whaitohungia e koe, heoi e toru ana inoinga i te ra.
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 A, no te rongonga o te kingi ki enei kupu, katahi ka nui tona kino, a ka anga tona ngakau ki a Raniera kia whakaorangia ia: whai ana ia ki te whakaora i a ia a to noa te ra.
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 Katahi ka huihui nga tangata nei ki te kingi, a ka mea ki te kingi, Kia mohio koe, e te kingi, ko te ture tenei a nga Meri, a nga Pahi, kia kaua e whakaputaia ketia tetahi ture, tikanga ranei, kua oti te whakapumau e te kingi.
[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 Katahi te kingi ka whakahau, a kawea ana mai a Raniera, maka ana ki te ana raiona. I korero ano te kingi, i mea ki a Raniera, Ko tou Atua e mahi tonu na koe ki a ia, mana koe e whakaora.
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 Na ka maua mai he kohatu, ka whakatakotoria ki te kuwaha o te ana; hiritia iho e te kingi ki tana ake hiri, ki te hiri ano a ana ariki; kei puta ke tetahi tikanga mo Raniera.
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 Katahi te kingi ka haere ki tona whare, a pau noa taua po kihai i kai, kihai ano nga mea whakatangi i kawea mai ki tona aroaro: a turere atu ana tona moe i a ia.
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 Katahi te kingi ka maranga i te atatu tonu, a hohoro tonu te haere ki te ana raiona.
At dawn the next morning, the king got up and went quickly to the pit where the lions were.
20 A, no tona tatanga atu ki te ana, ki a Raniera, ka karanga ia, he reo tangi te reo: i korero te kingi, i mea ki a Raniera, E Raniera, e te pononga a te Atua ora, he kaha ranei tou Atua e mahi tonu na koe ki a ia, ki te whakaora i a koe kei mate i nga raiona?
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 Na ka mea a Raniera ki te kingi, E te kingi, kia ora tonu koe.
I answered, “(Your Majesty/O king), I hope that you will live a long time!
22 Kua tukua mai e toku Atua tana anahera, a tutakina ana e ia nga mangai o nga raiona, a kihai ratou i pa ki ahau: no te mea kua kitea toku kore hara i tona aroaro; kahore ano aku mahi he i tou aroaro, e te kingi.
[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 Na nui atu ke koa o te kingi, a whakahaua ana e ia kia tangohia ake a Raniera i roto i te ana. Na kua tangohia ake a Raniera i roto i te ana, kihai rawa ano i kitea tetahi ahatanga ki a ia, no te mea i whakapono ia ki tona Atua.
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 Na ka whakahau te kingi, a ka maua aua tangata i whakapae ra ki a Raniera, ka maka ki te ana raiona, ratou, a ratou tamariki, a ratou wahine, riro pu ratou i nga raiona, a wawahia ana e ratou o ratou wheua katoa i te mea kiano i tatu noa ki raro o te ana.
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 Katahi a Kingi Tariuha ka tuhituhi ki nga tangata katoa, ki nga iwi, ki nga reo, e noho ana i te whenua katoa; Kia whakanuia te rangimarie ki a koutou.
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 Tenei ahau te whakatakoto tikanga nei; na, i nga kawanatanga katoa o toku kingitanga, kia wiri nga tangata, kia wehi ki te aroaro o te Atua o Raniera: ko ia hoki te Atua ora, pumau tonu a ake ake, e kore tona kingitanga e ngaro, tona kawanatanga hoki a te mutunga ra ano:
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 Mana e whakaora, mana e mawhiti ai; e mahia ana hoki e ia he tohu, he mea whakamiharo i te rangi, i te whenua; nana hoki a Raniera i ora ai i te kaha o nga raiona.
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 Na ka kake tenei Raniera i te kingitanga o Tariuha, i te kingitanga ano hoki o Hairuha Pahi.
So I was successful [all] during the time that Darius ruled and during the time that Cyrus, [the King] of Persia, ruled.
