Taniela 4

1 Ko e tuʻi ko Nepukanesa, 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.

King Nebuchadnezzar, To the people of every nation and language who dwell in all the earth: May your prosperity be multiplied.

2 Ne u pehē ʻe lelei ke fakahā ʻae ngaahi fakaʻilonga, mo e ngaahi meʻa fakaofo, ʻaia kuo fai ʻe he ʻOtua māʻolunga kiate au.

I am pleased to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me.

3 “ʻOku lahi hono ngaahi fakaʻilonga! Pea ʻoku mālohi ʻene ngaahi meʻa fakaofo! Ko hono puleʻanga ko e puleʻanga taʻengata, pea ko ʻene pule ʻoku mei he toʻutangata ki he toʻutangata.

How great are His signs, how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; His dominion endures from generation to generation.

4 “Ko au Nepukanesa, ne u mālōlō ʻi hoku fale, pea naʻe tupu pe ʻae monūʻia ʻi hoku nofoʻanga.

I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and flourishing in my palace.

5 Naʻaku misi, pea naʻaku manavahē ai, pea ko ʻeku ngaahi mahalo ʻi hoku mohenga, mo e ngaahi meʻa hā mai ki hoku ʻulu, naʻe fakamamahi kiate au.

I had a dream, and it frightened me; while in my bed, the images and visions in my mind alarmed me.

6 Ko ia ne u fai fono ke ʻomi ʻae kau tangata poto kotoa pē ʻo Papilone ki hoku ʻao, koeʻuhi ke nau fakahā mai kiate au hono ʻuhinga ʻoe misi.

So I issued a decree that all the wise men of Babylon be brought before me to interpret the dream for me.

7 Ko ia naʻe haʻu ai ʻae kau fai mana, ʻae kau ʻasitolōnoma, ʻae kau Kalitia, pea mo e kau kikite; pea ne u fakahā ʻae misi ʻi honau ʻao; ka naʻe ʻikai te nau fakahā mai kiate au hono ʻuhinga ʻo ia.

When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners came in, I told them the dream, and they could not interpret it for me.

8 Pea naʻe haʻu fakamui ki hoku ʻao ʻa Taniela, ʻaia naʻe hingoa ko Pelitisasa, ʻo fakatatau mo e hingoa ʻo hoku ʻotua, pea ko ia ia ʻoku ʻi ai ʻae laumālie ʻoe ngaahi ʻotua māʻoniʻoni: pea ne u fakahā ʻi hono ʻao ʻae misi, ʻo pehē,

But at last, into my presence came Daniel (whose name is Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods). And I told him the dream:

9 ‌ʻE Pelitisasa, ko e ʻeiki ʻoe kau fai meʻa mana, ʻoku ou ʻilo ʻoku ʻiate koe ʻae laumālie ʻoe ngaahi ʻotua māʻoniʻoni, pea ʻoku ʻikai ha meʻa fufū ʻoku faingataʻa kiate koe, ko ia ke ke tala mai ʻae ngaahi meʻa hā mai ʻi heʻeku misi, ʻaia kuo u mamata ai, mo hono ʻuhinga.

“O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery baffles you. So explain to me the visions I saw in my dream, and their interpretation.

10 “Naʻe pehē ʻae ngaahi meʻa hā mai ki hoku ʻulu ʻi hoku mohenga; ne u mamata mo vakai ko e ʻakau naʻe tuʻu ʻi he lotolotonga ʻo māmani, pea ko hono māʻolunga naʻe lahi ʻaupito.

In these visions of my mind as I was lying in bed, I saw this come to pass: There was a tree in the midst of the land, and its height was great.

11 Naʻe tupu ʻae ʻakau pea naʻe mālohi, pea ko hono māʻolunga naʻe ʻalu hake ki he langi, pea naʻe hā atu ia ki he ngaahi ngataʻanga ʻo māmani:

The tree grew large and strong; its top reached the sky, and it was visible to the ends of the earth.

12 Naʻe matamatalelei hono lau, pea naʻe lahi hono fua, pea naʻe ʻi ai ʻae meʻakai ki he ngaahi meʻa kotoa pē: naʻe fakamalumalu ʻi lalo ʻae fanga manu ʻoe ngoue, pea naʻe nofo ʻae fanga manupuna ʻoe ʻatā ʻi hono ngaahi vaʻa, pea naʻe fafanga ʻae kakai kotoa pē mei ai.

Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit was abundant, and upon it was food for all. Under it the beasts of the field found shelter, in its branches the birds of the air nested, and from it every creature was fed.

13 “Pea ne u mamata ʻi he meʻa hā mai ki hoku ʻulu ʻi hoku mohenga, pea vakai, naʻe ʻalu hifo mei he langi, ʻae taha leʻo, mo e tokotaha māʻoniʻoni:

As I lay on my bed, I also saw in the visions of my mind a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven.

14 Pea naʻe kalanga leʻo lahi ia, mo ne pehē, ‘Tā hifo ʻae ʻakau, pea tutuʻu hono ngaahi vaʻa, lulu ke ngangana hono lau, mo liʻaki hono fua, tuku ke hao ʻae fanga manu mei lalo, mo e fanga manupuna mei hono ngaahi vaʻa.

He called out in a loud voice: ‘Cut down the tree and chop off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts flee from under it, and the birds from its branches.

15 Kae tuku ai pe hono tangutungutu ʻi he kelekele mo hono meʻa tākai ukamea mo e palasa, ʻi he mohuku laumaʻuiʻui ʻoe ngoue; pea tuku ia ke viviku ʻi he hahau ʻoe langi, “‘Pea tuku ke ne ʻinasi fakataha mo e fanga manu, ʻi he mohuku ʻoe kelekele.

But leave the stump with its roots in the ground, and a band of iron and bronze around it, in the tender grass of the field. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven and graze with the beasts on the grass of the earth.

16 Ke liliu hono loto fakatangata, pea tuku kiate ia ʻae loto ʻoe manu, pea tuku ke ʻosi ha kuonga ʻe fitu mo ʻene pehē.

Let his mind be changed from that of a man, and let him be given the mind of a beast till seven times pass him by.

17 ‌ʻOku fai ʻae meʻa ni ʻi he fono ʻae kau leʻo, pea mo e ʻeke ʻi he fekau ʻae kau māʻoniʻoni: koeʻuhi ke ʻilo ʻe he kakai moʻui ʻoku pule ʻaia ʻoku Māʻolunga taha pe ʻi he puleʻanga ʻoe tangata, pea ʻoku faʻiteliha ia ki ha taha ʻe tuku ki ai, pea ʻoku ne hakeakiʻi ki ai ʻae kakai ʻoku māʻulalo taha pe.’

This decision is the decree of the watchers, the verdict declared by the holy ones, so that the living will know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes, setting over it the lowliest of men.’

18 “Ko au Nepukanesa naʻaku mamata ki he misi ni. Pea ko koe ʻe Pelitisasa ke ke fakahā mai kiate au hono ʻuhinga, he koeʻuhi ʻoku ʻikai mafai ʻe he kau tangata poto kotoa pē ʻi hoku puleʻanga ke fakahā kiate au hono ʻuhinga: ka ko koe ʻoku ke mafai; he ʻoku ʻiate koe ʻae laumālie ʻoe ngaahi ʻotua māʻoniʻoni.”

This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because none of the wise men of my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you are able, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

19 Pea naʻe toki ofo ʻa Taniela, ʻaia naʻe hingoa ko Pelitisasa ʻi he feituʻulaʻā ʻe taha, pea puputuʻu ʻene fakakaukau. Pea lea ʻae tuʻi, ʻo ne pehē kia Pelitisasa, “ʻOua naʻa ke mamahi ʻi he misi, pe ʻi hono ʻuhinga.” Pea naʻe tali ʻe Pelitisasa ʻo pehē, “ʻE hoku ʻeiki, ke ʻiate kinautolu ʻoku fehiʻa kiate koe ʻae misi, pea ko hono ʻuhinga ke ʻi ho ngaahi fili ia.

For a time, Daniel, who was also known as Belteshazzar, was perplexed, and his thoughts alarmed him. So the king said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation alarm you.” “My lord,” replied Belteshazzar, “may the dream apply to those who hate you, and its interpretation to your enemies!

