UDanyeli
2 Ngomnyaka wesibili wokubusa kwakhe, uNebhukhadinezari waphupha amaphupho njalo wakhathazeka kakhulu*+ waze waswela ubuthongo. 2 Ngakho wathi kubizwe abaphristi abenza amasalamusi, lezinyanga, lezanuse kanye lamaKhaledi* ukuze bazomtshela iphupho lakhe. Lakanye bangena bafika bama phambi kwenkosi.+ 3 Inkosi yasisithi kubo: “Ngiphuphe iphupho futhi ngikhathazekile kakhulu* ngoba ngifuna ukwazi ukuthi ngiphupheni.” 4 AmaKhaledi aphendula inkosi ngesi-Aramu*+ athi: “Bayethe nkosi! Phila kuze kube nini lanini. Tshela izinceku zakho iphupho lakho besesikuchasisela ukuthi litshoni.”
5 Inkosi yaphendula amaKhaledi yathi: “Nanku esengizimisele ukukwenza: Nxa lingangitshelanga iphupho lami langichazela lokuthi litshoni, lizaqunywaqunywa njalo izindlu zenu zizakwenziwa izambuzi zomphakathi.* 6 Kodwa nxa lingangitshela iphupho lami lokuthi litshoni, lizathola izipho lomvuzo kanye lodumo olukhulu.+ Ngakho ngitshelani iphupho lami lokuthi litshoni.”
7 Aphendula okwesibili athi: “Inkosi kayilandisele izinceku zayo iphupho layo besesiyichasisela ukuthi litshoni.”
8 Inkosi yasisithi kuwo: “Ngiyabona ukuthi lizama ukutshova isikhathi ngoba selikwazi esengizimisele ukukwenza. 9 Nxa lingehluleka ukungitshela iphupho lami lizathola isigwebo esifananayo lonke.* Selivumelane ukungitshela amanga lokungiqila licabanga ukuthi ngizatshintsha ingqondo. Ngitshelani iphupho lami ukuze ngibone ukuthi liyenelisa ukulichasisa.”
10 AmaKhaledi aseyiphendula inkosi athi: “Akulamuntu emhlabeni ongenelisa ukwenza lokho okufunwa yinkosi ngoba kayikho inkosi enkulu loba umbusi* owake wacela into enjalo kwabenza amasalamusi kumbe ezinyangeni loba kulabo abayizazi zezinkanyezi.* 11 Lokho inkosi ekucelayo kunzima, akulamuntu ongayichasisela khona ngaphandle kwabonkulunkulu abangahlali ebantwini.”
12 Inkosi yathi ikuzwa lokho yazonda yadla amalahle, yasibeka umlayo wokuthi kubulawe wonke amadoda ahlakaniphileyo aseBhabhiloni.+ 13 Umlayo wathi usubekiwe njalo amadoda ahlakaniphileyo esezabulawa, kwadingwa uDanyeli labangane bakhe ukuze labo babulawe.
14 Ngalesosikhathi uDanyeli walanda u-Ariyokhi induna yabalindi benkosi wafika wakhuluma laye ngonanzelelo langokuhlakanipha. U-Ariyokhi wayesendleleni esiyabulala amadoda ahlakaniphileyo aseBhabhiloni. 15 UDanyeli wabuza u-Ariyokhi isiphathamandla senkosi wathi: “Kanti kungani inkosi ikhiphe umlayo olukhuni kangaka?” U-Ariyokhi wasemlandisela udaba lonke.+ 16 Ngakho uDanyeli waya enkosini wacela ukuthi imnike isikhathi ukuze abuye azoyichasisela iphupho layo.
17 UDanyeli wasesiya endlini yakhe wafika wethula udaba lolu kubangane bakhe uHananiya loMishayeli lo-Azariya. 18 Wacela ukuthi bakhuleke kuNkulunkulu wasezulwini, bacele ukuthi abe lesihawu kubo, abavezele imfihlo le ukuze yena labangane bakhe bangabulawa kanye lamadoda ahlakaniphileyo aseBhabhiloni.
