Daniel 3
1 King Nebuchadnezzar ordered his men to make a gold statue. It was (90 feet/27 meters) high and (9 feet/2.7 meters) wide. They set it up in the Dura plain in Babylon province.
UNebhukadinezari inkosi wenza isithombe segolide; ubude baso babuzingalo ezingamatshumi ayisithupha, ububanzi baso buzingalo eziyisithupha; yasimisa egcekeni leDura, esabelweni seBhabhiloni.
2 Then he sent messages to all the provincial governors, the district governors, the chief advisors, the counselors, the various judges, and all the other officials in the province. He told them to come to the dedication of the statue that he had set up.
UNebhukadinezari inkosi wasethumela ukubuthela ndawonye iziphathamandla, ababusi, lezinduna, abeluleki, abaphathizikhwama, abehluleli, abathonisisi, labo bonke ababusi bezabelo, ukuze beze ekwehlukanisweni kwesithombe uNebhukadinezari inkosi ayesimisile.
3 When they all arrived, they all stood in front of that statue.
Lapho iziphathamandla, ababusi, lezinduna, abeluleki, abaphathizikhwama, abehluleli, abathonisisi, labo bonke ababusi bezabelo babuthana ndawonye ekwehlukanisweni kwesithombe uNebhukadinezari inkosi ayesimisile; basebesima phambi kwesithombe uNebhukadinezari ayesimisile.
4 Then an announcer shouted, “You people who come from many countries and many people-groups and [who speak many] languages, listen to what the king has commanded!
Ummemezeli wasememeza ngamandla wathi: Liyalaywa, lina bantu, zizwe, lezindimi, ukuthi:
5 When you hear the sounds made by the trumpets, the flutes, the guitars, the harps, the wind instruments, and all the other musical instruments, bow down to worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s gold statue.
Ngesikhathi elizwa ngaso ukukhala kophondo, umhlanga, ichacho, ichachwana, ugubhu lwezintambo, umfece, layo yonke imihlobo yokukhaliswayo, liwele phansi, likhonze isithombe segolide uNebhukadinezari inkosi asimisileyo.
6 Anyone who refuses to do that will be thrown into a blazing furnace!”
Njalo loba ngubani ongawi phansi, akhonze, ngalesosikhathi uzaphoselwa phakathi kwesithando somlilo esivuthayo.
7 So when all those people who had gathered heard the sounds made by the musical instruments, they all bowed down to worship the statue.
Ngakho ngalesosikhathi, lapho abantu bonke besizwa ukukhala kophondo, umhlanga, ichacho, ichachwana, ugubhu lwezintambo, layo yonke imihlobo yokukhaliswayo, bonke abantu, izizwe, lezindimi, bawela phansi, bakhonza isithombe segolide uNebhukadinezari inkosi ayesimisile.
8 But some of the men who studied the stars went to the king.
Ngakho ngalesosikhathi amaKhaladiya athile asondela, ahleba amaJuda.
9 They reported to him, “We hope that you, O king, will live a long time!
Aphendula athi kuNebhukadinezari inkosi: Nkosi, phila kuze kube nininini!
10 You decreed that all the officials [whom you had gathered] should bow down and worship the gold statue when they heard the sounds made by the musical instruments.
Wena nkosi, wenzile umlayo, ukuthi wonke umuntu ozakuzwa ukukhala kophondo, umhlanga, ichacho, ichachwana, ugubhu lwezintambo, lomfece, layo yonke imihlobo yokukhaliswayo, uzawela phansi akhonze isithombe segolide;
11 You also decreed that those who refused to do that would be thrown into a blazing furnace.
njalo loba ngubani ongawi phansi, akhonze, uzaphoselwa phakathi kwesithando somlilo ovuthayo.
12 Sir, there are some men from Judah whom you have appointed to be officials in Babylon province who have not obeyed your decree. Their names are Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They have refused to worship your god and the gold statue that you have set up.”
Kukhona amaJuda athile owamise phezu komsebenzi wesabelo seBhabhiloni, oShadraki, uMeshaki, loAbedinego; la amadoda, nkosi, kawakunakanga; kawakhonzi onkulunkulu bakho, kawakhothameli isithombe segolide osimisileyo.
13 Nebuchadnezzar became very angry. He commanded [his soldiers] to bring in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. When they were brought to him,
Lapho uNebhukadinezari ekuthukutheleni lekuvutheni kolaka walaya ukuletha oShadraki, uMeshaki, loAbedinego. Khonokho lawomadoda alethwa phambi kwenkosi.
14 Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true that you three men have refused to worship my gods or the gold statue that I have set up?
UNebhukadinezari waphendula wathi kubo: Kungamabomu yini, Shadraki, Meshaki, loAbedinego, lingakhonzi onkulunkulu bami, lingakhothameli isithombe segolide engisimisileyo?
15 [If that is true, ] I will give you one more chance. If you bow down to worship the statue that I have set up when you hear the sounds of the musical instruments, fine. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. Then (what god will be able to rescue you from my power?/no god will be able to rescue you from my power!)” [RHQ]
Khathesi, uba selilungile ukuthi ngesikhathi lisizwa ukukhala kophondo, umhlanga, ichacho, ichachwana, ugubhu lwezintambo, lomfece, layo yonke imihlobo yokukhaliswayo, liwele phansi, likhonze isithombe engisenzileyo, kuhle; kodwa uba lingakhonzi, ngalesosikhathi lizaphoselwa phakathi kwesithando somlilo ovuthayo. Ngubani-ke lowoNkulunkulu ozalikhulula ezandleni zami?
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend our [actions] to you in this matter.
OShadraki, uMeshaki, loAbedinego baphendula bathi enkosini: Nebhukadinezari, kasidingi ukukuphendula kuloludaba.
