Dan 4 | NdeIBE | STEP | Inkosi uNebhukhadinezari, Kubantu bonke benhlanga, kuzizwe zonke lakubantu bendimi zonke, abahlala kuwo wonke umhlaba: Sengathi inganda kini inhlalakahle!

Daniel 4

Iphupho LikaNebhukhadinezari Ngesihlahla

1 Inkosi uNebhukhadinezari, Kubantu bonke benhlanga, kuzizwe zonke lakubantu bendimi zonke, abahlala kuwo wonke umhlaba: Sengathi inganda kini inhlalakahle!

2 Kuyintokozo kimi ukulitshela ngezibonakaliso ezimangalisayo lezinkinga uNkulunkulu oPhezukonke angenzele zona.

3 Zinkulu kangakanani izibonakaliso zakhe, zingakaya izimangaliso zakhe! Umbuso wakhe ungumbuso ongelasiphelo; umbuso wakhe umi kusukela kulesi kusiya kulesiyana isizukulwane.

4 Mina, Nebhukhadinezari, ngangisekhaya esigodlweni sami, nganelisiwe njalo ngikhomba ngophakathi. 5 Ngehlelwa liphupho elangitshayisa uvalo. Ngathi ngilele embhedeni wami kwafika engqondweni yami izifanekiso lezibonakaliso ezangithuthumelisayo.

6 Ngasengilaya ukuthi zonke izihlakaniphi zaseBhabhiloni zilethwe phambi kwami ukuthi zingihlahlulele lelophupho. 7 Kwathi sebefikile omasalamusi, lezangoma, lezingcazi zezinkanyezi lezanusi ngazitshela lelophupho kodwa zehluleka ukungichasisela lona. 8 Ekucineni uDanyeli wafika kimi ngamtshela ngephupho lelo. (Uthiwa nguBhelitheshazari, ngokuphathelene lebizo likankulunkulu wami, njalo umoya wabonkulunkulu abangcwele uphakathi kwakhe.)

9 Ngathi kuye, “Bhelitheshazari, nduna yabomasalamusi, ngiyazi ukuthi umoya wabonkulunkulu abangcwele uphakathi kwakho, njalo kakukho okuyinkinga kuwe. Nanti iphupho lami; ngihlahlulela lona.

10 Yile imibono eyangivelelayo ngilele embhedeni wami: Ngakhangela, ngabona kumi phambi kwami isihlahla phakathi kommango. Ubude baso babule.

11 Isihlahla sakhula saba sikhulu saqina, isiqongo saso sakhotha umkhathi; sasibonakala lasemikhawulweni yomhlaba.

12 Amahlamvu aso ayebukeka, izithelo zaso zinengi kuso kukhona ukudla kwakho konke. Ngaphansi kwaso izinyamazana zeganga zafumana isiphephelo lezinyoni zemoyeni zazihlala emagatsheni aso; zonke izidalwa zisongiwa kuso.

13 “Ezibonakalisweni ezeza ngilele embhedeni wami, ngakhangela, ngabona khonapho phambi kwami kulesithunywa, singongcwele, sisehla sisuka ezulwini.

14 Samemeza ngelizwi elikhulu sathi: ‘Gamulelani phansi isihlahla licakaze amagatsha aso; liwaphundle amahlamvu aso lihlakaze izithelo zaso. Yekelani izinyamazana zibaleke ngaphansi kwaso kanye lezinyoni emagatsheni aso.

15 Kodwa akuthi isidindi saso kanye lempande zakhona kusale kugxumekile emhlabathini phakathi kotshani beganga, kubotshiwe ngensimbi langethusi. “ ‘Kagxanxwe ngamazolo avela phezulu, njalo kahlale lezinyamazana phakathi kwezihlahla zeganga. 16 Ingqondo yakhe kayiguqulwe isuke ebuntwini, aphiwe ingqondo yenyamazana, kuze kudlule iminyaka eyisikhombisa.

17 “ ‘Isinqumo lesi sibikwa yizithunywa, zona ezingcwele yizo ezimemezela lesi isigwebo, ukuze kuthi abaphilayo bazi ukuthi oPhezukonke uyinkosi yemibuso yabantu njalo uyabanikela loba kukubani amfunayo futhi enze babuswe ngumuntukazana.’

18 “Yilo iphupho engibe lalo mina inkosi uNebhukhadinezari. Manje-ke Bhelitheshazari, ngitshela ukuthi litshoni, ngokuba kasikho isihlakaniphi embusweni wami esingangihlahlulela lona. Kodwa wena ungakwenza, ngokuba umoya wabonkulunkulu abangcwele uphakathi kwakho.”

UDanyeli Uchaza Iphupho

19 Yikho uDanyeli (njalo othiwa nguBhelitheshazari) wakhathazeka kakhulu okwesikhathi esithile, imicabango yakhe yamethusa. Yikho inkosi yasisithi, “Bhelitheshazari, ungethuswa liphupho lelo kumbe yincazelo yalo.” UBhelitheshazari waphendula wathi, “Nkosi yami, sengathi ngabe iphupho lelo liqonde labo abayizitha zakho lencazelo yalo ikhomba labo abakuzondayo!

