Daniel in a Pit of Lions
1 Darius divided his kingdom into 120 states and placed a governor in charge of each one. 2 In order to make sure that his government was run properly, Darius put three other officials in charge of the governors. One of these officials was Daniel. 3 And he did his work so much better than the other governors and officials that the king decided to let him govern the whole kingdom.
4 The other men tried to find something wrong with the way Daniel did his work for the king. But they could not accuse him of anything wrong, because he was honest and faithful and did everything he was supposed to do. 5 Finally, they said to one another, “We will never be able to bring any charge against Daniel, unless it has to do with his religion.”
6 They all went to the king and said:
“Your Majesty, we hope you live forever! 7 All of your officials, leaders, advisors, and governors agree that you should make a law forbidding anyone to pray to any god or human except you for the next 30 days. Everyone who disobeys this law must be thrown into a pit of lions. 8 Order this to be written and then sign it, so it cannot be changed, just as no written law of the Medes and Persians can be changed.”
9 So King Darius made the law and had it written down.
10 Daniel heard about the law, but when he returned home, he went upstairs and prayed in front of the window that faced Jerusalem. In the same way that he had always done, he knelt down in prayer three times a day, giving thanks to God.
11 The men who had spoken to the king watched Daniel and saw him praying to his God for help. 12 They went back to the king and said, “Didn't you make a law that forbids anyone to pray to any god or human except you for the next 30 days? And doesn't the law say that everyone who disobeys it will be thrown into a pit of lions?”
“Yes, that's the law I made,” the king agreed. “And just like all written laws of the Medes and Persians, it cannot be changed.”
13 The men then told the king, “That Jew named Daniel, who was brought here as a captive, refuses to obey you or the law that you ordered to be written. And he still prays to his god three times a day.” 14 The king was really upset to hear about this, and for the rest of the day he tried to think how he could save Daniel.
15 At sunset the men returned and said, “Your Majesty, remember that no written law of the Medes and Persians can be changed, not even by the king.”
16 So Darius ordered Daniel to be brought out and thrown into a pit of lions. But he said to Daniel, “You have been faithful to your God, and I pray that he will rescue you.”
17 A stone was rolled over the pit, and it was sealed. Then Darius and his officials stamped the seal to show that no one should let Daniel out. 18 All night long the king could not sleep. He did not eat anything, and he would not let anyone come in to entertain him.
19 At daybreak the king got up and ran to the pit. 20 He was anxious and shouted, “Daniel, you were faithful and served your God. Was he able to save you from the lions?”
21 Daniel answered, “Your Majesty, I hope you live forever! 22 My God knew that I was innocent, and he sent an angel to keep the lions from eating me. Your Majesty, I have never done anything to hurt you.”
23 The king was relieved to hear Daniel's voice, and he gave orders for him to be taken out of the pit. Daniel's faith in his God had kept him from being harmed. 24 And the king ordered the men who had brought charges against Daniel to be thrown into the pit, together with their wives and children. But before they even reached the bottom, the lions ripped them to pieces.
25 King Darius then sent this message to all people of every nation and race in the world:
“Greetings to all of you!
26 I command everyone
in my kingdom
to worship and honor
the God of Daniel.
He is the living God,
the one who lives forever.
His power and his kingdom
will never end.
27 He rescues people
and sets them free
by working great miracles.
Daniel's God has rescued him
from the power of the lions.”
28 All went well for Daniel while Darius was king, and even when Cyrus the Persian ruled.
Daniel mekololo lyoonime
1 Darius okwa tokola, a langeke oongoloneya ethele nomilongo mbali ya andjagana noshilongo she ashihe. 2 Daniel naantu yalwe yaali oya li aatonateli yawo, opo eliko lyomukwaniilwa lyaa hepe. 3 Daniel okwe shi holola mbala kutya ota longo nawa e vule aatonateli yalwe nenge oongoloneya. Oshoka okwa li a pita ooyakwawo miilonga, omukwaniilwa okwe mu tala a gwana okulengwa elenga lyoshilongo ashihe. 4 Nena aatonateli yalwe noongoloneya oya kambadhala, ya monene Daniel ombedhi yepuko melelo lyoshilongo, ihe inaa shi vula, oshoka Daniel okwa li omwiinekelwa noina longa sha shuusama nenge sha puka. 5 Oya lombwelathana ya ti: “Itatu ka mona epuko lyasha okugandja oombedhi, okulopota Daniel, shila otatu li mono melongelokalunga lye.”
