UDaniyeli WesiGriki 2

₁Kwakukhona indoda eyayihlala eBhabhiloni egama layo linguJowakhimi. ₂Yena waganwa yindodakazi kaHilikhiya, ebizo layo nguSusana, enhle intokazi le futhi imesaba uSimakade. ₃Abazali bakhe babengabantu abalungileyo, futhi beyiqeqeshile indodakazi yabo ngokomthetho kaMose. ₄UJowakhimi wayecebe kakhulu, enengadi enhle exhumene nendlu yakhe; abajuda ayevame ukuza kuye ngoba wayehloniphekile kunabo bonke.

₅Ngalowo nyaka kwakhethwa amadoda amabili ukuba abe ngabehluleli. INkosi yayithe ngabo: “Ububi bavela eBhabhiloni, ezikhulwini ezazingabehluleli, ababemelwe babuse abantu.”

₆La madoda ayehlala njalo esendlini kaJowakhimi, nabo bonke ababefuna ukuba izindaba zabo zahlulelwe babeza endlini yakhe. ₇Lapho abantu sebegodukile ngenhlazane, uSusana wayevame ukuya engadini yomyeni wakhe ukuba azihambele kuyo. ₈Nsuku zonke izikhulu ezimbili zaziyaye zimbone, engena nalapho ehamba hamba, zaze zaqala ukumkhanuka. ₉Bazama ukuhlala phezu konembeza babo badedisa amehlo abo ekubukeni okwasezulwini bakhohlwa umsebenzi wabo wokumisa ubulungisa. ₁₀Bobabili bagajwa ukumkhanuka, kodwa abatshelananga okwakubahlupha, ₁₁ngokuba babenamahloni ukwambula inkanuko nemfiso yabo ukuba bamhunge. ₁₂Usuku nosuku babelindela ngokungakhathali, befisa ukumbona. ₁₃Ngolunye usuku bathi omunye komunye: “Masihambe siye emakhaya, ngokuba sekuyisikhathi sokudla kwasemini.”

Ngakho-ke bobabili behlukana bahamba. ₁₄Kepha yilowo waphenduka, baphinda bahlangana, lapho omunye ebuza omunye isizathu sokuba lapho, bavuma inkanuko yabo. Base behlela ndawonye isikhathi lapho bengamfumana uSusana eyedwa. ₁₅Ngolunye usuku, belindele umzuzu ofanelekile, wangena njengokujwayelekile, ehamba nezisebenzi ezimbili, wafisa ukuba ageze engadini, ngokuba kwakushisa ngalolo lusuku. ₁₆Kwakungekho muntu omunye ngaphandle kwalaba behluleli ababili, ababebhacile ukuze bambuke. ₁₇Wathi ezisebenzini zakhe: “Ngiletheleni amafutha omqumo kanye nokokugcoba, bese nivala isango lengadi ukuze ngigeze ngokukhululeka.”

₁₈Zenza njengokuyala kwakhe: zavala iminyango yengadi, zaphuma ngesango eliseceleni ukuze zilethe lokho eziyalwe ukuba zikulethe; azibabonanga abahluleli, ngokuba babecashile. ₁₉Lapho izisebenzi seziphumile, abahluleli ababili basukuma banikela kuye, ₂₀bathi: “Bheka, iminyango yengadi ivaliwe, futhi akukho ongasibona. Siyasha ukukukhanuka; ngakho-ke vuma, ulale nathi. ₂₁Uma wala, siyakufakaza ukuthi insizwa encane ibinawe, futhi yileso isizathu sokuba uhambisile izisebenzi zakho.”

₂₂USusana wabubula ngaphakathi wathi: “Ngisogibeni impela. Ngokuba uma ngenza lokhu, kuzosho ukufa kimi; uma ngingakwenzi, angikwazi ukuphunyuka ezandleni zenu. ₂₃Ngakho-ke ngikhetha ukuba ngingakwenzi; Ngiyowela ezandleni zenu, kunokuba ngone phambi kukaNkulunkulu.”

₂₄Ngakho-ke uSusana wakhala ngezwi elikhulu, kwathi abahluleli ababili bamkhuza ngesankahlu. ₂₅Omunye wabo wagijima wavula isango. ₂₆Lapho abantu endlini bezwa lo msindo wokumemeza, baphuthuma ngomnyango oseceleni ukubona ukuthi kwenzekani kuye. ₂₇Lapho abahluleli ababili belanda indaba yabo, izisebenzi zaba namahloni amakhulu, ngokuba into enje yayingakaze ishiwo ngoSusana. Abehluleli bafakaza ngamanga ngoSusana. ₂₈Ngosuku olulandelayo, lapho abantu sebebuthene endlini yomyeni wakhe uJowakhimi, abehluleli ababili bangena, begcwele icebo labo lokonakala lokuba benze uSusana abulawe. Bathi phambi kwabantu bonke: ₂₉“Bizani uSusana indodakazi kaHilikhiya, umka Jowakhimi.”

₃₀Ngakho-ke bathumela ukuba alandwe. Wangena nabazali bakhe, nezingane zakhe nazo zonke izihlobo zakhe. ₃₁USusana kwakuyinkosikazi enhle nebukekayo. ₃₂Lapho emboza ubuso bakhe, lezi gebengu zaphoqa ukuba embulwe, ukuze zidelise amehlo azo ngobuhle bakhe. ₃₃Labo ababehamba naye nabo bonke ababembona babekhala. ₃₄Base besukuma abahluleli ababili phambi kwabantu bonke babeka izandla zabo ekhanda lakhe. ₃₅Ekhala wabheka ezulwini, ngokuba inhliziyo yakhe yayithembele eNkosini.

