1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty satraps, who should be in all the kingdom;

2 and over these, three presidents-of whom Daniel was one-to whom these satraps should render account, and that the king should suffer no loss.

3 Now this Daniel surpassed the presidents and the satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to appoint him over the whole realm.

4 Then the presidents and the satraps sought to find a pretext against Daniel with respect to the kingdom; but they could not find any pretext or fault; inasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.

5 Then said these men, We shall not find any pretext against this Daniel, unless we find {it} against him touching the law of his God.

6 Then these presidents and satraps came in a body to the king, and said thus unto him: King Darius, live for ever!

7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the prefects, and the satraps, the counsellors, and the governors have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days, except of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.

8 Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked.

9 Therefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.

10 And when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and, his windows being open in his upper chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled on his knees three times a day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

11 But those men came in a body, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.

12 Then they came near, and spoke before the king concerning the king's decree: Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask {anything} of any god or man within thirty days, except of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked.

13 Then they answered and said before the king, That Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day.

14 Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore distressed thereby, and set his heart on Daniel to save him; and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him.

15 Then these men came in a body unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed.

16 Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast {him} into the den of lions. The king spoke and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will save thee.

17 And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his nobles, that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.

18 Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting; neither were concubines brought before him; and his sleep fled from him.

19 Then the king arose with the light at break of day, and went in haste unto the den of lions.

20 And when he came near unto the den, he cried with a mournful voice unto Daniel: the king spoke and said unto Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, hath thy God whom thou servest continually been able to save thee from the lions?

21 Then Daniel spoke unto the king, O king, live for ever!

22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me; forasmuch as before him innocence was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.

23 Thereupon was the king exceeding glad, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.

24 And the king commanded, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and broke all their bones in pieces ere they came to the bottom of the den.

25 Then king Darius wrote unto all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied unto you.

26 I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; for he is the living God, and steadfast for ever, and his kingdom {that} which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.

27 He saveth and delivereth, and he worketh signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth: who hath saved Daniel from the power of the lions.

28 And this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

1 I pai a Tariuha kia whakaritea etahi ariki kotahi rau e rua tekau mo te kingitanga, hei kawana mo te kingitanga katoa;

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

9 Mo reira whaitohungia ana e Kingi Tariuha te mea i tuhituhia me te ture.

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.

11 Katahi ka huihui aua tangata, ka kite i a Raniera e karakia ana, e inoi ana ki te aroaro o tona Atua.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

19 Katahi te kingi ka maranga i te atatu tonu, a hohoro tonu te haere ki te ana raiona.

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?

21 Na ka mea a Raniera ki te kingi, E te kingi, kia ora tonu koe.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

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.

28 Na ka kake tenei Raniera i te kingitanga o Tariuha, i te kingitanga ano hoki o Hairuha Pahi.