UDaniyeli emngxunyeni weengonyama
1Ke kaloku kwakholeka kuDariyo ukumisela iirhuluneli ezilikhulu elinamashumi amabini, ukuze zongamele kwiindawo ngeendawo zombuso lowo. 2Phezu kwazo ke watyumba abongameli abathathu, waza ke uDaniyeli wangomnye wabo. Abongameli aba ke babesenzelwa ingxelo zezi rhuluneli, khon' ukuze ukumkani angalahlekelwa. 3UDaniyeli ke wazibalula koogxa bakhe ababini kunye neerhuluneli ngesimo sakhe esihle, kangangokuba ukumkani wazimisela ukumnyusela ukuba ongamele bonke ubukumkani. 4Oogxa bakhe abongameli kunye neerhuluneli bazama ukufumana isizathu sokumbeka ibala uDaniyeli mayela nomsebenzi wakhe wokulawula. Kambe ke zange baphumelele, kuba wayenyanisekile, engumfo okhutheleyo ongenabuqhetseba. 5Athethana ke ngoku la madoda athi: “Hayi, bafondini, soze sizuze mhlaba wakummangalela lo Daniyeli ngaphandle kokuba kube malunga nokumthobela kwakhe uThixo wakhe.”
6Ngoko ke aba bongameli bekunye neerhuluneli bahlangana, baya kukumkani uDariyo, bafika bathi: “Bayethe, mhlekazi! Phil' ud' ukhokhobe! 7Xa sisonke thina bongameli, nezikhulu, neerhuluneli, namaphakathi, nabaphathiswa, sivumelene ukuba sikucele, mhlekazi, ukuba uwise umthetho onyanzelisayo ukuba kwithuba leentsuku ezingamashumi amathathu kungabikho mntu uthandaza nawuphi na uthixo okanye umntu ngaphandle kokuba athandaze kuwe, mhlekazi. Lowo waphule lo mthetho makaphoswe emngxunyeni weengonyama. 8Ngoko ke, mhlekazi, wisa lo mthetho, uwubhale ube ngumthetho ongenakujikwa wamaMedi namaPeshiya.”
9Ngoko ke ukumkani uDariyo wawubhala loo mthetho. 10Nakuba ke uDaniyeli wayeve ukuba lo mthetho ubhaliwe wapapashwa, usuke wagoduka, wafika wangena kwigumbi lendlu yakhe eliphezulu elalineefestile ezikhangele eJerusalem, waza ke waguqa ngamadolo wathandaza ebulela kuThixo wakhe kathathu ngemini njengoko wayeqhele ukwenjenjalo.
11Ke kaloku laa madoda ahlangana ambhaqa uDaniyeli ethandaza etarhuzisa kuThixo wakhe. 12Ngoko ke aya kukumkani, afika athetha naye malunga nomthetho awenzileyo, athi: “Kanene, mhlekazi, ubungapapashanga umthetho na othi kwiintsuku ezimashumi mathathu makungabikho mntu uthandaza nawuphi na uthixo okanye umntu ngaphandle kwakho, usithi othe wayenza loo nto uya kuphoswa emngxunyeni weengonyama?”
Ukumkani ke waphendula wathi: “Ewe, kunjalo, ndikwenzile oko, yaye lowo ngumthetho ongenakutshitshiswa wamaMedi namaPeshiya.”
13Aza athi ke la madoda kukumkani: “UDaniyeli ongomnye wabathinjwa bakwaJuda akakuhoyanga, mhlekazi, akawuthobeli nalo mthetho uwuwisileyo. Usaphikele ukuthandaza kathathu ngemini.”
14Akukuva oku ukumkani watsho wadideka mpela, waza wenza unako-nako wokucinga icebo lokuhlangula uDaniyeli. Ewe, kwaba yiloo nto lada latshona ilanga. 15Aphinda ke la madoda eza egxalathelana kukumkani, athi: “Khumbula kaloku, mhlekazi, ukuba ngokwemithetho yamaMedi namaPeshiya umthetho nommiselo owenziwa ngukumkani awunakuguqulwa.”
16Ngoko ke ukumkani wayalela ukuba alandwe uDaniyeli; waza ke waphoswa apho kuloo mngxuma weengonyama. Wathetha naye ke wathi: “Akwaba angakuhlangula uThixo wakho omnqula ngentembeko maxa onke.”
17Ke kaloku umngxuma lowo wavalwa ngelitye, waza ukumkani walitywina ngomsesane wakhe nangaleyo yezikhulu zakhe, khon' ukuze imeko kaDaniyeli ingabi nakuguqulwa. 18Emva koko ke ukumkani wagoduka waya ebhotwe, wachitha ubusuku engadli, engenalo nethuba lokuzonwabisa, koko wasuka waphuthelwa ubusuku bonke.
19Ke kaloku ukumkani wavuka xa kuthi chapha ukusa, wakhawuleza waya kulaa mngxuma weengonyama. 20Akusondela kuwo ke wakhwaza engxunguphele, wathi: “Daniyeli! Daniyeli! Sicaka soThixo ophilayo! Ube nako na ukukuhlangula kwezo ngonyama uThixo wakho omnqula ngentembeko maxa onke?”
21Waphendula ke uDaniyeli wathi: “Phil' ud' ukhokhobe, kumkani! 22UThixo wam uthumele isithunywa sakhe, sayivala imilomo yeengonyama, azandenzakalisa. Ewe, azindenzakalisanga kuba ndifumaniseke ndimsulwa phambi kwakhe, kwanjengokuba ndingazange ndakona nganto nawe, mhlekazi!”
23Wavuya gqitha ke ukumkani, waza wayalela ukuba uDaniyeli akhutshwe apho emngxunyeni. Akukhutshwa ke wafumaniseka engenawo nomkrwelo lo, kuba kaloku yena wayekholose ngoThixo wakhe. 24Ukumkani ke wayalela ukuba abanjwe loo madoda ayemangalele uDaniyeli. Wathi makathathwe neentsapho zawo, abafazi nabantwana, baza ke bebonke baphoswa apho emngxunyeni weengonyama. Bathi ke, bengekafiki nasezantsi, zabaganga iingonyama, zawanqwamza amathambo abo.
25Ngoko ke ukumkani uDariyo wabhalela zonke izizwe, iintlanga, nabantu beelwimi ngeelwimi ehlabathini jikelele, wathi: “Ngamana kunganda ngokugqithisileyo ukonwaba kuni nonke! 26Ndigunyazisa kulo lonke kulo mbuso wam ukuba wonke umntu makamoyike amhlonele amthobele uThixo kaDaniyeli.
“Kuba yena nguThixo ophilayo,
uThixo okhoyo ngonaphakade.
Umbuso wakhe soze utshatyalaliswe;
ulawulo lwakhe alunasiphelo.
27Yena kaloku uyahlangula, yaye esindisa.
Ungumenzi wemiqondiso kwanemimangaliso
emazulwini kanti nalapha emhlabeni.
Nguye lo umhlanguleyo uDaniyeli,
wamsindisa emandleni eengonyama.”
28Ke kaloku uDaniyeli lo waba nempumelelo ngemihla yolawulo lukaDariyo, ngokunjalo nakwimihla yokulawula kukaKoreshi umPeshiya.
