Danyela 3

₁Inkhosi Nebukhadnezari yenta sithico segolide, lesasingemamitha labengaba ngema-30 kuphakama, nemamitha labengaba matsatfu bubanti, yasibeka etsafeni laseDura esifundzeni saseBhabhulona. ₂Yabe seyibita baholi, netindvuna, nebabusi, nebeluleki, nebagcinitikhwama, nebehluleli, nabomantji kanye nato tonkhe tiphatsimandla tetifundza, kutsi bete batewunikela lesithico, Nebukhadnezari, inkhosi, labesimisile. ₃Ngako-ke baholi, netindvuna, nebabusi, nebeluleki, nebagcinitikhwama, nebehluleli, nabomantji kanye nato tonkhe tiphatsimandla tetifundza bahlangana batewunikela lesithico Nebukhadnezari, inkhosi, labesakhile; befika bema embikwaso.

₄Ummemeteli wevakala amemeta kakhulu, atsi: “Naku lokufanele kutsi nikwente, yebo, nine bantfu, nani tive, nani nonkhe nine bantfu betilwimi tonkhe: ₅Kutawutsi kungevakala kukhala kwempalampala, nekwemntjingozi, nekwezitha, nekwelire, nekwehabhu, nekwetimveve, nekwato tonkhe tinhlobo tekuhlabela, kufanele niwe phansi nikhotsame kulesithico segolide lesimiswe yinkhosi Nebukhadnezari. ₆Lowo longawi phansi asikhotsamele, utawujikijelwa masinyane ekhatsi elangabini lemlilo lowesabekako nalohhumako.”

₇Ngako-ke batsi kube beve umsindvo wempalampala, newemntjingozi, newezitha, newelire, newehabhu, newato tonkhe tinhlobo tekuhlabela, bonkhe bantfu, netive, nebantfu bato tonkhe tilwimi bawa phansi bakhotsama kulesithico segolide lesasimiswe yinkhosi Nebukhadnezari.

₈Ngalesikhatsi labanye bosonkhanyeti beta bafike banyundzela emaJuda. ₉Bakhuluma enkhosini Nebukhadnezari, batsi: “Bayethe nkhosi, lunwele loludze! Wena waphakathi! ₁₀Ukhiphe simiso, wena waphakathi, kutsi wonkhe umuntfu, nakeva kukhala kwempalampala, nekwemntjingozi, nekwezitha, nekwelire, nekwehabhu, nekwetimveve, nekwato tonkhe tinhlobo tekuhlabela, kufanele awe phansi akhotsame kulesithico segolide, ₁₁nekutsi wonkhe longawi akhotsame uyawujikijelwa kulelilangabi lemlilo lowesabekako nalohhumako. ₁₂Kodvwa kukhona emaJuda lamanye lowabeke kutsi engamele tonkhe tindzaba talesifundza saseBhabhulona, boShadraki, naMeshaki, na-Abednego, labangenandzaba nawe, nkhosi. Ababakhonti bonkulunkulu bakho, kantsi futsi nalesithico segolide losimisile abasikhotsameli.”

₁₃Nebukhadnezari watfukutsela wabila, wabita boShadraki, naMeshaki kanye na-Abednego kutsi bete kuye. Ngako lamadvodza aletfwa embikwenkhosi. ₁₄Nebukhadnezari wakhuluma kuwo, watsi: “Kuliciniso yini, wena Shadraki, nawe Meshaki, nawe Abednego, kutsi anibakhonti labonkulunkulu bami nekutsi lesithico segolide lengisakhile anisikhotsameli? ₁₅Manje, naniva umsindvo wempalampala, newemntjingozi, newezitha, newelire, newehabhu, newetimveve, newato tonkhe tinhlobo tekuhlabela, nase nilungele kuwa nikhotsame kulesithico segolide lengisimisile, kulungile. Kodvwa naningasikhotsameli, nitawujikijelwa ngekushesha lokukhulu ekhatsi kulamalangabi emlilo lowesabekako nalohhumako. Ngumuphi-ke lowo nkulunkulu lotaba nemandla ekunephula esandleni sami?”