19 Ngemva kwalokho uDanyeli wavezelwa imfihlo le ngombono ebusuku,+ wasedumisa uNkulunkulu wasezulwini, 20 wathi:
“Ibizo likaNkulunkulu kalidunyiswe kuze kube nini lanini,*
Ngoba ukuhlakanipha lamandla ngokwakhe yedwa.+
21 Utshintsha izikhathi lezinkathi,+
Akhiphe amakhosi abeke amanye,+
Anike abahlakaniphileyo ukuhlakanipha, abaqedisisayo+ abaphe ulwazi.
23 Ngiyakubonga njalo ngiyakudumisa Nkulunkulu wabokhokho bami,
Ngoba unginike ukuhlakanipha lamandla.
Khathesi usungazisile lokho ebesikucelile kuwe,
Ususazisile lokho obekuhlupha inkosi.”+
24 Ngemva kwalokho uDanyeli waya ku-Ariyokhi, lowo owayekhethwe yinkosi ukuthi abulale wonke amadoda ahlakaniphileyo aseBhabhiloni,+ wathi kuye: “Ungabulali ngitsho leyodwa indoda ehlakaniphileyo yaseBhabhiloni. Ngihambisa enkosini ngiyeyichasisela iphupho layo.”
25 U-Ariyokhi wahle wahamba loDanyeli enkosini wathi kuyo: “Sengiyitholile indoda engakuchasisela iphupho lakho nkosi futhi ingomunye wabathunjiweyo bakoJuda.”+ 26 Inkosi yasisithi kuDanyeli owayebizwa ngokuthi nguBhelitheshazari:+ “Uqinisile sibili ukuthi ungangitshela iphupho lami ungichazele lokuthi litshoni?”+ 27 UDanyeli wayiphendula wathi: “Amadoda ahlakaniphileyo, lezinyanga, labaphristi abenza amasalamusi, lezazi zezinkanyezi ngeke benelise ukuveza imfihlo ebuzwa yinkosi.+ 28 Kodwa ukhona uNkulunkulu osemazulwini owenelisa ukuveza izinto ezifihlakeleyo*+ njalo usekuvezele wena Nkosi Nebhukhadinezari okuzakwenzakala ekucineni kwezinsuku. Nanti iphupho lakho kanye lemibono oyibone ulele embhedeni wakho:
29 “Uthe usalele embhedeni wakho nkosi, imicabango yakho yakufikisa kulokho okuzakwenzakala ngesikhathi esizayo njalo lowo owenelisa ukuveza izinto ezifihlakeleyo* usekwazisile okuzakwenzakala. 30 Kodwa ukuvezelwa kwami imfihlo le akutsho ukuthi ngihlakaniphe kakhulu ukwedlula bonke abaphilayo. Kwenzelwe ukuthi wena nkosi ukwazi ukuthi iphupho lakho litshoni ukuze uzwisise imicabango ebisengqondweni yakho.+
31 “Uthe ukhangela ephutsheni lakho nkosi wabona inkalakatha yesithombe. Isithombe leso ebesisikhulu kakhulu futhi sikhazimula, besimi phambi kwakho njalo sisesabeka. 32 Ikhanda laso belenziwe ngegolide elihlambulukileyo,+ isifuba lengalo kwenziwe ngesiliva,+ isisu lemilenze kwenziwe ngekhopha,+ 33 imbala yaso ibingeyensimbi+ njalo inyawo zaso ziyinsimbi ehlangene lebumba.*+ 34 Uthe ulokhu ukhangele wabona ilitshe liqetshulwa kodwa kaliqetshulwanga yizandla zomuntu. Ilitshe lelo lifike latshaya isithombe enyaweni zaso ezenziwe ngensimbi lebumba laziphahlaza.+ 35 Ngalesosikhathi insimbi, lebumba, lekhopha, lesiliva, legolide kuhle kwacholwa konke kwaba njengomule osesizeni* ngesikhathi sehlobo, umoya wasukuphephula konke kwaphela du. Kodwa ilitshe elitshaye isithombe likhule laba yintaba enkulu egcwala umhlaba wonke.
