Liphupho laNebukhadnezari
1Ngemnyaka wesibili wekubusa kwakhe, Nebukhadnezari wabhudza emaphupho; inhlitiyo yakhe yakhatsateka kakhulu, wehluleka ngisho nekulala. 2Ngako inkhosi yabita tangoma, nebatsebuli, nebaphenguli, kanye nabosonkhanyeti kutsi batemtjela kutsi ubhudzeni. Batsi kube befike beme embikwenkhosi, 3yatsi kubo: “Ngibhudze liphupho lelingihlupha kakhulu, manje ngifuna kwati kutsi lisho kutsini.”
4Ngako bosonkhanyeti baphendvula inkhosi ngesi-Aramu batsi: “Awu nkhosi, lunwele loludze, wena waphakathi, tjela tinceku takho liphupho, tsine-ke sitabe sesiyalichaza.”
5Inkhosi yaphendvula labosonkhanyeti, yatsi: “Naku-ke lese ngikuncumile ngema kuko: Naningangitjeli kutsi leliphupho lami belitsini bese niyalichaza, ngitanicoba nibe ticucu, ngibhidlite netindlu tenu tibe tindvundvuma temfuhlululu. 6Kodvwa naningitjela leliphupho nilichaze, nitakwemukela kimi tipho, nemivuzo, neludvumo lolukhulu. Ngako-ke ngitjeleni leliphupho, bese ningichazela lona.”
7Baphindza baphendvula futsi, batsi: “Sicela inkhosi kutsi itjele tinceku tayo leliphupho, tsine-ke sitabe sesiyalichaza.”
8Inkhosi yaphendvula yatsi: “Cha, sengiyabona kutsi nicondze kungicitsela sikhatsi, ngobe nani niyabona kutsi loku ngukona lese ngikuncumile ngema kuko: 9Naningangitjeli leliphupho, sinye kuphela sijeziso senu. Nihlanganise emasu ekungitjela tintfo letedukisako naletikhohlakele netsembe kutsi tintfo titawugucuka. Ngako-ke ngitjeleni liphupho, ngitawube sengiyati-ke kutsi ningangichazela lona.”
10Bosonkhanyeti baphendvula inkhosi, batsi: “Kute nome munye umuntfu lapha emhlabeni longenta loku lokufunwa yinkhosi! Kute inkhosi nome ngulenkhulu kangakanani nalenemandla, leyase yabuta intfo lenje nakusinye sangoma, nome umtsebuli, nome kusonkhanyeti. 11Loku lokufunwa yinkhosi kulukhuni kakhulu. Kute namunye longakwembula loku enkhosini ngaphandle kwabonkulunkulu, bona-ke abahlali emkhatsini webantfu.”
12Loku kwenta inkhosi yatfukutsela yatselwa ngemanti, yatsi: “Tonkhe tati taseBhabhulona atibulawe.” 13Ngako inkhosi yakhipha umtsetfosimemetelo kutsi akubulawe tati; kwabe sekukhishwa bantfu kutsi bayewufuna boDanyela nebangani bakhe kutsi nabo batewubulawa.
Nkulunkulu wembulela Danyela inchazelo yeliphupho
14Kwatsi ngesikhatsi Ariyoki, indvuna yabomahlalesangweni benkhosi, asahambile kuyawubulala tati taseBhabhulona, Danyela wakhuluma kuye ngekuhlakanipha lokukhulu nangekucophelela. 15Wabuta lendvuna yenkhosi, watsi: “Inkhosi iwukhipheleni lomtsetfosimemetelo lonesihluku lesibi kangaka?” Ariyoki wabe sewuchazela Danyela kahle yonkhe lendzaba. 16Ngaloko Danyela wesuka waya enkhosini wayawucela litfuba lekutsi ayichazele leliphupho layo.
