Inkosi Ifuna Ukukhonzwa
Isithombe segolide esingamamitha angamashumi amabili nesishiyagalombili nebutho labadlali bezinsimbi kwenza ukukhonza kube yimpoqo. AmaJuda amathathu ayenqaba futhi anika inkosi impendulo ebiza kakhulu: uBaba wethu angasikhulula, kodwa noma engakwenzi, ngeke sikhothame. Umuntu wesine uhamba nabo emlilweni.
3 1Inkosi uNebukadinezari yenza isithombe segolide, esasingamafidi angamashumi ayisishiyagalolunye ubude namafidi ayisishiyagalolunye ububanzi, yasimisa ethafeni laseDura esifundeni saseBhabhiloni. 2Inkosi uNebukadinezari yathumela ukuba kubizwe ababusi bezifunda, iziphathimandla, ababusi, abeluleki, abagcinizikhwama, abahluleli, izimantshi, kanye nazo zonke izikhulu zesifunda, ukuba beze ekunikezelweni kwesithombe eyayisimisile. 3Khona-ke ababusi bezifunda, iziphathimandla, ababusi, abeluleki, abagcinizikhwama, abahluleli, izimantshi, kanye nazo zonke izikhulu zesifunda babuthana ukuze banikezele isithombe inkosi uNebukadinezari eyayisimisile, bema phambi kwesithombe uNebukadinezari ayesimisile.
4Umemezeli wamemeza ngezwi elikhulu, wathi: “Nina bantu, nina zizwe, nani zilimi, niyayalwa: 5Ngesikhathi nizwa uphondo, umtshingo, ichacho, ihabhu, ugubhu, nebhegiphayiphi, nayo yonke imihlobo yomculo, niwe phansi nikhonze isithombe segolide inkosi uNebukadinezari esimisile. 6Noma ngubani ongawi phansi angakhonzi uyophonswa ngaso leso sikhathi esithandweni somlilo ovuthayo.”
7Ngakho kwathi lapho bonke abantu bezwa uphondo, umtshingo, ichacho, ihabhu, ugubhu, nazo zonke izinhlobo zomculo, bonke abantu nezizwe nezilimi bawa phansi bakhonza isithombe segolide inkosi uNebukadinezari eyayisimisile.
8Ngaleso sikhathi kweza izazi zezinkanyezi ezithile zamangalela amaJuda ngenzondo. 9Zathi enkosini uNebukadinezari: “Nkosi, mana uphile kuze kube phakade! 10Wena, Nkosi, wakhipha isimemezelo: wonke umuntu ozwa uphondo, umtshingo, ichacho, ihabhu, ugubhu, nebhegiphayiphi, nanoma yimuphi umculo kumele awe phansi akhonze isithombe segolide, 11nalowo ongawi phansi angakhonzi uyophonswa esithandweni somlilo ovuthayo. 12Kukhona amaJuda owawabeka ukuba abuse isifunda saseBhabhiloni—uShadiraki, uMeshaki, no-Abhedinego—angakunaki, Nkosi. Abazukhonza onkulunkulu bakho futhi abasikhonzi isithombe segolide osimisile.”
13UNebukadinezari, ethukuthele, wayala ukuba kulethwe uShadiraki, uMeshaki, no-Abhedinego; balethwa-ke phambi kwenkosi. 14UNebukadinezari wathi: “Shadiraki, Meshaki, Abhedinego, kuyiqiniso yini ukuthi anibakhonzi onkulunkulu bami futhi anisikhonzi isithombe segolide engisimisile? 15Manje uma nilungele—lapho kukhala uphondo, umtshingo, ichacho, ihabhu, ugubhu, nebhegiphayiphi, nayo yonke imihlobo yomculo, niwe phansi nikhonze isithombe engisenzile—kuhle. Kodwa uma ningakhonzi, niyophonswa masinyane esithandweni somlilo ovuthayo. Yimuphi unkulunkulu ongakhona ukunisindisa ezandleni zami?”