36 “Yilo-ke iphupho lakho nkosi. Khathesi sizakuchasisela ukuthi litshoni. 37 Wena nkosi uyinkosi yamakhosi. UNkulunkulu wasezulwini ukuphe umbuso,+ lobukhulu, lamandla, lenkazimulo 38 njalo unikele abantu esandleni sakho kungelani lokuthi bahlala ngaphi, lezinyamazana zeganga lezinyoni zezulu, wakwenza waba ngumbusi phezu kwakho konke lokhu.+ Ikhanda elenziwe ngegolide nguwe.+
39 “Kodwa ngemva kwakho kuzakuba lomunye umbuso+ ophansi kulowakho, besekuvela omunye umbuso wesithathu owekhopha ozabusa umhlaba wonke.+
40 “Umbuso wesine wona uzabe uqine njengensimbi.+ Njengoba nje insimbi idiliza futhi ichole yonke into, umbuso lo uzacobodisa njalo uphahlaze yonke imibuso le njengensimbi ecobodisayo.+
41 “Njengoba ubonile ukuthi inyawo lamazwane esithombe bekulibumba* elihlangene lensimbi, umbuso lo uzakwehlukana phakathi. Kodwa enye ingxenye yawo izaqina njengensimbi njengoba ubonile ukuthi insimbi ibihlangene lebumba elibuthakathaka. 42 Njengoba nje amazwane enyawo zesithombe abeyinsimbi ehlangene lebumba, umbuso lo uzakuba lamandla nganxanye, ube buthakathaka nganxanye. 43 Ingxenye yawo izaxubana labantu* njengoba nje ubone insimbi ihlangene lebumba elibuthakathaka. Kodwa akusoze kube lokumanyana ngoba insimbi lebumba akuhlangani.
44 “Ngesikhathi samakhosi lawo, uNkulunkulu osezulwini uzabeka umbuso+ ongasoze utshabalaliswe.+ Umbuso lowo awusoze udluliselwe kwabanye abantu.+ Uzayibhidliza yonke imibuso le uyiqede du+ njalo yiwo wodwa ozakuma kuze kube nini lanini,+ 45 njengoba ulibonile ilitshe liqetshulwa entabeni kodwa lingaqetshulwanga yizandla zomuntu, laphahlaza insimbi, lekhopha, lebumba, lesiliva kanye legolide.+ UNkulunkulu Omkhulu useyazisile inkosi lokho okuzakwenzakala ngesikhathi esizayo.+ Iphupho leli liliqiniso, elikutshoyo kuzakwenzakala sibili.”
46 Ngemva kwalokho iNkosi uNebhukhadinezari yaguqa yathi mbo phansi phambi kukaDanyeli yazehlisa kuye. Yasisithi anikwe isipho njalo atshiselwe impepha.* 47 Inkosi yasisithi kuDanyeli: “Sengibonile ukuthi uNkulunkulu wakho nguNkulunkulu wabonkulunkulu leNkosi yamakhosi njalo uyenelisa ukuveza izinto ezifihlakeleyo* ngoba ukwenze wenelisa ukuveza imfihlo le.”+ 48 Inkosi yasinika uDanyeli isikhundla esiphezulu, yamupha lezipho ezinengi ezinhle. Yamenza waba ngumbusi phezu kwaso sonke isabelo seBhabhiloni+ futhi waba yinduna yeziphathamandla eyayikhangela wonke amadoda ahlakaniphileyo aseBhabhiloni. 49 Inkosi yasibeka uShadrekhi loMishekhi lo-Abhedinikho+ ukuthi babe ngabaphathi besabelo seBhabhiloni njengokucela kukaDanyeli. Kodwa uDanyeli yena wayesebenza esigodlweni senkosi.