17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we worship is able to rescue us. Sir, he will rescue us from your power.
Uba kungenzeka, uNkulunkulu wethu esimkhonzayo ulakho ukusikhulula esithandweni somlilo ovuthayo; njalo uzasikhulula esandleni sakho, nkosi.
18 But [even] if he does not [rescue us], you need to know that we will never worship your gods or the gold statue that you have set up.”
Kodwa uba kungenjalo, kakwaziwe kuwe, nkosi, ukuthi kasiyikubakhonza onkulunkulu bakho, lokuthi kasiyikukhothamela isithombe segolide osimisileyo.
19 Nebuchadnezzar was extremely angry. [His being very angry even] showed on his face. He commanded that the furnace should be made seven times as hot as usual.
Lapho uNebhukadinezari wagcwala ulaka, lesimo sobuso bakhe sabaguqukela oShadraki, uMeshaki loAbedinego; waphendula, walaya ukuthi batshise isithando kasikhombisa ngaphezu kwalokho okwejwayeleke ukutshiswa ngakho.
20 [After that was done, ] he commanded some of the [very] strong men of his army to tie Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and [then] to throw them into the blazing furnace.
Waselaya amadoda alamandla ayesebuthweni lakhe ukuthi abophe oShadraki, uMeshaki, loAbedinego, ukuthi babaphosele esithandweni somlilo ovuthayo.
21 So [the soldiers] tied them up and threw them into the furnace, while they were wearing their clothes.
Lawomadoda asebotshwa embethe izembatho zawo, amabhulugwe awo, lezingowane zawo, lezinye izigqoko zawo, aphoselwa phakathi kwesithando somlilo ovuthayo.
22 Because the fire had been made very hot because the king had very strongly ordered them to do that, the flames [leaped out and] killed the soldiers as they were throwing the men into the fire!
Ngakho ngenxa yokuthi ilizwi lenkosi belibukhali, lesithando sitshisa kakhulu, ilangabi lomlilo labulala lawomadoda ayethwele oShadraki, uMeshaki, loAbedinego.
23 So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego fell into the roaring flames.
Lala amadoda amathathu, oShadraki, uMeshaki, loAbedinego, awela phansi ebotshiwe phakathi kwesithando somlilo esivuthayo.
24 But as Nebuchadnezzar was watching, he was amazed. He suddenly jumped up and shouted to his advisors, “Did we tie up three men and throw them into the flames, or not?” They replied, “Yes, O king, [we did].”
Lapho uNebhukadinezari inkosi wethuka, wasukuma ngokuphangisa, waphendula wathi kubeluleki bakhe: Kasiphoselanga amadoda amathathu ebotshiwe phakathi komlilo yini? Baphendula bathi enkosini: Liqiniso, nkosi.
25 Nebuchadnezzar shouted, “[Look]! I see four men in the fire! They have no ropes on them, they are walking around, and [the flames] are not hurting them! And the fourth man looks like a divine being!”
Yaphendula yathi: Khangelani, ngibona amadoda amane ekhululekile ehamba phakathi komlilo, njalo kakukho ukonakala kuwo; njalo isimo seyesine sifanana lendodana yabonkulunkulu.
26 Nebuchadnezzar came closer to the opening of the flaming furnace, and he shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you who worship the Supreme God, come out of there! Come here!” So they stepped out of the fire.
Lapho uNebhukadinezari wasondela emnyango wesithando somlilo esivuthayo, waphendula, wathi: Shadraki, Meshaki, loAbedinego, lina zinceku zikaNkulunkulu oPhezukonke, phumani, lize. Lapho oShadraki, Meshaki, loAbedinego baphuma phakathi komlilo.
27 Then all the king’s officials crowded around them. They saw that the flames had not harmed them. The flames had not [even] singed any of the hair on their heads or scorched any of their clothes! There was not [even] any smell of smoke on them!
Iziphathamandla, ababusi, lezinduna, labeluleki benkosi, sebebuthene, babona la amadoda, umlilo owawungazanga ube lamandla phezu kwemizimba yawo, okwakungahangulwanga lonwele lwekhanda lawo, lezambatho zawo ezazingaguqukanga, lokunuka komlilo okwakungedlulanga kiwo.
28 [Then] Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise the God whom Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego [worship]! He sent one of his angels to rescue these [three] men who worship him and trust in him. They ignored my command; they insisted that they would worship only their God, and were willing to die instead of worshiping any other god.
UNebhukadinezari waphendula, wathi: Kadunyiswe uNkulunkulu kaShadraki, uMeshaki, loAbedinego, othume ingilosi yakhe, wakhulula izinceku zakhe ezimthembileyo, zaze zaguqula ilizwi lenkosi, zanikela imizimba yazo, ukuze zingakhonzi zingakhuleki lakuwuphi unkulunkulu ngaphandle kukaNkulunkulu wazo.
29 Therefore, I am [now] making this decree: ‘If any people, from any country or people-group or any language group, criticize the God whom Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego worship, they will be cut in pieces and their houses [will be torn down and] made into a pile of rubble. There is no other god who can rescue people like this!’”
Ngakho umlayo wenziwa yimi, ukuthi bonke abantu, isizwe, lolimi, olukhuluma okungafanelanga okumelene loNkulunkulu kaShadraki, uMeshaki, loAbedinego, uzaqunywa iziqa, lendlu yakhe yenziwe inqumbi yomquba; ngoba engekho omunye unkulunkulu olakho ukophula njengalokhu.
30 Then the king gave Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego more important positions in Babylon province than they had before.
Lapho inkosi yabaphumelelisa oShadraki, uMeshaki, loAbedinego, esabelweni seBhabhiloni.
