UDanyela uphoselwa ngemgodini wamabhubezi
1Kwaba kuhle kuDariyasi ukubeka embusweni ikhulu namatjhumi amabili lababusi abangaphasi kwakhe kobana babuse umbuso woke. 2Ngaphezu kwabo wabeka abomengameli abathathu, omunye wabo kunguDanyela. Ababusi abangaphasi kwekosi bekufuze babike kibomengameli ukuze ikosi ingalobi litho. 3UDanyela wavelela ngaphezu kwabo boke abomengameli nababusi abangaphasi kwekosi ngombana bekanommoya odluleleko. Nje-ke ikosi yahlosa ukumbeka phezu kombuso woke. 4Lokho kwabangela abomengameli nababusi bona bafune isibambelelo sokumangalela uDanyela mayelana neendaba zombuso. Kodwana akhange bafunyane isibambelelo sokumumangalela namkha sesenzo sobukhohlakali ngombana bekathembekile begodu akhange kufunyanwe ubutjhapha namkha isici kuye. 5Ngalokho amadoda la, athi: “Asikazokufunyana nalinye ibanga lokumangalela uDanyela lo, ngaphandle kokobana silifunyane ngento ephathelene nomthetho kaZimakhe.”
6Nje-ke abomengamelabo nababusi abangaphasi kwekosabo bavumelana ngokuza ekosini, bafese bathi kiyo: “Siphilele kosi uDariyasi, phila! 7Boke abomengameli bombuso, iinkhulu, ababusi abangaphasi kwekosi, abeluleki nabaphathi bavumelana bonyana ikosi kufuze yakhe isimiso bese iqinisa isimemezelo sokobana nanyana ngubani owenza isibawo kinanyana ngiwuphi uzimu ngaphandle kwakho, kufanele aphoselwe ngemgodini wamabhubezi. 8Manje-ke kosi, khupha isimemezelo bese utlikitla encwadini ukuze lokho kungatjhugululwa, kube njengomthetho wamaMede namaPherisi ongeze usatjhugululwa.” 9Ngalokho ikosi uDariyasi yatlikitla incwadi yesimemezelo.
10Kuthe lokha uDanyela nalemuka bonyana incwadi itlikitliwe, wenza njengesiqhelo: Wangena ngendlinakhe waya elawini elingehla, elinefesidere elivulekela nca ngeJerusalema. Waguqa kathathu ngelanga wathandaza athokoza uZimakhe. 11Amadoda lawo atheleka kuDanyela amfunyana athandaza ancenga kuZimakhe. 12Nje-ke aya ekosini afese akhuluma nayo mayelana nesimemezelo athi: “Hawu kosi! Kanti akhange ukhuphe isimemezelo esitlikitliweko sokobana kungabikhona umuntu owenza isibawo kinanyana ngimuphi uzimu namkha umuntu emalangeni amatjhumi amathathu la ngaphandle kwakho wena kosi kwaphela na? Angithi uthe onjalo uzakuphoselwa ngemgodini wamabhubezi?” Ikosi yaphendula yathi: “Iye awa, kunjalo, isimemezelo sisajamile siqinile njengomthetho wamaMede namaPherisi ongeze usatjhugululwa.” 13Bona baphendula ikosi bathi: “Arha-ke, nakunguDanyela ongomunye wabathunjwa bakwaJuda, akakuthatheli ehloko wena kosi begodu akanandaba nesimemezelo ositlikitlileko. Kunalokho uthandaza kathathu ngelanga.”
14Kuthe lokha ikosi nayizwa amezwi lawo, yawurubajeka khulu. Yahlosa bonyana isindise uDanyela; iye, kwabe kwahlwa ilokhu ikinakinana nomkhumbulo wokumhlenga. 15Kusesenjalo amadoda lawo atheleka ekosini afese athi kiyo: “Yazi-ke kosi bona kumthetho wamaMede namaPherisi wobanyana akunasimemezelo namkha umyalo ikosi ewukhuphileko ongahle utjhugululwe mumuntu.”
16Nje-ke ikosi yakhupha umyalo, uDanyela walethwa, waphoselwa ngemgodini wamabhubezi. Ikosi yathi kuye: “Kwanga uZimakho omlotjha mlibe, angakusindisa.” 17Kwalethwa ilitje labekwa emlonyeni womgodi. Ikosi yaligiba ngesigibo sayo nangesigibo sabaphathi bayo ukuze kungatjhugululwa litho mayelana noDanyela. 18Nje-ke ikosi yazikhambela yabuyela esigodlweni, yahlala ubusuku boke ingadli litho. Akhange kulethwe ngitjho nento engayithabisa phambi kwayo nobuthongo akhange ibuthi hluthu.
19Kwathi nakusako, ikosi yavuka yarhabela emgodini wamabhubezi. 20Kuthe nasele itjhidele emgodini lapha uDanyela agade akhona, yarhuwelela ngelizwi lokutlhuwa yathi kuDanyela: “Danyela, nceku kaZimu ophilako! Ingabe uZimakho omlotjha mlibe ukusindisile emabhubezini na?” 21UDanyela waphendula ikosi wathi: “Kosi, phila siphile! 22UZimami uthumele ingilozakhe yavala imilomo yamabhubezi. Nje-ke akhange angilimaze ngombana ngifunyenwe ngimsulwa phambi kwakhe begodu naphambi kwakho kosi, akunalitho elimbi engilenzileko.” 23Ngalokho ikosi yathaba kwamambala beyayala bonyana uDanyela akhutjhwe ngemgodini. Nje-ke uDanyela wakhutjhwa ngemgodini. Kwafunyanwa bonyana akakathinteki ndawo ngombana bekamethembile uZimakhe. 24Ikosi yakhupha umyalo wokobana amadoda ebekamangalele uDanyela lawo alethwe, aphoselwe ngemgodini wamabhubezi, wona, abantwabawo nabafazi bawo. Kwathi bangakafiki ngitjho nemanzinzweni womgodi, amabhubezi abaphamula, abapupura namathambo.
25Nje-ke ikosi uDariyasi yatlolela boke abantu, izizwe namalimi akhona ephasini loke yathi: “Akwande ukuthula! 26Ngikhupha isimemezelo sokobana boke abantu bembuswenami kufuze bathuthumele bebasabe phambi kwakaZimu kaDanyela.
“Ngambala unguZimu ophilako,
iye, uphila isiphelani.
Umbuswakhe angekhe wabhujiswa
nobukhosi bakhe angeze baphela.
27Uyaphephisa bekasindise,
wenza iimbonakaliso nemikarisomraro
ezulwini nephasini.
Nguye osindise uDanyela
emandleni wamabhubezi.”
28Ngalokho uDanyela loyo waphumelela esikhathini sokubusa kwakaDariyasi noKoretjhi umPherisi.
