UDanyeli 6
1 Kwaba kuhle kuDariyusi ukubeka phezu kombuso iziphathamandla ezilikhulu lamatshumi amabili, ukuthi zibe phezu kombuso wonke,
Darius decided it would be good to place the kingdom under the control of one hundred and twenty provincial governors.
2 laphezu kwazo ababonisi abathathu, uDaniyeli aba ngowokuqala kubo; ukuthi leziziphathamandla zilandise kubo, njalo inkosi ingabi lomonakalo.
Three chief ministers were placed over them to look after the king's interests. Daniel was one of the three.
3 Lapho uDaniyeli lo wenza ngcono kulababonisi leziphathamandla, ngoba umoya owedlulisileyo wawukuye. Njalo inkosi yacabanga ukumbeka phezu kombuso wonke.
Soon Daniel was shown to be a far better administrator than the other chief ministers and provincial governors. Because of his exceptional ability, the king planned to put him in charge of the whole kingdom.
4 Lapho ababonisi leziphathamandla badinga ukuthola ithuba bemelene loDaniyeli mayelana lombuso; kodwa bengelakho ukuthola ithuba kumbe insolo; ngoba wayethembekile, futhi kungelampambaniso kumbe insolo okwatholakala kuye.
As a result the other chief ministers and provincial governors tried to find a pretext against Daniel as to the way he ran the kingdom. But they couldn't find any cause for complaint or any corruption, for he was trustworthy. They could not discover any evidence that Daniel was negligent or corrupt.
5 Lapho lawomadoda athi: Kasiyikuthola thuba ngaye lo uDaniyeli ngaphandle kokuthi silithole limelene laye emlayweni kaNkulunkulu wakhe.
So they said to themselves, “We won't find any pretext to attack Daniel unless we use his observance of his God's laws against him.”
6 Lapho labobabonisi leziphathamandla babuthana ndawonye enkosini, batsho kanje kuyo: Dariyusi nkosi, phila kuze kube nininini!
So these chief ministers and provincial governors went together to see the king. “May Your Majesty King Darius live forever!” they said.
7 Bonke ababonisi bombuso, izinduna, leziphathamandla, abeluleki, lababusi bacebisa ukumisa umthetho wesikhosini, lokwenza isimiso esiqinileyo, ukuthi loba ngubani ozacela isicelo lakuwuphi unkulunkulu loba umuntu phakathi kwezinsuku ezingamatshumi amathathu ngaphandle kuwe, nkosi, uzaphoselwa ebhalwini lwezilwane.
“We have all agreed—chief ministers, prefects, provincial governors, counselors, and local governors—that Your Majesty should issue a decree, legally enforced, that for the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human being except you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions' den.
8 Khathesi, nkosi, misa umlayo uphawule umbhalo, ukuthi ungaguqulwa, njengokomthetho wamaMede lamaPerisiya, ongadluliyo.
Now, Your Majesty, if you will sign the decree and have it issued so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians that cannot be revoked.”
9 Ngakho inkosi uDariyusi yaphawula umbhalo lesimiso.
So Darius signed the decree into law.
10 Kwathi lapho uDaniyeli asesazi ukuthi umbhalo uphawuliwe, wangena endlini yakhe; njalo amawindi ekamelo lakhe eliphezulu elikhangele eJerusalema evulekile; waguqa ngamadolo akhe izikhathi ezintathu ngosuku, wakhuleka, wapha izibongo phambi kukaNkulunkulu wakhe, njengokwenza kwakhe mandulo kwalokhu.
When Daniel found out that the decree had been signed he went home to his upstairs room where he would pray three times a day, with the windows open facing Jerusalem. There he kneeled down, praying and thanking his God as he always did.
11 Lapho la amadoda abuthana, athola uDaniyeli ekhuleka encenga phambi kukaNkulunkulu wakhe.
Then the men who had plotted against Daniel went together and found him praying to his God and asking for help.
12 Lapho asondela, akhuluma phambi kwenkosi mayelana lesimiso senkosi athi: Kawuphawulanga isimiso yini, sokuthi wonke umuntu ocela lakuwuphi unkulunkulu loba umuntu phakathi kwezinsuku ezingamatshumi amathathu ngaphandle kuwe, nkosi, uzaphoselwa ebhalwini lwezilwane? Inkosi yaphendula yathi: Linto iliqiniso, ngokomthetho wamaMede lamaPerisiya ongadluliyo.
They went to the king right away and asked him about the decree. “Didn't Your Majesty sign a decree that for the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human being except you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions' den?” “I certainly did!” the king replied. “The decree stands. According to the law of the Medes and the Persians it cannot be revoked.”
13 Lapho aphendula athi phambi kwenkosi: UDaniyeli ongowabantwana bokuthunjwa bakoJuda kakunanzi, nkosi, lesimiso osiphawulileyo, kodwa uyakhuleka isicelo sakhe izikhathi ezintathu ngosuku.
Then they told the king, “Daniel, one of those captives from Judah, pays no attention to Your Majesty or to the decree you signed and prays three times a day.”
