Danyela

3 IKosi uNebukadinetsari yenza isithombe* segolide esimakhubhithi ama-60* ubude begodu simakhubhithi asi-6* ububanzi. Yasijamisa emmangweni othabaleleko weDura esifundeni seBhabhiloni. 2 Ngemva kwalokho iKosi uNebukadinetsari yathumela ilizwi lokobana kuhlangane boke abondunakulu, iinduna, ababusi, abeluleki, abaphathimali, abahluleli, abomarhastrada nabo boke abanqophisi beemfunda bona beze ekuvulweni kwesithombe esijanyiswe yiKosi uNebukadinetsari.

3 Ngalokho abondunakulu, iinduna, ababusi, abeluleki, abaphathimali, abahluleli, abomarhastrada nabo boke abanqophisi beemfunda bahlangana bona kuzokuvulwa isithombe esijanyiswe yiKosi uNebukadinetsari. Yeke bajama phambi kwesithombe esijanyiswe nguNebukadinetsari. 4 Umrhuweleli watjho ngelizwi elikhulu wathi: “Niyayalwa nina bantu, ntjhaba namalimi, 5 bona nanizwa itjhada lephondo, lamafuludi ahlukahlukeneko, lamaharibha, leenara ezihlukahlukeneko, nelayo yoke imihlobo yeenliliswa, kufuze niguqe nilotjhe isithombe segolide esijanyiswe yiKosi uNebukadinetsari. 6 Nanyana ngubani ongaguqi asilotjhe, uzokuphoselwa msinyana ngekehleni yomlilo ovutha kwamanikelela!”+ 7 Nje-ke kwathi boke abantu nabezwa itjhada lepalapala, lamafuludi ahlukahlukeneko, lamaharibha, leenara ezihlukahlukeneko, nelayo yoke imihlobo yeenliliswa, boke abantu, iintjhaba namalimi baguqa, balotjha isithombe segolide esijanyiswe yiKosi uNebukadinetsari.

8 Nje-ke ngesikhatheso amanye amaKhaledi* eza azokumangalela* amaJuda. 9 Athi eKosini uNebukadinetsari: “Bayede kosi, kwanga ungaphila ngokungapheliko. 10 Wena kosi, ukhuphe umyalo wokuthi nanyana ngimuphi umuntu ozwa itjhada lepalapala, lamafuludi ahlukahlukeneko, lamaharibha, leenara ezihlukahlukeneko, nelayo yoke imihlobo yeenliliswa kufuze aguqe, alotjhe isithombe segolide; 11 nokuthi nanyana ngubani ongekhe aguqe begodu asilotjhe kufuze aphoselwe ngekehleni yomlilo ovuthako.+ 12 Kodwana kunamaJuda athileko owabeke bona abe banqophisi besifunda seBhabhiloni: UTjhedreke, uMitjhaka no-Abhedinigo.+ Kosi, amadoda la akudelelile. Awalotjhi abozimu bakho begodu ayabhala ukulotjha isithombe segolide osijamisileko.”

13 Nakezwa lokho uNebukadinetsari wabhoka ngobukhali wayala bona kulethwe uTjhedreke, uMitjhaka no-Abhedinigo. Yeke balethwa phambi kwekosi. 14 UNebukadinetsari wathi kibo: “Tjhedreke, Mitjhaka, Abhedinigo, kuliqiniso na ukuthi anilotjhi abozimu bami+ nokuthi niyabhala ukulotjha isithombe segolide engisijamisileko? 15 Nje-ke nanizwa itjhada lepalapala, lamafuludi ahlukahlukeneko, lamaharibha, leenara ezihlukahlukeneko, nelayo yoke imihlobo yeenliliswa, nangabe nikulungele ukuguqa benilotjhe isithombe engisenzileko, kulungile. Kodwana nangabe niyabhala ukusilotjha, nizokuphoselwa msinyana ngekehleni yomlilo ovuthako. Kazi ngimuphi uzimu onganisindisa esandleni sami?”+

