UDanyeli 3
1 UNebhukadinezari inkosi wenza isithombe segolide; ubude baso babuzingalo ezingamatshumi ayisithupha, ububanzi baso buzingalo eziyisithupha; yasimisa egcekeni leDura, esabelweni seBhabhiloni.
King Nebuchadnezzar made a statue of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide, and he set it up in the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.
2 UNebhukadinezari inkosi wasethumela ukubuthela ndawonye iziphathamandla, ababusi, lezinduna, abeluleki, abaphathizikhwama, abehluleli, abathonisisi, labo bonke ababusi bezabelo, ukuze beze ekwehlukanisweni kwesithombe uNebhukadinezari inkosi ayesimisile.
Then king Nebuchadnezzar sent to gather together the governors, magistrates and judges, generals and sovereigns and commanders, and all the leaders of the regions, to come together for the dedication of the statue, which king Nebuchadnezzar had raised.
3 Lapho iziphathamandla, ababusi, lezinduna, abeluleki, abaphathizikhwama, abehluleli, abathonisisi, labo bonke ababusi bezabelo babuthana ndawonye ekwehlukanisweni kwesithombe uNebhukadinezari inkosi ayesimisile; basebesima phambi kwesithombe uNebhukadinezari ayesimisile.
Then the governors, magistrates and judges, generals and sovereigns and nobles, who were appointed to power, and all the leaders of the regions were brought together so as to convene for the dedication of the statue, which king Nebuchadnezzar had raised. And so they stood before the statue that king Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
4 Ummemezeli wasememeza ngamandla wathi: Liyalaywa, lina bantu, zizwe, lezindimi, ukuthi:
And a herald proclaimed loudly, “To you it is said, to you peoples, tribes, and languages,
5 Ngesikhathi elizwa ngaso ukukhala kophondo, umhlanga, ichacho, ichachwana, ugubhu lwezintambo, umfece, layo yonke imihlobo yokukhaliswayo, liwele phansi, likhonze isithombe segolide uNebhukadinezari inkosi asimisileyo.
that in the hour when you will hear the sound of the trumpet and the pipe and the lute, the harp and the psaltery, and of the symphony and every kind of music, you must fall down and adore the gold statue, which king Nebuchadnezzar has set up.
6 Njalo loba ngubani ongawi phansi, akhonze, ngalesosikhathi uzaphoselwa phakathi kwesithando somlilo esivuthayo.
But if anyone will not bow down and adore, in the same hour he will be cast into a furnace of burning fire.”
7 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.
After this, therefore, as soon as all the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the pipe and the lute, the harp and the psaltery, and of the symphony and every kind of music, all the peoples, tribes, and languages fell down and adored the gold statue, which king Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
8 Ngakho ngalesosikhathi amaKhaladiya athile asondela, ahleba amaJuda.
And soon, about the same time, some influential Chaldeans came and accused the Jews,
9 Aphendula athi kuNebhukadinezari inkosi: Nkosi, phila kuze kube nininini!
and they said to king Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever.
10 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;
You, O king, have established a decree, so that every man who might hear the sound of the trumpet, the pipe and the lute, the harp and the psaltery, and of the symphony and every kind of music, will prostrate himself and adore the gold statue.
11 njalo loba ngubani ongawi phansi, akhonze, uzaphoselwa phakathi kwesithando somlilo ovuthayo.
But if any man will not fall down and adore, he would be cast into a furnace of burning fire.
12 Kukhona amaJuda athile owamise phezu komsebenzi wesabelo seBhabhiloni, oShadraki, uMeshaki, loAbedinego; la amadoda, nkosi, kawakunakanga; kawakhonzi onkulunkulu bakho, kawakhothameli isithombe segolide osimisileyo.
Yet there are influential Jews, whom you have appointed over the works of the region of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, have scorned your decree. They do not worship your gods, and they do not adore the gold statue which you have raised up.”
13 Lapho uNebhukadinezari ekuthukutheleni lekuvutheni kolaka walaya ukuletha oShadraki, uMeshaki, loAbedinego. Khonokho lawomadoda alethwa phambi kwenkosi.
Then Nebuchadnezzar, in fury and in wrath, commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego should be brought, and so, without delay, they were brought before the king.
14 UNebhukadinezari waphendula wathi kubo: Kungamabomu yini, Shadraki, Meshaki, loAbedinego, lingakhonzi onkulunkulu bami, lingakhothameli isithombe segolide engisimisileyo?
And king Nebuchadnezzar addressed them and said, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not worship my gods, nor adore the gold statue, which I have set up?
