Daniel 2

Iphupho likaNebhukhadinezari

1Ngomnyaka wesibili wokubusa kwakhe, uNebhukhadinezari waphupha amaphupho; wahlupheka engqondweni, wehluleka lokulala.

2Ngakho inkosi yasibiza omasalamusi, lezangoma, labavumisi lezingcazi zezinkanyezi ukuthi bamtshele lokho ayekuphuphile. Sebengenile bema phambi kwayo inkosi, 3yathi kubo, “Ngibe lephupho elingihluphayo yikho ngifuna ukwazi ukuthi litshoni.”

4Kwasekusithi ingcazi zezinkanyezi zayiphendula inkosi zikhuluma ngesi-Aramu zathi, “Bayethe, nkosi! Phila kuze kube nininini! Zitshele izinceku zakho iphupho lelo, thina sizalichaza.”

5Inkosi yaziphendula ingcazi zezinkanyezi yathi, “Nanku esengikumisile: Nxa lingangitsheli ukuthi iphupho lami beliyini beselilichaza, ngizakuthi liqunywaqunywe iziqa, izindlu zenu zidilizwe zibe yinqwaba. 6Kodwa lingangitshela iphupho kanye lencazelo yalo ngizalipha izipho lemivuzo lodumo olukhulu. Ngakho ngitshelani iphupho libe selingichazela lona.”

7Baphinda njalo baphendula bathi, “Inkosi kayizitshele izichaka zayo iphupho lelo, thina sizalichasisa.”

8Inkosi yaphendula yathi, “Ngileqiniso ukuthi liqonde ukuchitha isikhathi ngoba libona ukuthi yilokhu esengikumisile ukuthi:

9Nxa lingangitsheli iphupho lelo, sinye zwi isijeziso senu. Seliyengene ukuthi lingitshele inkohliso lamanyala, licabanga ukuthi kumbe izinto zizaguquka. Manje-ke ngitshelani iphupho lelo yikho ngizakwazi ukuthi lingangichasisela lona.”

10Ingcazi zezinkanyezi zayiphendula inkosi zathi, “Kakulamuntu emhlabeni ongakwenza lokho okufunwa yinkosi! Kayikho inkosi, loba ingenkulu kanganani kumbe ilamandla anganani, eyake yafuna into enjalo laloba kukonjani umasalamusi, kumbe isangoma loba ingcazi yezinkanyezi. 11Lokhu okufunwa yinkosi kunzima kakhulu. Kakho ongakwambulela inkosi ngaphandle kwabonkulunkulu, kodwa kabahlali ebantwini.”

12Lokhu kwayizondisa inkosi yabila ngolaka yahle yathi zonke izihlakaniphi zaseBhabhiloni kazibulawe. 13Ngakho sakhutshwa isimemezelo sokuthi izazi kazibulawe, yikho kwathunywa amadoda ukuyadinga Danyeli labakhula bakhe ukuthi babulawe.

14Kwathi u-Ariyoki, undunankulu wamanxusa enkosi esephumile ukuyabulala izihlakaniphi zaseBhabhiloni, uDanyeli wakhuluma laye ngokuhlakanipha langokunanzelela. 15Wasibuza isikhulu lesi senkosi wathi, “Kungani inkosi ikhuphe isimemezelo esibuhlungu kangaka na?” U-Ariyoki waseyichaza indaba kuDanyeli.

16Esekuzwile lokho uDanyeli waya enkosini wacela ukuba ake aphiwe isikhathi, ukuze ayichazele iphupho layo.

17UDanyeli wabuyela endlini yakhe wayatshela abakhula bakhe oHananiya, loMishayeli lo-Azariya ngendaba leyo. 18Wabakhuthaza ukuthi bacele umusa kuNkulunkulu wasezulwini ngale inkinga eyimfihlakalo, ukuze kuthi yena labakhula bakhe baphephe ekubulaweni kanye lazo zonke izihlakaniphi zaseBhabhiloni.

19Kwathi ebusuku inkinga leyo yambulelwa uDanyeli ngombono. UDanyeli wasemdumisa uNkulunkulu wasezulwini 20wathi: “Kalidunyiswe ibizo likaNkulunkulu nini lanini; inhlakanipho lamandla kungokwakhe.

21Uyaguqula izikhathi lezibanga; uyawabeka amakhosi aphinde awaqethule. Unika inhlakanipho kwabahlakaniphileyo lolwazi kwabaqedisisayo.

22Uhlazulula izinto ezizikileyo lezifihlakeleyo; uyakwazi okucatshe emnyameni, lokukhanya kuhlala kuye.

23Ngiyakubonga njalo ngiyakudumisa, O Nkulunkulu wabokhokho: Ungiphile inhlakanipho lamandla, usungazisile mina lokho esikucelileyo kuwe, ususazisile thina iphupho lenkosi.”

UDanyeli uchasisa iphupho

24UDanyeli wasesiya ku-Ariyoki owayekhethwe yinkosi ukuba abulale izihlakaniphi zaseBhabhiloni, wathi kuye, “Ungazibulali izihlakaniphi zaseBhabhiloni. Ngisa enkosini, ngizayichasisela iphupho layo.”

25U-Ariyoki wahle wasa uDanyeli enkosini wathi, “Sengiyifumene indoda kwabathunjiweyo bakwaJuda engayitshela inkosi ukuthi iphupho layo litshoni.”

26Inkosi yambuza uDanyeli (njalo othiwa nguBhelitheshazari), “Kambe ungangitshela na engakubonayo ephutsheni lami uphinde ulichasise?”

