Danyela
2 Ngomnyaka wesibili wokubusa kwakhe, uNebukadinetsari waba namabhudango amanengi, watshwenyeka+ emoyeni kangangobana waphelelwa buthongo. 2 Nje-ke ikosi yakhupha umyalo wokobana kubizwe abaphristi ababosomlingo, ababhuli, abaloyi namaKhaledi* bona bazoyitjela ibhudango layo. Bafika bajama phambi kwayo.+ 3 Ikosi yathi kibo: “Ngibe nebhudango begodu ngatshwenyeka emoyeni ngombana ngifuna ukwazi ukuthi ngibhudangeni.” 4 AmaKhaledi* aphendula ikosi ngelimi lesi-Aramu*+ athi: “Maye! Kosi, kwanga ungaphila ngokungapheliko. Tjela iinsebenzi zakho bona ubhudangeni, sizokuhlathululela lona.”
5 Ikosi yathi kumaKhaledi:* “La mamezwami wamaswaphela: Nangabe aningitjeli ibhudango lami nokuthi litjho ukuthini, nizokuhlahlelwa nibe ziintokana begodu imizenu izokwenziwa indawo yokuzithumela yomphakathi. 6 Kodwana naningangitjela ibhudango lami nokuthi litjho ukuthini, ngizonipha izipho, umvuzo nokuhlonitjhwa okukhulu.+ Nje-ke ngitjelani ibhudango lami nokuthi litjho ukuthini.”
7 Bamphendula kwesibili bathi: “Ikosi ayitjele iinsebenzi zayo bona ibhudangeni, sizoyihlathululela ukuthi litjho ukuthini.”
8 Ikosi yaphendula: “Ngiyazi bona nikhambisa isikhathi ngombana niyalemuka ukuthi ngiqinisile ngamezwami. 9 Nangabe aningitjeli ibhudango lami, noke nizokufumana isigwebo sinye. Kodwana nivumelene ngokungitjela amala nokungikhohlisa bekube kulapho ubujamo butjhuguluka. Nje-ke ngitjelani ibhudango lami, ngizokwazi ukuthi nizokukghona ukulihlathulula.”
10 AmaKhaledi* athi ekosini: “Akunamuntu ephasini ongakghona ukwenza lokho ikosi ekufunako, ngombana akunakosi ekulu namkha umbusi okhe wabawa abaphristi ababosomlingo namkha ababhuli namkha amaKhaledi* intwenjalo. 11 Ikosi ibawa into ebudisi begodu akunamuntu ongakghona ukutjela ikosi lokhu ngaphandle kwabozimu abangahlali hlangana nabantu.”
12 Khonokho ikosi yasilingeka khulu yakhupha umyalo wokobana kubulawe woke amadoda ahlakaniphileko weBhabhiloni.+ 13 Nasele kukhutjhwe umyalo begodu amadoda ahlakaniphileko sekazokubulawa, kwafunwa noDanyela nabangani bakhe bona babulawe.
14 Ngesikhatheso uDanyela wakhuluma ngokuhlakanipha nangokuyelela no-Ariyoki induna yabonogada bekosi, ebeyiphume bona iyokubulala amadoda ahlakaniphileko weBhabhiloni. 15 Wabuza u-Ariyoki isikhulu sekosi wathi: “Kubayini ikosi ikhuphe umyalo onelunya kangaka?” Nje-ke u-Ariyoki wahlathululela uDanyela ngokwenzekileko.+ 16 UDanyela waya ekosini wayibawa bona imnikele isikhathi sokuyihlathululela ibhudango layo.
17 Ngemva kwalokho uDanyela waya endlinakhe, watjela abangani bakhe uRhananiya, uMitjhayeli no-Azariya ngendaba le. 18 Wababawa ukuthi bathandazele bona uZimu wezulwini abarhawukele malungana nefihlo le, ukuze uDanyela nabangani bakhe bangatjhatjalaliswa kunye namanye amadoda ahlakaniphileko weBhabhiloni.
19 UDanyela wembulelwa ifihlo leyo ngombono ebusuku.+ Yeke uDanyela wadumisa uZimu wezulwini. 20 UDanyela wathi:
“Igama lakaZimu alidunyiswe bekube ngokungapheliko,
Ngombana ukuhlakanipha namandla ngekwakhe kwaphela.+
21 Utjhugulula iinkhathi,+
Ususa amakhosi, abeke amakhosi,+
Unikela abahlakaniphileko ukuhlakanipha begodu unikela abanelemuko ilwazi.+
22 Wembula izinto ezidephileko nezinto ezifihlekileko,+
Uyakwazi okusebumnyameni,+
Ukukhanya kuhlala kuye.+
23 Ngiyakuthokoza bengiyakudumisa, Zimu wabokhokho bami,
Ngombana unginikele ukuhlakanipha namandla.
Ungazisile esikubawe kuwe;
Usazisile okutshwenya ikosi.”+
24 Nje-ke uDanyela waya ku-Ariyoki, loyo ikosi emlayele bona abulale amadoda ahlakaniphileko weBhabhiloni,+ wathi kuye: “Ungawabulali amadoda ahlakaniphileko weBhabhiloni. Ngibawa ungise ekosini, ngizoyihlathululela ibhudango layo.”