15 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?
Therefore, if you are prepared now, whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet, pipe, lute, harp and psaltery, and of the symphony and every kind of music, prostrate yourselves and adore the statue which I have made. But if you will not adore, in the same hour you will be cast into the furnace of burning fire. And who is the God that will rescue you from my hand?”
16 OShadraki, uMeshaki, loAbedinego baphendula bathi enkosini: Nebhukadinezari, kasidingi ukukuphendula kuloludaba.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to king Nebuchadnezzar, “It is not right for us to obey you in this matter.
17 Uba kungenzeka, uNkulunkulu wethu esimkhonzayo ulakho ukusikhulula esithandweni somlilo ovuthayo; njalo uzasikhulula esandleni sakho, nkosi.
For behold our God, whom we worship, is able to rescue us from the oven of burning fire and to free us from your hands, O king.
18 Kodwa uba kungenjalo, kakwaziwe kuwe, nkosi, ukuthi kasiyikubakhonza onkulunkulu bakho, lokuthi kasiyikukhothamela isithombe segolide osimisileyo.
But even if he will not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not worship your gods, nor adore the gold statue, which you have raised up.”
19 Lapho uNebhukadinezari wagcwala ulaka, lesimo sobuso bakhe sabaguqukela oShadraki, uMeshaki loAbedinego; waphendula, walaya ukuthi batshise isithando kasikhombisa ngaphezu kwalokho okwejwayeleke ukutshiswa ngakho.
Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury and the appearance of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and he commanded that the furnace should be heated to seven times its usual fire.
20 Waselaya amadoda alamandla ayesebuthweni lakhe ukuthi abophe oShadraki, uMeshaki, loAbedinego, ukuthi babaphosele esithandweni somlilo ovuthayo.
And he ordered the strongest men of his army to bind the feet of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the furnace of burning fire.
21 Lawomadoda asebotshwa embethe izembatho zawo, amabhulugwe awo, lezingowane zawo, lezinye izigqoko zawo, aphoselwa phakathi kwesithando somlilo ovuthayo.
And immediately these men were bound, and along with their coats, and their hats, and their shoes, and their garments, were cast into the middle of the furnace of burning fire.
22 Ngakho ngenxa yokuthi ilizwi lenkosi belibukhali, lesithando sitshisa kakhulu, ilangabi lomlilo labulala lawomadoda ayethwele oShadraki, uMeshaki, loAbedinego.
But the king’s order was so urgent that the furnace was heated excessively. As a result, those men who had cast in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were killed by the flame of the fire.
23 Lala amadoda amathathu, oShadraki, uMeshaki, loAbedinego, awela phansi ebotshiwe phakathi kwesithando somlilo esivuthayo.
But these three men, that is, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, having been bound, fell down in the middle of the oven of burning fire.
24 Lapho uNebhukadinezari inkosi wethuka, wasukuma ngokuphangisa, waphendula wathi kubeluleki bakhe: Kasiphoselanga amadoda amathathu ebotshiwe phakathi komlilo yini? Baphendula bathi enkosini: Liqiniso, nkosi.
Then king Nebuchadnezzar was astonished, and he quickly got up and said to his nobles: “Did we not cast three men shackled into the midst of the fire?” Answering the king, they said, “True, O king.”
25 Yaphendula yathi: Khangelani, ngibona amadoda amane ekhululekile ehamba phakathi komlilo, njalo kakukho ukonakala kuwo; njalo isimo seyesine sifanana lendodana yabonkulunkulu.
He answered and said, “Behold, I see four men unbound and walking in the midst of the fire, and no harm is in them, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of God.”
26 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.
Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the entrance of the furnace of burning fire, and he said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the supreme God, come out and approach.” And immediately Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego went out from the midst of the fire.
27 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.
And when the governors, and the magistrates, and the judges, and the powerful of the king had gathered together, they considered these men because the fire had no power against their bodies, and not a hair of their head had been scorched, and their pants had not been affected, and the smell of the fire had not passed onto them.
28 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.
Then Nebuchadnezzar, bursting out, said, “Blessed is their God, the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who sent his angel and rescued his servants who believed in him. And they altered the verdict of the king, and they delivered up their bodies, so that they would not serve or adore any god except their God.
29 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.
Therefore, this decree is established by me: that every people, tribe, and language, whenever they have spoken blasphemy against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, will perish and their homes will be destroyed. For there is no other God who is able to save in this way.”
30 Lapho inkosi yabaphumelelisa oShadraki, uMeshaki, loAbedinego, esabelweni seBhabhiloni.
Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
