Iphupha likaNebhukadenezare
1Kunyaka wakhe wesibini elawula ukumkani uNebhukadenezare waba namaphupha awamtsho wakhathazeka, waphuthelwa, akabi nakulala. 2Ke ngoko wathumela ukuba kubizwe bonke abenzi bemilingo, oosiyazi, izanuse, neengcali zeenkwenkwezi, ukuze beze kumchazela iphupha lakhe. Bakuba befikile ke, 3ukumkani wenjenje ukuthetha nabo: “Ndikhathazeke gqitha, kuba ndiphuphe iphupha endingalaziyo intsingiselo yalo.”
4Iingcali zeenkwenkwezi zamphendula ukumkani ngesiAram, zathi: “Bayethe, kumkani! Phila ngonaphakade! Khawuzilawulele iphupha elo izicaka zakho, khon' ukuze zibe nako ukukuchazela into eliyithethayo.”
5Ke yena ukumkani waziphendula iingcali zeenkwenkwezi wathi: “Nasi isigqibo endifikelele kuso: ukuba ke nina aninako ukundixelela iphupha elo, ngaphezu koko nindichazele nentsingiselo yalo, ndiya kuninqunqa nibe ziziqwenga, nemizi yenu idilizwe ibe yindawo ekuyiwa kuyo ngasese. 6Kodwa ke ukuba niyandichazela iphupha elo kunye nentsingiselo yalo, ndiya kuninika umvuzo kunye nezipho, ndinithi jize ngewonga elikhulu. Ngoko ke ndichazeleni eli phupha kunye nento eliyithethayo.”
7La madoda ke aphinda aphendula athi: “Ukumkani makabaxelele abakonzi bakhe iphupha lakhe, ukuze babe nako ukumtyhilela intsingiselo yalo.”
8Waphendula ukumkani wathi: “Ngenene ngoku ndazi ngokumhlophe ukuba into eniphezu kwayo kukuhambisa ixesha, kuba nisazi ukuba sendifikelele kwisigqibo. 9Xa ningalichazi eli phupha niya kufumana isohlwayo esinye xa ninonke. Kaloku nidibene ngeqhinga lokundixokisa, ngenjongo yokuba mhlawumbi ngokuhamba kwexesha izinto zingaguquka. Ukuze ndiqonde ukuba ninako ukulilawula iphupha eli, qalani ngokulichaza.”
10Iingcali zeenkwenkwezi ke zamphendula ukumkani zathi: “Kulo lonke elimiweyo, mhlekazi, akukho mntu unako ukuyenza le nto ayifunayo ukumkani. Kananjalo, mhlekazi, akukho kumkani, nokuba seleyingangalala engatshonelwa langa, wakha wathi abenzi bemilingo, oosiyazi, okanye iingcali zakhe zeenkwenkwezi, mabenze into enje. 11Le nto ukumkani ayifunayo kuthi inzima gqitha. Akukho mntu unako ukuyenza, *ngoothixo bodwa abangayenzayo – kambe ke nabo abahlali apha phakathi koluntu.”
12Hayi ke, ukumkani wakhathazeka, wavutha ngumsindo, wayalela ukuba zibulawe izilumko zaseBhabheli. 13Ngoko ke wagunyazisa isohlwayo sokuba mazibulawe zonke izilumko. Bafunwa ke noDaniyeli nabalingane bakhe ukuba babulawe.
UDaniyeli utyhilelwa iphupha
14Ke kaloku uDaniyeli wamngena ngengqondo nangobulumko uAriyoki injengele yabalindi bakomkhulu, owayesiya kubulala zonke izilumko zaseBhabheli, 15wathi kuye: “Ngani ukuba ukumkani agunyazise isohlwayo esiqatha kangaka?”
