UDanyeli 4 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

Iphupho lesibili lobuhlanya bukaNebukadineza

¹ Inkosi uNebukadineza wathi kubo bonke abantu lezizwe lezindimi ezisemhlabeni wonke: Ukuthula kakwande phakathi kwenu!

² Kube kuhle kimi ukutshengisa izibonakaliso lezimangaliso uNkulunkulu oPhezukonke angenzele zona.

³ Yeka ubukhulu bezibonakaliso zakhe, lamandla ezimangaliso zakhe! Umbuso wakhe ungumbuso ongelakuphela, lokubusa kwakhe kungokwezizukulwana zonke.

⁴ Mina Nebukadineza, ngangichelesile endlini yami, ngiphumelela esigodlweni sami.

⁵ Ngaphupha iphupho elangethusayo, ngisalele embhedeni wami imicabango lemibono yengqondo yami yangethusa.

⁶ Ngasengikhupha isimemezelo sokuthi bonke abahlakaniphileyo baseBabiloni balethwe phambi kwami ukuze bangitshele incazelo yephupho.

⁷ Zasezifika izanuse lezangoma lamaKaladiya labafunda okutshiwo zinkanyezi; ngabatshela iphupho, kodwa behluleka ukungitshela incazelo yalo.

⁸ Ekucineni uDaniyeli wafika kimi, lowo owathiwa ibizo likankulunkulu wami lokuthi uBeliteshazari, yena olomoya wabonkulunkulu abangcwele; ngamtshela iphupho ngathi:

⁹ Wena Beliteshazari, nduna yezanuse, ngoba ngiyazi ukuba ulomoya wabonkulunkulu abangcwele, lokuba kakulamfihlakalo ekwahlulayo, nanti iphupho engiliphuphileyo; ngitshela incazelo yalo.

¹⁰ Nansi imibono eyafika engqondweni yami ngisalele embhedeni. Ngabona isihlahla phakathi komhlaba, sasiside kakhulu.

¹¹ Isihlahla sakhula, saqina, isicholo saso safinyelela ezulwini, sabonakala emhlabeni wonke.

¹² Amahlamvu aso ayemahle, lezithelo zaso zazinengi, kukhona kiso ukudla kwabo bonke. Inyamazana zeganga zafumana umthunzi ngaphansi kwaso, lenyoni zaphezulu zahlala engatsheni zaso, lakho konke okuphilayo kondliwa kiso.

¹³ Ngabona emibonweni yengqondo yami lapho ngilele embhedeni isithunywa esilindayo sisehla sivela ezulwini.

¹⁴ Samemeza sathi: Sigamuleleni phansi isihlahla, liqume ingatsha zaso, lisiphundle amahlamvu, lichithachithe izithelo zaso. Izinyamazana kazibaleke ngaphansi kwaso, lenyoni engatsheni zaso.

¹⁵ Kodwa litshiye isidindi sigxumeke ngempande emhlabathini, sibotshiwe ngebhanti lensimbi lethusi phakathi kwamahlungu otshani beganga. Kathanjiswe yena ngamazolo aphezulu, ahlale otshanini lezinyamazana.

¹⁶ Kasayikuba lengqondo yomuntu, uzakuba lengqondo yenyamazana iminyaka eyisikhombisa.

¹⁷ Lesisigwebo siyisimemezelo sezithunywa ezilindayo, isiqumo selizwi lazo, ukuze abaphilayo bazi ukuba oPhezukonke uyabusa umbuso wabantu, awunike lowo athanda ukumnika, amise phezu kwawo abantukazana.

¹⁸ Leliphupho ngaliphupha mina nkosi uNebukadineza. Wenake, Beliteshazari, wangitshela incazelo yalo, ngoba bonke abahlakaniphileyo embusweni wami bengelamandla ukungitshela incazelo yalo; kodwa wena ulawo, ngoba umoya wabonkulunkulu abangcwele ukuwe.

¹⁹ Ng’khona uDaniyeli obizo lakhe lalinguBeliteshazari wamangala okwesikhatshana, lemicabango yakhe yamethusa. Inkosi yasisithi: Beliteshazari, ungethuswa liphupho lencazelo yalo. UBeliteshazari waphendula wathi: Nkosi yami, iphupho kalibe ngelalabo abakuzondayo, lencazelo yalo ibe ngeyezitha zakho.

