UDaniyeli nabahlobo bakhe abathathu ekuthinjweni eBhabheli
1Ngomnyaka wesithathu wobukumkani bukaYehoyakim ukumkani wakwaYuda, kweza uNebhukadenetsare ukumkani waseBhabheli eYerusalem, wayingqinga. 2INkosi yamnikela uYehoyakim ukumkani wakwaYuda esandleni sakhe, nenxalenye yeempahla zendlu kaThixo, awazithwalela ezweni laseShinare, endlwini yothixo wakhe; iimpahla ezo wazingenisa endlwini yobuncwane bothixo wakhe.
3Wathi ukumkani kuAshpenazi, umthetheli-mathenwa akhe, makazìse abakoonyana bakaSirayeli, nabembewu yakwakumkani, nabakumawaba; 4abantwana abangenasiphako, abanomkhitha, ababuqiqileyo ubulumko bonke, abanokwazi, abanokuyiqonda bayazi into, abafanele ukuma ebhotweni lokumkani; abafùndise incwadi nolwimi lwamaKaledi. 5Ukumkani wabamisela umamkeliso wemini ngangemini yawo, ekudleni kokumkani nasewayinini ayiselayo, ukuze bondliwe iminyaka emithathu; bathi ekupheleni kwayo beme phambi kokumkani.
6Ke phakathi kwabo abo kwaye kukho abakoonyana bakaYuda, inguDaniyeli, noHananiya, noMishayeli, noAzariya. 7Umthetheli-mathenwa wabathiya amagama; uDaniyeli wamthiya elokuba nguBheletshatsare, uHananiya elokuba nguShadraki, uMishayeli elokuba nguMeshaki, uAzariya elokuba nguAbhede-nego.
OoDaniyeli bala ukutya kukakumkani
8Ke kaloku, uDaniyeli wayegqibe entliziyweni yakhe, ukuba angàzingcolisi ngokudla kokumkani nangewayini ayiselayo; wacela kumthetheli-mathenwa ukuba angàzingcolisi. 9UThixo wenza uDaniyeli ukuba afumane inceba nemfesane phambi komthetheli-mathenwa. 10Umthetheli-mathenwa wathi kuDaniyeli, Ndiyayoyika inkosi yam ukumkani, omise eniya kukudla neniya kukusela; yini na ukuba abubone ubuso benu buthe matshamatsha kunobabayá baziintanga zenu? Noyizekisa ityala intloko yam kukumkani.
11Wathi uDaniyeli kwinjoli, abethe umthetheli-mathenwa wayimisa phezu koDaniyeli, noHananiya, noMishayeli, noAzariya, 12Khawubalinge abakhonzi bakho iintsuku ezilishumi, sinikwe sidle imifuno, sisele namanzi; 13kukhangelwe phambi kwakho ukubonakala kwethu, nokubonakala kwabantwana abadla ukudla kokumkani; wenze ke kubakhonzi bakho njengoko uboné ngako.
14Yabaphulaphula ke kweli lizwi, yabalinga iintsuku ezilishumi. 15Ekupheleni kweentsuku ezilishumi, yabonakala imbonakalo yabo intle, betyebile, ngaphezu kwabantwana bonke abadla ukudla kokumkani. 16Yakúsusa ke injoli ukudla kwabo, newayini abange beyisela, yabanika imifuno.
OoDaniyeli bayabagqitha abanye ngomzimba nangengqondo
17Abo bantwana bané uThixo wabanika ukwazi, nokuziqonda iincwadi zonke, nobulumko; uDaniyeli waba nokuyiqonda imibono yonke, namaphupha. 18Ekupheleni kweentsuku, abethe ukumkani maze baziswe ngazo, umthethelimathenwa wabangenisa ke phambi koNebhukadenetsare. 19Ukumkani wathetha nabo; kubo bonke bephela àkufumanekanga banjengoDaniyeli, noHananiya, noMishayeli, noAzariya. Bema ke bona phambi kokumkani. 20Ke kuzo zonke iindawo zobulumko bokuqonda, abezibuza kubo ukumkani, wabafumana bebadlula ngokukalishumi zonke izazi nabakhwitsi abasebukumkanini bonke.
21Ke kaloku uDaniyeli waba lapho, kwada kwangumnyaka wokuqala kaKoreshi ukumkani.
