UDariyu—Inkosi Enobulungisa
NGOKUPHATHELENE nemisebenzi yokwakha eyayiyenzile, inkosi edumile yake yaqhosha yathi: “Emingceleni yeBabiloni ngabiyela ngezindonga eziqinile ngasempumalanga. Ngamba umsele . . . Ngetiyela nezitini ngakha udonga oluqinile, olungenakunyakaziswa, njengentaba.” Yebo, inkosi yaseBabiloni uNebukadinesari yayihileleke esimisweni esikhulu sokwakha futhi yasebenza kanzima ukuze iqinise inhloko-dolobha yombuso wayo. Kodwa umuzi waseBabiloni awuzange ube ongenakunqotshwa njengoba yayicabanga.
Ubufakazi balokhu babonakala ngo-October 5, 539 B.C.E. Enebutho lempi lamaMede, umbusi wasePheresiya uKoresi II walinqoba ngaleso sikhathi iBabiloni futhi wabulala umbusi walo wamaKaledi, uBelishasari. Ubani owayesezoba umbusi wokuqala walo muzi owawusanda kunqotshwa? Umprofethi kaNkulunkulu uDaniyeli, owayekhona kulo muzi lapho uwa, wabhala: “UDariyu umMede wamukela umbuso eneminyaka engamashumi ayisithupha nambili.”—Daniyeli 5:30, 31.
Wayengubani uDariyu? Waba umbusi onjani? Wamphatha kanjani umprofethi uDaniyeli, owayesekudingisweni eBabiloni iminyaka engaphezu kuka-70?
INKOSI ENOMLANDO ONGAPHELELE
Ukwaziswa okungokomlando ngoDariyu umMede akuphelele. AmaMede awazange ashiye mibhalo engokomlando. Ngaphezu kwalokho, amakhulu ezinkulungwane zezibhebhe ezibhalwe nge-cuneiform ezambiwa eMpumalanga Ephakathi zinomlando ongaphelele onezikhala eziningi. Eminye imibhalo yezwe yasendulo esekhona imbalwa futhi iqhele ngekhulu leminyaka noma ngaphezulu ezenzakalweni ezihilela uDariyu.
Noma kunjalo, ubufakazi busikisela ukuthi ngemva kokuba umbusi wasePheresiya uKoresi II enqobe i-Ecbatana, ikomkhulu laseMediya, amaMede athembeka kuye. Ngemva kwalokho, amaMede namaPheresiya alwa ehlangene eholwa nguye. Ngokuqondene nobuhlobo babo, umlobi uRobert Collins encwadini yakhe ethi The Medes and Persians uyaphawula: “AmaMede ayelingana namaPheresiya. Ayevame ukubekwa ezikhundleni eziphezulu kuhulumeni wezwe nasezikhundleni zokuhola ebuthweni lezempi lamaPheresiya. Abantu bakwamanye amazwe babethi amaMede namaPheresiya, bengahlukanisi phakathi kowanqotshwa nowanqoba.” Ngakho iMediya yahlangana nePheresiya ukuze bakhe uMbuso wamaMede namaPheresiya.—Daniyeli 5:28; 8:3, 4, 20.
Ngokuqinisekile amaMede aba nendima enkulu ekunqotshweni kweBabiloni. ImiBhalo ithi ‘uDariyu indodana ka-Ahashiveroshi, wozalo lwamaMede’ wayeyinkosi yokuqala yoMbuso wamaMede namaPheresiya ukuba ibuse eBabiloni. (Daniyeli 9:1) Amandla akhe obukhosi ayehlanganisa negunya lokumisa imithetho “ngokomthetho wamaMede namaPheresiya ongenakuguquka.” (Daniyeli 6:8) Lokho iBhayibheli elikushoyo ngoDariyu kusinika nombono othile wobuntu bakhe kanye nesizathu esizwakalayo sokuntuleka kokwaziswa kwezwe okuphathelene naye.
