UDaniyeli ISAHLUKO 1 1 Ngomnyaka wesithathu wokubusa kukaJehoyakimi inkosi yakwaJuda kwafika uNebukadinesari inkosi yaseBabele eJerusalema, walivimbezela. 2 INkosi yasinikela uJehoyakimi inkosi yakwaJuda esandleni sakhe, nengxenye yempahla yendlu kaNkulunkulu, wayisa ezweni laseShineyari endlini kankulunkulu wakhe; wangenisa izitsha endlini yengcebo kankulunkulu wakhe. 3 Inkosi yasikhuluma ku-Ashipenazi induna yabathenwa bakhe ukuthi alethe abanye babantwana bakoIsrayeli, abenzalo yenkosi, leziphathamandla; 4 Abantwana abangenasici kubo, kodwa abamuhle, nabahlakaniphileyo kukho konke ukuhlakanipha, nobuqili olwazini, nokuqonda isayensi, nabanamandla kubo ukuma endlini yenkosi, ababengafundisa ukufunda nolimi lwamaKaledi. 5 Inkosi yabamisela isabelo semihla ngemihla sokudla kwenkosi nokwewayini eliphuzayo, ukuze bondliwe iminyaka emithathu, ukuze ekupheleni kwayo beme phambi kwenkosi. 6 Phakathi kwalaba kwakukhona abanye babantwana bakwaJuda, uDaniyeli, noHananiya, noMishayeli, noAzariya; 7 isikhulu sabathenwa saqamba amagama kubo, ngokuba samutha uDaniyeli igama lokuthi uBeliteshasari; uHananiya ngokuthi uShadiraki; uMishayeli ngokuthi uMeshaki; u-Azariya ngokuthi u-Abhedinego. 8 Kepha uDaniyeli wazimisela enhliziyweni yakhe ukuthi akayikuzingcolisa ngokudla kwenkosi nangewayini eliphuzayo; ngalokho wacela enduneni yabathenwa ukuba angazingcolisi. 9 UNkulunkulu wayesemenzele uDaniyeli umusa nesisa kumbusi wabathenwa. 10 Induna yabathenwa yathi kuDaniyeli: “Ngiyayesaba inkosi yami, inkosi, emisile ukudla kwenu nokuphuzwayo kwenu; khona-ke lizangenza ikhanda lami libe yingozi enkosini. 11 Wayesethi uDaniyeli kuMelzare, umbusi wabathenwa owayemmise phezu kukaDaniyeli, uHananiya, uMishayeli, no-Azariya, 12 Ake uhlole izinceku zakho izinsuku eziyishumi; basiphe imifino ukuba sidle, namanzi ukuba siphuze. 13 Khona-ke ubuso bethu mabubuke phambi kwakho nobuso babantwana abadla isabelo sokudla kwenkosi, futhi njengoba ubona, wenze ezincekwini zakho. 14 Wayesebavumela kule nto, wabavivinya izinsuku eziyishumi. 15 Ekupheleni kwezinsuku eziyishumi ubuso babo babonakala buhle, zikhuluphele kunabo bonke abantwana abadla ukudla kwenkosi. 16 Kanjalo uMelizare wasusa isabelo sokudla kwabo newayini ababefanele baliphuze; wabanika ukushaya kwenhliziyo. 17 Laba bantwana abane uNkulunkulu wabanika ukwazi nengqondo kuyo yonke imfundo nokuhlakanipha; uDaniyeli wayenokuqondisisa kuyo yonke imibono namaphupho.
18 Kwathi ekupheleni kwezinsuku inkosi eyayishilo ukuthi mabangeniswe, isikhulu sabathenwa sabangenisa phambi kukaNebukadinesari. 19 Inkosi yasikhuluma labo; phakathi kwabo bonke akufunyanwanga onjengoDaniyeli, uHananiya, uMishayeli, no-Azariya; ngakho bema phambi kwenkosi. 20 Ezindabeni zonke zokuhlakanipha nokuqonda inkosi eyayibabuza yona, yabathola bengcono ngokuphindwe kashumi kunabo bonke abahlola imilingo nabahlola izinkanyezi ababesembusweni wayo wonke. 21 UDaniyeli waqhubeka kwaze kwaba ngumnyaka wokuqala wenkosi uKoresi. ISAHLUKO 2 1 Ngomnyaka wesibili wokubusa kukaNebukadinesari uNebukadinesari waphupha amaphupho, umoya wakhe wakhathazeka, nobuthongo bakhe bambalekela. 2 Inkosi yayala ukuba kubizwe izanusi, nabahlola imilingo, nabathakathi, namaKaledi, ukuze bayitshele inkosi amaphupho ayo. Ngakho beza bema phambi kwenkosi. 3 Inkosi yathi kubo: "Ngiphuphe iphupho, umoya wami ukhathazekile ukuze ngilazi iphupho." 4 AmaKaledi akhuluma enkosini ngesi-Aramu, athi: “O nkosi, phila kuze kube phakade; 5 Inkosi yaphendula, yathi kumaKaledi: "Izwi liphelile kimi: uma ningangazisi iphupho nencazo yalo, niyakunqunywa, izindlu zenu zenziwe indawo yokubeka indle." 6 Kepha uma niveza iphupho nencazo yalo, niyakwamukeliswa kimi izipho nemivuzo nodumo olukhulu; 7 Base bephendula futhi, bathi: "Inkosi mayitshele izinceku zayo iphupho, thina sizokutshela incazelo yalo." 8 Inkosi yaphendula yathi: “Ngiyazi nokuqinisela ukuthi nithanda ukuzuza isikhathi, ngokuba niyabona ukuthi izwi lisukile kimi. 9 Kepha uma ningangazisi iphupho, munye umthetho kini, ngokuba nilungisile amazwi amanga nawonakele ukuba niwakhulume phambi kwami, kuze kuguqulwe isikhathi; 10 AmaKaledi aphendula phambi kwenkosi, athi: “Akukho-muntu emhlabeni ongaveza indaba yenkosi; 11 Kuyivelakancane into efunwa yinkosi, akakho omunye ongayiveza phambi kwenkosi, kuphela onkulunkulu abakhaya labo lingekho kanye nenyama. 12 Ngalokho inkosi yathukuthela, yathukuthela kakhulu, yayala ukuba kubhujiswe bonke abahlakaniphileyo baseBabele. 13 Kwaphuma isimemezelo sokuthi abahlakaniphileyo babulawe; bafuna uDaniyeli nabangane bakhe ukuba babulawe. 14 Khona-ke uDaniyeli waphendula ngeseluleko nangokuhlakanipha ku-Ariyoki induna yabalindi benkosi owayephumele ukubulala abahlakaniphileyo baseBhabhiloni. 15 Waphendula wathi ku-Ariyoki induna yenkosi: "Kungani isimemezelo senkosi sishesha kangaka na?" UAriyoki wayesemazisa uDaniyeli le nto. 16 UDaniyeli wayesengena, wacela enkosini ukuba imnike isikhathi, ukuze ayitshele inkosi incazelo. 17 UDaniyeli wayeseya endlini yakhe, wabazisa oHananiya, noMishayeli, no-Azariya, abangane bakhe;