Iphupho likaNebukadinesari ngomuthi
1UNebukadinesari inkosi kubo bonke abantu, nezizwe, nezilimi ezakhé emhlabeni wonke: ukuthula makuvame kinina.
2Bekukuhle kimi ukwazisa izibonakaliso nezimangaliso uNkulunkulu oPhezukonke azenzile kimi.
3Yeka ubuningi bezibonakaliso zakhe,
namandla ezimangaliso zakhe!
Umbuso wakhe ungumbuso ongunaphakade,
nokubusa kwakhe kungokwezizukulwane.
4Mina-Nebukadinesari ngangihlezi ngokuthula, ngatamasa endlini yami yobukhosi.
5Ngase ngibona iphupho, langethusa; imicabango embhedeni wami nemibono yekhanda lami yangesabisa.
6Ngalokho ngakhipha isimemezelo sokuba kulethwe bonke abahlakaniphileyo baseBabele phambi kwami, ukuze bangazise icazo yephupho.
7Zase zifika izanusi, nabathwebulayo, namaKaledi, nabahlola imihlola, ngabatshela iphupho, kepha abangazisanga incazo yalo.
8Kodwa ngasekugcineni kwangena uDaniyeli phambi kwami ogama lakhe linguBeliteshasari njengegama likankulunkulu wami, okuye umoya wawonkulunkulu abangcwele; ngamtshela iphupho, ngathi:
9Beliteshasari, wena-nduna yezanusi, ngokuba ngiyazi ukuthi umoya wawonkulunkulu abangcwele ukuwe nokuthi awukhathazwa-mfihlakalo, ngitshele imibono yephupho lami engilibonileyo nencazo yalo.
10Yayinje imibono yekhanda lami ngisembhedeni wami: ngabona, bheka, nanko umuthi phakathi nomhlaba, nokuphakama kwawo kwakukukhulu.
11Umuthi wakhula, waqina, ubude bawo bafinyelela ezulwini nokubonakala kwawo kwaze kwaba-sekugcineni komhlaba.
12Amaqabunga awo ayemahle, nezithelo zawo zaziziningi, kukhona kuwo ukudla kubo bonke; izilwane zasendle zazinomthunzi phansi kwawo, izinyoni zezulu zazihlala emagatsheni awo, nenyama yonke yondliwa kuwo.
13Ngabona emibonweni yekhanda lami ngisembhedeni wami, bheka, nango umlindi ongcwele ehla ezulwini.
14Wamemeza ngamandla, washo kanje, wathi: Gawula umuthi, unqume amagatsha awo, uvuthulule amaqabunga awo, uhlakaze izithelo zawo; izilwane mazisuke phansi kwawo, nezinyoni emagatsheni awo.
15Nokho shiya isiqu sezimpande zawo emhlabathini, sinesibopho sensimbi nesethusi, ohlazeni lwasendle, simatiswe ngamazolo ezulu, isabelo saso sibe-nezilwane zasetshanini bomhlaba;
16inhliziyo yakhe iyakuguqulwa ingabi-ngeyomuntu, aphiwe inhliziyo yesilwane, kudlule izikhathi eziyisikhombisa phezu kwakhe.
17Kunqunyiwe ngesimemezelo sabalindi nangesiyalezo sezwi labangcwele ukuba abaphilayo bazi ukuthi oPhezukonke ubusa imibuso yabantu, ayinike amthandayo, amise phezu kwayo ophansi phakathi kwabantu.
18Leliphupho ngalibona mina-Nebukadinesari; wena-Beliteshasari, yisho incazo, njengokuba bonke abahlakaniphileyo bombuso wami bengazi ukungazisa incazo; kepha wena ungakwenza, ngokuba umoya wawonkulunkulu abangcwele ukuwe.
19Khona uDaniyeli ogama lakhe lalinguBeliteshasari wamangala isikhashana, imicabango yakhe yamesabisa. Inkosi yathatha yathi: Beliteshasari, iphupho nencazo makungakwesabisi. UBeliteshasari waphendula wathi: Nkosi, iphupho malibe-kwabakuzondayo, nencazo yalo kuzo izitha zakho.
