Isithando somlilo ovuthayo
1UNebukadinesari inkosi wenza isithombe segolide, ubude baso buyizingalo ezingamashumi ayisithupha, ububanzi baso buyizingalo eziyisithupha, wasibeka ethafeni laseDura esifundeni saseBabele.
2UNebukadinesari inkosi wayesethumela ukubutha izikhulu, nababusi, nezinduna, nabahluleli, nabaphathizikhwama, nabomkhandlu, nabameli, nabo bonke abaphathizifunda ukuba beze ekwahlukaniselweni kwesithombe uNebukadinesari inkosi asimisileyo.
3Khona izikhulu, nababusi, nezinduna, nabahluleli, nabaphathizikhwama, nabomkhandlu, nabameli, nabo bonke abaphathizifunda babuthelwa ukwahlukaniselwa kwesithombe uNebukadinesari inkosi abesimisile, bema phambi kwesithombe uNebukadinesari asimisileyo.
4Kwase kumemeza ummemezeli ngamandla, wathi: We nina-bantu nezizwe, nezilimi, niyayalwa
5ukuba ngesikhathi enizwa ngaso ukukhala kwecilongo, negenkle, nehabhu*, nomqangala, nogubhu, negemfe, nazo zonke izinhlobo zokubethwa, niwe phansi, nikhuleke esithombeni segolide uNebukadinesari inkosi asimisileyo.
6Ongawi phansi, akhuleke, uyakuphonswa ngasona lesosikhathi phakathi kwesithando somlilo ovuthayo.
7Ngalokho lapho abantu bezwa ukukhala kwecilongo, negenkle, nehabhu*, nomqangala, nogubhu, nazo zonke izinhlobo zokubethwa, bonke abantu, nezizwe, nezilimi bawa phansi, bakhuleka esithombeni segolide asimisileyo uNebukadinesari inkosi.
8Ngalokho kwasondela ngalesosikhathi amadoda amaKaledi, ahleba abaJuda.
9Athatha athi kuNebukadinesari inkosi: Mana njalo, nkosi.
10Wena-nkosi ukhiphé isimemezelo sokuba bonke abantu abezwa ukukhala kwecilongo, negenkle, nehabhu*, nomqangala, nogubhu, negemfe, nazo zonke izinhlobo zokubethwa bawe phansi, bakhuleke esithombeni segolide,
11nokuba ongawi phansi, akhuleke, aphonswe phakathi kwesithando somlilo ovuthayo.
12Kukhona amadoda abaJuda owabeké phezu kwezindaba zesifunda saseBabele, oShadiraki, noMeshaki, noAbedi-Nego; lawamadoda, nkosi, awakunakanga; awakhonzi onkulunkulu bakho, awakhuleki esithombeni segolide osimisileyo.
13Khona uNebukadinesari wayaleza ngolaka nangokufutheka ukuba kulethwe oShadiraki, noMeshaki, noAbedi-Nego. Base beletha lawomadoda phambi kwenkosi.
14UNebukadinesari wathatha wathi kuwo: Kungamabomu yini, Shadiraki, Meshaki, noAbedi-Nego ningakhonzi unkulunkulu wami, ningakhuleki esithombeni segolide engisimisileyo, na?
15Manje uma nilungele ukuba ngesikhathi enizwa ngaso ukukhala kwecilongo, negenkle, nehabhu*, nomqangala, nogubhu, negemfe, nazo zonke izinhlobo zokubethwa, niwe phansi, nikhuleke esithombeni engisenzileyo, kuhle; kepha uma ningakhuleki, niyakuphonswa ngasona lesosikhathi phakathi kwesithando somlilo ovuthayo; ngumuphi lowonkulunkulu oyakunikhulula ezandleni zami na?
16OShadiraki, noMeshaki, noAbedi-Nego baphendula, bathi enkosini: Nebukadinesari, thina asidingi ukukuphendula kulendaba.
17Uma kunjalo, uNkulunkulu wethu esimkhonzayo unamandla okusikhulula esithandweni somlilo ovuthayo; yebo, uyakusikhulula esandleni sakho, nkosi.
18Kepha noma kungenjalo, makwazeke kuwe-nkosi ukuthi asiyikukhonza onkulunkulu bakho, singakhuleki esithombeni segolide osimisileyo.
19Khona uNebukadinesari wagcwala ukufutheka, nesimo sobuso bakhe saguquka ngawoShadiraki, noMeshaki, noAbedi-Nego; wakhuluma wayaleza ukuba isithando somlilo sishiswe kasikhombisa ngaphezu kwalokho okuké kwabonwa sishiswa ngakho.
20Wayeseyaleza amadoda anamandla asempini yakhe ukuba abophe oShadiraki, noMeshaki, noAbedi-Nego, abaphonse esithandweni somlilo ovuthayo.
21Aboshwa-ke lawamadoda egqoké amayembe, namabhulukwe, nezigqoko, nezinye izingubo, aphonswa phakathi kwesithando somlilo ovuthayo.
22Ngalokho ngokuba isiyalezelo senkosi sasicindezele, nesithando somlilo sasishisa kakhulu, ilangabi lomlilo lawabulala lawomadoda abakhuphula oShadiraki, noMeshaki, noAbedi-Nego.
23Kepha lawamadoda amathathu, oShadiraki, noMeshaki, noAbedi-Nego, awela phansi eboshiwe phakathi nesithando somlilo ovuthayo.
24Khona uNebukadinesari inkosi wethuka, wasuka wakhuluma, wathi kwabomkhandlu wakhe: Angithi siphonsé amadoda amathathu eboshiwe phakathi komlilo na? Baphendula, bathi enkosini: Uqinisile, nkosi.
25Yaphendula yathi: Bhekani, ngibona amadoda amane akhululekileyo ehamba phakathi komlilo, awachithwanga; ukubonakala kweyesine kunjengendodana yawonkulunkulu.
26Wayesesondela uNebukadinesari emnyango wesithando somlilo ovuthayo; wakhuluma wathi: Shadiraki, Meshaki, noAbedi-Nego, nina-zinceku zikaNkulunkulu oPhezukonke, phumani nize lapha. Base bephuma oShadiraki, noMeshaki, noAbedi-Nego phakathi komlilo.
27Izikhulu, nababusi, nezinduna, nabomkhandlu wenkosi babuthana, babona lawomadoda ukuthi umlilo awubanganamandla emizimbeni yawo, kungahamukanga-lunwele olulodwa emakhanda awo, engaguqukanga amayembe awo, lingasondelanga kuwo nephunga lomlilo.
28UNebukadinesari wakhuluma wathi: Makabongwe uNkulunkulu wawoShadiraki, noMeshaki, noAbedi-Nego, othumile ingelosi yakhe, wakhulula izinceku zakhe ebezimethemba, zaze zaguqula izwi lenkosi, zanikela imizimba yazo ukuba zingakhonzi, zingakhuleki kunkulunkulu noyedwa, uNkulunkulu wabo kuphela.
29Ngalokho ngikhipha isimemezelo sokuba bonke abantu, nezizwe, nezilimi ezikhuluma okungafanele ngoNkulunkulu wawoShadiraki, noMeshaki, noAbedi-Nego ziyakuhlahlelwa, izindlu zazo zenziwe iquba, ngokuba akakho omunye unkulunkulu ongophula ngalendlela.
30Inkosi yabaphakamisa oShadiraki, noMeshaki, noAbedi-Nego esifundeni saseBabele.
