Daniyeli 6:1-28
6 Kwabonakala kukuhle kuDariyu, ukuba amise phezu kombuso ababusi bezifunda abayikhulu namashumi amabili, ababezoba phezu kwawo wonke umbuso;+
2 futhi wamisa phezu kwabo izikhulu ezintathu eziphakeme, uDaniyeli ayengomunye wazo,+ ukuze laba babusi bezifunda+ baqhubeke bezinikeza umbiko futhi inkosi ingalahlekelwa.+
3 Khona-ke uDaniyeli lo wayeqhubeka evelela+ ngaphezu kwezikhulu eziphakeme nababusi bezifunda, njengoba umoya ongaphezu kovamile wawukuye;+ futhi inkosi yayihlose ukumphakamisa phezu kwawo wonke umbuso.
4 Ngaleso sikhathi izikhulu eziphakeme nababusi bezifunda babelokhu befuna ukuthola ibhaxa ngoDaniyeli ngokuqondene nombuso;+ kodwa akukho bhaxa nanto eyonakele abakwazi ukuyithola, njengoba ayethembekile futhi akukho kudebesela okwatholakala kuye noma into eyonakele.+
5 Ngenxa yalokho la madoda athi: “Ngeke sithole bhaxa kulo Daniyeli, ngaphandle kokuba size silithole emthethweni kaNkulunkulu wakhe.”+
6 Ngenxa yalokho lezi zikhulu eziphakeme nababusi bezifunda bangena beyisixuku enkosini,+ futhi yilokhu abakusho kuyo: “O Dariyu nkosi, phila kuze kube nini nanini.+
7 Zonke izikhulu eziphakeme zombuso, izinduna nababusi bezifunda, izikhulu eziphakeme zasebukhosini nababusi, baye bacebisana ukuba bamise isimiso sobukhosi+ nokuba baphoqelele umthetho ovimbelayo, wokuthi noma ngubani owenza isicelo kunoma yimuphi omunye unkulunkulu noma umuntu ezinsukwini ezingamashumi amathathu ngaphandle kokusenza kuwe nkosi, kufanele aphonswe emgodini wezingonyama.+
8 Manje nkosi, kwangathi ungasimisa lesi simiso futhi uwusayine lo mbhalo,+ ukuze ungashintshwa, ngokuvumelana nomthetho wamaMede namaPheresiya,+ ongenakwenziwa ize.”+
9 Ngokuvumelana nalokhu, iNkosi uDariyu yawusayina lo mbhalo nalo mthetho ovimbelayo.+
10 Kodwa uDaniyeli, lapho nje esazi ukuthi umbhalo wawusayiniwe, wangena endlini yakhe, amafasitela egumbi lakhe elisophahleni evulekele ngaseJerusalema,+ yebo kathathu ngosuku+ wayeguqa ngamadolo ethandaza+ futhi edumisa phambi kukaNkulunkulu wakhe,+ njengoba ayevame ukwenza ngaphambi kwalokhu.+
11 Ngaleso sikhathi la madoda anamandla abuthana angena athola uDaniyeli ecela futhi enxusa umusa phambi kukaNkulunkulu wakhe.+
12 Khona-ke abe esesondela enkosini akhuluma ngokuphathelene nomthetho wenkosi ovimbelayo athi: “Awukho yini umthetho ovimbelayo owusayinile wokuthi noma yimuphi umuntu owenza isicelo kunoma yimuphi unkulunkulu noma umuntu ezinsukwini ezingamashumi amathathu ngaphandle kokusenza kuwe nkosi, kufanele aphonswe emgodini wezingonyama?”+ Inkosi yaphendula yathi: “Le ndaba iqinisekisiwe ngokomthetho wamaMede namaPheresiya, ongenakwenziwa ize.”+
13 Ngokushesha aphendula, athi enkosini: “UDaniyeli,+ ongowabadingiswa bakwaJuda,+ akazange akunake nkosi, futhi akazange awunake umthetho ovimbelayo owusayinile, kodwa kathathu ngosuku wenza isicelo sakhe.”+
14 Ngenxa yalokho inkosi, lapho nje izwa leli zwi, akuzange kuthandeke impela kuyo,+ futhi yagxilisa ingqondo kuDaniyeli ukuze imophule;+ yaqhubeka ilwela ukumkhulula kwaze kwaba sekushoneni kwelanga.