20 Ko e ʻakau naʻa ke mamata ai, ʻaia naʻe tupu, pea naʻe mālohi, ʻaia naʻe aʻu hake ki he langi, ʻa hono māʻolunga, pea naʻe hā ki māmani fulipē;

The tree you saw that grew large and strong, whose top reached the sky and was visible to all the earth,

21 Pea naʻe matamatalelei hono lau, pea naʻe lahi hono fua, pea naʻe ʻi ai ʻae meʻakai ki he ngaahi meʻa kotoa pē, ʻaia naʻe nofo ʻae fanga manu ʻoe ngoue, ʻi hono lolo ʻakau, pea maʻu ʻe he fanga manupuna ʻoe ʻatā honau nofoʻanga ʻi hono ngaahi vaʻa:

whose foliage was beautiful and whose fruit was abundant, providing food for all, under which the beasts of the field lived, and in whose branches the birds of the air nested—

22 “Ko koe ia ʻe tuʻi kuo ke tupu, pea kuo ke hoko ʻo mālohi: he kuo ke tupu ʻo māʻolunga, ʻo aʻu hake ki he langi, pea mo hoʻo pule ki he ngataʻanga ʻo māmani.

you, O king, are that tree! For you have become great and strong; your greatness has grown to reach the sky, and your dominion extends to the ends of the earth.

23 Pea ko e meʻa ʻi he mamata ʻae tuʻi ki he leʻo mo e tokotaha māʻoniʻoni naʻe ʻalu hifo mei he langi, ʻo ne pehē, ‘Tā hifo ʻae ʻakau, pea maumauʻi ia: kae tuku hono tefito mo hono ngaahi aka ʻi he kelekele, mo hono meʻa tākai ukamea mo e palasa, ʻi he mohuku lau maʻuiʻui ʻoe ngoue, pea tuku ke viviku ia ʻi he hahau ʻoe langi, pea ke ne ʻinasi fakataha mo e fanga manu ʻoe ngoue, kaeʻoua ke ʻosi ha kuonga ʻe fitu mo ʻene pehē;’

And you, O king, saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying: ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump with its roots in the ground, and a band of iron and bronze around it, in the tender grass of the field. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and graze with the beasts of the field till seven times pass him by.’

24 “Ko eni hono ʻuhinga, ʻe tuʻi, pea ko eni ʻae tuʻutuʻuni ʻae Fungani Māʻolunga, kuo fai ki hoku ʻeiki ko e tuʻi:

This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree that the Most High has issued against my lord the king:

25 Te nau kapusi koe mei he kakai, pea te ke nofo mo e fanga manu ʻoe ngoue, pea te nau puleʻi koe ke kai mohuku ʻo hangē ko e fanga pulu, pea te nau fakaviviku koe ʻaki ʻae hahau ʻoe langi, pea te ke pehē ʻi he kuonga ʻe fitu, kaeʻoua ke ke ʻilo ʻoku pule ʻae Fungani Māʻolunga ʻi he puleʻanga ʻoe tangata, pea ʻoku ne foaki ia kiate ia ʻoku ne faʻiteliha ki ai.

You will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling will be with the beasts of the field. You will feed on grass like an ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass you by, until you acknowledge that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes.

26 Pea ko e meʻa ʻi he fekau ke tuku ʻae tefitoʻi ʻakau, mo hono aka, ʻe maʻu pe ho puleʻanga kiate koe, ʻoka ke ka ʻilo ʻoku fai ʻae pule mei he langi.

As for the command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots, your kingdom will be restored to you as soon as you acknowledge that Heaven rules.

27 Ko ia, ʻe tuʻi, tuku tokoni kiate koe, pea motuhi hoʻo ngaahi angahala, ka ke māʻoniʻoni, pea mo hoʻo ngaahi hia, ka ke fai ʻofa ki he masiva, heiʻilo ʻe tolotolonga ai ʻa hoʻo melino.”

Therefore, may my advice be pleasing to you, O king. Break away from your sins by doing what is right, and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed. Perhaps there will be an extension of your prosperity.”

28 Naʻe hoko ʻae ngaahi meʻa ni kotoa pē ki he tuʻi, ko Nepukanesa.

All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar.

29 Hili ʻae māhina ʻe hongofulu ma ua, naʻe ʻeveʻeva ia ʻi he fale tupuʻa ʻoe tuʻi ʻo Papilone.

Twelve months later, as he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon,

30 Pea lea ʻae tuʻi ʻo pehē, “ʻIkai ko Papilone eni, ko e fale ʻoe puleʻanga ʻaia kuo u langa ʻi hoku mālohi, pea koeʻuhi ke ongoongo hoku nāunau?”

the king exclaimed, “Is this not Babylon the Great, which I myself have built by the might of my power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?”

