< UDanyeli 6 >

1 UDariyu wathanda ukubeka ababusi bezigaba abalikhulu lamatshumi amabili ukuba babuse kulolonke ilizwe,
Darius was pleased to put over the kingdom a hundred and twenty captains, who were to be all through the kingdom;
2 wabeka omongameli abathathu phezu kwabo, omunye wabo enguDanyeli. Ababusi bezigaba babesethula kubo konke ukuze inkosi ingalahlekelwa lutho.
And over them were three chief rulers, of whom Daniel was one; and the captains were to be responsible to the chief rulers, so that the king might undergo no loss.
3 UDanyeli waba yisilomo, wedlula abanye omongameli lababusi bezigaba ngokwenza kwakhe, inkosi yaze yafisa ukumbeka phezu kwelizwe lonke.
Then this Daniel did his work better than the chief rulers and the captains, because there was a special spirit in him; and it was the king's purpose to put him over all the kingdom.
4 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.
Then the chief rulers and the captains were looking for some cause for putting Daniel in the wrong in connection with the kingdom, but they were unable to put forward any wrongdoing or error against him; because he was true, and no error or wrong was to be seen in him.
5 Ekucineni amadoda la athi, “Kasisoze safa salizuza izaba lokwethesa indoda le uDanyeli icala ngaphandle kwalokho okuphathelene lomthetho kaNkulunkulu wakhe.”
Then these men said, We will only get a reason for attacking Daniel in connection with the law of his God.
6 Ngakho omongameli lababusi bezigaba baya enkosini belixuku bafika bathi: “Oh nkosi Dariyu, mana njalo!
Then these chief rulers and the captains came to the king and said to him, O King Darius, have life for ever.
7 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.
All the chief rulers of the kingdom, the chiefs and the captains, the wise men and the rulers, have made a common decision to put in force a law having the king's authority, and to give a strong order, that whoever makes any request to any god or man but you, O King, for thirty days, is to be put into the lions' hole.
8 Manje, Oh nkosi, sikhuphe lesosimemezelo sibhalwe phansi ukuze singaguqulwa njengoba kunjalo ngemithetho yamaMede lamaPhezhiya engaguqulwayo.”
Now, O King, put the order in force, signing the writing so that it may not be changed, like the law of the Medes and Persians which may not come to an end.
9 Ngakho inkosi uDariyu yawubhala phansi lowomthetho.
For this reason King Darius put his name on the writing and the order.
10 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.
And Daniel, on hearing that the writing had been signed, went into his house; (now he had windows in his room on the roof opening in the direction of Jerusalem; ) and three times a day he went down on his knees in prayer and praise before his God, as he had done before.
11 Kwasekusithi amadoda la aqhubana elixuku afica uDanyeli ekhuleka ecela usizo kuNkulunkulu.
Then these men were watching and saw Daniel making prayers and requesting grace before his God.
12 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.”
Then they came near before the king and said, O King, have you not put your name to an order that any man who makes a request to any god or man but you, O King, for thirty days, is to be put into the lions' hole? The king made answer and said, The thing is fixed by the law of the Medes and Persians which may not come to an end.
13 Asesithi enkosini, “UDanyeli, ongomunye wabathunjwa bakoJuda, kakunanzi, wena nkosi, kanye lomthetho owawubhala phansi. Ulokhu ekhuleka kathathu ngelanga.”
Then they made answer and said before the king, Daniel, one of the prisoners of Judah, has no respect for you, O King, or for the order signed by you, but three times a day he makes his prayer to God.
14 Kwathi inkosi isikuzwile lokho yakhathazeka kakhulu; yayizimisele ukukhulula uDanyeli, yenza yonke imizamo yokumsiza ilanga laze layatshona.
When this thing came to the king's ears, it was very evil to him, and his heart was fixed on keeping Daniel safe, and till the going down of the sun he was doing everything in his power to get him free.
15 Amadoda lawo asehamba elixuku aya enkosini athi kuyo, “Khumbula, Oh nkosi, ukuthi ngomthetho wamaMede lamaPhezhiya kakulasimemezelo loba isimiso esikhutshwe yinkosi esingaguqulwa.”
