Iphupho likaNebukadinesari ngomuthi
1UNebukadinesari inkosi kubo bonke abantu, nezizwe, nezilimi ezakhe 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 incazelo yephupho. 7Zase zifika izanusi, nabathwebulayo, namaKaledi, nabahlola imihlola, ngabatshela iphupho, kepha abangazisanga incazelo yalo. 8Kodwa ngasekugcineni kwangena uDaniyeli phambi kwami ogama lakhe linguBeliteshasari njengegama likankulunkulu wami, okuye umoya wawonkulunkulu abangcwele; ngamtshela iphupho, ngathi:
9“Beliteshasari, 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.
13“Ngabona 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, simanziswe ngamazolo ezulu, isabelo saso sibe nezilwane zasetshanini bomhlaba; 16inhliziyo yakhe iyakuguqulwa ingabi ngeyomuntu, aphiwe inhliziyo yesilwane, kudlule izikhathi eziyisikhombisa phezu kwakhe.
17“ ‘Kunqunyiwe ngesimemezelo sabalindi nangesiyalezo sezwi labangcwele ukuba abaphilayo bazi ukuthi oPhezukonke ubusa imibuso yabantu, ayinike amthandayo, amise phezu kwayo ophansi phakathi kwabantu.’
18“Leli phupho ngalibona mina Nebukadinesari; wena Beliteshasari, yisho incazelo, njengokuba bonke abahlakaniphileyo bombuso wami bengazi ukungazisa incazelo; 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, nezinyoni zezulu zakha emagatsheni awo: 22nguwe nkosi okhulile waqina, ngokuba ubukhulu bakho bukhulile bufinyelele ezulwini nokubusa kwakho kuze kube sekugcineni komhlaba.
23“Njengalokho inkosi yabona umlindi ongcwele ehla ezulwini, ethi: ‘Gawula umuthi, uwuchithe, kepha shiya isiqu sezimpande zawo emhlabathini, sinesibopho sensimbi nesethusi, ohlazeni lwasendle, simanziswe ngamazolo ezulu, isabelo saso sibe nezilwane zasendle, kuze kudlule izikhathi eziyisikhombisa phezu kwaso,’ 24nansi incazelo, nkosi: kuyisimemezelo soPhezukonke esiyehlele inkosi yami, inkosi, 25sokuthi uyakuxoshwa kubantu, inhlalo yakho ibe nezilwane zasendle, udliswe utshani njengezinkabi, umanziswe 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 ngokuba nomusa kwabampofu; mhlawumbe kungelulwa ukuthula kwakho.”
28Konke lokho kwamehlela uNebukadinesari. 29Ngasekugcineni kwezinyanga eziyishumi nambili wayehamba endlini yamakhosi eBabele. 30Inkosi yathatha yathi: “Angithi yileli Babele 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 leso sikhathi le nto yagcwaliseka phezu kukaNebukadinesari: waxoshwa kubantu, wadliswa utshani njengezinkabi, umzimba wakhe wamanziswa ngamazolo ezulu, zaze zakhula izinwele zakhe njengezimpaphe zezinkozi nezinzipho zakhe njengamazipho ezinyoni.
34Ngasekugcineni kwezinsuku mina Nebukadinesari 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 abakhe emhlabeni bashaywa ize;
uyenza njengentando yakhe empini yasezulwini
naphakathi kwabakhileyo emhlabeni;
akakho ongavimbela isandla sakhe,
noma athi kuye: “Wenzani na?”
36Ngasona leso sikhathi 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.
