Daniyeli
6 Kwabonakala kulungile kuDariyo ukumisela abaphathiswa kumaphondo ayi-120, ukuba balawule kubo bonke ubukumkani bakhe.*+ 2 Wamisela amagosa aphakamileyo amathathu ukuba aphathe abo baphathiswa; uDaniyeli+ wayelelinye lawo. Abaphathiswa+ babedlulisela ingxelo kuloo magosa, ukuze ukumkani angalahlekelwa nto. 3 Wasuka uDaniyeli wagqama ukogqitha la magosa aphakamileyo nabaphathiswa, kuba wayenomoya ongaqhelekanga,+ ibe ukumkani wazimisela ukumnyusela ukuze aphathe kubo bonke ubukumkani bakhe.*
4 Ngelo xesha amagosa aphakamileyo nabaphathiswa bamaphondo, azama ukufumana into anokumbambisa ngayo uDaniyeli ngemiba yaseburhulumenteni,* kodwa akafumananga nto anokumbambisa ngayo okanye kunganyaniseki kuye, kuba wayethembekile, engumntu okhathalayo nongarhwaphiliziyo. 5 La madoda athi: “Akukho nto sinokumbambisa ngayo lo Daniyeli, ngaphandle kokuba singambambisa ngomthetho kaThixo wakhe.”+
6 Ngoko la magosa aphakamileyo nabaphathiswa bamaphondo angena emaninzi kukumkani, athi kuye: “Phila ngonaphakade Kumkani uDariyo. 7 Onke amagosa asebukhosini, amasekela-baphathiswa, abaphathiswa bamaphondo, amagosa aphakamileyo asebukhosini nabalawuli, acebe ukuba kuwiswe umthetho wasebukhosini onyanzelisa ukuba kwiintsuku eziyi-30, wonke umntu othandaza komnye uthixo okanye komnye umntu ngaphandle kwakho, ufanele aphoswe emngxunyeni weengonyama.+ 8 Ngoku ke kumkani, nceda uwubhale phantsi lo mthetho uze uwusayine,+ ukuze ungatshintshwa, ngokomthetho wamaMedi namaPersi, ongenakucinywa.”+
9 Ngoko uKumkani uDariyo wawusayina lo mthetho osisinyanzelo.
10 Kodwa uthe uDaniyeli akufumanisa ukuba kusayinwe loo mthetho, waya endlini yakhe, egumbini eliseluphahleni elalineefestile ezazijonge eYerusalem.+ Wafika waguqa ngamadolo, wathandaza edumisa uThixo wakhe kathathu ngemini, ngokwesiqhelo. 11 Ngelo xesha la madoda angena ehambela phezulu, afika uDaniyeli ethandaza, ecenga, ecela uncedo kuThixo wakhe.
12 Ngoko aya kukumkani, ambuza ngomthetho wakhe onyanzelisayo. Athi: “Akukho sinyanzelo usisayinileyo sokuba wonke umntu othandaza komnye uthixo okanye komnye umntu ngaphandle kwakho, kwiintsuku eziyi-30, ufanele aphoswe emngxunyeni weengonyama?” Ukumkani wathi: “Kunjalo kanye, yaye umiselwe ngokomthetho wamaMedi namaPersi, ongenakucinywa.”+ 13 Ngoko nangoko athi kukumkani: “UDaniyeli, ongomnye wabathinjwa bakwaYuda,+ akanaxesha lakho kumkani, engakhathalelanga naloo mthetho wakho unyanzelisayo uwusayinileyo, kodwa uthandaza kathathu ngemini.”+ 14 Uthe akuyiva le nto ukumkani, wakhathazeka gqitha, wacinga indlela angamsindisa ngayo uDaniyeli. Lada latshona ilanga ezama ukumhlangula. 15 Ekugqibeleni la madoda angena eliqela kukumkani, athi kuye: “Khumbula kaloku kumkani, ukuba umthetho wamaMedi namaPersi uthi nawuphi na umthetho onyanzelisayo ukumkani awubekileyo awunakutshintshwa.”+
16 Ngoko ke ukumkani wakhupha umyalelo, baza bamzisa uDaniyeli, bamphosa emngxunyeni weengonyama.+ Ukumkani wathi kuDaniyeli: “UThixo oqhubeka umkhonza, uza kukusindisa.” 17 Emva koko kwaziswa ilitye, labekwa emlonyeni womngxuma, waza ukumkani walibeka isitampu ngeringi yakhe nangeringi yamagosa akhe abekekileyo, ukuze isigqibo esiye senziwa ngoDaniyeli singatshintshwa.
18 Emva koko, ukumkani waya endlini yakhe waza akatya ngobo busuku. Zange afune konwatyiswa nangayiphi na indlela,* ibe wayengakwazi ukulala.* 19 Kwathi kwakuthi qheke ukusa, ukumkani wakhawuleza waya kulaa mngxuma weengonyama. 20 Njengoko wayesondela emngxunyeni, wakhwaza kalusizi ebiza uDaniyeli. Wathi: “Owu Daniyeli, mkhonzi woThixo ophilayo, ngaba uThixo wakho ohlala umkhonza ukwazile ukukusindisa kwiingonyama?” 21 Ngoko nangoko uDaniyeli wathi kuye: “Phila ngonaphakade kumkani. 22 UThixo wam uthumele ingelosi yakhe, yayivala imilomo yeengonyama.+ Azindenzakalisanga+ kuba ndifunyaniswe ndingenatyala kuye; kungekho nto imbi ndiyenzileyo nakuwe kumkani.”
23 Ukumkani wavuya nyhani, waza wayalela ukuba uDaniyeli akhutshwe kuloo mngxuma. Wakhutshwa engenawo nomkrwelo lo, kuba wayethembele ngoThixo wakhe.+
24 Emva koko, ukumkani wayalela ukuba kuziswe laa madoda ayetyhole uDaniyeli.* Wona noonyana bawo nabafazi bawo baphoswa kuloo mngxuma. Bathi besesemoyeni, zabaganga iingonyama, zawakrwamza onke amathambo abo.+
25 UKumkani uDariyo wabhalela zonke izizwana, iintlanga neelwimi ezisemhlabeni wonke.+ Wathi: “Kwanga ningaba noxolo! 26 Ndikhupha umyalelo wokuba wonke umntu okummandla endiwulawulayo, makamoyike aze amngcangcazelele uThixo kaDaniyeli,+ kuba unguThixo ophilayo nohlala ekho ngonaphakade. Ubukumkani* bakhe soze bonakaliswe, ibe ulawula ngonaphakade.+ 27 Uyahlangula,+ uyasindisa, yaye wenza imimangaliso emazulwini nasemhlabeni,+ kuba umhlangule uDaniyeli ekubulaweni ziingonyama.”
28 Ngoko izinto zamhambela kakuhle uDaniyeli kubukumkani* bukaDariyo+ nakubukumkani* bukaKoreshi umPersi.+