Ndiyindoda – Day 6

₁Ngenyanga uNisan kunyaka wamashumi amabini kakumkani uAtashasta, ngethuba lokunikwa kwakhe iwayini, ndayithatha iwayini leyo ndamnika. Ukumkani wayengazange andibone ndilusizi ngaphambili, ₂ngoko ke ukumkani wathi kum: “Ungaguli nje, ngani ke ukuba bunxunguphale kangaka ubuso bakho? Makube ikho into ekuhluphayo entliziyweni.”

Ndasuka ndoyika, ₃kodwa ndathi kukumkani: “Phil' ud' ukhokhobe, kumkani! Bebungathini ubuso bam ukungathi rhubaxa xa isixeko abângcwatywa kuso oobawo singamabhodlo, amasango aso etshatyalaliswe ngomlilo?”

₄Ukumkani wathi kum: “Yintoni ke oyifunayo?”

Ndathandaza uThixo wamazulu, ₅ndaza ke ndathi kukumkani: “Xa kukholekile kuwe, kumkani, nesicaka sakho esi sisamkeleka kuwe, ndithume kwelakwaJuda kwisixeko abângcwatywa kuso oobawo, ukuze ndisivuse.”

₆Ke ukumkani, enokumkanikazi ecaleni kwakhe, wathi kum: “Loba ngakanani olo hambo; khona, uya kubuya nini?” Kwakholeka ke kukumkani ukundikhulula, ndaza ke ndammisela ixesha.

₃Ukumkani uNebhukadenezare wathi kuAshpenazi, intloko yamaphakathi akomkhulu, makakhethe abafana begazi nabomnombo wezikhulu apho kuloo maSirayeli wayewathimbile. ₄Wathi makakhethe iinzwana ezingenasiphako, ezikrelekrele ngengqondo, eziqeqeshekileyo, nezinengqiqo – abafana abakufaneleyo ukugosiswa komkhulu. UAshpenazi wayalelwa ukuba abafundise ukusithetha nokusifunda isiKaledi. ₅Ngaphezu koko ukumkani wayalela ukuba yonke imihla mabaphakelwe kwimbiza kakumkani, ngokunjalo basele nakwiwayini yakhe. Olu qeqesho ke lwaluza kuthatha iminyaka emithathu, emva koko bagosiswe komkhulu. ₆Phakathi kwâbo bakhethiweyo ke kwabakho nabafana bendlu kaJuda: uDaniyeli, uHananiya, uMishayeli, noAzariya. ₇Ke kaloku intloko yamaphakathi akomkhulu yabathiya amagama amatsha; uDaniyeli wabizwa ngokuba nguBhelteshazare, uHananiya ngokuba nguShadraki, uMishayeli ngokuba nguMeshaki, uAzariya ngokuba nguAbhednigo.

₈Kambe ke yena uDaniyeli wenza isigqibo sokuba angazixabheli ngokutya nangeziselo zalapho ebhotwe. Ngoko ke wacela kwintloko yamaphakathi akomkhulu ukuba avunyelwe ukungazixabheli ngoku kutya.

₅₄Athi amalungu *eBhunga akuziva ezi zinto zithethwa nguStefano, acaphuka kangangokuba ade abe ngathi osuka amthi qwenge-qwenge. ₅₅Kodwa uStefano yena ezele nguMoya oyiNgcwele, wakhangela ezulwini, waza wabubona ubuqaqawuli bukaThixo, noYesu emi ewongeni ngakuThixo. ₅₆Waqhuba wathi: “Khawukhangele! Amazulu ndiwabona evulekile, *noNyana woLuntu emile ngasekunene kukaThixo!”

₅₇Kwesi sithuba basuka bazivingca iindlebe zabo, bahlahlamba kwathi nkxwe, baza basuka indulumbane phezu kwakhe. ₅₈Bamkhuphela ngaphandle kwedolophu, bamxuluba ngamatye. Abamangaleli bakaStefano bazigcinisa iimpahla zabo kumfana ogama linguSawule. ₅₉Bemxuluba njalo ngamatye, uStefano yena wakhala eNkosini esithi: “Nkosi Yesu, wamkele umoya wam!” ₆₀Waguqa ngamadolo, wadanduluka wathi: “Nkosi, musa ukubabeka tyala ngesi sono!” Akukhov' ukutsho, wafa ke.

₉Waqhuba wenjenje: “Mhlekazi, kungani na ukuba uhambisane nolwimi oluthi mna ndizungula ukukwenzakalisa? ₁₀Wena akuyiboni into yokuba khona ngoku uNdikhoyo ebekunikele esandleni sam phaya kulaa mqolomba? Bekusithiwa mandikucim' igama, kodwa ndaba nenceba, ndala konke mna ukukubulala, kuba kaloku wena ungukumkani, umthanjiswa kaNdikhoyo. ₁₁Bawo, khangela, nali isondo lesambatho sakho esandleni sam! Ngendikucim' igama, koko ndisuke nje ndasika le ndawo engubeni yakho. Yazi ke ngoku uqonde ukuba mna andikhange ndafuna kukuvukela okanye kukwenzakalisa. Nguwe ozingela mna, ufuna ukundibulala, naxa ndingakwenzanga nto imbi. ₁₂Wanga ke uNdikhoyo angahlula phakathi kwam nawe. Ubenga angandiphindezela ngenxa yobubi ondenzele bona. Mna andingekhe ndikuse sandla. ₁₃Kaloku sitsho njalo isaci samandulo ukuthi: ‘Inkohlakalo iphuma kwabakhohlakeleyo.’ Ke mna andiyi kukusa sandla konke. ₁₄Ngaba úyayiqonda yona le nto ayileqayo ukumkani wamaSirayeli? Yintoni le ayisukelayo? Ngaba usukela inja efileyo okanye intakumba enye? ₁₅Hayi, makahlule uNdikhoyo, kucace ukuba ngubani owonileyo phakathi kwam nawe. Makayigqale imeko yam, andigwebele, ancede andihlangule kuwe!”