14 Kwathi lapho inkosi isizwile lelilizwi, yazizondela kakhulu, yabeka ingqondo kuDaniyeli ukumkhulula; yebo, yalwisa laze latshona ilanga ukumophula.
When the king heard this, he was very upset and tried to think of how to save Daniel. He worked hard until sundown trying to rescue him.
15 Lapho abuthana enkosini lawomadoda, athi enkosini: Yazi, nkosi, ukuthi umthetho wamaMede lamaPerisiya uthi: Kakulasimiso kumbe umthetho inkosi eyawumisayo ongaguqulwa.
Then the men returned together and said to the king, “You know, Your Majesty, that according to the law of the Medes and the Persians no decree or statute can be changed.”
16 Lapho inkosi yalaya, bamletha uDaniyeli, bamphosela ebhalwini lwezilwane. Inkosi yaphendula yathi kuDaniyeli: UNkulunkulu wakho, omkhonzayo njalonjalo, kungathi angakukhulula!
Eventually the king gave the order and Daniel was taken and thrown into the lions' den. The king told him, “May the God you so loyally serve save you!”
17 Kwasekulethwa ilitshe, labekwa phezu komlomo wobhalu; inkosi yasilinameka ngendandatho elophawu lwayo, langendandatho elophawu lwamakhosi ayo, ukuze kungaguqulwa ulutho mayelana loDaniyeli.
A stone was brought and placed over the entrance to the den and the king sealed it with his own personal seal and those of his nobles so that no one could interfere with what was happening to Daniel.
18 Lapho inkosi yaya esigodlweni sayo, yachitha ubusuku izila ukudla; lamachacho kawalethwanga phambi kwayo; lobuthongo bayibalekela.
Then the king went back to his palace. He ate nothing at all that night and refused any kind of entertainment. He couldn't sleep a wink.
19 Lapho inkosi yavuka emadabukakusa, yaya ngokuphangisa ebhalwini lwezilwane.
At dawn, as soon as it was light, the king got up and rushed to the lions' den.
20 Yathi isisondele ebhalwini, yamemeza ngelizwi lokulila kuDaniyeli; inkosi yaphendula yathi kuDaniyeli: Daniyeli, nceku kaNkulunkulu ophilayo, uNkulunkulu wakho omkhonzayo njalonjalo, ulakho ukukukhulula yini ezilwaneni?
As he approached the den, he called out anxiously to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God whom you honor so faithfully, was your God able to save you from the lions?”
21 Lapho uDaniyeli wathi enkosini: Nkosi, phila kuze kube nininini!
Daniel replied, “May Your Majesty the king live forever!
22 UNkulunkulu wami uthumile ingilosi yakhe, yavala imilomo yezilwane, okokuthi kazingilimazanga, ngoba phambi kwakhe ukungabi lecala kutholakale kimi; njalo phambi kwakho, nkosi, kangenzanga bubi.
My God sent his angel to shut the lions' mouths. They have not hurt me because I was found innocent in his sight. In addition, I have never done you any wrong, Your Majesty.”
23 Lapho inkosi yamthokozela kakhulu, yalaya ukukhuphula uDaniyeli ebhalwini. UDaniyeli wasekhutshulwa ebhalwini, kakwatholwa kulimala kuye, ngoba ekholwe kuNkulunkulu wakhe.
The king was extremely pleased and ordered Daniel brought up from the den. Daniel was lifted up from the den and he was found to have no injuries at all because he had trusted in his God.
24 Inkosi yasilaya, kwasekulethwa lawomadoda ayehlebe uDaniyeli, bawaphosela ebhalwini lwezilwane, wona, abantwana bawo, labomkawo; kwathi bengakafiki phansi ebhalwini, izilwane zazibusa phezu kwabo, zachoboza wonke amathambo abo.
Then the king ordered the men who had accused Daniel to be brought and they were thrown into the lions' den along with their wives and children. Before they even reached the floor of the den the lions attacked them, ripping them to pieces.
25 Lapho inkosi uDariyusi yabalela bonke abantu, izizwe, lezindimi, ezihlezi emhlabeni wonke, yathi: Kakwandiswe ukuthula kwenu.
Then Darius wrote to all the people of the world, the different nations and languages, saying, “I wish you well!
26 Umlayo wenziwa yimi, ukuthi kukho konke ukubuswa kombuso wami bathuthumele besabe phambi kukaNkulunkulu kaDaniyeli; ngoba enguNkulunkulu ophilayo, lomi kuze kube nininini, lombuso wakhe ngongayikuchithwa, lokubusa kwakhe kuzakuba khona kuze kube sekupheleni.
I decree that throughout my entire kingdom everyone should respect and honor the God of Daniel, for he is the living God. He is everlasting and his kingdom will never be destroyed. His reign will never end.
27 Uyakhulula, ophule, enze izibonakaliso lezimangaliso emazulwini lemhlabeni, osekhulule uDaniyeli emandleni ezilwane.
He is the one who rescues and saves; he does miracles and wonders in the heavens and on earth. He saved Daniel from death in the lions' den.”
28 Ngakho uDaniyeli lo waphumelela embusweni kaDariyusi, lembusweni kaKoresi umPerisiya.
Daniel experienced good success during the reigns of Darius and Cyrus the Persian.
