Daniel (6/12)  

1. Kwaba kuhle kuDariyusi ukubeka embusweni wakhe wonke iziphathamandla ezilikhulu lamatshumi amabili.
2. Phezu kwazo wamisa abongameli abathathu, omunye wabo enguDaniyeli, ukuze iziphathamandla zibike kubo ukuze inkosi ingalahlekelwa lutho.
3. UDaniyeli lowo wabedlula bonke abongameli leziphathamandla zonke, ngoba wayelomoya omuhle. Inkosi yazimisela ukumbeka phezu kombuso wonke.
4. Abongameli leziphathamandla basebedinga ulutho uDaniyeli abangamsola ngalo mayelana lombuso; kodwa behluleka ukuzuza ulutho abangamsola ngalo lokuzuza icala. ngoba wayethembekile engelaso isiphosiso lecala.
5. Lawomadoda asesithi: Singeke sithole ulutho esingamsola ngalo uDaniyeli ngaphandle kokuthi siluthole mayelana lomlayo kaNkulunkulu wakhe.
6. Ngakho-ke labobongameli lezikhulu bavumelana ukuya enkosini, bathi kuyo: Nkosi Dariyusi, phila kuze kube nininini!
7. Bonke abongameli bombuso, lezinduna, leziphathamandla, labeluleki, lababusi, bavumelene ukuthi inkosi imise umthetho, ikhuphe isimemezelo esiqinileyo ngawo sokuthi lowo okhuleka komunye uNkulunkulu loba omunye umuntu ensukwini ezingamatshumi amathathu ezizayo ngaphandle kwakho, nkosi, uzaphoselwa emgodini wezilwane.
8. Khathesi-ke, wena nkosi, misa lumlayo ngokuwubhala kulincwadi ukuze ungaguqulwa, ngoba umthetho wamaMede lamaPerisiya kawuguquki.
9. Ngakho-ke inkosi uDariyusi wasebhala encwadini, wamisa umthetho.
10. Lapho uDaniyeli asesazi ukuthi inkosi isibhalile encwadini, wangena endlini yakhe; amawindi endlu yakhe ephezulu ayekhangele iJerusalema. Kathathu ngosuku ekhuleka edumisa uNkulunkulu wakhe njengokwenza kwakhe insuku zonke.
11. Asesiza wonke lawomadoda, amthola uDaniyeli ekhuleka ecela kuNkulunkulu wakhe.
12. Asesiza enkosini, ayikhumbuza umthetho athi: Wena nkosi, kawubhalanga yini umthetho wokuthi lowomuntu okhuleka komunye uNkulunkulu loba omunye umuntu ensukwini ezingamatshumi amathathu ezizayo ngaphandle kwakho, wena nkosi, uzaphoselwa emgodini wezilwane? Inkosi yaphendula yathi: Lokhu kumisiwe ngomthetho wamaMede lamaPerisiya ongelakuguqulwa.
13. Asephendula enkosini esithi: UDaniyeli lowo ongomunye wabathunjiweyo bakoJuda kakunanzi, wena nkosi, lomthetho owulobileyo, kodwa uyakhuleka kuNkulunkulu wakhe kathathu ngosuku.
14. Lapho inkosi isizwile lawomazwi yaba losizi kakhulu, yadinga indlela yokumkhulula uDaniyeli. Yanakana ngokumophula laze latshona ilanga.
15. Asesiza enkosini lawomadoda, athi kuyo: nkosi, khumbula ukuthi kungumthetho wamaMede lamaPerisiya ukuthi kakulamlayo lomthetho omiswa yinkosi ongaguqulwa.
16. Inkosi yasilaya ukuthi uDaniyeli alethwe, aphoselwe emgodini wezilwane. Yathi kuDaniyeli: Kungathi uNkulunkulu wakho omkhonzayo njalonjalo angakukhulula!
17. Kwasekulethwa ilitshe, labekwa emlonyeni womgodi, lenkosi yalinameka ngophawu lwayo langophawu lweziphathamandla zayo ukuze isinqumo mayelana loDaniyeli singaguqulwa.
18. Inkosi yasisiya endlini yayo, yazila ukudla ngalobobusuku; kakulethwanga sifazana kuyo, yaswela lobuthongo.
19. Inkosi yavuka emadabukakusa, yaya ngokuphangisa emgodini weziIwane.
20. Ekufikeni kwayo emgodini lapho owayekhona uDaniyeli, yamemeza ngelizwi elibuhlungu, yathi kuDaniyeli: We Daniyeli, nceku kaNkulunkulu ophilayo, uNkulunkulu wakho omkhonzayo njalonjalo ukusindisile yini ezilwaneni?
21. UDaniyeli wasesithi enkosini: Nkosi, phila kuze kube nininini!
22. UNkulunkulu wami uthume ingilosi yakhe, yavala imilomo yezilwane, kazingilimazanga, ngoba ngitholwe ngingelacala phambi kwakhe; laphambi kwakho, nkosi, kangonanga lutho.
23. Inkosi yasithokoza kakhulu, yalaya ukuthi uDaniyeli akhutshwe emgodini. Ngakho uDaniyeli wasekhutshwa emgodini, watholakala engalimalanga, ngoba wayethembe kuNkulunkulu wakhe.
24. Inkosi yasilaya ukuthi kulethwe lawomadoda ayemmangelele uDaniyeli, aphoselwe emgodini wezilwane, wona labantwana bawo labomkawo. Kwathi bengakafiki ekucineni komgodi, iziIwane zabaqaga, zafohloza wonke amathambo abo, aba yizicucu.
25. Inkosi uDariyusi yasilobela bonke abantu bezizwe zonke lezindimi zonke ezihlala emhlabeni wonke, yathi: Ukuthula kakwande kini.
26. Ngiyamisa umthetho ukuthi kuwo wonke amazwe asembusweni wami abantu kabathuthumele bamesabe uNkulunkulu kaDaniyeli. Ngoba unguNkulunkulu ophilayo, lohlala kuze kube nininini. Umbuso wakhe kawuyikuchithwa lokubusa kwakhe kuzakuma kuze kube sekupheleni.
27. Uyakhulula, ophule, enze izibonakaliso lezimangaliso ezulwini lemhlabeni, yena umkhulule uDaniyeli emandleni ezilwane.
28. Ngakho-ke uDaniyeli waphumelela esikhathini sonke sokubusa kukaDariyusi lesokubusa kukaKurosi umPerisiya.

  Daniel (6/12)