²⁰ Isihlahla owasibonayo esakhula saqina, lesicholo saso safinyelela phezulu, sabonakala emhlabeni wonke,

²¹ silamahlamvu amahle lezithelo ezinengi, silokudla kwabo bonke, lezinyamazana zeganga zafumana umthunzi ngaphansi kwaso, lenyoni zaphezulu zahlala engatsheni zaso,

²² singuwe, wena nkosi, osukhulile waqina. Ubukhulu bakho sebukhulile, bafinyelela phezulu, lokubusa kwakho kwafinyelela ekucineni komhlaba.

²³ Njengokuba inkosi yabona isithunywa esilindayo sisehla sivela ezulwini sisithi: Gamulelani phansi isihlahla, lisiqede, kodwa litshiye isidindi sigxumeke ngempande emhlabathini sibotshwe ngebhanti lensimbi lethusi emahlungwini otshani beganga; yena athanjiswe ngamazolo aphezulu, ahlale lenyamazana zeganga, kuze kudlule iminyaka eyisikhombisa.

²⁴ Yiyo le incazelo, nkosi. Iyisimemezelo soPhezukonke ngenkosi yami

²⁵ sokuthi uzaxotshwa ebantwini, uhlale lenyamazana zeganga. Uzakudla utshani njengenkomo, uthanjiswe ngamazolo aphezulu okweminyaka eyisikhombisa, uze wazi ukuthi oPhezukonke uyabusa umbuso wabantu, awunike lowo athanda ukumnika.

²⁶ Njengokuba kwalaywa ukuba kutshiywe isindindi sesihlahla silempande, umbuso wakho uzaqina kusukela esikhathini ozakwazi ngaso ukuthi uNkulunkulu uyabusa.

²⁷ Ngakhoke, wena nkosi, akuzwe iseluleko sami; yekela izono zakho, wenze ukulunga, uyekele leziphambeko zakho ngokutshengisa isihawu kwabacindezelweyo, ukuba mhlawumbe ungahlala uchelesile okwesikhathi eside.

²⁸ Konke lokhu kwayehlela inkosi uNebukadineza.

²⁹ Ekupheleni kwenyanga ezilitshumi lambili inkosi yayihambahamba ophahleni lwendlu yenkosi eBabiloni,

³⁰ yathi: Kakusilo yini leliBabiloni elikhulu engalakha ngamandla ami amakhulu, laba ngumuzi wenkosi, laba lodumo lobukhosi bami na?

³¹ Kwathi inkosi ingakaqedi ukukhuluma, kwezwakala ilizwi livela ezulwini lisithi: Wena nkosi Nebukadineza, kutshiwo kuwe ukuthi: Ubukhosi bususiwe kuwe;

³² uzaxotshwa ebantwini, uhlale lenyamazana zeganga, udle utshani njengenkomo okweminyaka eyisikhombisa ukuba wazi ukuthi oPhezukonke uyabusa umbuso wabantu, awunike lowo athanda ukumnika.

³³ Lahle lagcwaliseka lelolizwi kuNebukadineza. Waxotshwa ebantwini, wadla utshani njengenkomo, lomzimba wakhe wathanjiswa ngamazolo aphezulu, lezinwele zakhe zakhula zaze zalingana lensiba zelinqe, lenzipho zakhe zafanana lenzipho zenyoni.

³⁴ Ekupheleni kweminyaka emisiweyo mina Nebukadineza ngaphakamisela amehlo ami phezulu, lengqondo yami yabuya kimi; ngambonga oPhezukonke, ngamdumisa, ngamphakamisa yena ohlala kuze kube nininini. Ngoba ukubusa kwakhe kakulakuphela, lombuso wakhe ungowezizukulwana zonke;

³⁵ bonke abakhileyo emhlabeni batshaywa ize, uyenza akuthandayo ebandleni laphezulu; kakho ongavimbela isandla sakhe, loba athi kuye: Wenzani na?

³⁶ Ngasona lesosikhathi yabuya kimi ingqondo yami, lobukhosi bami kanye lodumo lwami kwabuyiselwa kimi, lodumo embusweni wami. Abeluleki bami lezikhulu zami zangidinga, ngabuyiselwa embusweni wami, kwengezelelwa ubukhulu bami.

³⁷ Ngalokhoke mina Nebukadineza ngiyayibonga ngiyiphakamise ngiyidumise iNkosi yaphezulu; ngoba yonke imisebenzi yayo ilungile, lendlela zayo zinhle. Labo abazigqajayo uyabathobisa.