UDanyeli

4 “Mina Nebhukhadinezari inkosi ngithi kini lonke mahlabezulu, lani bantu bezizwe ezitshiyeneyo lendimi ezitshiyeneyo emhlabeni wonke: Ukuthula kwenu akwande! 2 Ngiyathokoza ukulitshela ngezibonakaliso lezimanga engizenzelwe nguNkulunkulu oPhezukonke. 3 Izibonakaliso zakhe zinkulu kakhulu njalo izenzo zakhe ziyamangalisa. Umbuso wakhe ngumbuso ongapheliyo njalo yena ubusa kusukela kwesinye isizukulwane kusiya kwesinye.+

4 “Mina Nebhukhadinezari ngangichelesile endlini yami ngikhomba ngophakathi esigodlweni sami. 5 Ngaphupha iphupho elangethusayo. Ngathi ngilele embhedeni wami kwafika imifanekiso lemibono ekhanda lami eyangitshayisa ngovalo.+ 6 Ngasengikhipha ilizwi lokuthi kubizwe wonke amadoda ahlakaniphileyo aseBhabhiloni ukuze angichasisele ukuthi iphupho lami litshoni.+

7 “Ngalesosikhathi kwafika abaphristi abenza amasalamusi, lezinyanga, lamaKhaledi* kanye lezazi zezinkanyezi.+ Ngathi sengibatshelile iphupho lami behluleka ukungichasisela ukuthi litshoni.+ 8 Ekucineni kwafika uDanyeli lowo owayelebizo likankulunkulu wami+ elithi Bhelitheshazari.+ Umoya wabonkulunkulu abangcwele+ wawuphezu kwakhe njalo ngamtshela iphupho lami ngathi:

9 “‘Bhelitheshazari nduna yabaphristi abenza amasalamusi,+ ngikwazi mhlophe ukuthi umoya wabonkulunkulu abangcwele uphezu kwakho+ lokuthi ayikho imfihlo ongehluleka ukuyichasisa.+ Ngichasisela ukuthi imibono engiyibone ephutsheni lami itshoni.

10 “‘Ngithe ngilele embhedeni wami kwafika imibono ekhanda lami. Ngibone isihlahla+ phakathi laphakathi komhlaba njalo besiside okumangalisayo.+ 11 Isihlahla leso sikhule saqina, saba side saze safika khonale emazulwini futhi sabonakala lasemikhawulweni yomhlaba wonke. 12 Amahlamvu aso abemahle njalo besilezithelo ezinengi lokudla okwenela izidalwa zonke. Inyamazana zeganga beziphumula emthunzini waso, inyoni zezulu zihlala engatsheni zaso futhi konke okuphilayo bekusidla kuso.

13 “‘Ngithe ngilokhu ngisakhangele imibono efike ekhanda lami ngilele embhedeni wami ngabona isithunywa* esingcwele sisehla sivela ezulwini.+ 14 Simemeze ngelizwi elikhulu sathi: “Gamulani isihlahla leso siwele phansi+ beseliquma ingatsha zaso, lithintithe amahlamvu aso futhi lichithachithe izithelo zaso. Izinyamazana kazibaleke ngaphansi kwaso, lenyoni zisuke engatsheni zaso. 15 Kodwa tshiyani isidindi kanye lempande zaso emhlabathini phakathi kotshani, sibotshwe ngebhanti lensimbi lelekhopha. Kasimanziswe ngamazolo avela phezulu njalo kasihlale lezinyamazana phakathi kotshani.+ 16 Kasithathelwe inhliziyo yomuntu, siphiwe inhliziyo yenyamazana kuze kudlule+ izikhathi eziyisikhombisa.+ 17 Umlayo lo ulethwe yizithunywa+ njalo isicelo lesi ngeselizwi labangcwele, ukuze abantu abaphilayo bakwazi ukuthi oPhezukonke ulamandla phezu kwemibuso yabantu+ lokuthi umbuso uwunika loba ngubani afuna ukumnika, ngitsho lomuntukazana okhangelelwa phansi uyambeka phezu kwawo.”

18 “‘Yilo iphupho engiliphuphileyo mina Nebhukhadinezari inkosi. Khathesi wena Bhelitheshazari ngichasisela ukuthi litshoni ngoba wonke amanye amadoda ahlakaniphileyo ombuso wami ayehluleka ukungichasisela.+ Kodwa wena uyenelisa ukungitshela ngoba umoya wabonkulunkulu abangcwele uphezu kwakho.’

19 “Ngalesosikhathi uDanyeli owayebizwa ngokuthi nguBhelitheshazari+ wakhathazeka okwesikhatshana, imicabango yakhe yaqalisa ukumethusa.

“Inkosi yasisithi, ‘Bhelitheshazari, ungethuswa liphupho leli lengcazelo yalo.’

“UBhelitheshazari wathi, ‘Awu nkosi yami, okusephutsheni leli akwehlele abakuzondayo, lengcazelo yalo yehlele izitha zakho.

