Daniyeli
4 “Nantsi ingxelo evela kuKumkani uNebhukadenetsare, eya kubo bonke abantu, nakuzo zonke izizwana, neelwimi ezihlala kuwo wonke umhlaba: Akwaba uxolo lwenu lungaphuphuma! 2 Ndiyakuvuyela ukunixelela imimangaliso ayenzileyo kum Oyena Thixo Uphakamileyo. 3 Mikhulu ibe inamandla imimangaliso yakhe! Ubukumkani* bakhe bubukumkani obuhlala ngonaphakade, ibe ulawula izizukulwana ngezizukulwana.+
4 “Mna Nebhukadenetsare, ndandizihlalele emzini wam, izinto zindihambela kakuhle. 5 Ndaphupha iphupha elandoyikisayo. Ndathi ndisalele ebhedini yam, yandothusa le mibono isentlokweni yam.+ 6 Ndakhupha umyalelo wokuba ziziswe phambi kwam zonke izilumko zaseBhabhiloni, ukuze zindichazele ukuba lithetha ukuthini elo phupha.+
7 “Bafika ke ababingeleli abenza imilingo, amagqirha, amaKhaledi* nabavumisi ngeenkwenkwezi,+ ndabaxelela elo phupha, kodwa abazange bakwazi ukundichazela ukuba lithetha ukuthini.+ 8 Ekugqibeleni kwafika uDaniyeli, ogama lakhe linguBheleteshatsare,+ othiywe ngegama lothixo wam,+ nonomoya woothixo abangcwele.+ Ndamxelela eli iphupha, ndathi:
9 “‘Owu Bheleteshatsare mphathi wababingeleli abenza imilingo,+ ndiqinisekile ukuba wena unomoya woothixo abangcwele,+ nokuba akukho mfihlelo inokukunzimela.+ Ngoko ndicacisele imibono endiyibonileyo ephupheni nokuba lithetha ukuthini.
10 “‘Ndathi ndisangqengqile ebhedini yam, ndabona embonweni umthi+ usesiphakathini somhlaba yaye wawumde kakhulu.+ 11 Lo mthi wakhula womelela, wayokufika emazulwini, ibe wawubonakala nakwezona ndawo zikude emhlabeni. 12 Wawunamagqabi amahle, uneziqhamo ezininzi ezanela yonke into. Amarhamncwa ayesiya kuwo ukuze afumane umthunzi, iintaka zezulu zihlala emasebeni awo. Wawusondla zonke izidalwa.
13 “‘Ndithe ndisesebhedini, ndisajonge le mibono isentlokweni yam, ndabona unogada,* lowo ungcwele, esihla evela emazulwini.+ 14 Wakhwaza ngamandla wathi: “Wugawuleni loo mthi,+ niwanqumle amasebe awo. Wavuthululeni amagqabi awo, nizichithachithe zithi saa neziqhamo zawo! Mawabaleke amarhamncwa phantsi kwawo, zimke neentaka emasebeni awo. 15 Kodwa sishiyeni emhlabeni isikhondo neengcambu zaso, nisibophe ngentsimbi nangekopolo apho phakathi kwengca yasendle. Masimanziswe ngumbethe wezulu, size sahlulelane namarhamncwa ngengca.+ 16 Intliziyo yaso mayitshintshwe ingabi yeyomntu. Masinikwe intliziyo yerhamncwa, kude kudlule amaxesha asixhenxe+ phezu kwaso.+ 17 Naso ke isigqibo sikanogada,*+ nesicelo sabangcwele, ukuze abantu abaphilayo bazi ukuba Oyena Uphakamileyo unguMlawuli wobukumkani* babantu+ ibe ubunika lowo athanda ukumnika yaye umisela phezu kwabo noyena mntu uphantsi ebantwini.”
18 “‘Nalo ke iphupha endalibonayo mna Kumkani uNebhukadenetsare. Ngoko ke, wena Bheleteshatsare, ndichazele ukuba lithetha ukuthini, kuba zonke ezinye izilumko ebukumkanini* bam azikwazanga kundichazela.+ Kodwa wena ungakwazi, kuba unomoya woothixo abangcwele.’
19 “Kweso sithuba ke uDaniyeli, ogama linguBheleteshatsare,+ wothuka okomzuzwana, woyikiswa naziingcinga zakhe.
“Ukumkani wathi kuye, ‘Owu Bheleteshatsare, ungalivumeli likothuse eli phupha nentsingiselo yalo.’
“UBheleteshatsare wathi, ‘Owu nkosi yam, akwaba eli phupha belibhekisela kwabo bakucaphukelayo, nentsingiselo yalo ibhekisela kwiintshaba zakho.