16UShadiraki, uMeshaki, no-Abhedinego baphendula inkosi, bathi: “Nebukadinezari, asidingi ukukuphendula ngale ndaba. 17Uma uBaba wethu, esimkhonzayo, engasisindisa, uyosisindisa esithandweni somlilo ovuthayo nasesandleni sakho, Nkosi. 18Kodwa uma kungenjalo, yazi lokhu, Nkosi: ngeke sibakhonze onkulunkulu bakho futhi ngeke sisikhonze isithombe segolide osimisile.”
19Khona-ke uNebukadinezari wagcwala intukuthelo, kwaguquka nokubukeka kobuso bakhe ngakuShadiraki, uMeshaki, no-Abhedinego; wayala ukuba isithando sishiswe ngokuphindwe kasikhombisa kunokwejwayelekile. 20Wayala amanye amasosha akhe anamandla kakhulu ukuba abophe uShadiraki, uMeshaki, no-Abhedinego, awaphonse esithandweni somlilo ovuthayo. 21Ngakho la madoda, ebotshiwe, egqoke izembatho, amabhulukwe, amaqhiya, nezinye izingubo, aphonswa esithandweni somlilo ovuthayo. 22Ngenxa yomyalo onzima wenkosi nokushisa okukhulu kwesithando, ilangabi lomlilo labulala la madoda ayephakamise uShadiraki, uMeshaki, no-Abhedinego. 23Lawa madoda amathathu—uShadiraki, uMeshaki, no-Abhedinego—awela ebotshiwe esithandweni somlilo ovuthayo.
24Khona-ke inkosi uNebukadinezari yamangala, yasukuma ngokushesha. Yabuza abeluleki bayo, yathi: “Asiphonsanga yini amadoda amathathu ebotshiwe emlilweni?” Baphendula inkosi, bathi: “Kuyiqiniso, Nkosi.”
25Yathi: “Bhekani—ngibona amadoda amane, engaboshiwe, ehamba phakathi nomlilo, engalimele; owesine ubukeka njengendodana yabonkulunkulu.” a a v25 Inkosi yabona umuntu wesine phakathi kwamalangabi — ubukhona obusindisayo bukaBaba wethu, ongazange azishiye zodwa izinceku zakhe emlilweni.
26UNebukadinezari waya emnyango wesithando somlilo ovuthayo, wathi: “Shadiraki, Meshaki, no-Abhedinego, zinceku zikaNkulunkulu oPhezukonke, phumani lapha!” UShadiraki, uMeshaki, no-Abhedinego baphuma emlilweni.
27Ababusi bezifunda, iziphathimandla, ababusi, nabeluleki benkosi babuthana babona ukuthi umlilo wawungenawo amandla phezu kwemizimba yala madoda—izinwele zawo zazingashanga, izingubo zawo zazingonakalanga, futhi kwakungekho phunga lomlilo kuwo.
28UNebukadinezari wathi: “Makabusiswe uNkulunkulu kaShadiraki, uMeshaki, no-Abhedinego! Wathuma ingelosi yakhe wasindisa izinceku zakhe ezazithembele kuye. Zephula umyalo wenkosi, zavuma ukufa kunokuba zikhonze noma zidumise noma yimuphi unkulunkulu ngaphandle kukaNkulunkulu wazo. 29Ngikhipha isimemezelo: noma yibaphi abantu, noma yisiphi isizwe, noma yiluphi ulimi olukhuluma okuthile ngokumelene noNkulunkulu kaShadiraki, uMeshaki, no-Abhedinego luyoqotshwa lube izicucu, nezindlu zabo ziyoguqulwa zibe yinqwaba yezinsalela—ngoba akekho omunye unkulunkulu ongasindisa ngale ndlela.”
30Khona-ke inkosi yaphakamisa uShadiraki, uMeshaki, no-Abhedinego esifundeni saseBhabhiloni.
