UDaniyeli 3

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 leso sikhathi 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 ngaleso sikhathi amadoda amaKaledi, ahleba abaJuda. ₉Athatha athi kuNebukadinesari inkosi: “Mana njalo, nkosi. ₁₀Wena nkosi ukhiphe 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 owabeke phezu kwezindaba zesifunda saseBabele, oShadiraki, noMeshaki, no-Abedi Nego; lawa madoda, nkosi, awakunakanga; awakhonzi onkulunkulu bakho, awakhuleki esithombeni segolide osimisileyo.”

₁₃Khona uNebukadinesari wayaleza ngolaka nangokufutheka ukuba kulethwe oShadiraki, noMeshaki, no-Abedi Nego. Base beletha lawo madoda phambi kwenkosi. ₁₄UNebukadinesari wathatha wathi kuwo: “Kungamabomu yini, Shadiraki, Meshaki, no-Abedi 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 leso sikhathi phakathi kwesithando somlilo ovuthayo; ngumuphi lowo nkulunkulu oyakunikhulula ezandleni zami na?”

₁₆OShadiraki, noMeshaki, no-Abedi Nego baphendula, bathi enkosini: “Nebukadinesari, thina asidingi ukukuphendula kule ndaba. 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, ngeke sakhuleka esithombeni segolide osimisileyo.”

₁₉Khona uNebukadinesari wagcwala ukufutheka, nesimo sobuso bakhe saguquka ngenxa yoShadiraki, noMeshaki, no-Abedi Nego; wakhuluma wayaleza ukuba isithando somlilo sishiswe kasikhombisa ngaphezu kwalokho okuke kwabonwa sishiswa ngakho. ₂₀Wayeseyaleza amadoda anamandla asempini yakhe ukuba abophe oShadiraki, noMeshaki, no-Abedi Nego, abaphonse esithandweni somlilo ovuthayo. ₂₁Aboshwa-ke lawa madoda egqoke amayembe, namabhulukwe, nezigqoko, nezinye izingubo, aphonswa phakathi kwesithando somlilo ovuthayo. ₂₂Ngalokho ngokuba isiyalezelo senkosi sasicindezele, nesithando somlilo sasishisa kakhulu, ilangabi lomlilo lawabulala lawo madoda abakhuphula oShadiraki, noMeshaki, no-Abedi Nego. ₂₃Kepha lawa madoda amathathu, oShadiraki, noMeshaki, no-Abedi Nego, awela phansi eboshiwe phakathi nesithando somlilo ovuthayo.

₂₄Khona uNebukadinesari inkosi wethuka, wasuka wakhuluma, wathi kwabomkhandlu wakhe: “Angithi siphonse 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, no-Abedi Nego, nina zinceku zikaNkulunkulu oPhezukonke, phumani nize lapha.” Base bephuma oShadiraki, noMeshaki, no-Abedi Nego phakathi komlilo. ₂₇Izikhulu, nababusi, nezinduna, nabomkhandlu wenkosi babuthana, babona lawo madoda ukuthi umlilo awubanga namandla emizimbeni yawo, kungahamukanga lunwele olulodwa emakhanda awo, engaguqukanga amayembe awo, lingasondelanga kuwo nephunga lomlilo.

₂₈UNebukadinesari wakhuluma wathi: “Makabongwe uNkulunkulu wawoShadiraki, noMeshaki, no-Abedi 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, no-Abedi Nego ziyakuhlahlelwa, izindlu zazo zenziwe iquba, ngokuba akakho omunye unkulunkulu ongophula ngale ndlela.”

₃₀Inkosi yabaphakamisa oShadiraki, noMeshaki, no-Abedi Nego esifundeni saseBabele.