20Umuthi owawubonayo, owakhula, waqina, obude bawo bafinyelela ezulwini nokubonakala kwawo kwaze kwaba-sekugcineni komhlaba;
21omaqabunga awo ayemahle, nezithelo zawo zaziziningi, kukhona ukudla kuwo kubo bonke; ozilwane zasendle zahlala phansi kwawo, nozinyoni zezulu zakhé emagatsheni awo:
22nguwe-nkosi okhulile waqina, ngokuba ubukhulu bakho bukhulile bufinyelele ezulwini nokubusa kwakho kuze kube-sekugcineni komhlaba.
23Njengalokho inkosi yabona umlindi ongcwele ehla ezulwini, ethi: Gawula umuthi, uwuchithe, kepha shiya isiqu sezimpande zawo emhlabathini, sinesibopho sensimbi nesethusi, ohlazeni lwasendle, simatiswe ngamazolo ezulu, isabelo saso sibe-nezilwane zasendle, kuze kudlule izikhathi eziyisikhombisa phezu kwaso,
24nansi incazo, nkosi: kuyisimemezelo soPhezukonke esiyehlele inkosi yami, inkosi,
25sokuthi uyakuxoshwa kubantu, inhlalo yakho ibe-nezilwane zasendle, udliswe utshani njengezinkabi, umatiswe ngamazolo ezulu, kudlule izikhathi eziyisikhombisa phezu kwakho, uze wazi ukuthi oPhezukonke ubusa imibuso yabantu, ayinike amthandayo.
26Njengalokho bayaleza ukuba kushiywe isiqu sezimpande zomuthi, umbuso wakho uyakuqina kuwe, lapho usufundile ukuthi izulu liyabusa.
27Ngalokho, nkosi, masamukeleke kuwe isiluleko sami, unqamule izono zakho ngokulunga, nobubi bakho ngokubanomusa kwabampofu; mhlawumbe kungelulwa ukuthula kwakho.
28Konke lokho kwamehlela uNebukadinesari.
29Ngasekugcineni kwezinyanga eziyishumi nambili wayehamba endlini yamakhosi eBabele.
30Inkosi yathatha yathi: Angithi yileliBabele elikhulu engilakhile libe-yindlu yobukhosi ngezikhwepha zamandla ami, libe-ludumo lobukhosi bami, na?
31Izwi lisesemlonyeni wenkosi, kwehla ezulwini izwi, lithi: We nkosi Nebukadinesari, kukhulunyiwe kuwe ukuthi: Umbuso usukile kuwe;
32uyakuxoshwa kubantu, inhlalo yakho ibe-nezilwane zasendle, udliswe utshani njengezinkabi, kudlule phezu kwakho izikhathi eziyisikhombisa, uze wazi ukuthi oPhezukonke ubusa imibuso yabantu, ayinike amthandayo.
33Ngasona lesosikhathi lento yagcwaliseka phezu kukaNebukadinesari: waxoshwa kubantu, wadliswa utshani njengezinkabi, umzimba wakhe wamatiswa ngamazolo ezulu, zaze zakhula izinwele zakhe njengezimpaphe zezinkozi nezinzipho zakhe njengamazipho ezinyoni.
34Ngasekugcineni kwezinsuku minaNebukadinesari ngaphakamisa amehlo ami ezulwini, nomqondo wami wabuyela kimi, ngambonga oPhezukonke, ngamdumisa, ngamtusa yena ohlezi phakade,
ngokuba ukubusa kwakhe kungukubusa okuphakade,
nombuso wakhe ungowezizukulwane ngezizukulwane;
35bonke abakhé emhlabeni bashaywa ize;
uyenza njengentando yakhe empini yasezulwini
naphakathi kwabakhileyo emhlabeni;
akakho ongavimbela isandla sakhe, noma athi kuye: Wenzani na?
36Ngasona lesosikhathi wabuyela kimi umqondo wami, nobukhosi bami nokucwebezela kwami kwabuyela kimi, kwaba-ludumo lombuso wami; abomkhandlu bami nezinduna zami bangifuna; ngase ngibekwa embusweni wami, ngenezelwa ubukhulu obudluleleyo.
37Kalokhu-ke mina-Nebukadinesari ngiyatusa, ngiyaphakamisa, ngiyidumisa iNkosi yezulu, ngokuba yonke imisebenzi yayo iyiqiniso, nezindlela zayo zingukwahlulela; abahamba ngokuzidla inamandla okubathobisa.