20 “‘La mthi uwubonileyo, okhule wamkhulu, womelela, wafikelela emazulwini, nobubonakala kuwo wonke umhlaba,+ 21 unamagqabi amahle, unentabalala yeziqhamo, usondla yonke into, phantsi kwawo kuhlala amarhamncwa, nobunamasebe ekuhlala kuwo iintaka zezulu,+ 22 nguwe kumkani, kuba uye wakhula wamkhulu waza womelela, nobukhulu bakho bufikelele emazulwini,+ nolawulo lwakho lufikelele nakwezona ndawo zikude emhlabeni.+
23 “‘Yaye njengokuba ukumkani ebone unogada,* lowo ungcwele,+ esihla evela emazulwini, waza wathi: “Wugawuleni loo mthi niwutshabalalise, kodwa sishiyeni isikhondo neengcambu zaso, nisibophe ngentsimbi nangekopolo apho phakathi kwengca yasendle. Masimanziswe ngumbethe wezulu, size sahlulelane namarhamncwa ngengca de kugqithe amaxesha asixhenxe phezu kwaso.”+ 24 Nantsi ke into ethethwa leli phupha kumkani, esi sisigqibo sOyena Uphakamileyo ngento emele yehlele inkosi yam ukumkani. 25 Uza kugxothwa phakathi kwabantu, uhlale namarhamncwa. Uza kutyiswa ingca njengenkomo. Uza kumanziswa ngumbethe wamazulu+ yaye kuza kudlula amaxesha asixhenxe+ phezu kwakho,+ ude wazi ukuba Oyena Uphakamileyo unguMlawuli ebukumkanini* babantu, yaye ubunika lowo athanda ukumnika.+
26 “‘Kodwa kuba bethe masishiywe isikhondo somthi neengcambu zaso,+ ubukumkani* bakho buza kuphinda bube bobakho emva kokuba wazile ukuba amazulu ayalawula. 27 Ngoko ke kumkani, akwaba ungalamkela icebiso lam. Zishiye izono zakho wenze okulungileyo, wahlukane neziphoso zakho ngokuwenzela inceba amahlwempu. Mhlawumbi impumelelo yakho ingandiswa.’”+
28 Yonke le nto yamehlela uKumkani uNebhukadenetsare.
29 Emva kweenyanga eziyi-12, ngoxa ukumkani wayehamba-hamba phezu kwendlu yasebukhosini eBhabhiloni, 30 wathi: “Asiyiyo na le iBhabhiloni Enkulu, endizakhele yona ngamandla am amakhulu ukuba ibe yindlu yasebukhosini, ngenxa yozuko nobukhulu bam?”
31 Uthe esathetha ukumkani, kwavakala ilizwi livela emazulwini lisithi: “Kuthiwa kuwe, wena Kumkani uNebhukadenetsare, ‘Ubukumkani* bumkile kuwe,+ 32 yaye uza kugxothwa phakathi kwabantu, uhlale namarhamncwa. Uza kutyiswa ingca njengenkomo, yaye kuza kudlula amaxesha asixhenxe phezu kwakho, ude wazi ukuba Oyena Uphakamileyo unguMlawuli ebukumkanini* babantu, yaye ubunika lowo athanda ukumnika bona.’”+
33 Ngoko nangoko yenzeka loo nto yayithethiwe kuNebhukadenetsare. Wagxothwa ebantwini, watya ingca njengenkomo, umzimba wakhe waba manzi ngumbethe wamazulu, zade iinwele zakhe zakhula zaba nde njengeentsiba zeenkozi, neenzipho zakhe zanjengezeentaka.+
34 “Lithe lakuphela elo xesha,+ mna Nebhukadenetsare, ndajonga emazulwini, ndaza ndabuyela ezingqondweni. Ndamdumisa Oyena Uphakamileyo, Lowo uphila ngonaphakade, ndamdumisa, ndamzukisa, kuba ulawula ngonaphakade, nobukumkani* bakhe bulawula izizukulwana ngezizukulwana.+ 35 Bonke abemi bomhlaba abanto yanto, yaye wenza into ayifunayo kwimikhosi yezulu nakubemi bomhlaba. Akukho mntu unokumnqanda*+ okanye unokuthi kuye, ‘Yintoni le uyenzileyo?’+
36 “Ngelo xesha ndabuyela ezingqondweni, lwatsho lwabuya uzuko lobukumkani* bam, ubukhulu bam nokuqaqamba kwam.+ Kwanamagosa am aphakamileyo asebukhosini namagosa am abekekileyo andikhangela, ndaza ndaphinda ndabuyiselwa ebukumkanini* bam, kongezwa nobukhulu kum.
37 “Ngoko ke, mna Nebhukadenetsare, ndiyamdumisa ndimphakamisa yaye ndimzukisa uKumkani wamazulu,+ kuba yonke imisebenzi yakhe iyinyaniso neendlela zakhe zezobulungisa,+ nangenxa yokuba uyakwazi ukubathoba abo bahamba benekratshi.”+