Umtlolo ebodeni
1Ikosi uBhelitjhatsari yenza umgidi omkhulu weenkhulu eziyikulungwana beyasela iwayini phambi kweenkulungwanezo.
2Kuthe lokha uBhelitjhatsari nasele anandiphe iwayini, wayala bonyana kulethwe izitja zegolide nezesiliva ebezithunjwe nguyise uNebukadinetsari ethempelini leJerusalema. Zalethwa kobana ikosi, iinkhulu zayo, abomkayo nemingenayo bazokusela ngazo. 3Mbala, kwalethwa izitja zegolide nezesiliva ebezithunjwe ethempelini, iye, endlini kaZimu eJerusalema. Ikosi neenkhulu zayo, abomkayo nemingenayo basela ngazo. 4Basela iwayini badumisa abozinyana begolide nebesiliva, bekoporo, besimbi, besigodo nebelitje.
5Masinyana khonapho kwabonakala imino yesandla somuntu, yatlola phezu kwepembe ebodeni lesigodlo sebukhosini hlanu kwelithi lesibani. Ikosi yabona ingcenye yesandleso ilokhu itlola njalo. 6Nje-ke ubuso bekosi batjhuguluka bebaphaphatheka ngevalo, umzimbayo wanyefa namadolo ageba. 7Yarhuwelela kobana kubizwe ababhuli, izazi zamaKasidi nezanusi. Yakhuluma neenhlakaniphi zeBhabheli yathi: “Nanyana ngubani ongafunda umtlolo lo, angiphe nehlathululwawo uzakwembathiswa ezibubende, afakwe neketani yegolide entanyenakhe abe enziwe umbusi wesithathu embusweni.”
8Zatheleka zoke iinhlakaniphi zekosi, kodwana akhange zikwazi ukufunda umtlolo namkha zinikele ikosi ihlathululo. 9Nje-ke ikosi uBhelitjhatsari beyithuke khulu nobuso bayo buphaphathekile neenkhulu zayo zirarekile.
10Kuthe bonyana indlovukazi izwe amezwi wekosi neenkhulu zayo, yeza ngemgidini yafese yathi: “Phila kosi siphile! Ungavumeli umkhumbulwakho ukuhlubayeze ngebanga lendaba le begodu ungabonakali uphaphathekile! 11Qala, embuswenakhwapha kunomuntu onommoya wabozimu abacwengileko. Emihleni kayihlo, umkhanyo, ukuzwisisa nobuhlakani, iye, ngitjho ukuhlakanipha okunjengokwabozimu bekufunyanwa kuye. Nje-ke, ingwenyama uNebukadinetsari uyihlo, wamenza bonyana engamele abosomlingo, ababhuli, izazi zamaKasidi nezanusi, iye, ngitjho uyihlo wena kosi! 12Ummoya odluleleko, ilwazi nokuzwisisa ekuhlathululeni amabhudango, ukwembula iimfihlakalo nokurarulula imiraro kwafunyanwa kuDanyela, umuntu ikosi eyamthiya bona nguBhelithetjhatsari. Yeke akubizwe uDanyela loyo; yena azokuhlathulula ibhudangwelo.”
13Nje-ke uDanyela walethwa phambi kwekosi. Ikosi yathi kuye: “Ingabe wena unguDanyela loyo ongomunye wabathunjwa bakwaJuda, ubaba ikosi eyabathatha kwaJuda na? 14Ngizwile ngawe bonyana ummoya wabozimu abacwengileko ukuwe nokobana umkhanyo, ukuzwisisa nobuhlakani obudluleleko bufunyenwe kuwe. 15Manje ndoda, iinhlakaniphi nababhuli balethiwe kimapha bonyana bazokufunda umtlolo bebangiphe nehlathululwawo; kodwana bahlulekile ukungipha ihlathululo yendaba le. 16Nje-ke ngizwile bonyana wena uhlathulula begodu urarulula imiraro. Nawungangifundela umtlolo lo bese ungihlathululela wona, uzakwembathiswa ezibubende, ufakwe neketani yegolide entanyeni bewubekwe ube mbusi wesithathu embusweni.”
17UDanyela waphendula aphambi kwekosi wathi: “Ikosi ayizilondele izipho zayo bese imivuzo iyinikele omunye. Nanyana kunjalo, ikosi ngizayifundela umtlolo bengiyiphe nehlathululo. 18Manje-ke kosi, uZimu ongoPhezulu wanikela uNebukadinetsari uyihlo ubukhosi, ubukhulu, idumo nephazimulo. 19Nje-ke ngebanga lobukhulu amnikela bona; boke abantu, amalimi nezizwe bezithuthumela zesaba phambi kwakhe. Nanyana ngubani athanda ukumbulala bekambulala, kuthi loyo athanda bona aphile, amlise aphile; aphakamise athanda ukumphakamisa, ehlise athanda ukumehlisa. 20Kodwana kwathi lokha ihliziywakhe nayithoma ukuphakama nommoyakhe sele uqinile ngokuzikhukhumeza, wehliswa esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi nedumo lakhe lasuswa kuye. 21Waqotjhwa emphakathini, umkhumbulwakhe waba njengowesilwana nendawakhe yokuhlala yaba hlangana nabodumbana bommango. Wadla utjani njengekomo, umzimbakhe waba manzi ngombethe womkayi, ukufikela lapha alemuka khona bonyana uZimu ongoPhezulu unamandla phezu kwemibuso yababhubhako begodu ubeka phezu kwayo nanyana ngubani amthandako. 22Kodwana wena kosi, Bhelitjhatsari ndodanakhe, akhange uzithobe nanyana ukwazile lokho. 23Kunalokho uziphakamisile kuMbusi wezulwini: Izitja zethempeli lakhe zilethwe phambi kwakho, kwathi wena neenkhulu zakho, abomkakho nemingenakho nasela iwayini ngazo. Godu wena kosi ubuye wadumisa abozinyana besiliva nebegolide, bekoporo, besimbi, besigodo nebelitje; iye, labo abangaboniko, abangezwako nabanganalwazi. Kodwana uZimu ophethe ukuphila kwakho kanye neendlela zakho zoke, akhange umhloniphe. 24Nje-ke kungalokho kwathunyelwa isandla esivela kuye kobana sitlole umtlolo lo.
25“Naku umtlolo owatlolwako:
“Mene, mene, tekele ufarsini.
26“Ihlathululo yamagama lawo ngile:
“Mene – UZimu sewuwabalile amalanga wokubusa kwakho.
27Tekele – Ulinganisiwe esilinganisweni wafunyanwa ulula.
28Ufarsini – Umbuswakho uhlukanisiwe bewanikelwa amaMede namaPheresiya.”
29Nje-ke uBhelitjhatsari wakhupha umyalo, uDanyela wembathiswa ezibubende, kwafakwa iketani yegolide entanyenakhe bekwakhutjhwa nesimemezelo ngaye kobana kufuze abekwe abe mbusi wesithathu embusweni.
30Khona ngobusukobo uBhelitjhatsari ikosi yamaKasidi wahlongakala. 31UDariyasi umMede ogade asele aneminyaka engaba matjhumi asithandathu nambili ubudala, wathatha umbuso.