17Danyela wancandzeka wabuyela endlini yakhe, wafike wachazela labangani bakhe boHananiya, naMishayeli kanye na-Azariya ngalendzaba. 18Wabacela kutsi bancuse umusa kuNkulunkulu welizulu ngalemfihlakalo, kuze kutsi yena kanye nebangani bakhe bangete babulawa kanye nato tonkhe tati taseBhabhulona. 19Kwatsi ebusuku lemfihlakalo yembulwa kuDanyela ngembono. Danyela wadvumisa Nkulunkulu welizulu, 20watsi:
“Alidvunyiswe Libito
laNkulunkulu phakadze naphakadze;
kuhlakanipha nemandla kwakhe.
21Ugucula tikhatsi netikhatsi temnyaka;
ubeka emakhosi aphindze awehlise.
Ubanika kuhlakanipha labahlakaniphile,
anike lwati kulabacondzako.
22Wembula tintfo letijulile naletifihlakele,
uyakwati konkhe lokubhace ebumnyameni,
nekukhanya kuhlala kukuye.
23Ngiyakubonga ngidvumise wena,
Nkulunkulu wabobabe:
Ungiphe kuhlakanipha nemandla,
ungatisile loko besikucela kuwe,
usatisile liphupho lenkhosi.”
Danyela utjela inkhosi liphupho layo aphindze alichaze
24Danyela wahamba waya ku-Ariyoki, labebekwe yinkhosi kutsi abulale tonkhe tati taseBhabhulona, wafike wakhuluma kuye, watsi: “Ungatibulali tati taseBhabhulona. Ngitsatse ungimikise enkhosini, ngitayichazela leliphupho layo.”
25Ariyoki watsatsa Danyela wamyisa enkhosini ngekushesha, watsi: “Ngitfole indvodza emkhatsini webatfunjwa bakaJuda lengayitjela inkhosi kutsi leliphupho layo lisho kutsini.”
26Inkhosi yabuta Danyela, labesabitwa ngekutsi nguBhelteshasari, yatsi: “Ungakhona yini kungitjela kutsi ngiboneni ephusheni lami, bese uyangichazela kutsi lisho kutsini?”
27Danyela wayiphendvula inkhosi, watsi: “Kute sati, nome umtsebuli, nome sangoma, nome inyanga lokungayichazela inkhosi ngalemfihlakalo leyicelile, 28kodvwa ukhona Nkulunkulu losezulwini lowembula timfihlakalo. Nguye lobonise inkhosi Nebukhadnezari loko lokutakwenteka kulamalanga letako. Liphupho lakho nemibono yakho leyendlule lapha engcondvweni yakho usalele embhedzeni wakho ngunaku:
29“Ngesikhatsi usalele lapho, wena waphakathi, ingcondvo yakho igucukele ngasetintfweni letitako, kwase kutsi umembuli wetimfihlakalo wakubonisa loko lokutakwenteka. 30Lemfihlo yembuliwe kimi, hhayi ngobe mine nginekuhlakanipha lokukhulu kwendlula labanye bantfu labaphilako, kodvwa kuze kutsi wena, nkhosi, utekwatiswa inchazelo, khona utewucondzisisa loko lokwendlule engcondvweni yakho.
31“Wabuka, wena waphakathi, wabona kume embikwakho sitfombe lesikhulu, sasisikhulukati kusitfombe lesicwebetelako, sesabeka nawusibuka. 32Inhloko yalesitfombe yayentiwe ngegolide lecengekile, sifuba saso nemikhono yaso iyesiliva, sisu saso nematsanga aso kulitfusi, 33imilente yaso kuyinsimbi, tinyawo taso kuyinhlanganisela yensimbi nelibumba lelishisiwe. 34Utsite usabukile, kwahleshulwa lidvwala, kodvwa alihleshulwanga tandla temuntfu. Lelidvwala lashaya lesitfombe etinyaweni taso letatitensimbi nelibumba, latiphihlita. 35Lensimbi, nalelibumba, nalelitfusi, nalesiliva, nalegolide kwabhidlika kwaba ticucu ngasikhatsi sinye, kwaze kwafanana nemakhoba lasebaleni lekubhula ehlobo. Umoya wakuphephula konkhe, kwangete kwasala lutfo. Kodvwa lelidvwala lelalishaye lesitfombe lakhula laba yintsaba lenkhulu, lagcwala wonkhe umhlaba.
