Abangani bakaDanyela bangekehleni yomlilo
1Ikosi uNebukadinetsari yenza isithombesibunjwa segolide. Ukuphakama kwaso bekungaba mamitha amatjhumi amabili nalikhomba, ububanzi baso bumamitha amabili nesiquntu. Yasibeka ecabazini leDura esifundeni seBhabheli. 2Nje-ke yathumela umlayezo bonyana kubizelwe ndawonye amakhosana angaphasi kwayo, abaphathi beemfunda, ababusi, abeluleki, abososikhwama, abagwebi, iye, iinkhulu zoke zeemfunda, kobana zize emnyanyeni wokuvulwa kwesithombesibunjwa ikosi uNebukadinetsari esijamisilekweso. 3Mbala, amakhosana angaphasi kwayo, abaphathi beemfunda, ababusi, abeluleki, abososikhwama, abagwebi, iye, iinkhulu zoke zeemfunda zahlangana kobana ziye emnyanyeni wokuvulwa kwesithombesibunjwa ikosi uNebukadinetsari egade isijamisile. Zafese zajama phambi kwesithombe sakaNebukadinetsareso. 4Yeke ummemezeli wamemezela ngamandla wathi: “Nina bantu, sizwe namalimi, lalelani la, niyayalwa 5kobana akuthi lokha nanizwa ukulila kwepalapala, inghwani, imihlobohlobo yamaharibha kanye nemihlobohlobo yeenliliso, niguqe nilotjhe isithombesibunjwa segolide esijanyiswe yikosi uNebukadinetsari. 6Loyo ongafuni ukuguqa alotjhe, uzakuphoselwa khonokho ngekehleni yomlilo.”
7Nje-ke, kwathi lokha nakuzwakala ukulila kwepalapala, inghwani, imihlobohlobo yamaharibha kanye nemihlobohlobo yeenliliso, boke abantu, amalimi nezizwe zaguqa, zalotjha isithombesibunjwa segolide ikosi uNebukadinetsari egade isijamisile.
8Ngesikhatheso kweza ezinye zezazi zamaKasidi zazokumangalela amaJuda. 9Zona zathi ekosini uNebukadinetsari: “Kosi, phila siphile! 10Wena kosi ukhuphe isimemezelo sokuthi woke umuntu nakezwa ukulila kwepalapala, inghwani, imihlobohlobo yamaharibha kanye nemihlobohlobo yeenliliso kufuze aguqe alotjhe isithombesibunjwa segolide 11bekuthi loyo ongaguqi alotjhe, uzakuphoselwa ngekehleni yomlilo. 12Manje, kunamaJuda athileko owawabeka kobana engamele iindaba zesifunda seBhabheli, okutjho uTjhedreke, uMitjhaka no-Abhedinigo. Nje-ke kosi, amadoda la akakuthatheli ehloko ngombana akesabi abozimu bakho namkha alotjhe isithombesibunjwa segolide osijamisileko.”
13Nje-ke uNebukadinetsari wafuthelana bewayala kobana kulethwe uTjhedreke, uMitjhaka no-Abhedinigo. Kwathi amadoda lawo nakalethwa phambi kwekosi, 14uNebukadinetsari wathi kiwo: “Wena Tjhedreke, Mitjhaka, nawe Abhedinigo, ingabe kuliqiniso bona mbala nina anilotjhi abozimu bami namkha isithombesibunjwa segolide engisijamisileko na? 15Manje, nakube nilungele ukuguqa nilotjhe isithombe engisenzilekwesi, lokha nanizwa ukulila kwepalapala, inghwani, imihlobohlobo yamaharibha kanye nemihlobohlobo yeenliliso, kuzakuba kuhle lokho. Kodwana nakube anilotjhi, masinyana nizokuphoselwa ngekehleni yomlilo. Alo, ngimuphi uzimu ozonisindisa esandleni sami?”
16UTjhedreke, uMitjhaka no-Abhedinigo baphendula ikosi bathi: “Nebukadinetsari, akudingeki bona thina sikuphendule ngendaba le. 17Nakube silahlelwa emlilwenapho, uZimethu esimesabako uyakwazi ukusisindisa ekehleni yomlilo begodu uzosisindisa esandleni sakho, kosi. 18Nanyana lokho kungasenzeki, akwazeke kuwe kosi, bonyana thina angeze salotjha abozinyana bakho besiguqele isithombesibunjwa segolide osijamisileko.”
19UNebukadinetsari wabila khulu ngalokho nobuso bakhe batjhuguluka, wanyukubala ngoTjhedreke, uMitjhaka no-Abhedinigo. Nje-ke wayala bonyana ikehla yomlilo ibaselelwe ngokubuyelelwe kalikhomba kunalokho okujayelekileko. 20Wabiza iindlakela ezithileko zamadoda webutho lakhe kobana azokubopha uTjhedreke, uMitjhaka no-Abhedinigo abaphosele ngekehleni yomlilo. 21Nje-ke abotjhwa amadoda la, embethe iimphuraphura, amabhrugu, imibhode nezinye izambatho, aphoselwa ngekehleni yomlilo. 22Njengombana umyalo wekosi gade uqinile nekehla ibabula khulu, amalangabi womlilo abulala amadoda agade aphosela uTjhedreke, uMitjhaka no-Abhedinigo ngekehleni. 23Kodwana amadoda lawo uTjhedreke, uMitjhaka no-Abhedinigo, awela ngekehleni yomlilo asabotjhiwe njalo.
24Nje-ke ikosi uNebukadinetsari yethuka khulu. Yasikima masinyana yathi ebelulekini bayo: “Kanti asikaphoseli amadoda amathathu abotjhiweko ngemlilweni na?” Bona baphendula ikosi bathi: “Kosi, kunjalo!” 25Yona yathi: “Baba-ke! Qalani ngibona amadoda amane atjhaphulukileko, akhambakhamba ngemlilweni begodu akakathinteki ndawo. Indoda yesine engiyibonako ifana nendodana yeendalwa zezulu.” 26Nje-ke uNebukadinetsari watjhidela etjhubeni lekehla yomlilo wathi: “Tjhedreke, Mitjhaka, Abhedinigo, nina nceku zakaZimu oPhezulu, phumani nize lapha!” Ngalokho uTjhedreke, uMitjhaka no-Abhedinigo baphuma ngekehleni yomlilo.
27Lokha amakhosana angaphasi kwakhe, abaphathi beemfunda, ababusi nabeluleki nabahlanganako, bafese babona bonyana umlilo akhange uthinte imizimba yamadoda lawo, ngitjho iinhluthu nezambatho zawo azange zirhabuke namkha kuzwakale umnuko wekghode phezu kwawo. 28Yeke uNebukadinetsari wathi: “Akudunyiswe uZimu kaTjhedreke, uMitjhaka no-Abhedinigo othumele ingilozakhe, watjhaphulula iinceku zakhe ezethembe yena. Zaphayela umyalo wekosi eqadi bezadela imizimbazo kobana zingesabi namkha zilotjhe nanyana ngiwuphi uzinyana ngaphandle kwakaZimazo. 29Ngalokho ngikhupha isimemezelo: Nanyana ngibaphi abantu, isizwe namkha ilimi elikhuluma kumbi ngoZimu kaTjhedreke, uMitjhaka no-Abhedinigo, abantwabo bazakuhlahlelwa iinquqwana nemizabo yenziwe amarubhi ngombana mbala akakho omunye uzimu onamandla wokusindisa ngendlela enje.”
30Ngokunjalo-ke esifundeni seBhabheli, ikosi yaphakamisa uTjhedreke, uMitjhaka no-Abhedinigo.
