UDaniyeli 4:1-37
4 “Yilokhu iNkosi uNebukhadinezari eyakubhalela bonke abantu, izizwe nezilimi ezihlala emhlabeni wonke: Kwangathi ningaba nokuthula okuchichimayo!
2 Ngiyajabula ukumemezela izibonakaliso nezimangaliso uNkulunkulu oPhezukonke azenzile kimi.
3 Izibonakaliso zakhe zinkulu ngokubabazekayo, nezimangaliso zakhe zinamandla ababazekayo! Umbuso wakhe ungumbuso oyohlala kuze kube phakade, nobukhosi bakhe bungobezizukulwane ngezizukulwane. +
4 “Mina, Nebukhadinezari, ngangikhululekile endlini yami futhi ngichuma esigodlweni sami.
5 Ngaphupha iphupho elangesabisa. Njengoba ngangilele embhedeni wami, imicabango nemibono yekhanda lami yangethusa. +
6 Ngakho ngakhipha umyalo wokuba kulethwe phambi kwami bonke abantu abahlakaniphile baseBhabhiloni, ukuze bangitshele incazelo yaleli phupho. +
7 “Ngaleso sikhathi abapristi abenza imilingo, abalumbi, amaKhaledi* nababhula ngezinkanyezi + bafika. Lapho ngibatshela iphupho, abakwazanga ukungitshela incazelo yalo. +
8 Ekugcineni kwangena phambi kwami uDaniyeli, obizwa ngokuthi uBheliteshazari + ngokwegama likankulunkulu wami + futhi okukhona kuye umoya wonkulunkulu abangcwele, + ngamtshela iphupho, ngathi:
9 “ ‘O Bheliteshazari nduna yabapristi abenza imilingo, + ngazi kahle ukuthi umoya wonkulunkulu abangcwele ukuwe + nokuthi akukho mfihlo enzima kuwe. + Ngakho ngichazele imibono engiyibone ephusheni lami nencazelo yalo.
10 “ ‘Emibonweni yekhanda lami ngesikhathi ngisembhedeni wami, ngibone isihlahla + maphakathi nomhlaba, besisikhulu kakhulu siside. +
11 Lesi sihlahla sikhulile saba namandla, sibe side safinyelela emazulwini, sabonakala kuwo wonke umhlaba.
12 Amaqabunga aso abemahle, sinezithelo eziningi, kukhona ukudla kwabo bonke kuso. Ngaphansi kwaso izilwane zasendle bezithola umthunzi, emagatsheni aso bekuhlala izinyoni zamazulu, zonke izidalwa bezidla kuso.
13 “ ‘Njengoba ngibona imibono yekhanda lami ngisembhedeni wami, ngibone umlindi ongcwele, ehla evela emazulwini. +
14 Umemeze kakhulu wathi: “Gawulani isihlahla, + ninqume amagatsha aso. Vuthululani amahlamvu aso, nisakaze izithelo zaso! Izilwane ezingaphansi kwaso mazibaleke, nezinyoni emagatsheni aso.
15 Nokho, shiyani isiqu saso nezimpande* emhlabathini, nisishiye siboshwe ngesibopho sensimbi nesethusi phakathi kotshani basendle. Masimanziswe ngamazolo ezulu, sihlale nezilwane phakathi kwezimila zomhlaba. +
16 Inhliziyo yaso mayishintshwe ingabi ngeyomuntu, sinikwe inhliziyo yesilwane, makudlule phezu kwaso + izikhathi eziyisikhombisa. +
17 Lesi sinqumo sikhishwe abalindi, + nesicelo sikhona ngezwi labangcwele, ukuze abantu abaphilayo bazi ukuthi oPhezukonke unguMbusi embusweni wabantu + nokuthi uwunika lowo afuna ukumnika wona, umisa phezu kwawo ngisho nophansi kunabo bonke kubantu.”
18 “ ‘Leli yiphupho mina, Nkosi Nebukhadinezari, engilibonile; manje wena Bheliteshazari, yisho incazelo yalo, ngoba bonke abanye abantu abahlakaniphile embusweni wami bayehluleka ukungitshela incazelo yalo. + Kodwa wena uyakwazi, ngoba umoya wonkulunkulu abangcwele ukuwe.’
19 “Ngaleso sikhathi uDaniyeli, obizwa ngokuthi uBheliteshazari, + wamangala umzuzwana, imicabango yakhe yaqala ukumethusa.
“Inkosi yathi, ‘O Bheliteshazari, ungalivumeli iphupho nencazelo yalo kukwethuse.’
“UBheliteshazari waphendula wathi, ‘O nkosi yami, kwangathi leli phupho lingagcwaliseka kulabo abakuzondayo, nencazelo yalo ezitheni zakho.
