Daniel (4/12)  

1. UNebhukadenetsare ukumkani uthi kuzo zonke iintlanga, nezizwe, neelwimi ezimiyo ehlabathini lonke: Malube lukhulu uxolo lwenu.
2. Imiqondiso nezimanga, azenzileyo kum uThixo Osenyangweni, kukholekile kum ukuba ndizixele.
3. Imiqondiso yakhe, hayi ukuba mikhulu kwayo! Izimanga zakhe, hayi ukuba namandla kwazo! Ubukumkani bakhe bubukumkani obungunaphakade, igunya lakhe likwizizukulwana ngezizukulwana.
4. Mna Nebhukadenetsare, bendichulumachile endlwini yam, ndenile ebhotweni lam.
5. Ndabona iphupha, landothusa; ndaneengcinga esililini sam, nemibono yentloko yam, eyandikhwankqisayo.
6. Ndawisa umthetho wokuthi, zonke izilumko zaseBhabheli maziziswe phambi kwam, ukuba zindazise ukutyhilwa kwephupha elo.
7. Zaza zeza izazi, nabakhwitsi, namaKaledi, namatola; ndabalawulela iphupha; ke abandazisanga ukutyhilwa kwalo.
8. Kwada ekupheleni kweza kum uDaniyeli, ogama linguBheletshatsare ngokwegama lothixo wam, onomoya woothixo abangcwele. Ndamlawulela iphupha, ndathi,
9. Bheletshatsare, mongameli wezazi, wena ndikwaziyo ukuba unomoya woothixo abangcwele, akukho mfihlakalo ikukhohlayo; ndityele imibono yephupha lam endilibonileyo, nokutyhilwa kwalo.
10. Imibono ke yentloko yam esililini sam nantsi: Ndabona, nango umthi usesazulwini sehlabathi; ukuphakama kwawo bekukukhulu.
11. Wakhula umthi, womelela; ukuphakama kwawo kwafikelela ezulwini, nokubonakala kwawo ekupheleni kwehlabathi lonke.
12. Amagqabi awo abemahle, neziqhamo zawo bezizininzi; ubunokudla okwanele iinto zonke. Amarhamncwa asendle abenomthunzi phantsi kwawo, iintaka zezulu zahlala emasebeni awo, yadla kuwo yonke inyama.
13. Ndabona emibonweni yentloko yam, ndisesililini sam, nanko kusihla umlindi engongcwele emazulwini.
14. Wadanduluka ngamandla, watsho ukuthi, Wugawuleni lo mthi, niwanqumle amasebe awo, niwaqhawule amagqabi awo, nizichithachithe iziqhamo zawo. Makabaleke emke phantsi kwawo amarhamncwa, neentaka emasebeni awo.
15. Kodwa ke isiphunzi esineengcambu zawo sishiyeni emhlabeni, siphanjiwe ngesinyithi nobhedu eluhlazeni lwasendle. Masinyakamiswe ngumbethe wezulu; makahlulelane neenkomo ngotyani bomhlaba.
16. Intliziyo yakhe mayisuke ingabi yeyomntu, anikwe intliziyo yenkomo; kudlule amaxesha amisiweyo abe sixhenxe phezu kwakhe.
17. Umyalezo lo ukho ngengqibo yabalindi, umcimbi lo lilizwi labayingcwele; ngokokuze bazi abahleliyo, ukuba Osenyangweni unegunya ebukumkanini babantu, abunike lowo athanda ukumnika, amise ophantsi ebantwini phezu kwabo.
18. Elo phupha ndilibonile, mna kumkani Nebhukadenetsare. Wena ke, Bheletshatsare, lityhile ke, ngenxa enokuba zonke izilumko zobukumkani bam zingenako ukundazisa ukutyhilwa kwalo ube ke wena unako, ngokuba unomoya woothixo abangcwele.
19. Waza uDaniyeli, ogama linguBheletshatsare, wamangaliswa umzuzwana, nezicamango zakhe zamkhwankqisa. Waphendula ukumkani wathi, Bheletshatsare, iphupha nokutyhilwa kwalo malingakukhathazi. UBheletshatsare waphendula wathi, Nkosi yam, iphupha malisingisele kwabakuthiyileyo, nokutyhilwa kwalo kwabakuzondayo.
