UDaniyeli
6 Kwabonakala kukuhle kuDariyu, ukuba amise ababusi bezifundazwe abangu-120 phezu kwawo wonke umbuso. + 2 Wamisa phezu kwabo izikhulu ezintathu eziphakeme, esinye sazo kwakunguDaniyeli; + ababusi bezifundazwe + babebika kuzo, ukuze inkosi ingalahlekelwa. 3 UDaniyeli wazibonakalisa engcono kunezinye izikhulu eziphakeme nababusi bezifundazwe, ngoba wayenomoya ongavamile, + inkosi yayihlose ukumphakamisa phezu kwawo wonke umbuso.
4 Ngaleso sikhathi izikhulu eziphakeme nababusi bezifundazwe babefuna ukuthola isizathu sokumangalela uDaniyeli ngokuqondene nezindaba zombuso, kodwa abatholanga sizathu sokummangalela noma inkohlakalo, ngoba wayethembekile futhi akukho kudebesela noma inkohlakalo eyatholakala kuye. 5 La madoda athi: “Ngeke sithole sizathu sokumangalela lo Daniyeli, ngaphandle kokuba sisithole emthethweni kaNkulunkulu wakhe.” +
6 Ngakho lezi zikhulu eziphakeme nababusi bezifundazwe bangena beyisixuku enkosini, bathi kuyo: “O Nkosi Dariyu, kwangathi ungaphila kuze kube phakade. 7 Zonke izikhulu zombuso, izinduna, ababusi bezifundazwe, izikhulu eziphakeme zasebukhosini nababusi, bacebisene ukuba babeke umthetho wasebukhosini nokuba baphoqelele umthetho ovimbelayo, wokuthi noma ngubani owenza isicelo kunoma yimuphi omunye unkulunkulu noma umuntu ezinsukwini ezingu-30 ngaphandle kokusenza kuwe nkosi, kufanele aphonswe emgodini wamabhubesi. + 8 Manje nkosi, kwangathi ungawumisa lo mthetho uwusayine, + ukuze ungashintshwa, ngokuvumelana nomthetho wamaMede namaPheresiya ongenakuguqulwa.” +
9 Ngakho iNkosi uDariyu yawusayina lo mthetho nalo mthetho ovimbelayo.
10 Kodwa ngokushesha nje lapho uDaniyeli esazi ukuthi lo mthetho wawusayiniwe, waya endlini yakhe, amafasitela ekamelo lakhe elisophahleni ayevulekile ebheke ngaseJerusalema. + Kathathu ngosuku wayeguqa ngamadolo athandaze, adumise uNkulunkulu wakhe, njengoba ayevame ukwenza ngaphambi kwalokhu. 11 Ngaleso sikhathi la madoda angena egulukudela, athola uDaniyeli ethandaza ecela ukuba uNkulunkulu wakhe ambonise umusa.
12 Ngakho asondela enkosini ayikhumbuza ngomthetho wasebukhosini ovimbelayo athi: “Awuzange yini usayine umthetho ovimbelayo wokuthi noma yimuphi umuntu owenza isicelo kunoma yimuphi unkulunkulu noma umuntu ezinsukwini ezingu-30 ngaphandle kokusenza kuwe nkosi, kufanele aphonswe emgodini wamabhubesi?” Inkosi yaphendula yathi: “Le ndaba iqinisekisiwe ngokomthetho wamaMede namaPheresiya ongenakuguqulwa.” + 13 Ngokushesha athi enkosini: “UDaniyeli, ovela kubantu bakwaJuda abadingisiwe, + akazange akunake nkosi nomthetho ovimbelayo owusayinile, kodwa kathathu ngosuku uyathandaza.” + 14 Lapho nje inkosi izwa lokhu, yacindezeleka kakhulu, yazama ukucabanga indlela yokukhulula uDaniyeli; kwaze kwashona ilanga ilokhu izama ukumsindisa. 15 Ekugcineni la madoda angena eyisixuku enkosini, athi enkosini: “Qaphela nkosi, ukuthi umthetho wamaMede namaPheresiya uwukuthi noma yimuphi umthetho ovimbelayo noma umthetho inkosi ewumisayo awunakushintshwa.” +
16 Ngakho inkosi yayala, bamletha uDaniyeli bamphonsa emgodini wamabhubesi. + Inkosi yathi kuDaniyeli: “UNkulunkulu wakho ohlale umkhonza uzokusindisa.” 17 Kwalethwa itshe labekwa phezu komlomo womgodi, inkosi yaliphawula ngendandatho yayo enophawu nangendandatho enophawu yezikhulu zayo, ukuze kungashintshwa lutho ngokuqondene noDaniyeli.
18 Ngemva kwalokho inkosi yaya esigodlweni sayo. Ayizange idle ngalobo busuku, yenqaba ukujatshuliswa nganoma iyiphi indlela* futhi yaqwasha.* 19 Ekugcineni, entathakusa, inkosi yavuka yaphuthuma emgodini wamabhubesi. 20 Njengoba isondela emgodini, yamemeza uDaniyeli ngezwi elidabukisayo. Inkosi yathi kuDaniyeli: “O Daniyeli, nceku kaNkulunkulu ophilayo, ingabe uNkulunkulu wakho ohlale umkhonza ukwazile ukukusindisa emabhubesini?” 21 Ngokushesha uDaniyeli wathi enkosini: “O nkosi, kwangathi ungaphila kuze kube phakade. 22 UNkulunkulu wami uthumele ingelosi yakhe yavala umlomo wamabhubesi, + awangilimazanga + ngoba ngitholakale ngimsulwa phambi kwakhe; nakuwe nkosi angenzanga lutho olubi.”
23 Inkosi yajabula kakhulu, yayala ukuba uDaniyeli akhushulwe akhishwe emgodini. Lapho uDaniyeli ekhishwa emgodini wayengenamyocu, ngoba wayethembele kuNkulunkulu wakhe. +
24 Inkosi yayala, alethwa la madoda ayebeke uDaniyeli icala,* aphonswa emgodini wamabhubesi, wona nabantwana bawo namakhosikazi awo. Amabhubesi abanqaka bengakafiki naphansi emgodini, aphoqoza wonke amathambo abo. +
25 INkosi uDariyu yabhalela bonke abantu, izizwe nezilimi ezihlala emhlabeni wonke yathi: + “Ukuthula makwande! 26 Ngikhipha umyalo wokuba kuzo zonke izindawo zombuso wami, abantu kumele bathuthumele besabe uNkulunkulu kaDaniyeli. + Ngoba unguNkulunkulu ophilayo nohlala kuze kube phakade. Umbuso wakhe* awusoze wachithwa, nokubusa kwakhe kungokwaphakade. + 27 Uyakhulula, + asindise, enze izibonakaliso nezimangaliso emazulwini nasemhlabeni, + ngoba ukhulule uDaniyeli ezidladleni zamabhubesi.”
28 UDaniyeli wachuma embusweni kaDariyu + nasembusweni kaKoresi umPheresiya. +