Daniel 6
1 King Darius decided to divide his kingdom into 120 provinces. He appointed a governor to rule each province.
UDariyu wathanda ukubeka ababusi bezigaba abalikhulu lamatshumi amabili ukuba babuse kulolonke ilizwe,
2 He also appointed me and two other men to be administrators, to supervise the governors and to be sure that they did the king’s work [properly], in order that the king would not have to worry about anything.
wabeka omongameli abathathu phezu kwabo, omunye wabo enguDanyeli. Ababusi bezigaba babesethula kubo konke ukuze inkosi ingalahlekelwa lutho.
3 I soon showed that I was (more capable/able to do the work better) than all the other administrators and the governors. Because of that, the king planned to appoint me to be in charge of the entire empire.
UDanyeli waba yisilomo, wedlula abanye omongameli lababusi bezigaba ngokwenza kwakhe, inkosi yaze yafisa ukumbeka phezu kwelizwe lonke.
4 Then, the [other] administrators and the governors [became jealous. So they began to] try to find something that they could criticize about the way I was working for the king. But I always did my work faithfully and honestly, and was never lazy. So they could not find anything to criticize.
Ngenxa yalokho omongameli lababusi bezigaba badinga amabhada okumangalela uDanyeli ngendlela ayeqhuba ngayo kwezombuso, kodwa behluleka. Kabafumananga kungcola kuye ngoba wayethembekile futhi engasihaga lemali njalo engayekethisi lutho.
5 They concluded, “The only way we can find something for which we can criticize Daniel will be something concerning the laws that his god [his given him].”
Ekucineni amadoda la athi, “Kasisoze safa salizuza izaba lokwethesa indoda le uDanyeli icala ngaphandle kwalokho okuphathelene lomthetho kaNkulunkulu wakhe.”
6 So the administrators and governors went as one group to the king and said, “(Your Majesty/O king), we wish that you will live a long time!
Ngakho omongameli lababusi bezigaba baya enkosini belixuku bafika bathi: “Oh nkosi Dariyu, mana njalo!
7 [We] administrators and governors and district governors and advisors and other officials have all agreed that you should make a law that everyone must obey. We want you to command that for the next thirty days people may pray only to you. If anyone prays to anyone else, either to a human or to a god, he must be thrown into [a pit of] lions.
Omongameli besikhosini, labalisa, lababusi bezigaba, labeluleki lababusi bemikhono yelizwe bonke sebevumelene ukuthi inkosi kayikhuphe isimemezelo iwugcizelele umlayo othi noma ngubani okhuleka kuwuphi uNkulunkulu noma umuntu phakathi kwalezi insuku ezingamatshumi amathathu, ngaphandle kokukhuleka kuwe wena, Oh nkosi, uzaphoselwa emgodini wezilwane.
8 And because laws made by [our governments of] Media and Persia cannot be changed, [we want] you, [the head of our government], to sign it.”
Manje, Oh nkosi, sikhuphe lesosimemezelo sibhalwe phansi ukuze singaguqulwa njengoba kunjalo ngemithetho yamaMede lamaPhezhiya engaguqulwayo.”
9 So King Darius [wrote] the law and signed it.
Ngakho inkosi uDariyu yawubhala phansi lowomthetho.
10 But when I found out that [the king] had [written and] signed that law, I went home. I knelt down in my upstairs room and prayed. I looked toward Jerusalem, and the windows were open [with the result that everyone could see me while I was praying]. I prayed three times each day, just as I always did, thanking God.
Kwathi uDanyeli esezwile ukuthi umthetho wawusukhutshiwe, waya ekhaya endlini yakhe ephezulu esitezi eyayilamawindi avulwe akhangela eJerusalema. Kathathu ngelanga wayezilahla phansi ngamadolo akhuleke, ebonga uNkulunkulu wakhe, njengalokho ayevele ekwenza mandulo.
11 The officials went together [to my house] and they saw me praying and requesting God to help me.
Kwasekusithi amadoda la aqhubana elixuku afica uDanyeli ekhuleka ecela usizo kuNkulunkulu.
12 So they returned to the king and said to him, “[Do you remember] that you wrote a law stating that for the next thirty days people may pray only to you, and if anyone prays to anyone else, either to a human or to a god, he will be thrown into [a pit of] lions?” The king replied, “[Yes, that is the law that I wrote]. It is a law of [our governments of] Media and Persia, which cannot be canceled.”
Asesiya enkosini ayakhuluma layo ngomthetho owaphuma esigodlweni, athi: “Kawukhuphanga isimemezelo yini sokuthi ngezinsuku ezilandelayo ezingamatshumi amathathu noma ngubani okhuleka komunye unkulunkulu noma umuntu ngaphandle kokukhuleka kuwe, Oh nkosi, uzaphoselwa emgodini wezilwane?” Inkosi yaphendula yathi, “Lowomthetho umi njengemithetho yamaMede lamaPhezhiya, engeke iguqulwe.”
13 Then they said to the king, “Well, that [man] Daniel, one of the men who were brought from Judah, is not paying any attention to you or the law that you [signed]. He prays [to his god] three times each day!”
Asesithi enkosini, “UDanyeli, ongomunye wabathunjwa bakoJuda, kakunanzi, wena nkosi, kanye lomthetho owawubhala phansi. Ulokhu ekhuleka kathathu ngelanga.”
