Iphupho LikaNebukhadinezari Ngesihlahla
1UNebukhadinezari inkosi, kubo bonke abantu, izizwe, nezilimi ezakhe emhlabeni wonke: ukuthula makwande kini.
2Kube kuhle kimi ukuba nginazise ngezibonakaliso nezimangaliso uNkulunkulu oPhezukonke azenzileyo kimi.
3Maye, zinkulu kangakanani
izibonakaliso zakhe!
Maye, zinamandla izimangaliso zakhe!
Umbuso wakhe ngumbuso ongunaphakade,
nokubusa kwakhe kungokwezizukulwane
ngezizukulwane.
4Mina Nebukhadinezari ngangihlezi ngokuthula, ngitamasa esigodlweni sami. 5Ngase ngifikelwa yiphupho, langethusa; imicabango embhedeni wami nemibono emqondweni wami yangesabisa. 6Ngakho-ke, ngakhipha isimemezelo sokuba balethwe phambi kwami bonke abahlakaniphileyo baseBhabhele, ukuze bangazise incazelo yephupho. 7Kwase kufika izanusi, abathwebulayo, amaKhaledi, nabahlola imihlola, ngabatshela iphupho, kodwa bahluleka ukungichazela lona. 8Kepha kwathi ekugcineni kweza kimi uDaniyeli, ogama lakhe nguBhelitheshazari, okuyigama elifana nelikankulunkulu wami, okukuye umoya wonkulunkulu abangcwele; ngamtshela iphupho, ngathi:
9“Bhelitheshazari, wena nduna yezanusi, ngokuba ngiyazi ukuthi umoya wonkulunkulu abangcwele ukuwe nokuthi awukhathazwa mfihlakalo, ngitshele imibono yephupho lami engilibonileyo nencazelo yalo. 10Yayinje imibono emqondweni wami, engayibona ngisembhedeni wami: ngabona; bheka, kwakumi isihlahla phakathi nomhlaba, siphakeme kakhulu impela. 11Isihlahla sakhula, saqina, ubude baso babufinyelela ezulwini, sibonakala emhlabeni wonke jikelele. 12Amaqabunga aso ayemahle, nezithelo zaso ziziningi, kukhona kuso ukudla kwabo bonke. Izilwane zasendle zazinomthunzi phansi kwaso, izinyoni zezulu zihlala emagatsheni aso, nabantu bonke babondliwa yiso.
13“Ngabona emibonweni esemqondweni wami ngisembhedeni wami; bheka, nango umlindi ongcwele ehla evela ezulwini. 14Wamemeza kakhulu, esho kanje, ethi: ‘Gawula isihlahla, unqume amagatsha aso, uvuthulule amaqabunga aso, uhlakaze izithelo zaso. Izilwane mazisuke phansi kwaso, nezinyoni emagatsheni aso. 15Nokho, ushiye isiqu sezimpande zaso emhlabathini, sinesibopho sensimbi nesethusi, otshanini basendle, simanziswe ngamazolo ezulu, isabelo saso sinesezilwane otshanini bomhlaba. 16Inhliziyo yakhe iyakuguqulwa ingabi ngeyomuntu, aphiwe inhliziyo yesilwane, kudlule izikhathi eziyisikhombisa phezu kwakhe.
17“ ‘Kunqunyiwe ngesimemezelo sabalindi nangesiyalezo sezwi labangcwele ukuba abaphilayo bazi ukuthi oPhezukonke ubusa imibuso yabantu, ayinike amthandayo, abeke phezu kwayo ozithobayo kubantu.’
18“Leli phupho ngalibona mina, Nebukhadinezari. Wena-ke Bhelitheshazari, yisho incazelo yalo, ngokuba bonke abahlakaniphileyo bombuso wami abakwazanga ukungitshela incazelo, kepha wena ungakwenza lokho, ngokuba umoya wonkulunkulu abangcwele ukuwe.”
19Khona lapho uDaniyeli, ogama lakhe nguBhelitheshazari, wamangala isikhashana, imicabango yakhe yamesabisa. Inkosi yathi: “Bhelitheshazari, iphupho nencazelo makungakwesabisi.”
