UDanyeli 4

1 UNebhukadinezari inkosi, kubo bonke abantu, izizwe, lezindimi, ezihlala emhlabeni wonke: Ukuthula kwenu kakwande!

2 Bekukuhle kimi ukuthi ngikwazise izibonakaliso lezimangaliso uNkulunkulu oPhezukonke azenze kimi.

3 Yeka ubukhulu bezibonakaliso zakhe, njalo yeka amandla ezimangaliso zakhe! Umbuso wakhe ungumbuso ongulaphakade, lokubusa kwakhe kungokwesizukulwana lesizukulwana.

4 Mina, uNebhukadinezari, ngangonwabile endlini yami, ngahluma esigodlweni sami,

5 ngabona iphupho elangesabisayo; lemicabango phezu kombheda wami, lemibono yekhanda lami kwangethusa.

6 Ngakho umlayo wenziwa yimi wokuthi kungeniswe phambi kwami bonke abahlakaniphileyo beBhabhiloni, ukuze bangazise ingcazelo yephupho.

7 Kwasekungena izanuse, izangoma, amaKhaladiya, labalumbi; ngasengikhuluma iphupho phambi kwabo, kodwa kabangazisanga ingcazelo yalo.

8 Kodwa ngasekucineni uDaniyeli wangena phambi kwami, obizo lakhe lalinguBeliteshazari, ngokwebizo likankulunkulu wami, lokukuye umoya wabonkulunkulu abangcwele; ngasengikhuluma iphupho phambi kwakhe, ngisithi:

9 Wena Beliteshazari, nduna yezanuse, ngoba mina ngiyazi ukuthi umoya wabonkulunkulu abangcwele ukuwe, lokuthi kakulamfihlakalo leyodwa ekuhluphayo, ngitshela imibono yephupho lami engilibonileyo, lengcazelo yalo.

10 Yayinjalo imibono yekhanda lami embhedeni wami: Ngabona, khangela-ke, isihlahla phakathi komhlaba, lobude baso babubukhulu.

11 Isihlahla sakhula saba sikhulu, saqina, lobude baso bafinyelela emazulwini, lokubonakala kwaso kwaze kwaba sekucineni komhlaba wonke.

12 Amahlamvu aso ayemahle, lesithelo saso sasisinengi, kwakukhona kiso ukudla kwabo bonke; inyamazana zeganga zaba lomthunzi ngaphansi kwaso, lenyoni zamazulu zahlala ezingatsheni zaso, layo yonke inyama yondliwa kiso.

13 Ngabona emibonweni yekhanda lami embhedeni wami, khangela-ke, umlindi, ngitsho ongcwele, wehla evela emazulwini.

14 Wamemeza ngamandla watsho njalo: Sigamuleni isihlahla, liqume izingatsha zaso, liphulule amahlamvu aso, lichithachithe izithelo zaso; izinyamazana kazisuke ngaphansi kwaso, lezinyoni ngasezingatsheni zaso.

15 Lanxa kunjalo tshiyani isidindi sempande zakhe emhlabathini, langebhanti lensimbi lethusi ohlazeni lwasendle; njalo kakumanziswe ngamazolo amazulu, lesabelo sakhe kasibe kanye lezinyamazana etshanini bomhlaba.

16 Inhliziyo yakhe kayiphenduke ingabi ngeyomuntu, kayiphiwe inhliziyo yenyamazana; futhi kakwedlule phezu kwakhe izikhathi eziyisikhombisa.

17 Loludaba lungesimemezelo sabalindi, lesilayezelo ngelizwi labangcwele; ukuze abaphilayo bazi ukuthi oPhezukonke uyabusa embusweni wabantu, njalo awunike loba kukubani amthandayo, amise phezu kwawo ophansi ebantwini.

18 Leliphupho ngilibonile mina nkosi uNebhukadinezari. Wena-ke, Beliteshazari, yitsho ingcazelo yalo; ngoba bonke abahlakaniphileyo bombuso wami bengelakho ukungitshela ingcazelo; kodwa wena ulakho; ngoba umoya wabonkulunkulu abangcwele ukuwe.

19 Lapho uDaniyeli, obizo lakhe lalinguBeliteshazari, wamangala kakhulu okwesikhatshana, lemicabango yakhe yamkhathaza. Inkosi yaphendula, yathi: Beliteshazari, iphupho lengcazelo yalo kakungakukhathazi. UBeliteshazari waphendula wathi: Nkosi yami, iphupho kalibe kwabakuzondayo, lengcazelo yalo kuzo izitha zakho.