36“Ngilo-ke leliphupho, manje inkhosi sitayichazela kutsi lisho kutsini. 37Wena waphakathi, nkhosi, wena uyinkhosi yemakhosi. Nkulunkulu welizulu ukunike kubusa, nemandla, neligunya, neludvumo; 38etandleni takho ubeke bantfu netilwane tesiganga kanye netinyoni telizulu. Nome ngukuphi lapho tidalwa tihlala khona, wena ukwente waba ngumbusi wato tonkhe. Wena ungulenhloko yegolide.
39“Emvakwakho, kuyawuvela lomunye umbuso lomncane kunalowakho. Lolandzelako, ngumbuso wesitsatfu, umbuso welitfusi, uyawubusa umhlaba wonkhe. 40Ekugcineni, kuyawuba nembuso wesine loyawucina ube njengensimbi, ngobe phela insimbi iyacheketa iphihlite konkhe, futsi-ke njengobe insimbi iphihlita tintfo tibe ticucu nje, kanjalo lombuso uyawucindzetela uchekete yonkhe lena leminye. 41Njengobe ubonile nje kutsi tinyawo netintwane, incenye yako bekulibumba lelishisiwe kantsi lena lenye incenye bekuyinsimbi, ngako lowo kuyawuba ngumbuso lowehlukene ekhatsi; noko uyawuba nemandla ensimbi kuwo, kuye njengobe ubonile, lensimbi beyihlangene nelibumba. 42Njengobe tintwane betihlanganiswe kwaba yinsimbi nelibumba, kanjalo nalowo mbuso nganhlanye uyawuba nemandla, kutsi nganhlanye ube yintekenteke. 43Kantsi futsi njengobe ubone insimbi ihlanganiswe nelibumba lelishisiwe, kanjalo-ke nebantfu bayawulinga kubumbana ngekuganiselana bangabe basahlangana babe munye, kufanane nensimbi lengakabumbani nelibumba.
44“Ngesikhatsi salawo makhosi, Nkulunkulu welizulu uyawumisa umbuso longasoze wabhujiswa lutfo, futsi ngeke unikwe labanye bantfu. Uyawupitjita yonkhe leminye imibuso uyicedze, kodvwa wona uyawukuma kuze kube phakadze. 45Ngiyo leyo-ke inchazelo yalombono welidvwala lelahleshulwa entsabeni, kodvwa hhayi ngetandla temuntfu, ngilo lelidvwala lelabhidlita insimbi, nelitfusi, nelibumba, nesiliva kanye negolide, kwaba ticucu.
“Nkulunkulu lomkhulu wembulele inkhosi loko lokutakwenteka kuletikhatsi letitako. Leliphupho liliciniso, nalokuchazwa kwalo kwetsembekile.”
Inkhosi iklomela Danyela
46Inkhosi Nebukhadnezari yakhotsama yawa ngebuso embikwaDanyela, imhlonipha, yatsi akentelwe umnikelo, ashiselwe imphepho. 47Inkhosi yakhuluma kuDanyela, yatsi: “Impela, loNkulunkulu wakho unguNkulunkulu wabo bonkhe bonkulunkulu, neNkhosi yemakhosi, neMembuli wetimfihlakalo, ngobe wena ukhonile kwembula lemfihlakalo.”
48Inkhosi yase ibeka Danyela esikhundleni lesiphakeme kakhulu, yambhumbela ngetipho letinyenti letinkhulu. Yamenta waba ngumbusi etikwesifundza sonkhe saseBhabhulona, yambeka waba ngumengameli wato tonkhe tati takhona. 49Ngetulu kwaloko, ngesicelo saDanyela, inkhosi yabeka boShadraki, naMeshaki, na-Abednego kutsi babe tiphatsimandla kulesifundza saseBhabhulona, kwase kutsi Danyela yena wasala esigodlweni.
