Danyela

4 “Ivela eKosini uNebukadinetsari iya kibo boke abantu, iintjhaba nabantu bawo woke amalimi abahlala kilo loke iphasi: Ukuthula kwenu akwande! 2 Kuyangithabisa ukumemezela kini iimbonakaliso neemangaliso uZimu oPhezukoke azenze kimi. 3 Maye! Zikulu kangangani iimbonakaliso zakhe begodu zinamandla kangangani iimangaliso zakhe. Umbuswakhe uhlala ngokungapheliko nobukhosi bakhe ngebeenzukulwana neenzukulwana.+

4 “Mina Nebukadinetsari bengizigedlile kwami nginepumelelo esigodlweni sami. 5 Ngaba nebhudango elangithusa khulu. Ngisalele embhedenami, iinthombe nemibono engiyibonileko kwangithusa.+ 6 Nje-ke ngakhupha umyalo wokobana kulethwe kimi woke amadoda ahlakaniphileko weBhabhiloni bona azongihlathululela ibhudangwelo.+

7 “Ngesikhatheso kwangena abaphristi ababosomlingo, ababhuli, amaKhaledi* nabathukula ngeenkwekwezi.+ Ngithe nangibatjela ngebhudangwelo, babhalelwa kungihlathululela lona.+ 8 Ekugcineni kwangena phambi kwami uDanyela, loyo igama lakhe kunguBhelithetjhatsari+ othiyelelwe ngegama lakazimami+ begodu onommoya wabozimu abacwengileko,+ ngamtjela ngebhudangwelo:

9 “‘Bhelithetjhatsari nduna yabaphristi ababosomlingo,+ ngazi kuhle ukuthi unommoya wabozimu abacwengileko+ nokuthi ayikho ifihlo ebudisi kuwe.+ Nje-ke ngihlathululela imibono engiyibone ebhudangweni lami nokuthi itjho ukuthini.

10 “‘Emibonweni engifikele ngisalele embhedenami, ngabona umuthi+ ekabeni yephasi, bewumude ngokurarako.+ 11 Umuthi lo wakhula, wadzimelela, isitlhori sawo safika ezulwini begodu bewubonakala nemaphethelweni walo loke iphasi. 12 Amakarawo bewamahle, uneenthelo ezinengi begodu unokudla kwabo boke. Iimbandana bezihlala emthunzinawo, iinyoni zomkayi bezakhela eempandeni zawo begodu zoke iimbunjwa bezidla kiwo.

13 “‘Nangisaqale imibono le ngisalele embhedenami, ngabona isithunywa,* ocwengileko, ehla avela ezulwini.+ 14 Warhuwelela khulu, wathi: “Quntani umuthi loyo,+ quntani iimpande zawo, thintithani amakarawo nihlakaze neenthelo zawo! Iimbandana azibaleke ngaphasi kwawo neenyoni azisuke eempandeni zawo. 15 Kodwana tjhiyani isidindi nemirabhaso ehlabathini, nisibophe ngebhande lesimbi nekhopha hlangana notjani bemmangweni. Asithanjiswe mbethe wezulwini, sihlale neembandana hlangana neentjalo zephasi.+ 16 Ihliziywaso yomuntu ayitjhugululwe ibe ngeyesibandana begodu akudlule iinkhathi ezilikhomba+ phezu kwaso.+ 17 Umyalo lo uza ngeenthunywa,*+ nesibawesi siza ngelizwi labacwengileko, bona abantu abaphilako bazi ukuthi oPhezukoke uMbusi embusweni wabantu+ nokuthi uwunikela nanyana ngubani afuna ukumnikela wona, begodu kiwo ubeka ngitjho nomuntu onyazeka kunabo boke.”

18 “‘Ngilelo-ke ibhudango mina Kosi Nebukadinetsari engilibhudangileko, nje-ke wena Bhelithetjhatsari, ngihlathululela lona ngombana woke amanye amadoda ahlakaniphileko wembuswenami abhalelwe ukungihlathululela lona.+ Kodwana wena ungakghona ngombana unommoya wabozimu abacwengileko.’

19 “Ngesikhatheso uDanyela, loyo igama lakhe kunguBhelithetjhatsari,+ warhidlwa livalo isikhatjhana nemicabangwakhe yathoma ukumthusa.

“Ikosi yathi kuye, ‘Bhelithetjhatsari ungavumeli ibhudangweli nehlathululwalo kukuthuse.’

“UBhelithetjhatsari waphendula wathi, ‘Kosami, kwanga ibhudangweli lingasebenza kilabo abakuhloyileko nehlathululwalo isebenze emanabenakho.

