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.
Daniyele ali mu gomba ne shumba
1 Shule kwe kutola bumambo Dariyasi kabiga balauli bali zana lina makumi mabili (120) kuti bayendise ntuthu uwe wose, 2 pezhugwi kwabo Dariyasi kashalula Daniyele ne bamwe babili kuti babe batungamili be balauli ne kulingilila kuti mambo atolashikigwa ne mimwiso iye. 3 Ngono Daniyele katjimbidza azwilakidza kuti unotubula nshingo kupinda bamwe batungamili ne balauli kwakayita kuti mambo akumbule kumbiga nlingilili we ntuthu wose. 4 Ngono ikoku kukathama kuti bamwe batungamili ne balauli bashake tjimwe tjingapinganyidza buyendisi gwa Daniyele koga bakatjishaya ngoti Daniyele wakabe egalikabgwe kakale asina meya dzakalelekela ntome. 5 Ngono kwakati ku bupelo balume ibaba bakabe beti, “Akuna tjimwe tjakabipa tjatingalingisa Daniyele kuzhe kwe tjimwe koga mu nlayo we Ndzimu uwe.”
6 Ndizo bakayenda bakanobona mambo bali gupo ling'ompela ngono bakaswika beti, “Mambo wedu Dariyasi, atshene mungatjilila tjatjose! 7 Iswi tose batungamili ne makulukota ne balauli ne bakumbuludzi tadumana kuti mambo baduse nlayo babuye batshambilidze kuti mmwe ne mmwe unonamata ndzimu kene nthu kuzhe kwenyu imwi mambo mu mazhuba ali makumi matatu (30) anozha alashigwe mu gomba le shumba. 8 Ndizo ngwenu mambo ngabaduse ndaulo babuye baisaine kuti ndizo ishingikadziwe kuyenda nge nlayo we Bamede ne Bapheshiya kuti ndizo usishandugwe.” 9 Ndizo Dariyasi katshambisa ndaulo iyeyo. 10 Ngono Daniyele wakati enoziba kuti ndaulo yasainiwa kayenda ku nzi uwe. Ng'umba iye yakabe yakatathikana ngono katathila pezhugwi ku tjing'umbana tjitje tjakabe tjina mafesitere akazhugwa kulingisana ne Jerusalema. Kanamata katatu mu zhuba akathigama ne zwidwi etembezela kakale eboka Ndzimu koga sekwa akabe egala ethama. 11 Ngono balume ibaba be zwita zwa Daniyele bakalibilidzila ku ng'umba ya Daniyele ngono bakaswika ben'wana atjatembezela ekumbila bhatsho mu Ndzimu. 12 Ndizo balume ibaba bakayenda kuna mambo benotjeta Daniyele ngono bakaswika bedwa mambo beti, “Mambo wedu, apa amuzosaina ndaulo kuti mu mazhuba ali makumi matatu ani kene ani ungathigamila ndzimu kene nthu upoga kuzhe kwenyu alashingwe mu gomba le shumba kene?”
Mambo bakashandula beti, “Ee ndakasaina na nasi ndaulo imili yakajalo, aingashandugwe sekwa kuli iko mu njendiso ye milayo ye Bamede ne Bapheshiya.”
13 Ipapo bakadwa mambo beti, “Daniyele, mmwe we bakatapiwa edwa ku Juda aana tjimwe namwi kene nlayo wamakadusa bushe gwedu! Utjatembezela zwe katatu nge zhuba.” 14 Mambo wakati ehwa ikoku, kadziyidzika kwazo kazwimisila kushaka zila ingadzutunula Daniyele, mambo kagwisa na kose kwaanako kudza zhuba limila. 15 Kudwa ipapo zwita zwa Daniyele zwikabgwilila kuna mambo zwiswika zwiti, “Kumbulani bushe gwedu, mambo, kuti kuyenda nge yendiso ye nlayo we Bamede ne Bapheshiya ndaulo yadusiwa ndi mambo kaisainila aizofanila shandugwa,”
16 Ndizo mambo kadusa ndaulo kuti Daniyele atogwe alashigwe mu gomba le shumba. Mambo kadwa Daniyele kati, “Atshene Ndzimu uwo iwo waunoshingila mazhuba wose ungakudzutunula!” 17 Bakazwina gomba ne bgwe ngono mambo kabiga itempa tjitje tje busheItempa tje bushe ne tje makulukota awe kulakidza kuti bgwe lisidusiwe ndizo kwakasheta iye wakandzutunula. 18 Ipapo mambo kabgwilila ku ng'umba iye ye bushe ngono kanoizela ne ja asaja naizo zwinoshathisa zwisipo, azobona hwope busiku igogo.
19 Mu mangwanana makulu mambo kabinduka kalibilidzila ku gomba le shumba. 20 Mambo wakati asedzela pa gomba kadana Daniyele kan'dana nge hwi lakafubala eti, “Daniyele, nlanda we Ndzimu unotjila, apa Ndzimu uwo waunoshingila mazhuba wose wakugwila mu shumba kene?”
21 Daniyele kashandula eti, “Atshene mambo bangatjila tjatjose! 22 Ndzimu wangu watuma batumwa bawo be kudzimu bazha bebe bezhalila milomo ye shumba. Ndizo shumba adzizondikubadza ngoti ndawanika kusina tjandatjinya mbeli kwe Ndzimu kene mbeli kwenyu mambo wangu!”
23 Mambo kashatha kwazo ngono kadusa ndaulo kuti Daniyele adusiwe mu gomba le shumba. Ngono Daniyele wakati edusiwa wakawanika kusina ndodwa ne banga munli ngobe wakabe egalabgwe mu Ndzimu uwe. 24 Ipapo mambo kadusa ndaulo kuti kusungwe balume bose bakabe batjinya Daniyele zina ngono kukalashigwa ibo mu gomba le shumba bose ne bakadzi ne bana babo. Ngono bakati koga batji mu phepo shumba dzikabagama dzikabavunanya mafupa.
25 Ipapo Mambo Dariyasi kakwalila bathu bose ne zwitjaba zose zwe ndimi dzose mu shango eti,
“Kunyalala ngakube namwi mose! 26 Ndodusa ndaulo kuti mu ntuthu wangu wose nthu mmwe ne mmwe wakafanila kuti atje ne kuteta Ndzimu wa Daniyele.
“Ngobe Ndzimu unotjila,
kakale ugelile tjatjose,
bushe gwawo akuna ungagukolomodza,
mbuso wabo nde usingapele.
27 Unogwila kakale ukatjidza,
unothama makaabadzo ne matjenamiso
kudzimu ne mu shango.
Wagwila Daniyele
mu simba le shumba.”
28 Ndizo Daniyele kabhudilila mu tjibaka tje mbuso wa Dariyasi ne tjibaka tje mbuso wa Sirasi mambo we Pheshiya.