27Waphendula uDanyeli wathi, “Kasikho isihlakaniphi, noma isangoma, noma umasalamusi, noma isanuse esingayihlahlulela inkosi imfihlakalo eyidingayo, 28kodwa ukhona uNkulunkulu ezulwini owambula zonke izimfihlakalo. Utshengise inkosi uNebhukhadinezari okuzakwenzakala ngezinsuku ezizayo. Iphupho lakho lemibono eyafika engqondweni yakho ulele embhedeni wakho yile:

29“Wathi ulele khonapho, hawu nkosi, ingqondo yakho yaphatha izinto ezisezakuza, kwathi umhlahluli wezinkinga wakubonisa okuzakwenzakala. 30Okwami yikuthi ngiyambulelwe imfihlakalo le, kungesukuthi yingoba ngilenhlakanipho eyeqa eyabanye abaphilayo, kodwa ukuze kuthi wena, O nkosi, uyazi incazelo njalo ukuze uzwisise okwakuphithikene engqondweni yakho.

31“Wathi uyakhangela, O nkosi, wabona kumi phambi kwakho isithombe esikhulukazi – inkalakatha yesithombe esikhazimulayo, sisesabeka ukukhangeleka kwaso. 32Ikhanda lesithombe lalenziwe ngegolide elicengekileyo, isifuba saso lezingalo kubunjwe ngesiliva, isisu lemilenze kubunjwe ngethusi, 33imibala ibunjwe ngensimbi, izinyawo zaso zilengxenye yensimbi lenye ingxenye yebumba elitshisiweyo. 34Wathi ulokhu usabukele, kwaqetshulwa ilitshe, kungesingazandla zamuntu. Lasigxoba isithombe ezinyaweni zaso zensimbi lebumba lazihlifiza. 35Kwasekusithi insimbi, lebumba, lethusi, lesiliva kanye legolide kwachobozeka kwaba yizicucu kanyekanye kwaba njengomule esizeni ehlobo. Umoya waziphephula izicucu wazikhucula du. Kodwa ilitshe elagxoba isithombe laba yintaba enkulu yagcwala umhlaba wonke.

36“Leli bekuyilo iphupho, manje-ke sesizalichazela inkosi. 37Wena, O nkosi uyinkosi yamakhosi. UNkulunkulu wasezulwini ukunikile umbuso, lamandla lobukhulu lodumo; 38uluntu lonke ulunikele ezandleni zakho kanye lezinyamazana zeganga lezinyoni zemoyeni. Loba zihlala ngaphi, ukwenze wena waba ngumbusi wakho konke. Ulikhanda leliyana legolide.

39“Ngemuva kwakho, kuzakuba khona omunye umbuso, ophansi kulowakho. Kuzalandela owesithathu owethusi ozabusa umhlaba wonke. 40Ekucineni kuzakuba lombuso wesine oqinileyo njengensimbi ngoba insimbi iyephula ivodloze yonke into – yikho njengoba insimbi isephula izinto zibe yizicucu, kanjalo umbuso lowo uzayichoboza yonke eminye. 41Njengoba ubonile ukuthi izinyawo lamazwane bekulengxenye yebumba elitshisiweyo lengxenye yensimbi, yikho lo uzakuba ngumbuso odabukene phakathi; loba nje uzakuba lamanye amandla ensimbi phakathi kwawo, njengalokhu uyibonile insimbi ixubene lebumba. 42Njengoba amazwane abelengxenye yensimbi, lengxenye yebumba, kanjalo umbuso lo uzakuba lamandla nganxanye, nganxanye ubucuzeke. 43Njalo njengoba ubonile insimbi ixubene lebumba elitshisiweyo, kanjalo abantu bazakuba yinhlanganisela bahlale bengamanyananga, njengoba insimbi ingahlangani lebumba.

44“Ngalesosikhathi samakhosi lawo uNkulunkulu wasezulwini uzabeka umbuso ongasoze wabhidlizwa lanini njalo ongasoze utshiyelwe abanye abantu. Uzayibhidliza yonke leyomibuso iphele, kodwa wona uzakuma laphakade. 45Le yiyo incazelo yombono welitshe elaqhekezwa entabeni, kungasingezandla zomuntu – ilitshe elaphahlaza insimbi, lethusi, lebumba, lesiliva kanye legolide kwaba yizicucu. “UNkulunkulu omkhulu uyitshengisile inkosi okuzakwenzeka ngesikhathi esizayo. Iphupho liliqiniso lencazelo iqondile.”

46Inkosi uNebhukhadinezari wazilahla wathi mbo phambi kukaDanyeli wamkhonza wakhupha ilizwi lokuthi kenzelwe umnikelo atshiselwe impepha njalo. 47Inkosi yathi kuDanyeli, “Ngempela uNkulunkulu wakho nguNkulunkulu wabonkulunkulu leNkosi yamakhosi lomambuleli wezimfihlakalo, ngokuba ukwazile ukwambula imfihlakalo le.”

48Inkosi yasibeka uDanyeli esikhundleni esiphezulu yelekelela ngezipho ezinengi kuye. Yamenza waba ngumbusi kulo lonke ilizwe laseBhabhiloni njalo waba ngumphathi wazo zonke izazi zakhona. 49Isicelwe nguDanyeli, yaphinde yabeka uShadreki, loMeshaki lo-Abhediniko baba ngabaphathi beziqinti zelizwe laseBhabhiloni, kodwa yena uDanyeli wasala esigodlweni.