UDanyeli 6
1 Kwaba kuhle kuDariyusi ukubeka phezu kombuso iziphathamandla ezilikhulu lamatshumi amabili, ukuthi zibe phezu kombuso wonke,
It pleased Darius to appoint over the kingdom 120 provincial governors who would rule over all the kingdom.
2 laphezu kwazo ababonisi abathathu, uDaniyeli aba ngowokuqala kubo; ukuthi leziziphathamandla zilandise kubo, njalo inkosi ingabi lomonakalo.
Over them there were three chief administrators, and Daniel was one of them. These chief administrators were appointed so that they might supervise the provincial governors, so that the king should suffer no loss.
3 Lapho uDaniyeli lo wenza ngcono kulababonisi leziphathamandla, ngoba umoya owedlulisileyo wawukuye. Njalo inkosi yacabanga ukumbeka phezu kombuso wonke.
Daniel was distinguished above the other chief administrators and the provincial governors because he had an extraordinary spirit. The king was planning to put him over 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.
Then the other chief administrators and the provincial governors looked for mistakes in the work Daniel did for the kingdom, but they could find no corruption or failure in his duty because he was faithful. No mistakes or negligence was found in him.
5 Lapho lawomadoda athi: Kasiyikuthola thuba ngaye lo uDaniyeli ngaphandle kokuthi silithole limelene laye emlayweni kaNkulunkulu wakhe.
Then these men said, “We cannot find any reason to complain against this Daniel unless we find something against him regarding the law of his God.”
6 Lapho labobabonisi leziphathamandla babuthana ndawonye enkosini, batsho kanje kuyo: Dariyusi nkosi, phila kuze kube nininini!
Then these administrators and governors brought a plan before the king. They said to him, “King Darius, may you live forever!
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.
All the chief administrators of the kingdom, the regional governors, and the provincial governors, the advisors, and the governors have consulted together and decided that you, the king, should issue a decree and should enforce it, so that whoever makes a petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, king, that person must be thrown into the den of lions.
8 Khathesi, nkosi, misa umlayo uphawule umbhalo, ukuthi ungaguqulwa, njengokomthetho wamaMede lamaPerisiya, ongadluliyo.
Now, King, issue a decree and sign the document so that it may not be changed, as directed by the laws of the Medes and Persians, so it cannot be repealed.”
9 Ngakho inkosi uDariyusi yaphawula umbhalo lesimiso.
So king Darius signed the document making the decree into a 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 learned that the document had been signed into law, he went into his house (now his windows were open in his upper room toward Jerusalem), and he got down on his knees, as he did three times a day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done before.
11 Lapho la amadoda abuthana, athola uDaniyeli ekhuleka encenga phambi kukaNkulunkulu wakhe.
Then these men who had formed the plot together saw Daniel make requests and seek help from God.
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.
Then they approached the king and spoke with him about his decree: “Did you not make a decree that everyone who makes a petition to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, king, must be throw into the den of lions?” The king answered, “The matter is settled, as directed by the law of the Medes and Persians; it cannot be repealed.”
13 Lapho aphendula athi phambi kwenkosi: UDaniyeli ongowabantwana bokuthunjwa bakoJuda kakunanzi, nkosi, lesimiso osiphawulileyo, kodwa uyakhuleka isicelo sakhe izikhathi ezintathu ngosuku.
Then they replied to the king, “That person Daniel, who is one of the people of the exile from Judah, pays no attention to you, king, or to the decree that you have signed. He prays to his God 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 terribly distressed, and he applied his mind to rescue Daniel from this ruling. He labored until sunset to try to save Daniel.
15 Lapho abuthana enkosini lawomadoda, athi enkosini: Yazi, nkosi, ukuthi umthetho wamaMede lamaPerisiya uthi: Kakulasimiso kumbe umthetho inkosi eyawumisayo ongaguqulwa.
Then these men who had formed the plot gathered together with the king and said to him, “Know, king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians, that no decree or statute that the king issues can be changed.”
16 Lapho inkosi yalaya, bamletha uDaniyeli, bamphosela ebhalwini lwezilwane. Inkosi yaphendula yathi kuDaniyeli: UNkulunkulu wakho, omkhonzayo njalonjalo, kungathi angakukhulula!
Then the king gave an order, and they brought in Daniel, and they threw him into the lions' den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue 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 over the entrance to the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles so that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.
18 Lapho inkosi yaya esigodlweni sayo, yachitha ubusuku izila ukudla; lamachacho kawalethwanga phambi kwayo; lobuthongo bayibalekela.
Then the king went to his palace and he went through the night fasting. No entertainment was brought before him, and sleep fled from him.
19 Lapho inkosi yavuka emadabukakusa, yaya ngokuphangisa ebhalwini lwezilwane.
Then at daybreak the king got up and he quickly went 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 came near to the den, he called out to Daniel in a sad voice, saying to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to save you from the lions?”
21 Lapho uDaniyeli wathi enkosini: Nkosi, phila kuze kube nininini!
Then said Daniel to the king, “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 has sent his messenger and has shut the lions' mouths, and they have not hurt me. For I was found blameless before him and also before you, king, and I have done you no harm.”
23 Lapho inkosi yamthokozela kakhulu, yalaya ukukhuphula uDaniyeli ebhalwini. UDaniyeli wasekhutshulwa ebhalwini, kakwatholwa kulimala kuye, ngoba ekholwe kuNkulunkulu wakhe.
Then the king was very happy. He gave an order that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was lifted up out of the den. No harm was found on him, 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.
The king gave an order, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel and threw them into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. Before they reached the floor, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones to pieces.
25 Lapho inkosi uDariyusi yabalela bonke abantu, izizwe, lezindimi, ezihlezi emhlabeni wonke, yathi: Kakwandiswe ukuthula kwenu.
Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that live in all the earth: “May peace increase for you.
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 hereby make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God and lives forever, and his kingdom shall not be destroyed; his dominion shall be to the end.
27 Uyakhulula, ophule, enze izibonakaliso lezimangaliso emazulwini lemhlabeni, osekhulule uDaniyeli emandleni ezilwane.
He makes us safe and rescues us, and he does signs and wonders in heaven and in earth; he has kept Daniel safe from the strength of the lions.”
28 Ngakho uDaniyeli lo waphumelela embusweni kaDariyusi, lembusweni kaKoresi umPerisiya.
So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and during the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