25 Msinyana u-Ariyoki wathatha uDanyela wamusa ekosini wathi kiyo: “Hlangana nabantu abadingisiweko bakwaJuda+ ngifumene umuntu ongakuhlathululela ibhudango lakho.” 26 Ikosi yathi kuDanyela, loyo igama lakhe kunguBhelithetjhatsari:+ “Ungangitjela na ibhudango engilibhudangileko nokuthi litjho ukuthini?”+ 27 UDanyela wathi ekosini: “Akakho namunye wamadoda ahlakaniphileko, ababhuli, abaphristi ababosomlingo namkha abathukula ngeenkwekwezi ongakghona ukwambulela ikosi ifihlo eyibawako.+ 28 Kodwana kunoZimu wezulwini onguMambuli weemfihlo+ begodu uyazisile iKosi uNebukadinetsari ukuthi kuzokwenzekani engcenyeni yamaswaphela yamalanga. Nje-ke ngileli ibhudango lakho begodu le mibono ekufikeleko nawulele embhedenakho:
29 “Malungana nawe kosi, nawusembhedenakho ucabange ngalokho okuzokwenzeka esikhathini esizako begodu uMambuli weemfihlo ukwambulele okuzokwenzeka. 30 Nakungimi, akhenge ngambulelwe ifihlo le ngombana ngihlakaniphe khulu ukudlula abanye; kodwana, bona kwaziswe ikosi ihlathululo yebhudango layo, bona yazi imicabango esehliziywenayo.+
31 “Uthe usaqalile kosi, wabona isithombe* esikhulu. Isithombeso besisikhulu siphazima ngendlela erarako, sijame phambi kwakho begodu sithusa. 32 Ihloko yesithombeso bekungeyegolide+ lezinga eliphezulu, isifuba saso nemikhonwaso bekungeyesiliva,+ amathumbaso neenyonga zaso bekungezekhopha,+ 33 imilenzaso bekungeyesimbi,+ neenyawo zaso bekungezesimbi ehlanganiswe nomdaka.+ 34 Wasolo usiqalile bekwaba kulapho kuqephuka ilitje, ingasi ngezandla begodu labetha isithombe eenyaweni zesimbi ehlanganiswe nomdaka, zaphihlika.+ 35 Ngesikhatheso isimbi, umdaka, ikhopha, isiliva negolide bezihlangene ndawonye, zaphihlika zaba njengeenhluba zeselelweni sehlobo, zaphetjhulwa mumoya kwangasali nalinye. Kodwana ilitje elabetha isithombe laba yintaba ekulu, lazala iphasi loke.
36 “Ngilo-ke ibhudango lelo, nje-ke sizokutjela ikosi bona litjho ukuthini. 37 Wena kosi, kosi yamakhosi, loyo uZimu wezulwini akunikele umbuso,+ amandla nephazimulo, 38 wanikela nabantu esandleni sakho kungayi ngokuthi bahlala kuphi, kuhlanganise iimbandana neenyoni zomkayi, loyo uZimu amenze umbusi phezu kwakho koke,+ wena ngokwakho uyihloko yegolide.+
39 “Kodwana ngemva kwakho kuzokuvela omunye umbuso+ ophasi kunawe; bese kuvele omunye umbuso ongowekhopha, ongowesithathu, ozokubusa iphasi loke.+
40 “Malungana nombuso wesine, uzokuqina njengesimbi.+ Njengombana isimbi iphihliza yoke into, iye njengesimbi ephihlizako, uzokuphihliza, utjhabalalise koke lokhu.+
41 “Njengombana ubone iinyawo namazwani womdaka ohlanganiswe nesimbi, umbuso uzokuhlukana, kodwana okhunye ukuqina kwesimbi kuzokuba kiwo, njengombana ubone isimbi ihlangene nomdaka othambileko. 42 Njengombana amazwani neenyawo ziyisimbi ehlangene nomdaka, ingcenye yombuso loyo izokuqina bese kuthi enye ibe buthakathaka. 43 Njengombana ubone isimbi ihlangene nomdaka othambileko, ingcenye yombuso eqinileko izokuhlangana nabantu kodwana kokubili angekhe kunamathelane kube munye njengombana isimbi ingahlangani nomdaka.
44 “Emihleni yamakhosi lawo uZimu wezulwini uzokubeka umbuso+ ongekhe utjhatjalaliswe.+ Umbuso lo angeze udluliselwe kwabanye abantu,+ uzokutshidlha uqede yoke imibuso+ le begodu wona uzokujama ngokungapheliko+ 45 njengombana ubonile ukuthi kwaqephuka ilitje entabeni kodwana lingaqetjhulwa ngezandla nokuthi uzokutshidlha isimbi, ikhopha, umdaka, isiliva negolide.+ UZimu oMkhulu uyazisile ikosi bona kuzokwenzekani esikhathini esizako.+ Ibhudangweli liliqiniso nehlathululo yalo ithembekile.”
46 IKosi uNebukadinetsari yakhothama yahloma ihloko phasi phambi kwakaDanyela, yamhlonipha. Yakhupha umyalo wokobana anikelwe isipho athunyiselwe nepepho. 47 Ikosi yathi kuDanyela: “Kwamambala uZimakho nguZimu wabozimu neKosi yamakhosi noMambuli weemfihlo, ngombana ukghone ukwambula ifihlo le.”+ 48 Nje-ke ikosi yaphakamisa uDanyela yamnikela izipho ezinengi ezihle, yamenza umbusi phezu kwaso soke isifunda seBhabhiloni+ nenduna phezu kwawo woke amadoda ahlakaniphileko weBhabhiloni. 49 Ngesibawo sakaDanyela, ikosi yabeka uTjhedreke, uMitjhaka no-Abhedinigo+ bona babe balawuli besifunda seBhabhiloni kodwana uDanyela wasebenza esigodlweni sekosi.