20 Isihlahla osibonileyo, esakhula saba sikhulu saqina, isiqongo saso sikhotha isibhakabhaka size sibonakale emhlabeni wonke, 21 silamahlamvu abukekayo lezithelo ezinengi, sisipha ukudla kukho konke, siphe isiphephelo izinyamazana zeganga, emagatsheni aso silezindawo zezidleke zezinyoni zemoyeni – 22 wena, O nkosi, uyilesosihlahla! Usube mkhulu waba lamandla; ubukhulu bakho sebandile sebuze buthinta isibhakabhaka, lombuso wakho usufinyelela ezindaweni ezikude ezomhlaba.

23 “Wena, O nkosi, wabona isithunywa, sona esingcwele, sisehla sivela ezulwini sisithi, ‘Sigamuleleni phansi isihlahla lisicakaze, kodwa litshiye isidindi, sibotshiwe ngensimbi langethusi, siphakathi kotshani beganga, izimpande zaso zisale emhlabathini. Kagxanxwe ngamazolo aphezulu; kaphile njengezinyamazana zeganga kuze kudlule iminyaka eyisikhombisa.’

24 “Nansi incazelo, O nkosi, njalo lesi yisimiso soPhezukonke asimisele umhlekazi wami inkosi: 25 Uzaxotshwa ebantwini uyehlala lezinyamazana zeganga: uzakudla utshani njengezinkomo, ugxanxwe ngamazolo aphezulu. Kuzakudlula iminyaka eyisikhombisa uze uvume ukuthi oPhezukonke uyabusa phezu kwemibuso yabantu ayinika ingqe ngulowo amthandayo. 26 Umlayo wokutshiya isidindi kanye lezimpande zaso utsho ukuthi umbuso wakho uzabuyiselwa kuwe nxatshana usuvuma ukuthi iZulu liyabusa.

27 Ngakho-ke, O nkosi, kuhle ukuthi wamukele ukucebisa kwami: Yekela izono zakho wenze okulungileyo, lobubi bakho ube lomusa kwabacindezelweyo. Lapho-ke mhlawumbe ukuphumelela kwakho kungaqhubeka.”

Ukugcwaliseka Kwephupho

28 Konke lokhu kwenzakala enkosini uNebhukhadinezari. 29 Sekudlule izinyanga ezilitshumi lambili, inkosi ihambahamba ephahleni lwesigodlo saseBhabhiloni,

30 yathi, “Kakusilo yini iBhabhiloni leli engalakha laba ngumuzi wobukhosi bami na?”

31 Kwathi amazwi la elokhu esesemlonyeni wakhe kwehla ilizwi livela ezulwini lathi, “Nanku osukunqunyelwe, nkosi Nebhukhadinezari: Amandla akho obukhosi asesusiwe kuwe. 32 Uzaxotshwa ebantwini uyehlala lezinyamazana zeganga; uzakudla utshani njengezinkomo. Kuzadlula iminyaka eyisikhombisa uze uvume ukuthi oPhezukonke uyabusa phezu kwemibuso yabantu ayiphe ingqe ngubani ngokuthanda kwakhe.”

33 Masinyane nje okwakutshiwo ngoNebhukhadinezari kwagcwaliseka. Waxotshwa ebantwini wadla utshani njengezinkomo. Umzimba wakhe wagxanxwa ngamazolo aphezulu inwele zakhe zakhula njengezinsiba zengqungqulu, kwathi inzipho zakhe zaba njengenkumba zenyoni.

34 Ekupheleni kwalesosikhathi, mina, Nebhukhadinezari, ngaphakamisela amehlo ami ezulwini, ingqondo yami yabuya. Ngasengimdumisa oPhezukonke; ngambabaza, ngambonga yena ohleziyo kuze kube phakade. Ubukhosi bakhe buyibukhosi baphakade; umbuso wakhe umi kulesi lakulesiyana isizukulwane.

35 Imihlobo yonke yabantu bomhlaba babonakala bengasilutho. Wenza njengokuthanda kwakhe ezidalweni zasezulwini lasebantwini basemhlabeni. Kakho ongasivimbela isandla sakhe loba athi kuye: “Kanti usuwenzeni?”

36 Ngasonalesosikhathi ingqondo yami yabuya, udumo lwami lenkazimulo yami kwabuyiswa kimi ukusekela ubukhosi bombuso wami. Abeluleki bami lezikhulu zami bangidinga bangibuyisela esihlalweni sami sobukhosi, ngase ngisiba mkhulu kulakuqala. 37 Ngakho-ke mina, uNebhukhadinezari, ngiyamdumisa njalo ngiyambabaza ngimphakamise uJehova wezulu, ngokuba konke akwenzayo kuqondile futhi lezindlela zakhe zonke zilungile. Njalo bonke abazigqajayo uyabathobisa.