UDaniyeli Uphonswa Emphandwini Wezingonyama
1Kwaba kuhle kuDariyu ukuba abeke phezu kombuso izikhulu eziyi-120 zibuse embusweni wonke. 2Phezu kwazo wabeka omengameli abathathu, uDaniyeli engomunye wabo, ukuba izikhulu zibike kubo, ukuze inkosi ingasweli lutho. 3UDaniyeli wabadlula omengameli nezikhulu, ngokuba wayenekhono eledlulele; inkosi yayicabanga ukumbeka ukuba engamele umbuso wonke. 4Lokho-ke kwenza ukuthi omengameli nezikhulu bafune ukuthola utho olubi ngoDaniyeli oluqondene nombuso, kepha abatholanga lutho nacala kuye, ngokuba wayethembekile; akutholakalanga siphosiso nankohlakalo kuye. 5Ayesethi lawo madoda: “Asiyikuthola lutho ngoDaniyeli, ngaphandle kokuthi sithole okuqondene nomthetho kaNkulunkulu wakhe.”
6Base bebuthana labo mengameli nezikhulu baya enkosini beyisixuku, basho lokhu kuyo, bathi: “Phila kade, nkosi Dariyu. 7Bonke omengameli bombuso, ababusi, izikhulu, abomkhandlu, nezinduna babonisene ukuba kumiswe isimiso senkosi, kumenyezelwe isiyalezo esiqinileyo sokuthi yilowo nalowo ocela isicelo kunoma yimuphi unkulunkulu noma kumuntu ngezinsuku ezingama-30, ngaphandle kwakho nkosi, uyakuphonswa emphandwini wezingonyama. 8Manje, nkosi, khipha isimemezelo, ulobe umbhalo ongenakuguqulwa ngokomthetho wamaMede namaPheresiya ongenakuguquka.”
9Ngakho-ke inkosi uDariyu yayisiloba umbhalo nesiyalezo.
10Kwathi lapho uDaniyeli esazi ukuthi umbhalo ulotshiwe, wangena endlini yakhe, amafasitela ayesekamelweni lakhe eliphezulu ayevulekele ngaseJerusalema, waguqa ngamadolo kathathu ngosuku, wakhuleka, wabonga uNkulunkulu wakhe, njengalokho ayenzile kuqala. 11Ayesebuthana lawo madoda, amthola uDaniyeli ekhuleka, enxusa kuNkulunkulu wakhe. 12Asondela phambi kwenkosi, akhuluma kuyo ngesiyalezo sayo, athi: “Awukhiphanga yini umthetho othi yilowo nalowo ocela kunoma yimuphi unkulunkulu noma kumuntu ngezinsuku ezingama-30, ngaphandle kwakho nkosi, uyakuphonswa emphandwini wezingonyama na?”
Inkosi yaphendula yathi: “Kuyiqiniso lokho ngokomthetho wamaMede namaPheresiya ongenakuguquka.”
13Ayesephendula phambi kwenkosi ethi kuyo: “UDaniyeli ongomunye wabathunjwa bakwaJuda akakushayi mkhuba wena nkosi, nomthetho owulobileyo, kepha uyayenza imikhuleko yakhe yokunxusa kathathu ngosuku.”
14Kuthe lapho inkosi isiwezwile lawo mazwi, yadabuka kakhulu, yazindla ngoDaniyeli ukuba imkhulule, yazama ukumhlenga kwaze kwaba sekushoneni kwelanga.
15Ayesebuthana lawo madoda aya enkosini, athi kuyo: “Yazi, nkosi, ukuthi kungumthetho wamaMede namaPheresiya ukuba kungaguqulwa siyalezo nasimiso esimiswa yinkosi.”
16Yayisiyaleza inkosi, walethwa uDaniyeli, waphonswa emphandwini wezingonyama. Inkosi yakhuluma, yathi kuDaniyeli: “Sengathi uNkulunkulu wakho omkhonza njalo angakuhlenga.”
17Kwase kulethwa itshe, labekwa emlonyeni womphandu. Inkosi yalinamathelisa ngendandatho yayo nangendandatho yezikhulu zayo, ukuze kungaguqulwa lutho maqondana noDaniyeli. 18Inkosi yase iya esigodlweni sayo, yadlulisa ubusuku izila; izinsimbi ezibethwayo azilethwanga kuyo, ayizange ibuthi quthu ubuthongo.
19Inkosi yavuka kusempondozankomo, yaphuthuma emphandwini wezingonyama. 20Kwathi lapho inkosi isisondele kuwo kuDaniyeli, yamemeza ngezwi elinosizi; yakhuluma, yathi kuDaniyeli: “Daniyeli, nceku kaNkulunkulu ophilayo, ngabe uNkulunkulu wakho omkhonza njalo ukwazile yini ukukuhlenga ezingonyameni na?”
21UDaniyeli wathi enkosini: “Mana njalo, nkosi. 22UNkulunkulu wami uthumele ingelosi yakhe, yavala imilomo yezingonyama, azingilimazanga, ngokuba kwatholakala ukuthi ngimsulwa phambi kwakhe; naphambi kwakho, nkosi, angikwenzanga okubi.”
23Inkosi yajabula kakhulu, yayala ukuba uDaniyeli akhushulwe emphandwini. UDaniyeli wayesekhushulwa kuwo, akutholakalanga myocu kuye, ngokuba wayemethembile uNkulunkulu wakhe.
24Inkosi yayaleza, alethwa lawo madoda ayemangalele uDaniyeli, aphonswa emphandwini wezingonyama, wona, abantwana bawo, nomkawo; izingonyama zabathelekela, zaqhobozela amathambo abo bengakafinyeleli naphansi emphandwini.
25UDariyu inkosi wayeselobela bonke abantu, izizwe, nezilimi ezikhona emhlabeni wonke wathi: “Ukuthula makwande kini.
26“Ngibeka umthetho wokuba ekubuseni konke kombuso wami abantu bathuthumele, besabe phambi kukaNkulunkulu kaDaniyeli,
“ngokuba unguNkulunkulu ophilayo,
umi kuze kube phakade.
Umbuso wakhe yiwo ongayikubhujiswa,
nokubusa kwakhe kuyakuma
kuze kube phakade.
27Uyakhulula, asindise;
wenza izibonakaliso nezimangaliso
ezulwini nasemhlabeni.
Yena omkhululile uDaniyeli
emandleni ezingonyama.”
28UDaniyeli waba nempumelelo ngesikhathi sokubusa kukaDariyu, nesikaKhoresi umPheresiya.