₁₆BoShadraki, naMeshaki, na-Abednego baphendvula inkhosi, batsi: “Nkhosi Nebukhadnezari, tsine asidzingi kutivikela kuwe ngalendzaba. ₁₇Nasijikijelwa ekhatsi kulamalangabi emlilo lowesabekako nalohhumako, loNkulunkulu wetfu lesimkhontako unemandla ekusisindzisa kuwo, futsi uyakusephula esandleni sakho, nkhosi. ₁₈Kodvwa-ke nome angakakwenti loko, sifuna kutsi wena wati, nkhosi, kutsi tsine singeke sibakhonte labonkulunkulu bakho, nome sikhotsame kulesithico sakho segolide losimisile.”

₁₉Nebukhadnezari watfukutselela boShadraki, naMeshaki, na-Abednego, nesimo sakhe kubo sagucuka. Watfumela kutsi kubaswe lamalangabi emlilo lowesabekako nalohhumako kutsi ushise ngalokuphindvwe kasikhombisa, ₂₀watfuma lamanye emadvodza emphi labenemandla kakhulu kutsi abophe boShadraki, naMeshaki, na-Abednego bese abajikijela ekhatsi kulamalangabi emlilo lohhumako. ₂₁Ngako-ke lamadvodza labembetse imijiva yawo, nemabhuluko, nemishuculo, naletinye nje timphahla tawo aboshwa, ajikijelwa ekhatsi kulamalangabi emlilo lohhumako. ₂₂Lomlayeto wenkhosi bewuphutfuma kakhulu, nalamalangabi emlilo lowesabekako nalohhumako abesashisa kangangekutsi lamalangabi alomlilo adzimate abulala wona lamadvodza labejikijele boShadraki, naMeshaki, na-Abednego ekhatsi kuwo, ₂₃kwatsi wona lamadvodza lamatsatfu, aboshisisiwe, akhalakatsiselwa ekhatsi emalangabini alomlilo lowesabekako nalohhumako.

₂₄Inkhosi Nebukhadnezari yagcuma yema ngetinyawo imangele, yabuta labeluleki bayo, yatsi: “Abengematsatfu yini lamadvodza lesiwabophe sawajikijela lapha ekhatsi emlilweni?”

Bayiphendvula, batsi: “Impela, nkhosi, kunjalo.”

₂₅Yatsi: “Ase nibuke! Ngibona emadvodza lamane ahambahamba lapha ekhatsi emlilweni, atfukululiwe, futsi akalimali ndzawo, kantsi lona wesine ufanana nendvodzana yabonkulunkulu.”

₂₆Nebukhadnezari wasondzela emnyango walomlilo lowesabekako nalohhumako longemalangabi lavutsako, wamemeta, watsi: “Shadraki, naMeshaki, nawe Abednego, nine tinceku taNkulunkulu Longetulu Kwako Konkhe, phumani! Wotani lapha!”

Ngako boShadraki, naMeshaki, na-Abednego baphuma emlilweni, ₂₇kwatsi mpu kubo baholi, netindvuna, nebabusi, netati, basondzela kubo bababunganyela. Babona kutsi lomlilo awuzange ubatsintse emitimbeni yabo, ngisho nalunye nje lunwele lwetinhloko tabo aluzange seluhashuke; imijiva yabo ayizange ishe, babenganuki ngisho neliphungana nje lemlilo imbala.

₂₈Nebukhadnezari-ke wakhuluma watsi: “Akadvunyiswe Nkulunkulu waboShadraki, naMeshaki, na-Abednego lotfume ingilosi yakhe kutsi itewulamlela tinceku takhe! Babemetsembile bangete bawutsatsa umyalo wenkhosi, batimisela kulahlekelwa nakuphila kwabo kunekutsi bakhonte nome bakhotsamele lomunye nkulunkulu ngaphandle kwaNkulunkulu wabo.

₂₉“Ngako-ke sengikhipha umtsetfosimemetelo kutsi bonkhe bantfu bato tonkhe tive netilwimi labakhuluma lokuphambene naNkulunkulu waboShadraki, naMeshaki, na-Abednego abajutjwe batokwe babe ticucu, netindlu tabo tibhidlitwe tibe tindvundvuma tetimfuhlululu, ngobe kute lomunye nkulunkulu longasindzisa ngalendlela.”

₃₀Ngako inkhosi yase iphakamisa boShadraki, naMeshaki, na-Abednego ibanika tikhundla letiphakeme kakhulu esifundzeni saseBhabhulona.