UDanyeli 3 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

UNebukadineza wenza isithombe segolide

¹ Inkosi uNebukadineza yenza isithombe segolide, ubude baso babuzingalo ezingamatshumi ayisithupha, lobuqatha baso buzingalo eziyisithupha. Yasimisa egcekeni laseDura, elizweni laseBabiloni.

² Inkosi uNebukadineza yasibiza izikhulu, lezinduna, lababusi, labeluleki, labaphathi bemali, labathonisisi, labagwebi, labo bonke abaphathi bamazwe ukuba beze ekumisweni kwesithombe esasimiswe yinkosi uNebukadineza.

³ Izikhulu, lezinduna, lababusi, labeluleki, labaphathi bemali, labathonisisi, labagwebi, labo bonke abaphathi bamazwe babuthaniselwa ukumiswa kwesithombe esasimiswe yinkosi uNebukadineza; bema phambi kwesithombe.

⁴ Ummemezeli wamemeza kakhulu wathi: Lina bantu bezizwe zonke lezindimi zonke, liyalaywa

⁵ ukuba lapho lisizwa ukukhala kophondo, lomhlanga, lomhubhe, lechachwana, lechacho, lomfece, lezinto zonke ezikhaliswayo, liwe phansi, likhuleke esithombeni esimiswe yinkosi eNebukadineza.

⁶ Lowo ongaziwiseli phansi, akhuleke, uzaphoselwa masinyane esithandweni somlilo ovuthayo.

⁷ Ngakhoke kwathi lapho abantu bonke besizwa ukukhala kophondo, lomhlanga, lomhubhe, lechachwana, lechacho, lomfece, lazo zonke izinto ezikhaliswayo, bonke abantu bezizwe zonke lezindimi zonke baziwisela phansi, bakhuleka esithombeni segolide esasimiswe yinkosi uNebukadineza.

⁸ Ngalesosikhathi kweza amaKaladiya athile, ahleba abaJuda.

⁹ Athi enkosini uNebukadineza: Bayethe nkosi!

¹⁰ Wena nkosi, ukhuphile isimemezelo sokuthi wonke umuntu ozwayo ukukhala kophondo, lomhlanga, lomhubhe, lechachwana, lechacho, lomfece, lezinto zonke ezikhaliswayo, uzakuziwisela phansi, akhuleke esithombeni segolide;

¹¹ lowo ongaziwiseli phansi, akhuleke, uzaphoselwa esithandweni somlilo ovuthayo.

¹² Kukhona abaJuda abathile owababeka ukuphatha ilizwe laseBabiloni, oShadraki loMeshaki loAbedinego. Lawomadoda, nkosi, kawakulaleli: kawakhonzi unkulunkulu wakho, kabakhuleki esithombeni segolide osimisileyo.

¹³ UNebukadineza wasethukuthela evutha ulaka olukhulu, walaya ukuba oShadraki loMeshaki loAbedinego balethwe kuye. Basebewaletha lawomadoda phambi kwenkosi.

¹⁴ UNebukadineza wathi kibo: Kuliqiniso yini, lina Shadraki loMeshaki loAbedinego, ukuthi kalikhonzi onkulunkulu bami, kalikhuleki esithombeni segolide engisimisileyo na?

¹⁵ Khangelani, uba selilungile, lapho lisizwa ukukhala kophondo, lomhlanga, lomhubhe, lechachwana, lechacho, lomfece, lezinto zonke ezikhaliswayo, liwe phansi, likhuleke esithombeni engisenzileyo, kuzabe kulungile; kodwa uba lingakhuleki, lizaphoselwa masinyane esithandweni somlilo ovuthayo. Nguwuphi unkulunkulu ozakulikhulula ezandleni zami na?

¹⁶ OShadraki loMeshaki loAbedinego bayiphendula inkosi uNebukadineza bathi: Kasifisi ukukuphendula kulindaba.

¹⁷ Uba kunjalo, uNkulunkulu wethu esimkhonzayo ulamandla okusikhulula esithandweni somlilo ovuthayo; yena uzasikhulula esandleni sakho, wena nkosi.

¹⁸ Kodwa loba kungenjalo, yazi lokhu, wena nkosi, ukuthi thina kasiyikumkhonza unkulunkulu wakho, loba sikhuleke esithombeni segolide osimisileyo.

Isithando somlilo ovuthayo

¹⁹ UNebukadineza wasethukuthela kakhulu, lobuso bakhe banyukumala ngoShadraki loMeshaki loAbedinego. Walaya ukuba isithando somlilo sibaselwe kasikhombisa ukwedlula ukubaselwa kwaso okwejwayelekileyo.

²⁰ Walaya amadoda alamandla empini yakhe ukubopha oShadraki loMeshaki loAbedinego, babaphosele esithandweni somlilo ovuthayo.

²¹ Asebotshwa lawomadoda, egqoke amabhulukwe awo lamayembe awo lengowane zawo lezinye izigqoko zawo, aphoselwa esithandweni somlilo ovuthayo.

²² Ngenxa yokuba umlayo wenkosi wawulukhuni, lesithando somlilo sitshisa kakhulu, amalangabi omlilo abulala lawomadoda ayethwele oShadraki loMeshaki loAbedinego.

²³ Amadoda la amathathu oShadraki loMeshaki loAbedinego awela esithandweni somlilo ovuthayo ebotshiwe.

²⁴ Inkosi uNebukadineza wamangala, wasuka ngokuphangisa. Wathi kubo abeluleki bakhe: Kasiphoselanga yini amadoda amathathu emlilweni ebotshiwe na? Bayiphendula inkosi bathi: Sibili nkosi.

²⁵ Yaphendula yathi: Kodwa ngibona amadoda amane akhululekileyo ezihambela phakathi komlilo, kawalimalanga; leyesine ifanana lendodana yabonkulunkulu.

²⁶ UNebukadineza wasesondela emnyango wesithando somlilo ovuthayo, wathi: Shadraki loMeshaki loAbedinego, lina zinceku zikaNkulunkulu oPhezukonke, phumani, lize lapha. Basebephuma emlilweni oShadraki loMeshaki loAbedinego.

²⁷ Izikhulu, lezinduna, lababusi, labeluleki benkosi babuthana, babona ukuthi umlilo kawubanga lamandla okulimaza imizimba yalawomadoda, lokuthi emakhanda awo kakutshanga lonwele olulodwa, lamabhulukwe awo kawonakalanga, lokunuka komlilo kakukho kiwo.

²⁸ UNebukadineza wasesithi: Kabongwe uNkulunkulu waboShadraki loMeshaki loAbedinego othumele isithunywa sakhe ukukhulula inceku zakhe ezimthembileyo, zaze zadelela umlayo wenkosi, zanikela imizimba yazo kulokuba zikhonze omunye unkulunkulu endaweni kaNkulunkulu wazo.

²⁹ Ngakhoke sengisenza isimemezelo esithi: Abantu lezizwe lezindimi ezikhuluma kubi ngoNkulunkulu kaShadraki loMeshaki loAbedinego bazaqunywaqunywa izitho, kudilizwe lemizi yabo. Ngoba kakukho omunye unkulunkulu olamandla okukhulula ngalindlela.

³⁰ Inkosi yasibaphakamisa oShadraki loMeshaki loAbedinego elizweni laseBabiloni.