20 “ ‘Isihlahla osibonile esikhule saba sikhulu saba namandla futhi saba side safinyelela emazulwini, sabonakala emhlabeni wonke, +
21 ebesinamaqabunga amahle, sinezithelo eziningi, kukhona kuso ukudla kwabo bonke, ngaphansi kwaso kuhlala izilwane zasendle, emagatsheni aso kuhlala izinyoni zezulu, +
22 nguwe nkosi, ngoba udlondlobale waba namandla, ubukhulu bakho budlondlobale bafinyelela emazulwini, + nobukhosi bakho kuwo wonke umhlaba. +
23 “ ‘Inkosi ibone umlindi ongcwele, + ehla evela emazulwini, obethi: “Gawulani isihlahla nisichithe, kodwa nishiye isiqu saso nezimpande* emhlabathini, nisishiye siboshwe ngesibopho sensimbi nesethusi phakathi kotshani basendle. Masimanziswe ngamazolo ezulu, sihlale nezilwane zasendle kuze kudlule phezu kwaso izikhathi eziyisikhombisa.” +
24 Yile incazelo nkosi; lesi yisinqumo soPhezukonke okumelwe sehlele inkosi yami.
25 Uyoxoshwa kubantu uhlale nezilwane zasendle, uyonikwa utshani ukuba udle njengezinkomo; uyomanziswa amazolo ezulu, + kudlule phezu kwakho + izikhathi eziyisikhombisa, + uze wazi ukuthi oPhezukonke unguMbusi embusweni wabantu, nokuthi uwunika lowo afuna ukumnika wona. +
26 “ ‘Ngenxa yokuthi kuthiwe makushiywe isiqu sesihlahla nezimpande zaso, *+ umbuso wakho uyobuyiselwa kuwe ngemva kokuba sewazi ukuthi amazulu ayabusa.
27 Ngakho-ke nkosi, kwangathi ungasemukela iseluleko sami. Phenduka ezonweni zakho wenze okulungile, nasezenzweni zakho ezimbi ubonise isihe kwabampofu. Mhlawumbe ukuchuma kwakho kuyoqhubeka isikhathi eside.’ ” +
28 Konke lokhu kwayehlela iNkosi uNebukhadinezari.
29 Ezinyangeni eziyishumi nambili kamuva yayihamba ophahleni lwesigodlo saseBhabhiloni.
30 Inkosi yathi: “Akulona yini leli iBhabhiloni Elikhulu, engilakhele ukuba libe yindlu yobukhosi ngamandla nezikhwepha zami nengilakhele inkazimulo yobukhulu bami?”
31 Ngesikhathi inkosi isakhuluma, kwavela izwi emazulwini lathi: “O Nkosi Nebukhadinezari, kuthiwa kuwe, ‘Umbuso usukile kuwe, +
32 uyaxoshwa esintwini. Uzohlala kanye nezilwane zasendle, uzonikwa utshani ukuba udle njengezinkomo, futhi kuzodlula phezu kwakho izikhathi eziyisikhombisa, uze wazi ukuthi oPhezukonke unguMbusi embusweni wabantu nokuthi uwunika lowo afuna ukumnika wona.’ ” +
33 Ngaso leso sikhathi, leli zwi lagcwaliseka kuNebukhadinezari. Waxoshwa esintwini, waqala ukudla utshani njengezinkomo, umzimba wakhe wamanziswa amazolo ezulu, izinwele zakhe zakhula zaze zaba zinde njengezinsiba zokhozi nezinzipho zakhe zaba njengamazipho ezinyoni. +
34 “Ekupheleni kwaleso sikhathi, + mina Nebukhadinezari, ngabheka phezulu emazulwini, ingqondo yami yasanguluka; ngamdumisa oPhezukonke, ngamdumisa ngamkhazimulisa Yena ophila kuze kube phakade, ngoba ubukhosi bakhe bungubukhosi baphakade nombuso wakhe ungowezizukulwane ngezizukulwane. +
35 Bonke abahlala emhlabeni babhekwa njengabangelutho, futhi wenza ngokwentando yakhe phakathi kwebutho lamazulu nakwabahlala emhlabeni. Akukho muntu ongamnqanda *+ noma ongathi kuye, ‘Yini le oyenzile?’ +
36 “Ngaleso sikhathi ingqondo yami yasanguluka, inkazimulo yombuso wami, ubukhulu bami nobukhazikhazi bami kwabuyela kimi. + Izikhulu zami eziphakeme nezicukuthwane zami zangifuna ngentshiseko, ngabuyiselwa embusweni wami, ngaba nodumo olungaphezu kwalolo enganginalo ngaphambili.
37 “Manje mina, Nebukhadinezari, ngidumisa ngiphakamise futhi ngikhazimulise iNkosi yamazulu, + ngenxa yokuthi yonke imisebenzi yayo iyiqiniso nezindlela zayo zilungile, + nangenxa yokuthi iyakwazi ukuthobisa labo abahamba ngokuziqhenya.” +
Imibhalo yaphansi
^ Okuwukuthi, iqembu labantu abanekhono lokubhula nokuhlola ngezinkanyezi.
^ Noma, “shiyani isiphunzi.”
^ Noma, “nishiye isiphunzi.”
^ Noma, “makushiywe isiphunzi sesihlahla.”
^ Noma, “onganqanda isandla sakhe.”