31 Lolotonga naʻe kei ʻi he fofonga ʻoe tuʻi ʻae lea, naʻe ongo mai mei he langi ʻae leʻo naʻe pehē, “ʻE tuʻi ko Nepukanesa, kuo fai ʻae lea kiate koe; kuo homo meiate koe ʻae puleʻanga.

While the words were still in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven: “It is decreed to you, King Nebuchadnezzar, that the kingdom has departed from you.

32 Pea te nau kapusi koe mei he kakai; pea te ke nofo mo e fanga manu ʻoe ngoue, pea te nau puleʻi koe ke kai mohuku ʻo hangē ko e fanga pulu, pea ʻe ʻosi ʻae kuonga ʻe fitu mo hoʻo pehē, kaeʻoua ke ke ʻilo ʻoku pule ʻae Fungani Māʻolunga ʻi he puleʻanga ʻoe tangata, pea ʻoku ne foaki ia kiate ia ʻoku ne faʻiteliha ki ai.”

You will be driven away from mankind to live with the beasts of the field, and you will feed on grass like an ox. And seven times will pass you by, until you acknowledge that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes.”

33 ‌ʻI he feituʻulaʻā pe ko ia naʻe fakamoʻoni ʻae meʻa ni kia Nepukanesa: pea naʻe kapusi ia mei he kakai, pea naʻa ne kai ʻae mohuku ʻo hangē ko e fanga pulu, pea naʻe viviku hono sino ʻi he hahau ʻoe langi, pea naʻe tupu hono fulufulu ʻo hangē ko e fulufuluʻi ʻikale, pea mo hono ngeʻesi nima ʻo hangē ko e pesipesi ʻoe fanga manupuna.

At that moment the sentence against Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from mankind. He ate grass like an ox, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.

34 Pea hili ʻae ngaahi ʻaho ko ia, ko au Nepukanesa, ne u hiki hake hoku mata ki he langi, pea naʻe toe hoko mai kiate au hoku loto, pea ne u fakafetaʻi ki he Fungani Māʻolunga, pea naʻaku fakamālō mo fakaʻapaʻapa kiate ia ʻoku moʻui taʻengata, ʻAia ʻoku pule ko e pule taʻengata, pea ko hono puleʻanga ʻoku mei he toʻutangata ki he toʻutangata.

But at the end of those days I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven, and my sanity was restored to me. Then I praised the Most High, and I honored and glorified Him who lives forever: “For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation.

35 Pea ʻoku ne lau ʻae kakai fulipē ʻo māmani ko e meʻa noa pe: pea ʻoku ne fai ʻo fakatatau mo hono finangalo ʻi he kau tau ʻoe langi, pea ki he kakai ʻo māmani: pea ʻoku ʻikai ha tokotaha ʻe taʻofi hono nima, pe pehē kiate ia, ‘Ko e hā ʻoku ke fai?’

All the peoples of the earth are counted as nothing, and He does as He pleases with the army of heaven and the peoples of the earth. There is no one who can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’”

36 Pea feʻunga mo ia naʻe toe hoko mai ʻae poto kiate au; pea koeʻuhi ke ongoongolelei ai ʻa hoku puleʻanga, naʻe toe hoko mai ʻa hoku nāunau mo e lelei kiate au; pea naʻe kumi mai kiate au ʻeku ngaahi houʻeiki mo ʻeku kau fakamaau, pea naʻe toe fokotuʻu au ʻi hoku puleʻanga, pea naʻe tupulekina hoku ongoongolelei.

At the same time my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne, and surpassing greatness was added to me.

37 “Pea ko au Nepukanesa, ʻoku ou fakafetaʻi mo fakamālō mo fakaʻapaʻapa, ki he tuʻi ʻoe langi, ʻaia ʻoku moʻoni ʻene ngaahi ngāue kotoa pē, pea ko ʻene ʻulungāanga ko e fakamaau: pea ʻoku ne mafai ke fakavaivaiʻi ʻakinautolu ʻoku ʻalu fielahi.”

Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, for all His works are true and all His ways are just. And He is able to humble those who walk in pride.