UBhelitheshazari waphendula, wathi: “Nkosi, iphupho malibe ngelabakuzondayo, nencazelo yalo ibe ngeyezitha zakho. 20Isihlahla osibonileyo, sakhula, saqina, obude baso bufinyelela ezulwini nokubonakala kwaso kwaze kwaba sekugcineni komhlaba; 21omaqabunga aso ayemahle, nezithelo zaso ziziningi, kukhona kuso ukudla kwabo bonke; izilwane zasendle zahlala phansi kwaso, nezinyoni zezulu zakhela emagatsheni aso: 22nguwe nkosi okhulile waqina, ngokuba ubukhulu bakho bukhulile, bufinyelele ezulwini, nokubusa kwakho kuze kube sekugcineni komhlaba.
23“Njengalokho inkosi yabona umlindi ongcwele ehla evela ezulwini, ethi: ‘Gawula isihlahla, usibhubhise, kodwa ushiye isiqu sezimpande zaso emhlabathini, sinesibopho sensimbi nesethusi otshanini basendle, simanziswe ngamazolo ezulu; isabelo saso sinesezilwane zasendle, kuze kudlule izikhathi eziyisikhombisa phezu kwaso.’ 24Nansi-ke incazelo, nkosi: yisimemezelo soPhezukonke esehlele inkosi yami, inkosi, 25sokuthi uyakuxoshwa kubantu, uhlale nezilwane zasendle, udliswe utshani njengezinkabi, umanziswe ngamazolo ezulu, kudlule izikhathi eziyisikhombisa phezu kwakho, uze wazi ukuthi oPhezukonke ubusa imibuso yabantu, ayinike amthandayo. 26Njengalokho bayaleza ukuba kushiywe isiqu sezimpande zesihlahla, umbuso wakho uyakuqina kuwe, lapho usufundile ukuthi izulu liyabusa. 27Ngalokho, nkosi, masamukeleke kuwe iseluleko sami, ushiye izono zakho ngokwenza okulungileyo, uhlukane nobubi bakho ngokuba nomusa kwabampofu; mhlawumbe impumelelo yakho ingaqhubekela phambili.”
28Konke lokho kwamehlela uNebukhadinezari, inkosi. 29Ngasekupheleni kwezinyanga ezili-12 wayehamba endlini yamakhosi eBhabhele.
30Inkosi yathatha, yathi: “Angithi yileli Bhabhele elikhulu engilakhileyo ukuba libe yindlu yobukhosi ngezikhwepha zamandla ami, libe ludumo lobukhosi bami na?”
31Kwathi nje izwi lisesemlonyeni wenkosi, kwase kwehla ezulwini izwi, lithi: “We nkosi Nebukhadinezari, kukhulunyiwe kuwe kwathiwa: umbuso usukile kuwe; 32uyakuxoshwa kubantu, uhlale nezilwane zasendle, udliswe utshani njengezinkabi, kudlule phezu kwakho izikhathi eziyisikhombisa, uze wazi ukuthi oPhezukonke ubusa imibuso yabantu, ayinike amthandayo.”
33Ngaso leso sikhathi lokho kwagcwaliseka phezu kukaNebukhadinezari: waxoshwa kubantu, wadliswa utshani njengezinkabi, umzimba wakhe wamanziswa ngamazolo ezulu, zaze zakhula izinwele zakhe njengezimpaphe zezinkozi, nezinzipho zakhe njengamazipho ezinyoni.
UNebukhadinezari Udumisa OPhezukonke
34Ngasekugcineni kwezinsuku mina, Nebukhadinezari ngaphakamisela amehlo ami ezulwini, nomqondo wami wabuyela kimi, ngambonga oPhezukonke, ngamdumisa, ngamtusa yena ohlezi phakade.
Ngokuba ukubusa kwakhe
kungukubusa okuphakade,
nombuso wakhe ungowezizukulwane
ngezizukulwane;
35bonke abakhileyo emhlabeni
bashaywa into engelutho;
wenza ngokuthanda kwakhe empini yasezulwini
naphakathi kwabakhileyo emhlabeni;
akekho ongavimbela isandla sakhe,
noma athi kuye:
“Wenzani na?”
36Ngaso leso sikhathi wabuyela kimi umqondo wami, nobukhosi bami, nobuhle bami babuyela kimi, kwaba ludumo lombuso wami; abomkhandlu wami nezinduna zami bangifuna; ngase ngibekwa embusweni wami, kwenezelelwa ubukhulu obedluleleyo kimi. 37Manje-ke, mina Nebukhadinezari ngiyatusa, ngiyaphakamisa, ngidumisa iNkosi yezulu, ngokuba yonke imisebenzi yayo iyiqiniso, nezindlela zayo zingubulungiswa; inamandla okubathobisa abahamba ngokuzidla.
