Iphupha lesibini likakumkani
1“Nalu udaba lukakumkani uNebhukadenezare kubantu bazo zonke izizwe neentlanga nazo zonke iilwimi ezikhoyo emhlabeni:
“Makube luxolo nenkqubela kuni!
2“Kubonakele iyinto entle kum ukuba ndinazise ngemiqondiso nemimangaliso andenzele yona uThixo uPhezukonke.
3“Mikhulu kambe imiqondiso yakhe!
Asinto ukurhwaqelisa imimangaliso yakhe!
Ulawulo lwakhe ke lona alunasiphelo;
ewe, elakhe igunya lihlala lihleli,
liqhakamishela izizukulwana ngezizukulwana.
4“Mna Nebhukadenezare ndandizonwabele ndizihlalele emzini wam, ndingenalo nexhala. 5Ndaphupha iphupha elandothusayo. Ndathi ndisalele emandlalweni wam ndanemibono neengcingane ezandoyikisayo. 6Ndaza ke ndathi mazibizwe zonke izilumko zaseBhabheli, ukuze zindityhilele iphupha lam elo. 7Bathe ke bakufika abenzi bemilingo, oosiyazi, iingcali zeenkwenkwezi, nezanuse, ndazichazela iphupha elo, kodwa ke zoyiswa kukundityhilela intsingiselo yalo. 8Ekugqibeleni ke kwafika kum uDaniyeli, okwabizwa ngokuba nguBhelteshazare, gama elo lilelothixo wam. Ke yena lo mfo wayenomoya woothixo abangcwele. 9Ndathi kuye: Bhelteshazare, ngqonyela yezilumko, ndiyazi ukuba wena unomoya woothixo abangcwele, yaye ke akukho mfihlakalo ekunqabeleyo. Nali ke iphupha lam; khawundichazele intsingiselo yalo. 10Nantsi imibono ethe qatha kum engqondweni ndisemandlalweni wam: Nâlo uhalakahla lomthi umi esizikithini sehlabathi. 11Loo mthi ke wakhula womelela waba mkhulu wada waya kuthi rhece ezulwini, wabonakala eziphelweni zehlabathi jikelele. 12Wawutsho ngamagqabi amahle kunene, unentaphane yeziqhamo, zibanele xa bebonke abantu. Emthunzini wawo zaziphumla khona zonke iinyamakazi, neentaka zisakhela emasebeni awo. Ewe, loo mthi wawusondla zonke iindidi zezidalwa.
13“Ndisalele njalo emandlalweni wam ndijika-jikana nalo mbono, ndabona kusithi thu ezulwini isithunywa esingcwele. 14Sadanduluka ngamandla sathi: ‘Gawulani loo mthi, niwunqunqe amasebe. Waqhawuleni amagqabi, nisarhaze nezo ziqhamo zawo. Zigxotheni izilwanyana phantsi kwawo, nindulule nezo ntaka zisemasebeni awo. 15Ke sona isikhondo sishiyeni, ndawonye neengcambu zaso, nisibophelele ngentsimbi nobhedu, sisale simile apho edlelweni phakathi kwengca.
“ ‘Ngoku ke makalalelwe ngumbethe, ahlulelane ngotyani nezilwanyana apho emadlelweni. 16Ingqondo yakhe mayiyeke ukuba yeyomntu, isuke ibe yeyesilwanyana, de kudlule amaxesha amisiweyo asixhenxe. 17Nâso ke isigqibo esivakaliswa zizithunywa, nditsho umyalezo obhengezwa zezingcwele, khon' ukuze lonke uluntu luqonde ukuba nguThixo uPhezukonke ozilawulayo zonke izirhulumente zabantu, luqonde nokuba yena ulawulo ulunikela nakubani na athanda ukumnika, nkqu nalowo ungazelwe nto.’
18“Nâlo ke iphupha endiliphuphileyo mna kumkani uNebhukadenezare. Ngoko ke, Bhelteshazare, nceda undichazele intsingiselo yalo. Zonke izilumko zam apha ebhotwe zoyisiwe kukulityhila; kambe ke wena unako ukulityhila, kuba wambathiswe ngumoya woothixo abangcwele.”
UDaniyeli ulawula iphupha
19Kwesi sithuba ke uDaniyeli, lo kuthiwa nguBhelteshazare, wasuka wee nkamalala umzuzwana ekhwankqisiwe. Ke ukumkani wathi kuye: “Hayi, wena Bhelteshazare, musa ukothuswa leli phupha nentsingiselo yalo.”