₃₆Abahluleli bathi: “Lapho sihamba engadini, lo mfazi ungenile nezisebenzi zakhe ezimbili, wavala umnyango, wase ezikhulula izisebenzi zakhe. ₃₇Kwase kuqhamuka insizwa ebibhace khona engadini, yeza yalala naye. ₃₈Thina besisekhoneni lengadi, lapho sibubona lobu bubi, sigijimele kubo. ₃₉Nakuba sibabone begonene, asikwazanga ukuyibamba le nsizwa, ngokuba ibinamandla kunathi, ivule iminyango yabaleka. ₄₀Nokho simbambile lo wesifazane sambuza ukuthi ingubani le nsizwa; ₄₁kodwa kafunanga ukusitshela. Ngakho-ke siyafakaza ngalezi zinto.”

Ngenxa yokuba babeyizikhulu futhi bengabehluleli, umbuthano wabakholwa wase umahlulela ukuba abulawe. ₄₂USusana wase ekhala ngezwi elikhulu wathi: “Awu! Nkulunkulu ophakade, wazi okufihlakele futhi akukho okufihlakele kuwe ngaphambi kokuba kwenzeke; ₄₃uyazi ukuthi la madoda anikeze ubufakazi obungamanga ngami. Manje sengizakufa, nakuba ngingenzanga nokukodwa kwalobu bubi engimangalelwe ngabo!”

₄₄INkosi yakuzwa ukukhala kwakhe. ₄₅Kwathi nje lapho sebemhola ukuba ayobulawa, uNkulunkulu wathinta ngoMoya oNgcwele insizwa encane eyayibizwa ngokuthi uDaniyeli, ₄₆yamemeza ngezwi elikhulu: “Anginasabelo ekuchithweni kwegazi lalo wesifazane!”

₄₇Bonke abantu baphendukela kuye babuza bathi: “Uthini?”

₄₈Wama phakathi kwabo wathi: “Nizilima kangaka nina ba-Israyeli ukuba ninikele ekufeni indodakazi ka-Israyeli ngaphandle kokuhlolisiswa kwendaba nokuba nithole okuyiqiniso na? ₄₉Buyelani esigcawini, ngokuba la madoda aqambe amanga ngalo wesifazane.”

₅₀Ngakho-ke bonke abantu baphuthuma emuva. Abanye bezikhulu bathi kuye: “Woza uhlale phakathi kwethu ukuze usitshele, ngokuba uNkulunkulu ukunike ukwazi kwesikhulu.”

₅₁UDaniyeli wathi kubo: “Behlukaniseni bangasondelani, bese ngibabuza imibuzo.”

₅₂Lapho sebehlukene omunye nomunye, wabiza omunye wabo wathi kuye: “Wena luphawu lokonakala kwakudala, izono zakho zikufumene, ozenzileyo ngezikhathi ezidlule, ₅₃ukhipha izahlulelo ezingalungile, unikela abangenacala, ukhulula abanamacala, nakuba iNkosi yayithe, ‘aninakunikela ekufeni umuntu olungile nongenacala.’ ₅₄Shonini manje, uma nimbonile lo wesifazane ngitsheleni lokhu: Nibabone ngaphansi kwamuphi umuthi bewotawotana?”

Waphendula wathi: “Ngaphansi komuthi iMastiki.”

₅₅UDaniyeli wathi: “Kuhle! La manga azakubiza ikhanda lakho, ngokuba ingelosi kaNkulunkulu yamukele isigwebo kuNkulunkulu futhi ngokushesha izakukutoka kabili.”

₅₆Wabe esembeka eceleni, wayala ukuba kubizwe omunye, wathi kuye: “Wena nzalo kaKhanani hayi kaJuda, ubuhle bukuhehile nezinkanuko zadukisa inhliziyo yakho. ₅₇Yiyona ndlela lena eniphethe ngayo abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, bona babesondelene nani ngenxa yokwesaba; kodwa indodakazi kaJuda ayikwazanga ukuhambisana nobubi benu. ₅₈Manje, ake ungitshele: ‘Nibabone ngaphansi kwamuphi umuthi laba ababili begonene beqabulana na?’ ”

Waphendula wathi, “Ngaphansi komu-okhi oluhlaza.”

₅₉UDaniyeli wathi kuye: “Kuhle kakhulu! La manga asekudonsele nawe kwankatha, ngokuba ingelosi kaNkulunkulu imile ngesinkemba ukuba ikuhlahlele ngaso ube zingcezu ezimbili, ize inibulale nobabili.”

₆₀Umphakathi wonke waqala ukukhamuluka ubonga uNkulunkulu, osindisa labo abethembela kuye. ₆₁Babajezisa laba behluleli ababili ngokuba uDaniyeli wayenze bazilahla bona ngemilomo yabo ukuthi babefakaze ngamanga; benza kubo njengobubi ababebucebile ukubenza kumakhelwane wabo. ₆₂Belandela umthetho kaMose, babasa kwagoqanyawo. Ngaleyo ndlela lahlengeka igazi longenacala ngalolo lusuku. ₆₃UHilikhiya nomkakhe bambonga uNkulunkulu ngendodakazi yabo uSusana, kanjalo nomyeni wakhe uJowakhimi nezihlobo zabo zonke, ngokuba wafumaniswa engenacala kulesi senzo esiyichilo. ₆₄Kusukela ngalolo lusuku uDaniyeli waduma kakhulu phakathi kwabantu.