6 Nena oya yi komukwaniilwa noya ti: “Omukwaniilwa Darius, kala u na omwenyo sigo aluhe! 7 Atuhe mba hatu lele oshilongo shoye — aatonateli, aaleli, oongoloneya, aagandjimayele nookomufala — otu uvathana kutya Nkeyama na gandje oshipango shi na oonkondo tadhi dhengele. Lombwela ano aantu ayehe kutya momasiku omilongo ndatu itaa pitikwa, yi indile sha kukalunga kalwe nenge komuntu gulwe, shila okungoye awike, omukwaniilwa. Shaa ngoka ta taaguluka elaka ndika, oku na okuumbilwa melambo lyu udha oonime. 8 Nkeyama, gandja ano oshipango noku shi shainina, opo shi kale sha kola pampango yokwaalunduluka yAamedia nAapersia.” 9 Osho ngaaka omukwaniilwa Darius okwa shaina oshipango shoka. 10 Daniel sho a koneke kutya oshipango osha shainwa, okwa yi kaandjawo. Mondunda yopombanda mongulu ye omwa li omakende ga taalela lwokuJerusalem. Omo moka a tsu oongolo pomakende ge eguluka nokwa galikana Kalunga lutatu mesiku, ngaashi a li ha ningi shito.
11 Aatondi yaDaniel sho ye mu dhimbulula ta galikana Kalunga, 12 ayehe oya yi komukwaniilwa oku ka lya ko Daniel. Oya ti: “Nkeyama, ndishi owa shaina oshipango kutya momasiku omilongo ndatu taga landula shaa ngoka ti indile sha kukalunga kalwe nenge komuntu gulwe kee shi kungoye, nu umbilwe melambo lyu udha oonime?”
Omukwaniilwa okwa yamukula a ti: “Eeno, oshipango sha kola pampango yokwaalunduluka yAamedia nAapersia.”
13 Nena oya ti komukwaniilwa: “Daniel, gumwe gwomaapongekwa Aajuda, ine ku simaneka, Nkeyama, nenge a vulike koshipango we shi gandja. Oha galikana lutatu mesiku.”
14 Omukwaniilwa sho e shi uvu, okwa li u uvite uudhigu nokwa kambadhala okuhupitha Daniel. Okwi ipyakidhile nasho, sigo etango lya toko. 15 Nena aalumentu oya galukile komukwaniilwa e taa ti kuye: “Nkeyama, oto tseya ndishi kutya pampango yAamedia nAapersia kape na shipango sha gandjwa komukwaniilwa tashi vulu okulundululwa.”
16 Omukwaniilwa sho kwa li kee na sho ta vulu, okwa gandja elaka, Daniel a kwatwe noku umbilwe melambo lyu udha oonime. Okwa ti kuDaniel: “Kalunga koye ho mu longele nuudhiginini, ne ku hupithe.” 17 Emanya olya li lya galangatithilwa kokana kwelambo, nomukwaniilwa okwa tula ko oshihako she, osho wo oshihako shoomvalekele dhe, opo Daniel kaa hupithwe nando okulye. 18 Nena omukwaniilwa okwa shuna kuuwa, i idhilike iikulya nokwa londokwa koomposi uusiku auhe.
19 Petendo lyeluwa omukwaniilwa okwa meneka nokwa yi nokweendelela kelambo. 20 Sho a thiki ko, okwi ithana noluhodhi ta ti: “Daniel, mumati gwaKalunga omunamwenyo! Kalunga ngoka ho mu longele nuudhiginini, okwa vulu tuu oku ku hupitha koonime?”
21 Daniel okwa yamukula a ti: “Nkeyama, kala u na omwenyo sigo aluhe! 22 Kalunga okwa tumu omuyengeli gwe, a mutike omakana goonime, opo dhaa lye ndje po. Okwe shi ningi, oshoka oku shi shi kutya ngame kandi na mbedhi noinandi yona kungoye, Nkeyama.”
23 Omukwaniilwa okwa tuntua kenyanyu nokwa gandja elaka, Daniel a hilwe mo melambo. Oyo noye mu hili mo noya mono, ina lumatwa nando okuli, oshoka okwi inekela Kalunga. 24 Nena omukwaniilwa okwa gandja elaka lyokukwatitha aantu ayehe mbeyaka ya lile ko Daniel, noyu umbilwa melambo lyu udha oonime pamwe naakadhi noyana. Manga inaa thika kondaandelo yelambo, oonime odhe ya ndjombokele e tadhi mokotola po omasipa gawo agehe.
25 Omukwaniilwa Darius okwa nyolele aantu yomiigwana ayihe, yomomaludhi agehe noyomomalaka agehe kombanda yevi elaka tali ti: “Kundweni! 26 Otandi popi te ti, moshilongo shandje ashihe shaa ngoka na tile ye a simaneke Kalunga kaDaniel.
Oye Kalunga omunamwenyo,
oye nota lele aluhe sigo aluhe.
Oshilongo she kashi na mpo nashi ka teka po,
noonkondo dhe kadhi na mpoka nadhi hulu po.
27 Oye ta hupitha e ta kanyutulula;
ota longo iilongakumithi niilongandhindhiliko
megulu nokombanda yevi.
Okwa hupitha Daniel
moshiponga shokuliwa po koonime.”
28 Daniel okwa kala e na esimano mepangelo lyaDarius nosigo omuuyuni waKores, omukwaniilwa gwaPersia.