Akuba uAriyoki echazele uDaniyeli konke okwenzekileyo, 16uDaniyeli waya kukumkani, wamcela ukuba akhe ammele, khon' ukuze abe nako ukumtyhilela iphupha elo lakhe. 17Egodukile ke uDaniyeli wabachazela ngale ngxaki abalingane bakhe uHananiya noMishayeli noAzariya, 18waza wabanxusa ukuba bathandaze kuThixo osezulwini abenzele inceba malunga nale mfihlakalo, ukuze yena nabalingane bakhe bangabulawa kunye nezilumko zaseBhabheli. 19Kanye ngobo busuku uDaniyeli wayityhilelwa ngombono le mfihlakako, waza ke wambonga uThixo wezulu 20wathi:
“Malidunyiswe igama likaThixo ngonaphakade kanaphakade,
kuba bobakhe ubulumko namandla!
21Nguye umguquli wamaxesha neemeko;
nguye obakhiqayo ookumkani,
kanti ikwanguye obamisayo.
Ngumvathisi wezilumko ngobulumko,
azithi jize ngolwazi iingqondi.
22Nguye umtyhili weentsonkotha ezifihlakeleyo;
nezisemnyameni izinto yena uyazazi.
Ngenene yena ulikhaya lokukhanya.
23Wena Thixo woobawo, ndiyakudumisa,
ndikubulela kuba wena undizimasile.
Undithe jize ngobulumko namandla.
Nangoku wena undityhilele,
wawuphendula umthandazo wethu.
Ewe, usityhilele le nto ifunwa ngukumkani.”
Ukutyhilwa nokulawulwa kwephupha
24Ngoko ke uDaniyeli waya kuAriyoki, umfo owayegunyaziswe ngukumkani ukuba abulale zonke izilumko zaseBhabheli. Kuye ke wafika wathi: “Ungabi sazibulala izilumko zaseBhabheli, koko ndithathe undise kukumkani, ukuze ndimlawulele iphupha lakhe.”
25Ngoko nangoko ke uAriyoki waya noDaniyeli kukumkani, wafika wathi: “Kubathinjwa bamaJuda ndifumene umntu onako ukukulawulela iphupha lakho, mhlekazi.”
26Ukumkani wabhekisa kuDaniyeli owayebizwa ngegama elinguBhelteshazare, wathi: “Uza kuba nako ukundixelela iphupha lam, utyhile nentsingiselo yalo?”
27UDaniyeli uphendule wathi: “Hayi, mhlekazi, akukho zilumko, nditsho oosiyazi, nabenzi bemilingo, nezanuse, ezinako ukukuchazela le mfihlakalo uyibuzayo. 28Kambe ke ukho uThixo osezulwini ozityhilayo iimfihlakalo. Ke, mhlekazi, kumkani uNebhukadenezare, yena ukwazisa izinto eziya kwenzeka kwimihla ezayo. Nali iphupha lakho, nditsho umbono ofike engqondweni yakho usalele esililini sakho:
29“Kaloku uthe usalele, mhlekazi, suka iingcamango zakho zaya kutsho kumaxesha azayo; ke uThixo ongumtyhili weemfihlakalo ukubonise izinto eziza kwenzeka kwixesha elizayo. 30Ke mna le mfihlakalo andiyityhilelwanga kuba ndilumkile kunabo bonke abanye abantu, koko ndiyiboniswe khon' ukuze wena kumkani uyazi intsingiselo yephupha lakho, kananjalo uziqonde iingcamango ezifike engqondweni yakho.
31“Mhlekazi, uphuphe ubona umfanekiso oqingqiweyo othe bhunxe phambi kwakho. Ewe, ibiluhalakahla oloyikekayo, into ebengezela ngobumenyemenye obungathethekiyo. 32Intloko yawo yayenziwe ngegolide ecwengileyo, isifuba neengalo zenziwe ngesiliva. Ke sona isisu ukuya kuthi xhaxhe ngamathanga yalubhedu. 33Kanti ke imilenze yona yintsimbi, zaza ke zona iinyawo zenziwa ngentsimbi exutywe nodongwe. 34Kuthe usabukele njalo, mhlekazi, suka kwaqhephuka ilitye, lingachukunyiswanga sandla samntu. Liqengqeleke laya kuthi folokohlo kwezo nyawo zenziwe ngentsimbi nodongwe, lazintlekeza zaziingceba. 35Hayi ke, kutsho yabubusaza – intsimbi, udongwe, ubhedu, isiliva, negolide, xa zizonke zacoleka zanjengomququ esandeni ngexesha lasehlotyeni. Kufike umoya wazitshayela akwasala nomkhondo lo wazo. Ke lona elo litye liwubethileyo loo mfanekiso lasuka lakhula layintaba enkulu ezalise ihlabathi lonke jikelele.