Then these men said to the king, Be certain, O King, that by the law of the Medes and Persians no order or law which the king has put into force may be changed.
16 Ngakho inkosi yasikhupha umlayo, basebemletha uDanyeli bamphosela emphandwini wezilwane. Inkosi yathi kuDanyeli, “Sengathi uNkulunkulu wakho omkhonzayo njalonjalo angakuhlenga!”
Then the king gave the order, and they took Daniel and put him into the lions' hole. The king made answer and said to Daniel, Your God, whose servant you are at all times, will keep you safe.
17 Kwalethwa ilitshe lafakwa emnyango womgodi, inkosi yasilinameka ngendandatho yayo yobukhosi langezindandatho zezikhulu zayo, ukuze umumo kaDanyeli ungaguqulwa.
Then they got a stone and put it over the mouth of the hole, and it was stamped with the king's stamp and with the stamp of the lords, so that the decision about Daniel might not be changed.
18 Yikho inkosi yase ibuyela esigodlweni sayo yazila ukudla lokunatha ubusuku bonke. Yehluleka ukulala.
Then the king went to his great house, and took no food that night, and no ... were placed before him, and his sleep went from him.
19 Kwathi emadabukakusa inkosi yavuka yaya emgodini wezilwane.
Then very early in the morning the king got up and went quickly to the lions' hole.
20 Ithe isifikile emgodini, yamemeza uDanyeli ngelizwi losizi yathi, “Danyeli, nceku kaNkulunkulu ophilayo, uNkulunkulu wakho omkhonza njalonjalo ukuphephisile yini ezilwaneni?”
And when he came near the hole where Daniel was, he gave a loud cry of grief; the king made answer and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is your God, whose servant you are at all times, able to keep you safe from the lions?
21 UDanyeli waphendula wathi, “Oh nkosi, mana njalo!
Then Daniel said to the king, O King, have life for ever.
22 UNkulunkulu wami uthume ingilosi yakhe yayivala imilomo yezilwane. Kazingilimazanga ngoba ngifunyanwe ngingelacala phambi kwakhe. Njalo kangikaze ngenze okubi kuwe, Oh nkosi.”
My God has sent his angel to keep the lions' mouths shut, and they have done me no damage: because I was seen to be without sin before him; and further, before you, O King, I have done no wrong.
23 Inkosi yathaba yafa yakhupha umlayo wokuba uDanyeli akhutshulwe emgodini lowo. UDanyeli esekhutshiwe emgodini, kakubonakalanga nxeba kuye, ngoba wathemba kuNkulunkulu wakhe.
Then the king was very glad, and gave orders for them to take Daniel up out of the hole. So Daniel was taken up out of the hole and he was seen to be untouched, because he had faith in his God.
24 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.
And at the king's order, they took those men who had said evil against Daniel, and put them in the lions' hole, with their wives and their children; and they had not got to the floor of the hole before the lions overcame them and all their bones were broken.
25 Inkosi uDariyu yasilobela bonke abantu, lezizwe zonke lenhlanga zendimi zonke kulolonke ilizwe yathi: “Sengathi impilo enhle inganda kini!
Then King Darius sent a letter to all the peoples, nations, and languages, living in all the earth: May your peace be increased.
26 Ngimisa isimiso sokuthi kuzozonke izindawo zombuso wami, abantu kabesabe, bakhonze uNkulunkulu kaDanyeli.
It is my order that in all the kingdom of which I am ruler, men are to be shaking with fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, unchanging for ever, and his kingdom is one which will never come to destruction, his rule will go on to the end.
27 Uyakhulula, asindise;
He gives salvation and makes men free from danger, and does signs and wonders in heaven and earth, who has kept Daniel safe from the power of the lions.
28 Ngakho uDanyeli waphumelela ngesikhathi sokubusa kukaDariyu lesokubusa kukaKhurosi umPhezhiya.
So this Daniel did well in the kingdom of Darius and in the kingdom of Cyrus the Persian.

< UDanyeli 6 >