15 Ekugcineni la madoda angena eyisixuku enkosini, futhi athi enkosini: “Qaphela nkosi, ukuthi umthetho wamaMede namaPheresiya uwukuthi noma yimuphi umthetho ovimbelayo+ noma isimiso inkosi ngokwayo esimisayo akumelwe sishintshwe.”+
16 Ngenxa yalokho inkosi yayala, bamletha uDaniyeli futhi bamphonsa emgodini wezingonyama.+ Inkosi yakhuluma yathi kuDaniyeli: “UNkulunkulu wakho oqinisela njalo ekumkhonzeni, yena ngokwakhe uzokophula.”+
17 Kwalethwa itshe labekwa phezu komlomo womgodi futhi inkosi yaliphawula ngendandatho yayo enophawu nangendandatho enophawu yabahlonishwa bayo, ukuze kungashintshwa lutho ngokuqondene noDaniyeli.+
18 Ngaleso sikhathi inkosi yaya esigodlweni sayo yachitha ubusuku izile ukudla,+ futhi akungeniswanga zinsimbi zomculo phambi kwayo, futhi ubuthongo bayo bayibalekela.+
19 Ekugcineni ekuntweleni kokusa, inkosi yavuka ngokukhanya kokusa, futhi ishesha, yaqonda ngqo emgodini wezingonyama.
20 Njengoba yayisondela emgodini, yamemeza uDaniyeli ngezwi elidabukile. Inkosi yakhuluma ithi kuDaniyeli: “O Daniyeli, nceku kaNkulunkulu ophilayo, ingabe uNkulunkulu wakho oqiniselayo ekumkhonzeni+ ukwazile ukukophula ezingonyameni?”+
21 Ngokushesha uDaniyeli wakhuluma nenkosi wathi: “O nkosi, phila kuze kube nini nanini.
22 UNkulunkulu wami+ uthumele ingelosi yakhe+ yavala umlomo wezingonyama,+ futhi azizange zingibhubhise, njengoba nje ngitholakale ngimsulwa phambi kwakhe;+ naphambi kwakho futhi nkosi, akukho senzo esilimazayo engisenzile.”+
23 Khona-ke inkosi yathokoza kakhulu,+ yayala ukuba uDaniyeli akhushulwe emgodini. UDaniyeli wakhushulwa emgodini, futhi wayengenamyocu, ngoba wayethembele kuNkulunkulu wakhe.+
24 Inkosi yayala, alethwa la madoda ayebeke uDaniyeli icala,+ aphonswa emgodini wezingonyama,+ wona nabantwana bawo nawomkawo;+ futhi ayengakafiki nakufika phansi emgodini lapho izingonyama ziwahlula, futhi zichoboza wonke amathambo awo.+
25 Khona-ke uDariyu inkosi wabhalela zonke izizwe, amaqembu ezizwe nezilimi ezihlala emhlabeni wonke wathi:+ “Kwangathi ukuthula kwenu kunganda kakhulu!+
26 Kukhishwe umyalo ovela kimi+ wokuthi, kuzo zonke izindawo zombuso wami, abantu kumelwe bathuthumele futhi besabe phambi kukaNkulunkulu kaDaniyeli.+ Ngoba unguNkulunkulu ophilayo nohlala kuze kube nini nanini,+ futhi umbuso+ wakhe ungumbuso ongayikuchithwa,+ nokubusa kwakhe kungokwaphakade.+
27 Uyophula futhi akhulule+ futhi wenza izibonakaliso nezimangaliso emazulwini+ nasemhlabeni,+ ngoba wophule uDaniyeli esidladleni sezingonyama.”
28 Lo Daniyeli yena, wachuma embusweni kaDariyu+ nasembusweni kaKoresi umPheresiya.+