UDANIYELI UYATHANDWA
Ngemva nje kokuthatha umbuso eBabiloni, iBhayibheli lithi uDariyu wabeka “izikhulu eziyikhulu namashumi amabili ebeziyakuba-sembusweni wonke. Phezu kwazo wamisa abongameli abathathu, uDaniyeli engomunye wabo.” (Daniyeli 6:1, 2) Nokho, ukuba kukaDaniyeli sesikhundleni esiphakeme kwakunganambitheki neze kwezinye izikhulu. Akungabazeki ukuthi ubuqotho bakhe babuphazamisa ukonakala, cishe kubangela intukuthelo. Futhi kungenzeka ukuthi lezi zikhulu zazinomona, ngoba inkosi yayimthanda uDaniyeli futhi icabanga ukumenza undunankulu.
Benethemba lokunqanda lesi simo, izikhulu ezimbili nababusi bezifunda bakha ugibe olungokomthetho. Bayisa lolu daba enkosini ukuze isayine umthetho owawuzokwenqabela ukucela ‘isicelo nakumuphi unkulunkulu noma kumuntu’ ngaphandle kukaDariyu phakathi nezinsuku ezingu-30. Baceba ukuthi noma ubani owephula lowo mthetho kwakufanele aphonswe emphandwini wezingonyama. UDariyu wayengelwa ekubeni akholelwe ukuthi lowo mthetho wawuyojatshulelwa yizo zonke izikhulu zikahulumeni ezisezikhundleni, futhi lelo cebo lalibonakala liwukubonakaliswa kokwethembeka kwabo enkosini.—Daniyeli 6:1-3, 6-8.
UDariyu wawusayina lowo mthetho futhi ngokushesha wabhekana nemiphumela yawo. UDaniyeli waba ngowokuqala ukwephula lowo mthetho, ngoba wayethandaza njalo kuJehova uNkulunkulu. (Qhathanisa nezEnzo 5:29.) UDaniyeli othembekile waphonswa emphandwini wezingonyama naphezu kwemizamo eqotho yenkosi yokuthola indlela yokugwema lo mthetho ongaguqulwa. UDariyu wazwakalisa ukwethembela ekutheni uNkulunkulu kaDaniyeli wayenamandla okulondoloza lo mprofethi ephila.—Daniyeli 6:9-17.
Ngemva kokuqwasha ubusuku bonke ezilile, uDariyu waphuthuma emphandwini wezingonyama. Yeka indlela ajabula ngayo lapho ethola uDaniyeli ephila futhi engenamyocu! Ikhipha isijeziso sobulungisa, ngokushesha inkosi yathi makuphonswe labo ababemangalele uDaniyeli kanye nemikhaya yabo emphandwini wezingonyama. Yakhipha nomyalo wokuba ‘ekubuseni konke kombuso wayo abantu bathuthumele, besabe phambi kukaNkulunkulu kaDaniyeli.’—Daniyeli 6:18-27.
Ngokusobala, uDariyu wayemhlonipha uNkulunkulu kaDaniyeli nenkolo yakhe futhi ezimisele ukulungisa izinto ezazenziwe ngokungafanele. Nokho, kumelwe ukuba ukujeziswa kwabamangaleli bakaDaniyeli kwenza izikhulu ezazisele zaba nenzondo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, isimemezelo sikaDariyu esasiyala bonke ababesembusweni wakhe ukuba “besabe phambi kukaNkulunkulu kaDaniyeli” kumelwe ukuba sabathukuthelisa kakhulu abefundisi abanamandla baseBabiloni. Njengoba ababhali ngokuqinisekile babethonywe yilezi zici, ngeke kube okumangazayo uma imibhalo yezwe eyayigciniwe yashintshwa ukuze kungabibikho ukwaziswa okuphathelene noDariyu. Nokho, ukulandisa okufushane okusencwadini kaDaniyeli kuveza uDariyu njengombusi owayephatha abantu ngendlela efanayo nowayenobulungisa.