Danyela

6 UDariyasi wabona kukuhle bona abeke abondunakulu abali-120 embuswenakhe woke.+ 2 Wabeka iinkhulu ezintathu eziphakemeko bona zibe baphathi babo ukuthi ikosi ingalobi litho; uDanyela bekangomunye weenkhulwezo.+ 3 Nje-ke uDanyela wazibonakalisa angcono khulu kunezinye iinkhulu eziphakemeko nabondunakulu ngombana bekanommoya ongakajayeleki+ begodu ikosi beyifuna ukumkhuphula imbeke phezu kombuswayo woke.

4 Ngesikhatheso iinkhulu eziphakemeko nabondunakulu bezifuna izinto ezingamangalela ngazo uDanyela ngokuphathelene neendaba zombuso kodwana azange zifumane nento yinye tere ebezingammangalela ngayo namkha into ekhohlakeleko ayenzako ngombana bekathembekile begodu akukho ukuliselela namkha ikohlakalo eyafunyanwa kuye. 5 Yeke amadoda la athi: “Akunanto esizoyifumana esingamangalela ngayo uDanyelakazi lo, ngaphandle kokuthi sifumane into ephikisana nomthetho kaZimakhe.”+

6 Nje-ke iinkhulu eziphakemekwezi nabondunakulu bangena ngekosini uDariyasi basiqhema, bathi kiyo: “Bayede Kosi Dariyasi, kwanga ungaphila ngokungapheliko. 7 Boke abeluleki bekosi, iinduna, abondunakulu, iinkhulu eziphakemeko zebukhosini nababusi, bahlanganise iinhloko bona kukhutjhwe umyalo okhandelako ozokusebenza amalanga ama-30, wokobana nanyana ngubani owenza isibawo kinanyana ngimuphi uzimu namkha umuntu ngaphandle kwakho, kosi, kufuze aphoselwe ngemgodini wamabhubezi.+ 8 Nje-ke kosi, sibawa uwuphasise umyalo loyo begodu uwutlikitle+ bona ungatjhugululwa, ngokuvumelana nomthetho wamaMede namaPheresiya, ongekhe watjhugululwa.”+

9 Nje-ke ikosi uDariyasi yawutlikitla umyalo okhandelako loyo.

10 Kodwana msinyana uDanyela nakezwa bona umyalo lo utlikitliwe, wangena ngendlinakhe. Waya ekumbeni esephahleni ebeyinamafesidere avulekele ngeJerusalema.+ Kathathu ngelanga bekaguqa athandaze begodu adumise uZimakhe, njengombana bekajayele ukwenza ngaphambi kwalokhu. 11 Ngesikhatheso amadoda lawo angena aphosekile ngendlini kaDanyela amfumana ancenga begodu arabhela umusa kuZimakhe.

12 Nje-ke atjhinga ekosini ayikhumbuza ngomyalo okhandelako okhutjhwe yikosi: “Akhenge na utlikitle umyalo okhandelako othi emalangeni ama-30, nanyana ngimuphi umuntu owenza isibawo kinanyana ngimuphi uzimu namkha umuntu ngaphandle kwakho, kufuze aphoselwe ngemgodini wamabhubezi?” Ikosi yaphendula yathi: “Indaba leyo iqinisekiswe kuhle ngokuvumelana nomthetho wamaMede namaPheresiya, ongeze watjhugululwa.”+ 13 Khonokho athi ekosini: “UDanyela, ongomunye wabadingisiweko bakwaJuda,+ ukudelelile kosi, wadelela nomyalo okhandelako owutlikitlileko, ngombana uthandaza kathathu ngelanga.”+ 14 Ithe ikosi ingezwa lokho, yatshwenyeka khulu, yacabanga indlela yokusindisa uDanyela; yenza koke engakwenza bona imsindise bekwatjhinga ilanga. 15 Ekugcineni amadoda lawo angena ngekosini asiqhema, athi kiyo: “Sibawa utjheje kosi, ukuthi umthetho wamaMede namaPheresiya uthi, nanyana ngimuphi umyalo okhandelako okhutjhwa yikosi angekhe utjhugululwe.”+

16 Nje-ke ikosi yakhupha umyalo, baletha uDanyela bamphosela ngemgodini wamabhubezi.+ Ikosi yathi kuDanyela: “UZimakho ohlala umlotjha uzokusindisa.” 17 Yeke kwalethwa ilitje kwavalwa ngalo umgodi, ikosi yalitshwaya ngedzilamnwanalo enetshwayo nedzilamnwana yeenkhulu zayo, ukwenzela bona kungabi nalitho elitjhugululwako ngokuphathelene noDanyela.

18 Ngemva kwalokho ikosi yatjhinga ngesigodlweni. Yazila ukudla ubusuku boke, azange ifune nanyana yini yokuyithabisa* begodu beyingakghoni ukulala ubusuku boke. 19 Kwathi ngamarimarima, ikosi yasikima yarhabela emgodini wamabhubezi. 20 Njengombana itjhidela emgodini, yarhuwelela uDanyela ngelizwi elitlhuwisako. Ikosi yathi kuDanyela: “Danyela, nceku kaZimu ophilako, uZimakho ohlala umlotjha ukusindisile na emabhubezini?” 21 Khonokho uDanyela wathi ekosini: “Bayede kosi, kwanga ungaphila ngokungapheliko. 22 UZimami uthumele ingilozakhe bona ivale imilomo yamabhubezi,+ nje-ke awakangilimazi+ ngombana benginganamlandu kuye begodu angikenzi litho elimbi kuwe, kosi.”

23 Ikosi yathaba khulu, yayala bona uDanyela akhutjhwe ngemgodini. UDanyela nakakhutjhwa ngemgodini, bekangakalimali nakancani ngombana wathembela kuZimakhe.+

24 Ngemva kwalokho ikosi yakhupha umyalo, kwalethwa amadoda ebekamangalele uDanyela, wona, amadodanawo nabafazi bawo baphoselwa ngemgodini wamabhubezi. Athi angakafiki ekugcineni komgodi, amabhubezi ababhudungela begodu aphohloza woke amathambabo.+

25 Nje-ke iKosi uDariyasi yatlolela boke abantu, iintjhaba namalimi abahlala ephasini loke,+ yathi: “Ukuthula akwande kini! 26 Ngikhupha umyalo wokobana kizo zoke iindawo zombuswami, abantu kufuze bahlengezele ngokusaba phambi kwakaZimu kaDanyela.+ Ngombana unguZimu ophilako ohlala kuze kube nini nanini. Umbuswakhe angekhe utjhatjalaliswe begodu ubukhosi bakhe buhlala ngokungapheliko.+ 27 Uyahlenga,+ asindise begodu enze iimbonakaliso neemangaliso ezulwini nephasini+ ngombana usindise uDanyela emandleni wamabhubezi.”

28 Ngalokho uDanyela waphumelela embusweni kaDariyasi+ nembusweni kaKoretjhi umPheresiya.+