UDaniyeli

3 UNebukhadinezari inkosi wenza isithombe* segolide esasingamamitha angaba ngu-27* ukuphakama, singamamitha angaba ngu-2,7* ububanzi. Wasimisa ethafeni laseDura esifundazweni* saseBhabhiloni. 2 Ngemva kwalokho, iNkosi uNebukhadinezari yathumela ukuba kuhlanganiswe ababusi bezifundazwe, izinduna, ababusi, abeluleki, abagcini-zimali, abahluleli, izimantshi nabo bonke abaqondisi bezifundazwe* ukuba beze emkhosini wokuvulwa kwesithombe iNkosi uNebukhadinezari eyayisimisile.

3 Ngakho ababusi bezifundazwe, izinduna, ababusi, abeluleki, abagcini-zimali, abahluleli, izimantshi nabo bonke abaqondisi bezifundazwe babuthana emkhosini wokuvulwa kwesithombe uNebukhadinezari inkosi ayesimisile. Bama phambi kwesithombe uNebukhadinezari ayesimisile. 4 Umuntu omemezelayo* wamemeza kakhulu wathi: “O nina bantu, nina zizwe nezilimi, niyalwa ukuba 5 lapho nizwa umsindo wophondo, igemfe, ihabhu elizintambontambo, ihabhu elingunxantathu, insimbi yomculo enezintambo, umtshingo nazo zonke ezinye izinsimbi zomculo, kumele niguqe phansi nikhulekele isithombe segolide esimiswe yiNkosi uNebukhadinezari. 6 Noma ngubani ongaguqi phansi akhuleke uyophonswa ngawo lowo mzuzu esithandweni* somlilo ovuthayo.” + 7 Ngakho lapho bonke abantu bezwa umsindo wophondo, igemfe, ihabhu elizintambontambo, ihabhu elingunxantathu, insimbi yomculo enezintambo nazo zonke ezinye izinsimbi zomculo, bonke abantu, izizwe nezilimi baguqa bakhulekela isithombe segolide esasimiswe yiNkosi uNebukhadinezari.

8 Ngaleso sikhathi amaKhaledi athile asondela abeka amaJuda icala.* 9 Athi eNkosini uNebukhadinezari: “O nkosi, kwangathi ungaphila kuze kube phakade. 10 Wena nkosi, ukhiphe umyalo wokuthi wonke umuntu ozwa umsindo wophondo, igemfe, ihabhu elizintambontambo, ihabhu elingunxantathu, insimbi yomculo enezintambo, nomtshingo nazo zonke ezinye izinsimbi zomculo, kufanele aguqe phansi akhulekele isithombe segolide; 11 nokuthi noma ngubani ongeke aguqe phansi akhuleke kufanele aphonswe esithandweni somlilo ovuthayo. + 12 Kodwa kukhona amaJuda athile owabekile ukuba aqondise isifundazwe* saseBhabhiloni: uShadiraki, uMeshaki no-Abhedinego. + La madoda awakulalelanga wena nkosi. Awabakhonzi onkulunkulu bakho futhi ayenqaba ukukhulekela isithombe segolide osimisile.”

13 Ngakho uNebukhadinezari, ethukuthele egane unwabu, wayala ukuba kulethwe uShadiraki, uMeshaki no-Abhedinego. Ngakho la madoda alethwa phambi kwenkosi. 14 UNebukhadinezari wathi kuwo: “Shadiraki, Meshaki, Abhedinego, ingabe kuyiqiniso ngempela ukuthi nina anibakhonzi onkulunkulu bami, + nokuthi niyenqaba ukukhulekela isithombe segolide engisimisile? 15 Manje lapho nizwa umsindo wophondo, igemfe, ihabhu elizintambontambo, ihabhu elingunxantathu, insimbi yomculo enezintambo, nomtshingo nezinye izinsimbi zomculo, niguqe phansi nikhulekele isithombe engisenzile, kulungile. Kodwa uma ningasikhulekeli, nizophonswa ngawo lowo mzuzu esithandweni somlilo ovuthayo. Yimuphi unkulunkulu onganikhulula ezandleni zami?” +

