UDaniyeli WesiGriki 3

₁Lapho inkosi u-Astiyagesi esebekiwe koyisemkhulu, uKoresi uMpheresiya wamlandela wahlala esihlalweni sobukhosi, wabusa.

₂UDaniyeli wabe engumngane wenkosi futhi ehlonishwa kakhulu kunabo bonke abangani bayo. ₃AbaseBhabhele babenesithixo esibizwa ngokuthi nguBheli, nsuku zonke babesihambisela i izilinganiso eziyishumi nambili zikakolweni wekhethelo nezimvu ezingamashumi amane nezilinganiso eziyisithupha zewayini. ₄Inkosi yayisihlonipha kakhulu futhi isikhonza nsukuzonke. Kodwa uDaniyeli yena waqhubeka ukukhonza uNkulunkulu wakhe. Ngakho inkosi yathi kuye, “Kungani ungamkhonzi uBheli na?” ₅Waphendula wathi, “Ngokuba angihloniphi izithixo ezenziwe ngezandla zabantu, kodwa uNkulunkulu ophilayo, odale izulu nomhlaba futhi obusa phezu kwakho konke okuphilayo.” ₆Inkosi yathi kuye, “Awucabangi ukuthi uBheli ungunkulunkulu ophilayo na? Awuboni ukuthi udla futhi aphuze kangakanani nsuku zonke na?”

₇UDaniyeli wahleka wathi, “Ungakhohliseki nkosi, ngokuba lento ilubumba nje ngaphakathi nethusi ngaphandle, futhi ayidli ayiphuzi lutho.” ₈Ngakho-ke inkosi yathukuthela yagana unwabu yabiza abaphristi bakaBheli yathi kubo, “Uma ningangitsheli ukuthi ngubani odla konke lokhu kudla, nizokufa nokufa. ₉Kodwa uma ningakhombisa ngokusobala ukuthi nguBheli okudlayo, uDaniyeli uzakufa, ngokuba ukhulumile okuhlambalazayo ngeBheli.” UDaniyeli wathi enkosini, “Makwenzeke njengoba ushilo.” ₁₀Kwakunabaphristi bakaBheli abangamashumi ayisikhombisa, ngaphandle kwamakhosikazi abo nezingane zabo. Ngakho-ke inkosi yahamba noDaniyeli iya ethempelini likaBheli. ₁₁Abaphristi bakaBheli bathi, “Bheka manje siyaphuma, zibonele wena, nkosi, beka ukudla ubeke newayini, uvale umnyango uze uwuvalisise nangendandatho yakho yokugxifiza. ₁₂Lapho ubuya ekuseni, uma ufumana ukuthi uBheli kakudlanga konke, thina siyakufa; uma kungenjalo uDaniyeli, oqambe amanga ngathi uzokufa.” ₁₃Babengakhathazekile ngokuba ngaphansi kwetafula babenze intuba yokungena engabonakali, ababevama ukungena ngayo nsuku zonke badle lokhu kudla. ₁₄Lapho sebephumile, inkosi yabeka ukudla, ibekela uBheli. UDaniyeli wayeseyala izisebenzi zakhe ukuba zilethe umlotha, bawufafaza kulo lonke ithempeli ibuka inkosi. Base bephuma bavala umnyango bawuvalisisa nangendandatho yokusicilela yenkosi, base beyahamba. ₁₅Ebusuku abaphristi babuya njengokujwayelekile, kanye nabafazi babo nezingane zabo, badla baphuza konke. ₁₆Ekuseni inkosi yavuka yeza, uDaniyeli ehambisana nayo. ₁₇Inkosi yathi, “Ngabe okuboshwe ngakho akwephuliwe, Daniyeli na?” Waphendula wathi, “Akwephuliwe nkosi.” ₁₈Kwathi ukuba iminyango ivulwe, inkosi yabuka etafuleni, yase imemeza ngezwi elikhulu ithi: “Umkhulu Bheli futhi kuwe akukho nkohliso nencane!” ₁₉Kodwa uDaniyeli wahleka wase eyenqabela inkosi ukuba ingene. Wathi, “Bheka phansi ubone ukuthi ngezobani lezi zinyawo na?” ₂₀Inkosi yathi, “Ngibona izinyawo zamadoda namakhosikazi kanye nezingane.” ₂₁Inkosi yathukuthela kakhulu, yababopha abaphristi kanye nomkabo nabantababo. Bayikhombisa intuba efihlakele abangena ngayo bese bedla ukudla okubekiwe etafuleni. ₂₂Ngakho-ke inkosi yabasa kwagoqanyawo, yamnikela uBheli kuDaniyeli ukuba ambhubhise kanye nethempeli lakhe.