36“Nâlo ke iphupha lakho, mhlekazi. Ngoku ke masikuchazele intsingiselo yalo. 37Mhlekazi, wena ungukumkani wookumkani. UThixo osezulwini wakuthi jize ngobukhosi, amandla, amagunya, nobungangamsha. 38Lonke elimiweyo walinikela esandleni sakho, ukuze ulawule abantu, iintaka, namarhamncwa. Ngoko ke le ntloko yegolide nguwe, mhlekazi. 39Emva kwakho kuza kulandela omnye umbuso onganeno kulo wakho. Kananjalo emva kwawo kolandela owesithathu, owobhedu. Wona uya kulawula ihlabathi lonke jikelele. 40Kwakhona ke kolandela umbuso wesine ongwanyalala okwentsimbi ukomelela, oya kufohloza ukroboze yonke into. Nawo ke uya kuyityoboza okwentsimbi uyicole yonke imibuso engaphambi kwawo. 41Njengoko uzibonile iinyawo neenzwane ukuba zenziwe ngodongwe oluxutywe nentsimbi: le nto ke ithetha ukuba loo mbuso uya kuba ziintlaba-zahlukene. Njengoko kwakuxutywe intsimbi nodongwe nawo ke uya kuba nokomelela kwentsimbi. 42Iinzwane ezinxalenye iyintsimbi ngokunjalo nodongwe zalatha ukuba umbuso lowo uya komelela ngenxenye, ngenxenye ube krobo-krobo. 43Kananjalo ubonile ukuba intsimbi yayixutywe nodongwe. Le ndawo ke ikwathetha ukuba baya kuzama ukumanyana ngokwendiselana, kodwa ke loo nto iya kufadalala kwanjengokuba intsimbi ingaxubeki nodongwe. 44Kanye ke ngexesha lâbo kumkani uThixo wezulu uya kumisela ulawulo olungasoze lutshitshe. Obo iya kuba bubukumkani obungenakoyiswa, koko obuya kutyumza buphelise yonke eminye imibuso, buze bona bume kude kube ngunaphakade. 45Yile nto uyibonileyo xa ububona ilitye liqhephuka entabeni lingachukunyiswanga sandla samntu, laza laya kuntlitha laa mfanekiso wenziwe ngentsimbi, ubhedu, udongwe, isiliva, negolide. Ngoko ke uThixo omkhulu uyakwazisa, mhlekazi, mayela nezinto eziya kwenzeka kwimihla ezayo. Eli phupha liyinyaniso, yaye ingcaciso yalo ithembekile.”
Ukuwongwa kukaDaniyeli
46Kwesi sithuba ke ukumkani uNebhukadenezare wazikhahlela emhlabeni phambi koDaniyeli emhlonela, wathi makwenziwe umnikelo weenkozo kunye neziqhumiso kuye. 47Wabhekisa kuDaniyeli wathi: “Ngenene uThixo wakho nguThixo woothixo, iNkosi yezikumkani, umtyhili weemfihlakalo, kuba wena ube nako ukuyityhila le mfihlakalo.”
48Ke kaloku uDaniyeli wathiwa jize ngewonga elingayiwayo, ukumkani wamnika intaphane yezipho ezihle kunene. Wamiswa waba ngumlawuli wesithili saseBhabheli, futhi waba yingqonyela yazo zonke izilumko zalapho. 49Ngesicelo sikaDaniyeli ke ukumkani wabamisela ooShedreki noMeshaki noAbhednigo baba ziziphathamandla esithilini saseBhabheli; kambe ke yena uDaniyeli waba yingqonyela yakomkhulu.
