UBelshatsare Ucukuceza Indlu kaBawo wethu

UBelshatsare usela ngeempahla ezathatyathwa endlwini kaBawo wethu, adumise oothixo bezinyithi namatye. Isandla sibhala eludakeni lodonga, abethane amadolo akhe. UDaniyeli uchaza isityholo sokwenene: wawusazi ngoyihlo, kodwa akuhlonelanga namnye. Ngobo busuku ukumkani uyafa.

Isahluko 5.

Ukumkani uBelshatsare wabenzela abanumzana abaliwaka isidlo esikhulu, esela iwayini phambi kwabaliwaka abo. Ngexa engcamla iwayini, uBelshatsare wathi mazingeniswe iimpahla zegolide nesilivere awazithabathayo uyise uNebhukadenetsare etempileni yaseYerusalem, ukuze basele kuzo ukumkani, nabanumzana bakhe, nabafazi bakhe, namashweshwe akhe. Baza bazizisa iimpahla zegolide ezazithatyathwe etempileni, indlu kaBawo wethu eseYerusalem; basela kuzo ukumkani, nabanumzana bakhe, nabafazi bakhe, namashweshwe akhe. Basela iwayini, badumisa oothixo begolide, nesilivere, nobhedu, nesinyithi, nemithi, namatye.

Kwaoko kwabonakala iminwe yesandla somntu, yabhala eludakeni lodonga lwebhotwe lokumkani malunga nesiphatho sezibane, waza ukumkani wasigqala isandla sibhala. Ubuso bokumkani baguquka ibala, izicamango zakhe zamothusa, kwakhululeka izinqe zakhe, abethana amadolo akhe.

Ukumkani wamemeza ngelizwi elikhulu esithi makubizwe izazi, nabavumisi, namatola, wathi kwizilumko zaseBhabheli: “Osukuba ewufunda lo mbhalo, awuchaze kum intsingiselo yawo, wonxiba ingubo emfusa, afake umxokelelwane wegolide entanyeni yakhe, alawule esesithathu ebukumkanini.” ^a

Zangena ke zonke izilumko zokumkani, kodwa akubangakho namnye owaba nako ukuwufunda umbhalo, nokumxelela intsingiselo yawo. Waza ukumkani uBelshatsare wothuka ngakumbi, ubuso bakhe baya baguquka ibala ngakumbi, nabanumzana bakhe bakhwankqiswa.

Ngenxa yamazwi okumkani nawabanumzana bakhe, ukumkanikazi wangena endlwini yesidlo, wathi: “Kumkani, dla ubomi ngonaphakade! Izicamango zakho mazingakothusi, nobuso bakho mabungaguquki bala. Kukho indoda ebukumkanini bakho enomoya woothixo abangcwele. Ngemihla kayihlo kwafunyanwa kuye ukuqonda, nengqondo, nobulumko obunjengobulumko boothixo. Ukumkani uNebhukadenetsare uyihlo—uyihlo ukumkani—wammisa waba yintloko yezazi, nezanuse, nabavumisi, namatola, ngenxa yokuba kwafunyanwa kulo Daniyeli umoya obalulekileyo, nokwazi, nengqondo, nokuchaza amaphupha, nokucacisa amaqhina, nokucombulula iingxaki ezinzima—lowo ukumkani wamthiya igama elinguBhelheteshatsare. Ngoku mbizeni uDaniyeli; uya kutyhila.”

UDaniyeli Ufunda Isigwebo sikaBawo wethu

Waziswa uDaniyeli phambi kokumkani, wabuza ukumkani wathi: “Nguwe na uDaniyeli, omnye wabathinjwa bakwaYuda awabakhuphayo ubawo ukumkani kwaYuda? Ndivile ukuba umoya woothixo ukho kuwe—ukukhanya, nengqondo, nobulumko obunqabileyo kufunyanwa kuwe. Kuziswe phambi kwam izilumko nezazi ukuba ziwufunde lo mbhalo, zindixelele intsingiselo yawo, kodwa azibanga nako. Ndivile ukuba unako ukutyhila nokucombulula iingxaki ezinzima. Ukuba uthe wawufunda lo mbhalo, wandixelela intsingiselo yawo, wonxiba ingubo emfusa, ufake umxokelelwane wegolide entanyeni yakho, ulawule usesithathu ebukumkanini.”

Waphendula uDaniyeli ukumkani wathi: “Izipho zakho mazihlale zizezakho; imivuzo yakho yinike omnye. Noko ndiya kumfundela ukumkani umbhalo, ndimxelele intsingiselo yawo. Kumkani, uBawo wethu Osenyangweni wanika uyihlo uNebhukadenetsare ubukumkani, nobukhulu, nozuko, nobungangamsha. Ngenxa yobukhulu awabunikayo, zonke izizwe, neentlanga, neelwimi zangcangcazela zoyika phambi kwakhe. Wayebulala lowo athanda ukumbulala, asindise lowo athanda ukumsindisa, aphakamise lowo athanda ukumphakamisa, athobe lowo athanda ukumthoba. Kodwa yathi yakuphakama intliziyo yakhe, waza waqaqadeka umoya wakhe yinkukhumalo, waguzulwa etroneni yakhe yobukumkani, luthatyathwa uzuko lwakhe. Wagxothwa ebantwini, yenziwa intliziyo yakhe yafana neyesilwanyana; wahlala namaesile asendle, wondliwa ngotyani njengenkomo, wanetha ngumbethe wezulu—wada wazi ukuba uBawo wethu Osenyangweni ulawula ubukumkani babantu, nokuba umisa phezu kwabo lowo amthandayo.

Kodwa wena, Belshatsare nyana wakhe, akuyithobanga intliziyo yakho, nangona ubuyazi yonke le nto. Kunoko, wazenza mkhulu nxamnye neNkosi yezulu. Wathi mazisiwe phambi kwakho iimpahla zendlu yakhe, waza wena, nabanumzana bakho, nabafazi bakho, namashweshwe akho, nasela iwayini kuzo. Wadumisa oothixo besilivere, negolide, nobhedu, nesinyithi, nemithi, namatye—oothixo abangaboniyo, abangeviyo, nabangaziyo nto. Kodwa Lowo uphethe umphefumlo wakho esandleni sakhe, ongumnini weendlela zakho zonke—uBawo wethu—akumzukisanga. Ngenxa yoko wathuma isandla esawubhalayo lo mbhalo.

Nguwo lo umbhalo owabhalwayo: MENE, MENE, TEKELE, PARSINI.

Nantsi intsingiselo yawo: MENE—uBawo wethu ubalile imihla yobukumkani bakho, wabuphelisa.

TEKELE—ulinganisiwe esikalini, waza wafunyanwa usweleka.

PERES—ubukumkani bakho bahlulahluliwe, bunikwe amaMedi namaPersi.”

Waza uBelshatsare wawisa umthetho, bamambathisa uDaniyeli ingubo emfusa, bafaka umxokelelwane wegolide entanyeni yakhe, bamemezela njengomlawuli wesithathu ebukumkanini.

Ngabo kwabo busuku wabulawa uBelshatsare, ukumkani wamaBhabheli. Waza uDariyo umMedi wabuthabatha ubukumkani, eminyaka ingamashumi amathandathu anesibini ezelwe.