UBhelteshazare ke waphendula wathi: “Mhlekazi, eli phupha nentsingiselo yalo akwaba belibhekiselele kwabakuthiyileyo nabakuchasayo. 20Laa mthi uwubonileyo uluhalakahla olomelele lwakhula lwakrweca izulu, laza labonakala kulo lonke ihlabathi, 21umthi omagqabi mahle kunene, oziqhamo zawo zanele uluntu lonke, umthi ekuphumla iinyamakazi emthunzini wawo, ngokunjalo neentaka zakhela emasebeni awo, 22umthi lowo nguwe, mhlekazi. Kaloku wena ukhule wada wangukrwecizulu ngobungangamsha, lwaza ulawulo lwakho lwaya kutsho esiphelweni sehlabathi. 23Uthe usabukele ke, mhlekazi, kwathi gqi ezulwini isithunywa esingcwele sathi: ‘Gawulani lo mthi niwutshitshise, kodwa nisishiye apho emhlabeni sona isikhondo ndawonye neengcambu zaso, nisiqamangele ngentsimbi nobhedu, sihlale apho phakathi kwengca emadlelweni. Makalalelwe ngumbethe, ahlulelane ngotyani nezilwanyana amaxesha amisiweyo asixhenxe.’
24“Naku ukuchazwa kwalo ke, mhlekazi – ngenene esi sisimiso asimisele wena uPhezukonke. 25Wena, kumkani, uza kugxothwa umke phakathi koluntu, uye kuhlala nezilwanyana zasendle, utye ingca njengeenkomo, ulalelwe ngumbethe. Yoba ngamaxesha amisiweyo asixhenxe ude uvume ukuba nguPhezukonke ozilawulayo zonke izirhulumente zabantu, uqonde ukuba yena ulawulo ulunikela nakubani na athanda ukumnika. 26Njengoko izithunywa zithe isikhondo sineengcambu zaso masishiywe emhlabeni, loo nto ithetha ukuba ulawulo lobuyiselwa kwakuwe, wakuba uvumile ukuba ngulowo usezulwini olawulayo. 27Ngoko ke, mhlekazi, khawuphulaphule ndikucebise: Zohlwaye ngezono zakho, wenze ubulungisa; yahlukana nobugwenxa bakho, uvelane nabo abantu abahlelelekileyo. Xa kunjalo uya kuhlala uhleli wonwabile.”
Ukuzaliseka kwephupha
28Yonke le nto yamhlela ukumkani uNebhukadenezare. 29Emva kweenyanga ezilishumi elinambini wathi esahamba-hamba kumgangatho ophezulu apho ebhotwe komkhulu eBhabheli, 30wasuka wathi: “Hayi ukuba sikhulu kwaso esi sixeko esiyiBhabheli! Ndim kaloku owasakhayo ngamandla am amakhulu. Ndasenza ikomkhulu lam ukuze siphuhlise isihomo nesithozela sam.”
31Esathetha njalo ke kwavakala ilizwi liphuma ezulwini lisithi: “Kumkani Nebhukadenezare, naku okugqityiweyo ngawe: Uyawohluthwa onke amagunya akho obukumkani. 32Uza kugxothwa ebantwini, uye kuhlala nezilwanyana zasendle, utye ingca njengeenkomo. Yoba ngamaxesha amisiweyo asixhenxe de uvume ukuba uPhezukonke nguye ozilawulayo izirhulumente zabantu, yaye ke ulawulo ulunika nabani na athanda ukumnika.”
33Kwangoko ke olu daba lwafezekiswa apho kuNebhukadenezare. Wagxothwa phakathi kwabantu, waya kutya ingca njengeenkomo. Walalelwa ngumbethe, zaza iinwele zakhe zaziingqajolo ezinjengeentsiba zokhozi, neenzipho zakhe zatsolo okwezentaka.
UNebhukadenezare udumisa uThixo
34“Emva kwaloo mihla imisiweyo mna Nebhukadenezare ndakhangela ezulwini, kwatsho kwee dlwe, zabuya iingqondo! Ndambonga ke uPhezukonke, ndamdumisa ndamncoma lowo ungophilayo kude kuse ephakadeni.
“Kaloku igunya lakhe aliyi kuba nasiphelo.
nalo ulawulo lwakhe luhleli kwizizukulwana ngezizukulwana.
35Uluntu alunto yanto xa luthelekiswa naye,
nkqu nempi yasezulwini iphantsi kwegunya lakhe,
ngokunjalo ke nabantu emhlabeni apha.
Ewe, akukho namnye unokusithintela isandla sakhe,
kungekho namntu unokuthi kuye: ‘Yintoni le uyenzileyo?’
36“Ndakubuyela ezingqondweni ke satsho sabuya isidima nobuhandiba bam, baza babuya nobungangamsha boburhulumente bam. Amaphakathi ndawonye nezikhulu zam zandifuna, ndabuyiselwa ngokuthe kratya ngobuhandiba esihlalweni sam. 37Ngoko ke mna Nebhukadenezare ndiyambonga ndimdumisa ndimzukisa uKumkani osezulwini. Kaloku konke akwenzayo kulungile, nezenzo zakhe zifanelekile. Ke bona abanekratshi yena uyabathoba.”