16 UShadiraki, uMeshaki no-Abhedinego baphendula inkosi bathi: “O Nebukhadinezari, akudingeki ukuba sikuphendule kule ndaba. 17 Uma kumele siphonswe esithandweni somlilo, uNkulunkulu wethu esimkhonzayo uzokwazi ukusikhulula esithandweni somlilo ovuthayo nasesandleni sakho nkosi. + 18 Kodwa ngisho noma engasikhululi, makwazeke kuwe nkosi ukuthi ngeke sibakhonze onkulunkulu bakho noma sikhulekele isithombe segolide osimisile.” +

19 Khona-ke uNebukhadinezari wabathukuthelela kakhulu oShadiraki, uMeshaki no-Abhedinego kangangokuthi ubuso bakhe bashintsha,* wayala ukuba umlilo ubaswe ngokuphindwe kasikhombisa kunendlela evamile. 20 Wayala amadoda athile anamandla ayesebuthweni lakhe lempi, ukuba abophe uShadiraki, uMeshaki no-Abhedinego, abaphonse esithandweni somlilo ovuthayo.

21 Ngakho la madoda aboshwa egqoke amajazi awo, izingubo, izigqoko nezinye izembatho, aphonswa esithandweni somlilo ovuthayo. 22 Ngenxa yokuthi umyalo wenkosi wawunonya futhi isithando sishisa ngokweqile, amadoda ayethwele uShadiraki, uMeshaki no-Abhedinego yiwo abulawa amalangabi omlilo. 23 Kodwa la madoda amathathu, uShadiraki, uMeshaki no-Abhedinego, awela phakathi esithandweni somlilo ovuthayo eboshiwe.

24 INkosi uNebukhadinezari yethuka yasukuma ngokushesha yathi ezikhulwini zayo eziphakeme: “Asibophanga yini amadoda amathathu sawaphonsa emlilweni?” Zaphendula zathi enkosini: “Kunjalo nkosi.” 25 Yathi: “Bhekani! Ngibona amadoda amane ehamba ekhululekile phakathi emlilweni futhi awalimele, eyesine ibukeka njengendodana yonkulunkulu.”

26 UNebukhadinezari wasondela emnyango wesithando somlilo ovuthayo wathi: “Shadiraki, Meshaki, Abhedinego, nina zinceku zikaNkulunkulu oPhezukonke, + phumani nize lapha!” UShadiraki, uMeshaki no-Abhedinego baphuma emlilweni. 27 Ababusi bezifundazwe, izinduna, ababusi nezikhulu eziphakeme zenkosi ababehlangene lapho + babona ukuthi umlilo awuyenzanga lutho imizimba* yala madoda; + akukho nwele lwekhanda lawo olwaluhangukile, amajazi awo ayelokhu efana, kwakungekho ngisho nephunga lomlilo kuwo.

28 UNebukhadinezari wamemezela, wathi: “Makadunyiswe uNkulunkulu kaShadiraki, uMeshaki no-Abhedinego, + othumele ingelosi yakhe yakhulula izinceku zakhe. Zithembele kuye zenza okuphambene nomyalo wenkosi futhi zancamela ukufa* kunokukhonza noma ukukhuleka kunoma yimuphi unkulunkulu ngaphandle kukaNkulunkulu wazo. + 29 Ngakho ngikhipha umyalo, wokuthi noma yimuphi umuntu, isizwe noma ulimi, osho noma yini embi ngoNkulunkulu kaShadiraki, uMeshaki no-Abhedinego kufanele ahlahlelwe, indlu yakhe kufanele iphendulwe indlu yangasese yomphakathi;* ngoba akekho omunye unkulunkulu okwazi ukukhulula njengalo.” +

30 Inkosi yabe seyibakhuphulela isikhundla oShadiraki, uMeshaki no-Abhedinego esifundazweni* saseBhabhiloni. +