UDaniyeli 1

1 ¹Ngonyaka wesithathu kaJehoyakimi inkosi yakwaJuda, uNebukhadinezari inkosi yaseBhabhiloni wahlasela iJerusalema wayivimbezela. ²INkosi uBaba wamnikela uJehoyakimi inkosi yakwaJuda esandleni sakhe, kanye nezinye izinto zasendlini kaBaba wethu; wazisa eShinari, endlini kankulunkulu wakhe, izinto wazifaka endlini yengcebo kankulunkulu wakhe. ^a a v2 IShinari yigama elidala leBhabhiloniya, isifunda esizungeze idolobha laseBhabhiloni.

³Inkosi yayala u-Ashiphenazi, induna yayo enkulu, ukuba alethe abanye kwa-Israyeli abavela emndenini wasebukhosini nasezicukuthwaneni. ⁴izinsizwa ezingenasici, ezinhle ngokubukeka, ezihlakaniphileyo kukho konke ukuhlakanipha, ezinolwazi, ezisheshayo ukuqonda, ezifanele ukuma esigodlweni senkosi—nokuba azifundise umbhalo nolimi lwaseBhabhiloni. ⁵Inkosi yazabela isabelo semihla ngemihla sokudla kwayo newayini layo, iminyaka emithathu yokuqeqeshwa, bese emva kwalokho zikhonza phambi kwayo.

⁶Phakathi kwazo kwakukhona uDaniyeli, uHananiya, uMishayeli, no-Azariya, abavela emadodaneni akwaJuda. ⁷Induna enkulu yabeka amagama amasha: uDaniyeli yamqamba uBelitheshazari; uHananiya kwaba nguShadiraki; uMishayeli kwaba nguMeshaki; u-Azariya kwaba ngu-Abhedinego. ^b b v7 Amagama abo okuzalwa ngalinye ayedumisa uBaba ka-Israyeli; amagama amasha aseBhabhiloni ayedumisa onkulunkulu baseBhabhiloni — umzamo wokuguqula ubunjalo bezinsizwa.

⁸UDaniyeli wazimisela ukungazingcolisi ngokudla kwenkosi noma ngewayini layo, ngakho wacela imvume enduneni enkulu yokuba angazingcolisi. ^c c v8 Ukudla kwasebukhosini cishe kwakuqukethe inyama eyayenqatshelwe ngokomthetho wamaJuda noma ukudla okwakunikelwe konkulunkulu baseBhabhiloni — kokubili kwakuyokwenza kungcole ku-Israyeli othembekileyo. ⁹Manje uBaba wethu wamnika uDaniyeli umusa nesihawu emehlweni enduna enkulu. ¹⁰Induna enkulu yathi kuDaniyeli: “Ngiyayesaba inkosi yami ebusayo, eyamisela ukudla kwenu nokuphuza kwenu. Kungani ibone ubuso benu bubi kunabafana abalingana nani ngeminyaka? Beningabangela ukuba inkosi ingiqumele ikhanda.”

¹¹UDaniyeli wayesethi kumphathi induna enkulu eyayimbeke phezu kukaDaniyeli, uHananiya, uMishayeli, no-Azariya: ¹²“Ake uzivivinye izinceku zakho izinsuku eziyishumi. Sinike imifino kuphela ukuba siyidle namanzi ukuba siwaphuze. ¹³Bese uqhathanisa ukubukeka kwethu nokwezinsizwa ezidla ukudla kwenkosi; wenze ngezinceku zakho njengoba ubona.” ¹⁴Ngakho wavuma lokhu wazivivinya izinsuku eziyishumi. ¹⁵Emva kwezinsuku eziyishumi zabonakala ziphilile zikhuluphele kunazo zonke izinsizwa ezazidla ukudla kwasebukhosini. ¹⁶Ngakho umphathi wasusa ukudla okwakwabelwe zona newayini elalizophuzwa yizo, wazinika imifino esikhundleni salokho.

¹⁷Kulezi zinsizwa ezine uBaba wethu wazinika ulwazi nokuqonda kuyo yonke imibhalo nakho konke ukuhlakanipha; uDaniyeli wayeqonda yonke imibono namaphupho.

¹⁸Kwathi lapho sekuphelile izinsuku inkosi eyayizimisele zokuba zilethwe ngazo, induna enkulu yaziletha phambi kukaNebukhadinezari. ¹⁹Inkosi yakhuluma nazo, kwathi phakathi kwazo zonke akubangakho ofana noDaniyeli, uHananiya, uMishayeli, no-Azariya; ngakho zakhonza inkosi. ²⁰Kuko konke ukuhlakanipha nokuqonda inkosi eyayibabuza ngakho, yabathola bebahle ngokuphindwe kayishumi kunabo bonke izangoma nabalumbi embusweni wayo wonke. ²¹UDaniyeli wahlala khona kwaze kwaba ngunyaka wokuqala wenkosi uKhurosi.