14 When the king heard that, he was very distressed. He tried to find a way to save me. All the rest of that day he tried to think of a way to rescue me.
Kwathi inkosi isikuzwile lokho yakhathazeka kakhulu; yayizimisele ukukhulula uDanyeli, yenza yonke imizamo yokumsiza ilanga laze layatshona.
15 [In the evening, many of] [HYP] the officials went together to the king and said, “(Your Majesty/O king), you know that [our governments of] Media and Persia have declared that no law that the king signs can be canceled/changed. [So Daniel must be thrown to the lions!]”
Amadoda lawo asehamba elixuku aya enkosini athi kuyo, “Khumbula, Oh nkosi, ukuthi ngomthetho wamaMede lamaPhezhiya kakulasimemezelo loba isimiso esikhutshwe yinkosi esingaguqulwa.”
16 So the king gave the order, and his servants brought me and threw me into a pit where the lions [were]. [Before they threw me in], the king said to me, “I hope/wish that your God, whom you worship regularly, will rescue you!”
Ngakho inkosi yasikhupha umlayo, basebemletha uDanyeli bamphosela emphandwini wezilwane. Inkosi yathi kuDanyeli, “Sengathi uNkulunkulu wakho omkhonzayo njalonjalo angakuhlenga!”
17 They rolled a huge stone across the entrance to the pit. Then the king [fastened a string across the entrance and put wax at each end, and stamped the wax with] the seal from his [ring] and the seals [of the rings] of his officials, in order that no one could [secretly] rescue me.
Kwalethwa ilitshe lafakwa emnyango womgodi, inkosi yasilinameka ngendandatho yayo yobukhosi langezindandatho zezikhulu zayo, ukuze umumo kaDanyeli ungaguqulwa.
18 Then the king returned to his palace. That night he refused to eat any food. He would not allow anyone to entertain him [because he did not want to be happy, with the result that he would forget about me. And that night] he was unable to sleep [because he was worried about me].
Yikho inkosi yase ibuyela esigodlweni sayo yazila ukudla lokunatha ubusuku bonke. Yehluleka ukulala.
19 At dawn the next morning, the king got up and went quickly to the pit where the lions were.
Kwathi emadabukakusa inkosi yavuka yaya emgodini wezilwane.
20 When he came near it, he was very worried. He called out, “Daniel, you who serve the all-powerful God! Was your God, whom you worship regularly, able to save you from the lions?”
Ithe isifikile emgodini, yamemeza uDanyeli ngelizwi losizi yathi, “Danyeli, nceku kaNkulunkulu ophilayo, uNkulunkulu wakho omkhonza njalonjalo ukuphephisile yini ezilwaneni?”
21 I answered, “(Your Majesty/O king), I hope that you will live a long time!
UDanyeli waphendula wathi, “Oh nkosi, mana njalo!
22 [Yes], my God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths, in order that they would not harm me! [He did that] because [he knows that] I have done nothing that he thinks is wrong. And, (Your Majesty/O king), I never did anything wrong to you!”
UNkulunkulu wami uthume ingilosi yakhe yayivala imilomo yezilwane. Kazingilimazanga ngoba ngifunyanwe ngingelacala phambi kwakhe. Njalo kangikaze ngenze okubi kuwe, Oh nkosi.”
23 The king was extremely happy, and he commanded [his servants] to lift me out of the pit. [When they did that, they] saw that the lions had not wounded me at all. [God had protected me] because I trusted in him.
Inkosi yathaba yafa yakhupha umlayo wokuba uDanyeli akhutshulwe emgodini lowo. UDanyeli esekhutshiwe emgodini, kakubonakalanga nxeba kuye, ngoba wathemba kuNkulunkulu wakhe.
24 Then the king commanded that the men who had accused me should be seized and be thrown, along with their wives and children, into the pit where the lions were. [When they were thrown into the pit], the lions leaped on them and crushed their bones before they fell onto the bottom of the pit!
Inkosi yalaya ukuthi balethwe labo ababemangalele uDanyeli ngamanga baphoselwa emgodini wezilwane kanye labafazi babo labantwababo. Bathi bengakathinti phansi emgodini izilwane zabaqaga zabafohloza wonke amathambo abo.
25 Then King Darius wrote [this message and sent it throughout his kingdom] to the people of every people-group and nation and from all language groups: “I wish/hope that everything is going very well with you!
Inkosi uDariyu yasilobela bonke abantu, lezizwe zonke lenhlanga zendimi zonke kulolonke ilizwe yathi: “Sengathi impilo enhle inganda kini!
26 I command that everyone in my kingdom should fear and revere the God that Daniel [worships]. He is the all-powerful God, and he will live forever. His kingdom will never be destroyed; he will rule forever.
Ngimisa isimiso sokuthi kuzozonke izindawo zombuso wami, abantu kabesabe, bakhonze uNkulunkulu kaDanyeli.
27 He rescues and saves [his people]. He performs all kinds of miracles in heaven and on the earth. He rescued Daniel from the power of the lions!”
Uyakhulula, asindise;
28 So I was successful [all] during the time that Darius ruled and during the time that Cyrus, [the King] of Persia, ruled.
Ngakho uDanyeli waphumelela ngesikhathi sokubusa kukaDariyu lesokubusa kukaKhurosi umPhezhiya.
