Umfanekiso wegolide
1Ke kaloku ukumkani uNebhukadenezare wenza umfanekiso ngegolide. Ukuphakama wawuziimitha ezimashumi mabini anesixhenxe; ukwisithuba seemitha ezintathu ububanzi. Wawumisa kwithafa laseDura kwalapho esithilini saseBhabheli. 2Akuba ewenzile wazihlanganisela kuye iirhuluneli, nabaphathiswa, nabalawuli, nabacebisi, noonondyebo, nabagwebi, noomantyi, nawo onke amanye amagosa ombuso eso sithili. Wayewabizela ukusungula loo mfanekiso wayewumisile. 3Bakuba behlanganisene ke oozirhuluneli aba, nabaphathiswa, nabalawuli, nabacebisi, noonondyebo, nabagwebi, noomantyi, nawo onke amanye amagosa eso sithili, beze kulo msitho wokusungula umfanekiso omiswe ngukumkani uNebhukadenezare, bema xhonkxosholo apho phambi kwawo.
4Ke isigidimi sadanduluka simemeza sisithi: “Nina zizwe xa ninonke, iintlanga nazo zonke iilwimi, 5ze nithi nakuva isandi sesigodlo, ixilongo, umrhubhe, ikatala, ihapu, impempe, nazo zonke ezinye iintlobo zezixhobo zomculo, ewe, xa ninonke mayithi nje yakuqala loo ngoma, nithi guqaqa nikhahlele ninqule lo mfanekiso umiswe ngukumkani uNebhukadenezare! 6Kambe ke nabani na ongakhahlelanga anqule, ngoko nangoko uya kuthathwa aphoswe kwiziko elidangazela umlilo.”
7Ngenene ke sathi sakuvakala eso sandi sesigodlo, nexilongo, nomrhubhe, nekatala, nehapu, nazo zonke ezinye iintlobo zezixhobo zomculo, wonke umntu nazo zonke izizwe iintlanga neelwimi, xa bebonke bee waca bakhahlela banqula loo mfanekiso wegolide wawumiswe ngukumkani uNebhukadenezare.
Ukumangalelwa kwabalingane bakaDaniyeli
8Ngeli thuba ke amaKaledi athile amangalela inxenye yamaJuda. 9Abhekisa kukumkani uNebhukadenezare, athi: “Bayethe, mhlekazi! Phila ngonaphakade! 10Wena uwise umthetho wokuba ze kuthi kusakuvakala isandi sesigodlo, ixilongo, umrhubhe, ikatala, ihapu, impempe, nazo zonke ezinye izixhobo zomculo, wonke umntu akhahlele anqule umfanekiso wegolide. 11Watsho nokuthi umntu ongakhahlelanga anqule lo mfanekiso uya kuthathwa aphoswe kwiziko elidangazela umlilo. 12Ke, mhlekazi, kukho amaJuda athile wena owawamisayo angoomaqhuzu kwimicimbi yesi sithili saseBhabheli – abo nguShedreki, uMeshaki, noAbhednigo – abo kanye ke, mhlekazi, abakuhoyanga. Ewe, ababanquli oothixo bakho, bengakhahleli nakulo mfanekiso uwumisileyo.”
13Ukumkani wavutha ngumsindo, wathi mabaziswe kuye ooShedreki noMeshaki noAbhednigo. Aziswa ke la madoda phambi kokumkani, 14wabhekisa kuwo wathi: “Shedreki, Meshaki, nawe Abhednigo, ngaba yinyani ukuba nina niyala ukubanqula oothixo bam, ningavumi nokukhahlela kumfanekiso wegolide endiwumisileyo? 15Nangoku ke ze nithi nisakuva isandi sesigodlo, ixilongo, umrhubhe, ikatala, ihapu, impempe, nazo zonke ezinye izixhobo zomculo, ningathingazi, koko nikhahlele ninqule lo mfanekiso ndiwumisileyo. Ke ukuba aniyenzanga loo nto, ngoko nangoko niya kuphoswa kwiziko elivutha umlilo. Kakade ke nguwuphi na uthixo onganihlangulayo esandleni sam?”
