Umkhuleko kaDaniyeli
1Ngomnyaka wokuqala kaDariyu indodana ka-Ahashiveroshi, wozalo lwamaMede, owabekwa inkosi phezu kombuso wamaKaledi, 2ngomnyaka wokuqala wokubusa kwakhe mina Daniyeli ngaqonda ngezincwadi umumo weminyaka elakhuluma ngawo izwi likaJehova kuJeremiya umprofethi ukuba kupheleliswe ukuchithwa kweJerusalema, iminyaka engamashumi ayisikhombisa. 3Ngase ngibhekisa ubuso bami kuyo iNkosi uNkulunkulu ukuba ngikhuleke, nginxuse ngokuzila ukudla, nangendwangu yamasaka, nangomlotha.
4Ngakhuleka kuJehova uNkulunkulu wami, ngavuma ngathi:
“O Nkosi, Nkulunkulu omkhulu nowesabekayo, ogcina isivumelwano nomusa kwabamthandayo nabagcina imiyalo yakhe, 5sonile, siziphathe kabi, senzile okubi, sihlubukile, sachezuka emiyalweni yakho nasezahlulelweni zakho; 6asilalelanga izinceku zakho abaprofethi ezazikhuluma egameni lakho emakhosini ethu, nasezikhulwini zethu, nakobaba, nakubo bonke abantu bezwe.
7“Kuwena Nkosi kukhona ukulunga, kepha kithina amahloni obuso njenganamuhla: kubantu bakwaJuda, nakwabakhileyo eJerusalema, nakuye wonke u-Israyeli, abaseduze nabakude, kuwo onke amazwe obahlakazele kuwo ngenxa yezeqo zabo abeqe ngazo kuwe. 8Jehova, kithina kukhona amahloni obuso: kuwo amakhosi ethu, nakuzo izikhulu zethu, nakobaba, ngokuba sonile kuwe. 9Kepha kuyo iNkosi, uNkulunkulu wethu, kukhona umusa nokuthethelela; ngokuba simhlubukile, 10asililalelanga izwi likaJehova uNkulunkulu wethu ukuba sihambe ngemithetho yakhe ayibeka phambi kwethu ngezinceku zakhe abaprofethi. 11Wonke u-Israyeli weqile umthetho wakho, echezuka ukuze bangalilaleli izwi lakho; ngalokho isiqalekiso sithululwe phezu kwethu kanye nesifungo esilotshiwe emthethweni kaMose inceku kaNkulunkulu, ngokuba sonile kuye. 12Uqinisile amazwi akhe awakhuluma ngathi nangabahluleli bethu abasahlulelayo ngokusehlisela okubi okukhulu, ngokuba phansi kwezulu lonke akwenziwanga njengokwenziwe kulo iJerusalema. 13Njengokulotshiweyo emthethweni kaMose konke lokhu okubi kusehlele, nokho asincenganga ebusweni bukaJehova uNkulunkulu wethu ukuba siphenduke ebubini bethu, siqonde iqiniso lakho. 14UJehova wayesebulinda ububi, wasehlisela bona, ngokuba uJehova uNkulunkulu wethu ulungile emisebenzini yakhe yonke ayenzayo, kepha asililalelanga izwi lakhe.
15“Manje, Nkosi, Nkulunkulu wethu, wena owakhipha abantu bakho ezweni laseGibithe ngesandla esinamandla, wazenzela igama njenganamuhla, sonile, senzile okubi. 16Nkosi, ngakho konke ukulunga kwakho mawubuyise intukuthelo yakho nokufutheka kwakho emzini waseJerusalema, intaba yakho engcwele, ngokuba ngenxa yezono zethu nangobubi bawobaba iJerusalema nabantu bakho sebe yihlazo kubo bonke abasizungezayo.
17“Kalokhu, Nkulunkulu wethu, yizwa umkhuleko wenceku yakho nokunxusa kwayo, ukhanyise ubuso bakho phezu kwendlu yakho engcwele, echithakele ngenxa yeNkosi. 18Nkulunkulu wami, beka indlebe yakho, uzwe; vula amehlo akho, ubheke izincithakalo zethu nomuzi obizwe ngegama lakho, ngokuba asilethi ukunxusa kwethu phambi kwakho ngenxa yokulunga kwethu kepha ngomusa wakho omkhulu. 19Nkosi, yizwa; Nkosi, thethelela; Nkosi, lalela, wenze; ungalibali ngenxa yakho, Nkulunkulu wami, ngokuba umuzi nabantu bakho babizwe ngegama lakho.”
20Ngisakhuluma ngikhuleka, ngivuma izono zami nezono zabantu bakithi u-Israyeli, ngiletha ukunxusa kwami phambi kukaJehova uNkulunkulu wami ngentaba engcwele kaNkulunkulu wami, 21yebo, ngisakhuluma ngomkhuleko, lowo muntu uGabriyeli engambona embonweni kuqala, endiziswa ngokushesha, wangithinta ngesikhathi somnikelo wakusihlwa. 22Wangiqondisa, wakhuluma nami, wathi: “Daniyeli, sengiphumile ukukuhlakaniphisa nokukuqondisa. 23Ekuqaleni kokunxusa kwakho izwi lavela; sengifikile ukukutshela, ngokuba uthandekile; ngalokho qonda leli zwi, uqonde nombono.
24“Amasonto angamashumi ayisikhombisa anqunyelwe abantu bakho nomuzi wakho ongcwele ukuqeda iziphambeko, nokukhawula izono, nokwenza ukubuyisana ngobubi, nokungenisa ukulunga okuphakade, nokunamathelisa umbono nesiprofetho, nokugcoba indlu engcwelengcwele.
25“Ngalokho yazi, uqonde ukuthi, kusukela ekuphumeni kwezwi lokubuyisa nokwakha iJerusalema kuze kufike ogcotshiweyo, umbusi, kuyakuba ngamasonto ayisikhombisa, lihlale lakhiwe, izitaladi zalo nogange lwalo, amasonto angamashumi ayisithupha nambili nasesikhathini sokuhlupheka. 26Emva kwalawo masonto angamashumi ayisithupha nambili ogcotshiweyo uyakunqunywa angabi namuntu; umuzi nendlu engcwele kuyakuchithwa ngabantu bombusi ozayo, ukuphela kwakho kube sesikhukhuleni, kube ngukulwa kuze kube sekugcineni; incithakalo inqunyiwe. 27Uyakuqinisa isivumelwano nabaningi isonto libe linye, imihlatshelo neminikelo ikhawuke phakathi kwesonto, kufike incithakalo ngephiko lesinengiso, kuze kuphele okunqunyiweyo, kuthululelwe phezu komchithi.”