20 “‘Isihlahla osibonileyo sikhule saqina, saba side saze sayafika khonale emazulwini, sabonakala emhlabeni wonke,+ 21 njalo amahlamvu aso abemahle, izithelo zaso zizinengi futhi besilokudla okwenela izidalwa zonke. Inyamazana zeganga bezihlala ngaphansi kwaso, inyoni zezulu zihlala engatsheni zaso.+ 22 Isihlahla leso nguwe nkosi ngoba usukhule waba lamandla, ubukhulu bakho sebuphakame baze bayafika emazulwini+ lombuso wakho usuqhele waze wayafika emikhawulweni yomhlaba.+

23 “‘Kanti njalo inkosi ibone isithunywa* esingcwele+ sisehla sivela ezulwini sathi: “Gamulani isihlahla leso siwele phansi lisitshabalalise, kodwa litshiye isidindi saso sibotshwe ngebhanti lensimbi lelekhopha phakathi kotshani beganga njalo lisitshiye lempande zaso emhlabathini. Kasimanziswe ngamazolo avela phezulu njalo sihlale lezinyamazana zeganga phakathi kotshani kuze kudlule izikhathi eziyisikhombisa.”+ 24 Nansi ingcazelo yakhona nkosi: Lokhu yikho oPhezukonke asemise ukuthi kwehlele kuwe nkosi yami ehloniphekayo. 25 Uzaxotshwa ebantwini uyehlala lezinyamazana zeganga. Uzakudla utshani njengenkomo, umanziswe ngamazolo avela phezulu+ futhi kuzadlula+ izikhathi eziyisikhombisa,+ uze ukwazi ukuthi oPhezukonke ulamandla phezu kwemibuso yabantu lokuthi umbuso uwunika loba ngubani afuna ukumnika.+

26 “‘Kodwa nxa usukwazi ukuthi ukhona obusayo ezulwini,* umbuso wakho uzaphinda ube ngowakho njengoba nje kutshiwo ukuthi isidindi sesihlahla lempande zaso+ kutshiywe kunjalo. 27 Yikho-ke, nkosi yami ngicela wamukele isixwayiso engikupha sona. Tshiya izono zakho wenze okulungileyo, uyekele lobubi obenzayo futhi ube lesihawu kubayanga. Mhlawumbe ungaqhubeka uphumelela.’”+

28 Lakanye konke lokhu kwenzakala enkosini uNebhukhadinezari.

29 Kwasekudlule izinyanga ezingu-12 njalo inkosi yayihambahamba phezu kophahla lwesigodlo seBhabhiloni, 30 isithi: “Le kayisiyo yini iBhabhiloni Enkulu engayakha ngamandla ami lobukhulu bami ukuthi ibe yindlu yobukhosi lokuthi ngithole udumo olukhulu?”

31 Inkosi yathi ilokhu isakhuluma ilizwi lehla livela ezulwini lathi: “Nanku umbiko wakho Nkosi Nebhukhadinezari, ‘Usuwuthathelwe umbuso+ 32 njalo usuxotshwa ebantwini. Uzahlala lezinyamazana zeganga, udle utshani njengenkomo futhi kuzadlula izikhathi eziyisikhombisa, uze ukwazi ukuthi oPhezukonke ulamandla phezu kwemibuso yabantu lokuthi umbuso uwunika loba ngubani afuna ukumnika.’”+

33 Ngalesosikhathi ilizwi lelo lagcwaliseka kuNebhukhadinezari. Waxotshwa ebantwini waqalisa ukudla utshani njengenkomo. Umzimba wakhe wamanziswa ngamazolo avela phezulu, inwele zakhe zakhula zaba zinde njengensiba zokhozi lenzipho zakhe zaba njengezenyoni.+

34 “Ekupheleni kwalesosikhathi+ mina Nebhukhadinezari ngakhangela emazulwini, ingqondo yami yaqalisa ukusebenza kuhle. Ngasengimdumisa oPhezukonke, ngamnika udumo lenkazimulo lowo ophila kuze kube nini lanini ngoba umbuso wakhe ngumbuso ongapheliyo njalo ubusa kusukela kwesinye isizukulwane kusiya kwesinye.+ 35 Bonke abahlala emhlabeni abasilutho kuye njalo wenza intando yakhe ebuthweni elisemazulwini lakulabo abahlala emhlabeni. Kakho ongamvimba+ loba ongathi kuye, ‘Kanti wenzani?’+

36 “Ngalesosikhathi ingqondo yami yaqalisa ukusebenza kuhle, inkazimulo yombuso wami kanye lobukhulu bami lobukhazikhazi bami kwaphenduka kimi.+ Iziphathamandla zami labahlonitshwa baphinda bangidinga, ngabuyiselwa embusweni wami njalo ngaphiwa udumo olukhulu kakhulu.

37 “Ngakho mina Nebhukhadinezari sengiyidumisa njalo sengiyiphakamisa, ngiyikhazimulise iNkosi yamazulu+ ngoba yonke imisebenzi yayo iliqiniso, lezindlela zayo zilungile+ njalo iyenelisa ukwehlisa abazikhukhumezayo.”+