16Ke kaloku uShedreki noMeshaki noAbhednigo baphendula ukumkani bathi: “Mhlekazi Nebhukadenezare, akukho mfuneko yokuba sizithethelele kulo mbandela. 17Sinaye uThixo wethu esimnqulayo. Unawo amandla okusihlangula kwelo ziko lidangazela umlilo, yaye uya kusisindisa esandleni sakho, kumkani. 18Kambe ke, noba akasihlangulanga, yazi mhlophe, mhlekazi, ukuba asiyi kubanqula oothixo bakho, futhi asiyi kuguqa sikhahlele kulo mfanekiso wegolide uwumisileyo.”
Abalingane bakaDaniyeli baphoswa eziko
19Hayi ke ngoku, ukumkani uNebhukadenezare watsho wandlongozela ngumsindo, nobuso bakhe baxubayela ngakooShedreki noMeshaki noAbhednigo. Ngoko ke wathi iziko malibaswe ngokuphindwe kasixhenxe kunesiqhelo. 20Waza ke wayalela ezinye iingwanyalala zomkhosi wakhe ukuba zibaqamangele ooShedreki noMeshaki noAbhednigo, zibaphose kwelo ziko lidangazelayo. 21Aza ke la madoda abotshwa aphoswa phakathi kwelo ziko livuthayo enxibe ezo mpahla zawo – iminweba, iibhulukhwe, nezankwane. 22Kwathi, ngenxa yokuba ilizwi lokumkani belingqongqo, iziko lenziwa lashushu ngokugqithisileyo kangangokuba loo madoda ayebaphosa ooShedreki noMeshaki noAbhednigo kwelo ziko atshiswa ngumlilo lowo, afa. 23Ke bona bobathathu uShedreki noMeshaki noAbhednigo baya kuwa besabotshiwe apho phakathi kweloo ziko livuthayo.
24Kuthe kusenjalo wothuka wasuka waxhuma emangalisekile ukumkani uNebhukadenezare. Wabuza kumaphakathi akhe, wathi: “Kanene besingaphosanga amadoda amathathu na abotshiweyo kweli ziko lidangazelayo?”
Ke aphendula athi: “Kunjalo, mhlekazi.”
25Ke yena wathi: “Phofu ke, ngani ukuba ndibone amadoda amane ehamba-hamba emlilweni? Akabotshwanga nakubotshwa, futhi akabonakalisi nakwenzakala – ke yona le yesine ifana nonyana woothixo ngembonakalo.”
Abalingane bakaDaniyeli bayakhululwa
26Ngoko ke ukumkani uNebhukadenezare wasondela esangweni lelo ziko livuthayo, wathi: “Shedreki! Meshaki! Abhednigo! Zicaka zikaThixo uPhezukonke! Phumani, nize apha!” Aphuma ke loo madoda omathathu. 27Ke onke amagosa kakumkani ahlanganiselana, iziirhuluneli, nabaphathiswa, nabalawuli, nabacebisi, bonke bemangalisiwe kukubona loo mhlola wokuba umlilo awubanga namandla emizimbeni yaloo madoda. Ewe, iinwele zawo zange zirhawuke nokurhawuka oku, kanti neempahla zawo zange zitshe ngumlilo; ngenene wona ayengenalo nevumba eli lomlilo.
28Ukumkani uNebhukadenezare ke wathi: “Makabongwe uThixo kaShedreki, kaMeshaki, noAbhednigo, othume isithunywa wazihlangula izicaka zakhe. Zona zimnqule ngentembeko, zaza azawuhoya umyalelo kakumkani, zaxolela ukuyinikela imizimba yazo endaweni yokuguqa zinqule nawuphi na uthixo ngaphandle koThixo wazo.
29“Ngoko ke ndiwisa umthetho othi nabani na, nowasiphi na isizwe, noba ngowaluphi na uhlanga, noba ngowayiphi na intetho, umntu onyelisa uThixo kaShedreki noMeshaki noAbhednigo – owenza loo nto uya kwenziwa iziqwenga, wona umzi wakhe udilizwe ube yindawo ekuyiwa kuyo ngasese. Kaloku akukho Thixo wumbi unako ukusindisa ngale ndlela.”
30Waza ke ukumkani uNebhukadenezare wabanyusela kwizikhundla eziphezulu ooShedreki noMeshaki noAbhednigo apho kweso sithili saseBhabheli.