20 “‘Umuthi owubonileko, owakhula khulu, wadzimelela, isitlhori sawo safika ezulwini, wabonakala ephasini loke,+ 21 ebewunamakari amahle, iinthelo ezinengi, nokudla kwabo boke, iimbandana ebezikhosela kiwo, lowo iinyoni zomkayi ebezakhela eempandeni zawo,+ 22 nguwe kosi, ngombana ukhule khulu, wadzimelela begodu iphazimulwakho ikhule beyayokufika ezulwini+ nobukhosi bakho bafika emaphethelweni wephasi.+

23 “‘Ikosi yabona isithunywa,* ocwengileko+ ehla avela ezulwini, obekathi: “Quntani umuthi loyo niwutjhabalalise, kodwana tjhiyani isidindi nemirabhaso ehlabathini, nisibophe ngebhande lesimbi nekhopha hlangana notjani bemmangweni. Asithanjiswe mbethe wezulwini, begodu sihlale neembandana bekudlule iinkhathi ezilikhomba phezu kwaso.”+ 24 Nasi ihlathululwalo kosi; ibhudangweli limyalo ovela koPhezukoke walokho okufuze kwehlele umphathami, ikosi. 25 Uzokuqothwa hlangana nabantu, begodu uzokuhlala neembandana, uzokudla utjani njengeenkomo; uzokuthanjiswa mbethe wezulwini+ begodu kuzokudlula iinkhathi ezilikhomba phezu kwakho,+ bekube kulapho wazi khona ukuthi oPhezukoke uMbusi embusweni wabantu nokuthi uwunikela nanyana ngubani afuna ukumnikela wona.+

26 “‘Kodwana njengombana kuthiwe kutjhiywe isiqu somuthi nemirabhaso,+ umbuswakho uzokuba ngowakho godu nasele wazi ukuthi uZimu uyabusa ezulwini. 27 Nje-ke kosi, kwanga iseluleko sami singamukeleka kuwe. Tjhuguluka ezonweni zakho ngokwenza okulungileko, nekukhohlakaleni kwakho ngokuthi ube nesirhawu kwabadududu. Mhlamunye ipumelelwakho izakungezelelwa.’”+

28 Koke lokhu kwehlela iKosi uNebukadinetsari.

29 Ngemva kweenyanga ezilitjhumi nambili, ikosi beyikhamba emfulelweni wesigodlo seBhabhiloni. 30 Ikosi beyithi: “Kghani le akusiliBhabhiloni eliKhulu engilakhele indlu yobukhosi ngamandlami nengilakhele iphazimulo yobukhosi bami?”

31 Ikosi ithe ingakaliginyi lelo, kwazwakala ilizwi livela ezulwini lathi: “Kuthiwa kuwe, Kosi Nebukadinetsari, ‘Umbuso uthethwe kuwe,+ 32 uyaqothwa ebantwini. Uzokuhlala neembandana, uzokudla utjani njengeenkomo, begodu kuzokudlula iinkhathi ezilikhomba phezu kwakho, bekube kulapho wazi khona ukuthi oPhezukoke uMbusi embusweni wabantu begodu uwunikela nanyana ngubani afuna ukumnikela wona.’”+

33 Khonokho ilizwelo lazaliseka kuNebukadinetsari. Waqothwa ebantwini, wadla utjani njengeenkomo, umzimbakhe wathanjiswa mbethe wezulwini, bekwaba kulapho iinhluthu zakhe ziba zide njengeensiba zekhozi begodu iinzipho zakhe zafana neenzipho zeenyoni.+

34 “Kuthe nakuphela isikhatheso+ mina Nebukadinetsari, ngaqala ezulwini, ngabuyelwa mkhumbulo; ngadumisa bengaphazimulisa oPhezukoke ophila ngokungapheliko, ngombana ubukhosi bakhe buhlala ngokungapheliko nombuswakhe ngoweenzukulwana neenzukulwana.+ 35 Zoke izakhamuzi zephasi ziqalwa njengezingasililitho begodu wenza ngokuvumelana nentandwakhe hlangana nebutho lezulwini nezakhamuzini zephasi. Akakho ongamvimba+ namkha athi kuye, ‘Wenzani?’+

36 “Khonokho ngabuyelwa mkhumbulo, ubukhazikhazi bombuswami, ubukhosi bami, nephazimulwami kwabuyela kimi.+ Ngafunwa beluleki bami neenkhulu, ngabuyiselwa embuswenami begodu kwangezelelwa ubukhulu kimi.

37 “Nje-ke mina Nebukadinetsari, ngidumisa, ngiphakamise bengiphazimulise iKosi yezulwini+ ngombana yoke imisebenzayo iliqiniso neendlela zayo zilungile+ nangombana ikghona ukuhlazisa abazikhakhazisako.”+