16 UTjhedreke, uMitjhaka no-Abhedinigo baphendula ikosi bathi: “Nebukadinetsari, akutlhogeki sikuphendule endabeni le. 17 Nange kutlhogeka kosi, uZimethu esimlotjhako angakghona ukusisindisa ekehleni yomlilo ovuthako nokusihlangula esandleni sakho.+ 18 Kodwana ngitjho nanyana angakwenzi lokho, sibawa wazi kosi, ukuthi angekhe sibalotjhe abozimu bakho namkha silotjhe isithombe segolide osijamisileko.”+

19 Nakezwa lokho, uNebukadinetsari wakwata wadlhabhaza ngokwenziwe nguTjhedreke, uMitjhaka no-Abhedinigo kangangobana umkhumbulwakhe watjhuguluka ngokupheleleko ngabo, wakhupha nomyalo wokobana ikehla yomlilo ibaselelwe ngokubuyelelwe kalikhomba ukudlula okujayelekileko. 20 Wayala amanye amadoda anamandla webutho lakhe bonyana abophe uTjhedreke, uMitjhaka no-Abhedinigo abaphosele ngekehleni yomlilo ovuthako.

21 Nje-ke amadoda la abotjhwa asambethe iimphuraphura, iingwani nazo zoke ezinye izambatho zawo, aphoselwa ekehleni yomlilo ovuthako. 22 Ngebanga lokuthi umyalo wekosi bewuqine khulu begodu ikehla beyitjhisa ngendlela erarako, amadoda athatha uTjhedreke, uMitjhaka no-Abhedinigo ngiwo abulawa malangabi womlilo. 23 Kodwana amadoda amathathu la, uTjhedreke, uMitjhaka no-Abhedinigo, awela ngekehleni yomlilo ovuthako abotjhiwe.

24 Ngemva kwalokho iKosi uNebukadinetsari yarhidlwa livalo, yasikima msinyana yathi eenkhulwini zayo eziphakemeko: “Angithi bewamathathu amadoda esiwabophileko sawaphosela emlilweni?” Zaphendula ikosi zathi: “Iye kosi.” 25 Yathi: “Qalani! Ngibona amadoda amane azikhambela ngokutjhaphulukileko ngaphakathi komlilo, awakatjhi begodu yesine ibonakala njengendodana yabozimu.”

26 UNebukadinetsari watjhidela emnyango wekehla yomlilo ovuthako, wathi: “Tjhedreke, Mitjhaka, Abhedinigo, nina nceku zakaZimu oPhezukoke,+ phumelani ngaphandle nizapha!” UTjhedreke, uMitjhaka no-Abhedinigo baphuma phakathi komlilo. 27 Abondunakulu, iinduna, ababusi neenkhulu eziphakemeko zekosi ebezihlangene lapho+ zabona ukuthi umlilo azange uyenze litho imizimba yamadoda la;+ asikho ngitjho nesihluthu sinye ehlokwenawo ebesirhatjulwe mlilo, iimphuraphura zawo bezisesenjalo, bewanganalo ngitjho nephunga lomlilo.

28 Nje-ke uNebukadinetsari wamemezela wathi: “Akadunyiswe uZimu kaTjhedreke, uMitjhaka, no-Abhedinigo,+ othumele ingilozakhe begodu wasindisa iinceku zakhe. Bathembele kuye benza okuphambene nomyalo wekosi begodu bebazimisele ukufa kunokulotjha omunye uzimu ngaphandle kwakaZimabo.+ 29 Nje-ke ngikhupha umyalo wokobana nanyana ngibaphi abantu, isitjhaba namkha ilimi abakhuluma nanyana yini embi ngoZimu kaTjhedreke, uMitjhaka, no-Abhedinigo kufuze bahlahlelwe nezindlu zabo zenziwe iindawo zokuzithumela zomphakathi;* ngombana akakho omunye uzimu ongasindisa njengalo.”+

30 Yeke ikosi yakhuphulela uTjhedreke, uMitjhaka, no-Abhedinigo eenkhundleni eziphezulu esifundeni seBhabhiloni.+