20 Isihlahla osibonileyo, esakhula saba sikhulu saqina, lobude baso bafinyelela emazulwini, lokubonakala kwaso kwaze kwaba semhlabeni wonke,

21 esimahlamvu aso ayemahle, lesithelo saso sisinengi, njalo kiso kulokudla kwabo bonke, lezinyamazana zeganga zahlala phansi kwaso, lenyoni zamazulu zahlala ezingatsheni zaso;

22 singuwe, wena nkosi, osukhulile waba mkhulu waqina; ngoba ubukhulu bakho bukhulile, bafinyelela emazulwini, lombuso wakho ekucineni komhlaba.

23 Njengalokho inkosi yabona umlindi, ngitsho ongcwele, esehla evela emazulwini owathi: Gamulani isihlahla lisichithe; kodwa litshiye isidindi sezimpande emhlabathini sibotshwe ngebhanti lensimbi lethusi ohlazeni lwasendle; kakumanziswe ngamazolo amazulu, lesabelo sakhe kasibe kanye lezinyamazana zeganga, kuze kwedlule izikhathi eziyisikhombisa phezu kwakhe.

24 Nansi ingcazelo, nkosi, njalo nansi isimemezelo soPhezukonke, esiza phezu kwenkosi yami, inkosi:

25 Ukuthi bazakuxotsha ebantwini, lenhlalo yakho izakuba kanye lezinyamazana zeganga, bazakudlisa utshani njengezinkabi, bazakumanzisa ngamazolo amazulu, lezikhathi eziyisikhombisa zizadlula phezu kwakho, uze wazi ukuthi oPhezukonke uyabusa emibusweni yabantu, ayinike loba kukubani amthandayo.

26 Njengalokho bathi kutshiywe isidindi sempande zesihlahla, umbuso wakho uzakuma kuwe, emva kokuthi ususazi ukuthi amazulu ayabusa.

27 Ngakho, nkosi, kasemukeleke kuwe iseluleko sami; wephule izono zakho ngokulunga, lobubi bakho ngokutshengisa isihawu kwabangabayanga, aluba kungaba lokwelulwa kokuthula kwakho.

28 Konke lokhu kwamehlela uNebhukadinezari inkosi.

29 Ekupheleni kwenyanga ezilitshumi lambili wayehambahamba phezu kwesigodlo sombuso weBhabhiloni.

30 Inkosi yaphendula yathi: Kayisiyo yini le iBhabhiloni enkulu mina engiyakhe ukuba yindlu yombuso, ngamandla engalo yami, njalo ibe ludumo lobukhosi bami?

31 Ilizwi lisesemlonyeni wenkosi, kwawa ilizwi livela emazulwini lisithi: Wena nkosi Nebhukadinezari, kuyatshiwo kuwe ukuthi: Umbuso usukile kuwe.

32 Bazakuxotsha usuke ebantwini, lenhlalo yakho izakuba kanye lenyamazana zeganga, bazakudlisa utshani njengezinkabi, lezikhathi eziyisikhombisa zizadlula phezu kwakho, uze wazi ukuthi oPhezukonke uyabusa emibusweni yabantu, ayinike loba kukubani amthandayo.

33 Ngalesosikhathi lolulutho lwagcwaliseka phezu kukaNebhukadinezari; wasexotshwa ebantwini, wadla utshani njengezinkabi, lomzimba wakhe wamanziswa ngamazolo amazulu, zaze inwele zakhe zakhula njengensiba zelinqe, lenzipho zakhe njengezenyoni.

34 Njalo ekupheleni kwezinsuku, mina Nebhukadinezari ngaphakamisela amehlo ami emazulwini, ngoba ukuqedisisa kwami kwabuyela kimi; ngasengibusisa oPhezukonke, ngamdumisa, ngamhlonipha yena ophila phakade, ngoba ukubusa kwakhe kuyikubusa okulaphakade, lombuso wakhe ungowesizukulwana lesizukulwana;

35 futhi bonke abahlali bomhlaba babalwa njengokungelutho, njalo wenza njengentando yakhe ebuthweni lamazulu lakubahlali bomhlaba; njalo kakho ongavimbela isandla sakhe, loba athi kuye: Wenzani?

36 Ngasona lesosikhathi ingqondo yami yabuyela kimi, futhi ngenxa yenkazimulo yombuso wami udumo lwami lokucwebezela kwami kwabuyela kimi; njalo abeluleki bami lezikhulu zami zangidinga; ngasengimiswa futhi embusweni wami; lobukhulu obudluleleyo bengezelelwa kimi.

37 Khathesi, mina, Nebhukadinezari, ngiyayidumisa ngiyiphakamise ngiyihloniphe iNkosi yamazulu, ngoba imisebenzi yayo yonke iliqiniso, lezindlela zayo ziyisahlulelo; lalabo abahamba ngokuzigqaja ilakho ukubathobisa.