Dan 3 | NdeIBE | STEP | INkosi uNebhukhadinezari yenza isithombe segolide, saphakama izingalo ezingamatshumi aficamunye lobubanzi obuzingalo ezificamunye, yasimisa egcekeni laseDura elizweni laseBhabhiloni.

Daniel 3

Isithombe Segolide Lesithando Somlilo

1 INkosi uNebhukhadinezari yenza isithombe segolide, saphakama izingalo ezingamatshumi aficamunye lobubanzi obuzingalo ezificamunye, yasimisa egcekeni laseDura elizweni laseBhabhiloni. 2 Yasibiza ababusi bezigaba, labalisa, ababusi bemikhono yelizwe, labeluleki, 3 labaphathizikhwama, labehluleli, labomantshi kanye lazo zonke izikhulu zezigaba ukuza emkhosini wokubusisa isithombe leso ayesimisile, bema phambi kwaso.

4 Umlawuli womkhosi wasememezela kakhulu wathi, “Mahlabezulu, lani zizwe zonke kanye lani bantu bezindimi zonke, nanku elilaywa ukuthi likwenze: 5 Lingavele lizwe ukukhala kophondo, lomfece, lomhlanga, lomhubhe, lechacho, lezindweba layo yonke imihlobo yokuhlabela ngokukhalisa iziginci libokuthi mbo phansi lisikhonze isithombe segolide esimiswe yinkosi uNebhukhadinezari.

6 Loba ngubani ongekukhothama asikhonze uzahle aphoselwe esithandweni somlilo olavuzayo.”

7 Yikho, bonela ukuzwa ukukhala kophondo, lomfece, lomhlanga, lomhubhe, lechacho lemihlobo yonke yeziginci, bonke abantu, lezizwe labantu bezindimi zonke bathi mbo phansi bakhonza isithombe segolide inkosi uNebhukhadinezari eyayisimisile.

8 Ngalesisikhathi ezinye izingcazi zezinkanyezi zeza zachothoza abaJuda. 9 Zathi enkosini uNebhukhadinezari, “Bayethe nkosi, mana njalo! 10 Ukhuphile isimemezelo, wena nkosi, wathi wonke okuzwayo ukukhala kophondo, lomfece, lomhlanga, lomhubhe, lechacho lezindweba kanye lazo zonke iziginci ezikhaliswayo kathi mbo phansi akhonze isithombe segolide, 11 lokuthi loba ngubani ongathi mbo phansi akhonze uzaphoselwa esithandweni somlilo olavuzayo. 12 Kodwa bakhona abanye abaJuda obabeke ukuphatha ilizwe laseBhabhiloni – uShadreki, loMeshaki lo-Abhedineko – abangakhathali lutho ngawe, wena nkosi. Kababakhonzi onkulunkulu bakho njalo kabasikhonzi isithombe lesi osimisileyo.”

13 Wazonda wabila uNebhukhadinezari, wasebiza oShadreki, loMeshaki lo-Abhediniko. Yikho amadoda la alethwa phambi kwenkosi,

14 uNebhukhadinezari wathi kubo, “Kuliqiniso yini, Shadreki, loMeshaki lo-Abhediniko, ukuthi kalibakhonzi onkulunkulu bami njalo kalisikhonzi isifanekiso segolide engisimisileyo? 15 Manje nxa lingezwa ukukhala kophondo, lomfece, lomhlanga, lomhubhe, lechacho, lezindweba layo yonke imihlobo yezikhaliswayo, uma selizimisele ukuthi mbo phansi lisikhonze isifanekiso engasenzayo, kulungile. Kodwa uma lingasikhonzi lizaphoselwa ngokuphangisa esithandweni somlilo olavuzayo. Pho nguwuphi unkulunkulu ozalilamulela esandleni sami na?”

16 OShadreki, loMeshaki lo-Abhediniko bayiphendula inkosi bathi, “Yebo Nebhukhadinezari, kakusweleki ukuthi sizivikele kuwe kule indaba. 17 Singaphoselwa esithandweni somlilo olavuzayo, uNkulunkulu esimkhonzayo ulamandla okusisindisa kuwo, njalo uzasilamulela esandleni sakho, wena nkosi.

18 Loba engasisindisi, sithanda ukuba ukwazi, wena nkosi, ukuthi sivele kasisoze sibakhonze onkulunkulu bakho kumbe sisidumise isifanekiso segolide leso osimisileyo.”

19 Lapho-ke uNebhukhadinezari waphuphuma ngolaka kuShadreki, loMeshaki lo-Abhediniko, wahle waguqula indlela aye esebaphatha ngayo. Walaya ukuthi isithando somlilo sibaselwe sitshise okuphindwe kakhombisa kulenjayelo 20 waphinda walaya ukuthi abanye bamabutho angobambapheqe bempi yakhe bababophe oShadreki, loMeshaki lo-Abhediniko babaphosele esithandweni somlilo olavuzayo. 21 Yikho amadoda la abotshwa elokhu egqokile amajazi awo, lamabhulugwe, leziqhiyo kanye lezinye izigqoko, aphoselwa esithandweni somlilo olavuzayo. 22 Umlayo wenkosi wawuthukuthele kakhulu lesithando somlilo sitshisa okokuthi amalangabi omlilo awabulala amanxusa ayefuqela oShadreki, loMeshaki lo-Abhediniko,

23 kwathi amadoda la womathathu ayebotshwe nko awela phakathi kwesithando somlilo olavuzayo.

24 Khonapho inkosi uNebhukhadinezari wathi lothu ngokumangala, wabuza abacebisi bakhe wathi, “Kanti angithi abemathathu amadoda esiwabophileyo sawaphosela emlilweni na?” Baphendula bathi, “Liqiniso lelo, O nkosi.”

25 Wathi, “Khangelani! Ngibona amadoda amane ehambahamba phakathi komlilo, engabotshwanga njalo engalinyazwanga lutho, njalo owesine lowo ukhangeleka njengendodana yabonkulunkulu.”

26 UNebhukhadinezari wasesondela emlonyeni wesithando somlilo olavuzayo wamemeza wathi, “Shadreki, loMeshaki lo-Abhediniko, zinceku zikaNkulunkulu oPhezukonke, phumani! Wozani lapha!” Ngakho oShadreki, loMeshaki lo-Abhediniko baphuma emlilweni, 27 kwathi ababusi bezigaba, labalisa, lababusi bemikhono yelizwe labeluleki besikhosini bababunganyela. Babona ukuthi umlilo wawungabalimazanga imizimba yabo, njalo kungahaqazekanga lalunye unwele lwamakhanda abo; izambatho zabo zingahangulekanga, njalo kunganuki mlilo kubo.

28 UNebhukhadinezari wasesithi, “Kadunyiswe uNkulunkulu waboShadreki, loMeshaki lo-Abhediniko, othume ingilosi yakhe wasindisa izinceku zakhe! Bathemba kuye badelela umlayo wenkosi njalo bazimisela ukunikela izimpilo zabo kulokuthi bakhonze loba badumise omunye unkulunkulu ngaphandle kowabo uNkulunkulu. 29 Ngakho sengimisa isimemezelo ukuthi abantu loba ngabasiphi isizwe kumbe ulimi abakhuluma okubi ngoNkulunkulu kaShadreki, loMeshaki lo-Abhediniko kabaqunywaqunywe izicucu, lezindlu zabo zenziwe izinqwaba zezibi, ngokuba kakho omunye unkulunkulu ongasindisa ngale indlela.”

30 Inkosi yase ibanika izikhundla eziphezulu oShadreki, loMeshaki lo-Abhediniko elizweni laseBhabhiloni.