20. Umthi owubonileyo, owakhulayo womelela, okuphakama kwawo kwafikelelayo ezulwini, wabonwa ehlabathini lonke;
21. omagqabi ayemahle, oziqhamo bezizininzi, obunokudla okwanele izinto zonke, awahlala phantsi kwawo amarhamncwa asendle, ezaba neendlu emasebeni awo iintaka zezulu:
22. nguwe lowo, kumkani, uthe wakhula, womelela; ubukhulu bakho bukhulileyo bafika ezulwini, negunya lakho ekupheleni kwehlabathi.
23. Le nto yokuba ukumkani ebone umlindi ongoyingcwele esihla emazulwini, esithi, Wugawuleni lo mthi, niwonakalise; kodwa isiphunzi esineengcambu zawo, sishiyeni emhlabeni, siphanjiwe ngesinyithi nobhedu eluhlazeni lwasendle; sinyakamiswe ngumbethe wezulu, ahlulelane neenkomo ngotyani, kude kudlule phezu kwakhe amaxesha amisiweyo asixhenxe:
24. nanku ukutyhilwa kwako, kumkani; nantsi ingqibo yOsenyangweni eya kuyifikela inkosi yam ukumkani:
25. uya kugxothwa ebantwini, libe kumarhamncwa asendle ikhaya lakho, udliswe utyani njengeenkomo, unyakamiswe ngumbethe wezulu, kudlule phezu kwakho amaxesha amisiweyo asixhenxe, ude wazi ukuba Osenyangweni unegunya ebukumkanini babantu, ebunika lowo athanda ukumnika.
26. Le nto kuthiwe isiphunzi esineengcambu zomthi, masishiywe, ithi, ubukumkani bakho buya kuqiniselwa kuwe, kwaoko wakuthi wazi ukuba amazulu anegunya.
27. Ngako oko, kumkani, icebo lam malikholeke kuwe, uzaphule izono zakho ngobulungisa, nobugwenxa bakho ngokubababala abaziintsizana, ukuba kunga kungoluka ukuchulumacha kwakho.
28. Konke oko kwamfikela ukumkani uNebhukadenetsare.
29. Ekupheleni kweenyanga ezilishumi elinambini, wayehambahamba phezu kwebhotwe lokumkani laseBhabheli.
30. Wasusela ukumkani wathi, Le asiyiyo na iBhabheli enkulu, endiyakhele ukuba ibe yindlu yobukumkani ngokuqina kwamandla am, nangenxa yobuhandiba bobungangamsha bam?
31. Lithe elo zwi lisesemlonyeni wokumkani, kwawa izwi emazulwini, lisithi, Kuthiwe kuwe, Nebhukadenetsare kumkani, ubukumkani bumkile kuwe.
32. Uya kugxothwa ebantwini, libe kumarhamncwa asendle ikhaya lakho, udliswe utyani njengeenkomo, kudlule phezu kwakho amaxesha amisiweyo asixhenxe, ude wazi ukuba Osenyangweni unegunya ebukumkanini babantu, ebunika lowo athanda ukumnika.
33. Kwaoko lazaliswa ilizwi kuNebhukadenetsare; wagxothwa ebantwini, wadla utyani njengeenkomo, wanyakamiswa umzimba wakhe ngumbethe wezulu, zada iinwele zakhe zakhula, zanjengeentsiba zamaxhalanga, neenzipho zakhe zanjengezeentaka.
34. Ekupheleni kwemihla, mna, Nebhukadenetsare, ndawaphakamisela ezulwini amehlo am; ukwazi kwam kwabuyela kwakum, ndambonga Osenyangweni, ndamncoma, ndambeka ohleli ngonaphakade, ogunya liligunya elingunaphakade, obukumkani bunezizukulwana ngezizukulwana.
35. Baye bonke abemi behlabathi bebalelwe ekubeni yinto engento, esenza yena ngokuthanda kwakhe empini yasemazulwini, nakubemi behlabathi. Akukho bani ubethayo esandleni sakhe, athi kuye, Wenza ntoni na?
36. Kwaoko ukwazi kwam kwabuyela kwakum; nangenxa yobuhandiba bobukumkani bam, ubungangamsha bam nokutyatyamba kwam kwabuyela kwakum. Andifuna amaphakathi am nezikhulu zam; ndabuyiselwa ebukumkanini bam, ndongezwa ubukhulu obuncamisileyo.
37. Kaloku, mna Nebhukadenetsare, ndiyamncoma, ndimphakamisa, ndimbeka uKumkani wamazulu; ngokuba yonke imisebenzi yakhe iyinyaniso, neendlela zakhe zisesikweni; nangokuba enako ukubathoba abahamba beqhankqalazile.

  Daniel (4/12)