₂₃Kuleyo ndawo kwakukhona futhi uDrago omkhulu, owayesatshwa ngabaseBhabhele. ₂₄Inkosi yathi kuDaniyeli, “Awunakuphika ukuthi lo ngunkulunkulu ophilayo; ngakho-ke mkhonze.” ₂₅UDaniyeli wathi, “Mina ngikhonza iNkosi uNkulunkulu wami, ngokuba yena unguNkulunkulu ophilayo. ₂₆Kodwa ngivumele nkosi, ngizakumbulala uDrago ngaphandle kwenkemba noma isizenze.” Inkosi yathi, “Ngiyakuvumela.” ₂₇UDaniyeli wathatha istapukezi esimnyama wasihlanganisa namafutha kanye noboya wakubilisa ndawonye wenza amakhekhe, awanikeza uDrago ukuba adle. UDrago wadla waqhuma wasakazeka. UDaniyeli wayesethi, “Bona-ke ukuthi ubukhonzani!” ₂₈Lapho abaseBhabhele bekuzwa lokhu bathukuthela base beceba icebo ngenkosi bethi, “Inkosi isiphenduke uMjuda; ibulele uBheli, yabulala uDrago kanye nabaphristi bakaBheli.”

₂₉Baya enkosini bathi, “Sinike uDaniyeli noma siyakukubulala wena nendlu yakho.” ₃₀Inkosi yabona ukuthi bayicindezele, ngokuphoqeka yamnikela uDaniyeli kubo. ₃₁Bamphonsa uDaniyeli emphandwini wezingonyama, wayelapho izinsuku eziyisithupha. ₃₂Kwakunezingonyama eziyisikhombisa emphandwini, nsuku zonke zazinikwa izidumbu ezimbili zabantu kanye nezimvu ezimbili; kodwa manje kazinikwanga lutho, ukuze zimnikize zimudle uDaniyeli.

₃₃Umprofethi uHabhakuki wayeseJudiya; wayenze isilovela wahlephulela nesinkwa esitsheni, eya nakho ensimini ukunika abavunayo. ₃₄Kodwa ingelosi yeNkosi yathi kuHabhakuki, “Thatha lokho kudla uye nakho eBhabhele, kuDaniyeli osemphandwini wezingonyama.” ₃₅UHabhakuki wathi, “Mnumzane, angikaze ngilibone iBhabhele, futhi angazi lutho ngomphandu.”

₃₆Ingelosi yeNkosi yase imyabula ngezinwele yamthwala ngazo, isizwa yisivinini somoya yaze yambeka eBhabhele, phezu komphandu ayethunywe kuwo. ₃₇UHabhakuki wayesememeza wathi, “Daniyeli, Daniyeli! Thatha nakhu ukudla uNkulunkulu akuthumelele khona.” ₃₈UDaniyeli wathi, “Ungikhumbulile, Nkosi, futhi awubalahlanga labo abakuthandayo.” ₃₉Ngakho-ke uDaniyeli waphakama wadla. Ingelosi kaNkulunkulu yambuyisela ngokushesha uHabhakuki endaweni yakubo. ₄₀Ngosuku lwesikhombisa inkosi yeza ukulila ngenxa kaDaniyeli. Lapho ifika emphandwini yabheka phakathi, yambona uDaniyeli ehleli phakathi! ₄₁Inkosi yamemeza ngezwi elikhulu, “Uphakeme, Nkosi, Nkulunkulu ka-Daniyeli, futhi akhekho omunye ngaphandle kwakho!”

₄₂Yase imdonsa uDaniyeli imkhiphela ngaphandle, yaphonsa emphandwini labo abebezama ukuchitha nokubulala uDaniyeli, bona izingonyama zabadwengudwengula inkosi ibukela.