UDaniyeli 9

9 ¹Ngonyaka wokuqala kaDariyusi indodana kaKserksi, umMede, owabekwa inkosi phezu kombuso waseBabiloni. ²Ngonyaka wokuqala wokubusa kwakhe, mina Daniyeli, ngaqonda ezincwadini ukuthi mingaki iminyaka uBaba wethu ayitshela uJeremiya umprofethi: engamashumi ayisikhombisa, ukuze kuphele amanxiwa aseJerusalema. ³Ngase ngiphendulela ubuso bami kuBaba oyiNkosi, ukuba ngimfune ngomthandazo nangokunxusa, ngokuzila ukudla, ngendwangu yesaka, nangomlotha.

⁴Ngathandaza kuBaba, ngivuma izono ngathi: “Baba oyiNkosi, omkhulu nowesabekayo, ogcina isivumelwano nothando oluqotho kulabo abamthandayo nabagcina imiyalo yakhe, ⁵sonile, senza okungalungile, senza okubi, sahlubuka, sadeda emiyalweni yakho nasezinqumeni zakho. ⁶Asizange sibalalele abaprofethi izinceku zakho ababekhuluma egameni lakho emakhosini ethu, ezikhulwini, okhokho bethu, nakubo bonke abantu bezwe.

⁷Ukulunga kungokwakho, Baba oyiNkosi, kodwa okwethu ngamahloni asobala namuhla—abantu bakwaJuda, abakhileyo eJerusalema, u-Israyeli wonke, abaseduze nabakude, kuwo wonke amazwe owabaxosha kuwo ngenxa yokungathembeki kwabo kuwe. ⁸Awu Baba wethu, amahloni asobala angawethu—amakhosi ethu, izikhulu, nokhokho bethu—ngokuba sona kuwe. ⁹KuBaba oyiNkosi kukhona isihe nentethelelo, ngokuba simhlubukele, ¹⁰futhi asililalelanga izwi likaBaba wethu ukuba sihambe emithethweni yakhe ayibeka phambi kwethu ngezinceku zakhe abaprofethi. ¹¹U-Israyeli wonke wephula umthetho wakho waphambuka, wenqaba ukulalela izwi lakho. Ngakho isiqalekiso nesifungo esilotshwe eMthethweni kaMose, inceku kaBaba wethu, sathululwa phezu kwethu, ngokuba sona kuye. ¹²Waqinisa amazwi akhe ngokumelene nathi nabehluleli bethu abasahlulela, waletha phezu kwethu inhlekelele enkulu; akukho okwenzeka ngaphansi kwalo lonke izulu okulingana nalokho okwenzeka eJerusalema. ¹³Njengoba kulotshiwe eMthethweni kaMose, yonke le nhlekelele yehlela phezu kwethu; nokho asizange sifune umusa kaBaba wethu ngokuphenduka ezonweni zethu nangokuqonda iqiniso lakho. ¹⁴Ngakho uBaba wethu wayilungisa inhlekelele wayiletha phezu kwethu, ngokuba uBaba wethu ulungile kukho konke akwenzayo; kodwa asilalelanga izwi lakhe.

¹⁵Manje-ke, Baba oyiNkosi, wena owakhipha abantu bakho eGibhithe ngesandla esinamandla wazenzela igama elimiyo kuze kube namuhla—sonile, senza okungalungile. ¹⁶Baba oyiNkosi, ngazo zonke izenzo zakho zokulunga, susa intukuthelo yakho nolaka lwakho kuwo umuzi wakho iJerusalema, intaba yakho engcwele—ngokuba izono zethu neziphambeko zokhokho bethu zenze iJerusalema nabantu bakho baba yihlazo kubo bonke abasizungelezile.

¹⁷Manje, Baba wethu, yizwa umthandazo wenceku yakho nokunxusa kwayo, ukhanyise ubuso bakho endlini yakho engcwele echithekileyo, ngenxa yakho, Baba oyiNkosi. ¹⁸Beka indlebe yakho kithi, Baba, uzwe; vula amehlo akho, ubone amanxiwa ethu nomuzi obizwa ngegama lakho. Siletha ukunxusa kwethu phambi kwakho hhayi ngenxa yokulunga kwethu kodwa ngenxa yesihe sakho esikhulu. ¹⁹Baba oyiNkosi, yizwa! Baba oyiNkosi, thethelela! Baba oyiNkosi, lalela wenze! Ungalibali, ngenxa yakho, Baba, ngokuba umuzi wakho nabantu bakho babizwa ngegama lakho.”

UBaba Uthuma uGabriyeli Nempendulo

²⁰Ngisakhuluma, ngithandaza, ngivuma isono sami nesono sabantu bami u-Israyeli, ngibeka ukunxusa kwami phambi kukaBaba ngenxa yentaba engcwele kaBaba, ²¹ngisathandaza, uGabriyeli, lowo muntu engangimbone ekuqaleni embonweni, wafika kimi, endiza ngejubane, cishe ngesikhathi somnikelo wakusihlwa. ^a a v21 Umnikelo wakusihlwa wawenziwa cishe ngehora lesithathu ntambama.

²²Wanginika ukuqonda, wakhuluma nami wathi: “Daniyeli, ngize manje ukukunika ukuhlakanipha nokuqonda. ²³Lapho ukunxusa kwakho kuqala, kwaphuma izwi, mina ngeza ukukutshela, ngokuba uthandwa kakhulu. Ngakho cabangisisa ngezwi uqonde umbono:

²⁴“Amasonto angamashumi ayisikhombisa amiselwe abantu bakho nomuzi wakho ongcwele: ukuqeda ububi, ukuphelisa isono, ukubuyisana ngecala, ukungenisa ukulunga okuphakade, ukubeka uphawu embonweni nakumprofethi, nokugcoba indawo engcwelengcwele. ^b b v24 “Amasonto angamashumi ayisikhombisa” ahumusha inkulumo yesiHebheru esho izikhathi ezingamashumi ayisikhombisa zokuyisikhombisa—cishe iminyaka engamakhulu amane namashumi ayisishiyagalolunye (490) sekukonke.

²⁵Ngakho yazi uqonde: kusukela ngesikhathi kuphuma umyalo wokubuyisa nokwakha kabusha iJerusalema kuze kube sekufikeni koGcotshiweyo—uJesu, iSikhulu—kuyoba khona amasonto ayisikhombisa namasonto angamashumi ayisithupha nambili. Uyokwakhiwa kabusha ngezitaladi nomsele, kodwa ngezikhathi zenhlupheko. ²⁶Emva kwamasonto angamashumi ayisithupha nambili uGcotshiweyo—uJesu—uyonqunywa angabi nalutho. Abantu besikhulu esiyayo bayochitha umuzi nendlu engcwele. Ukuphela kwawo kuyofika njengesikhukhula, kuze kube sekupheleni kuyoba khona impi; ukuchithwa kumisiwe. ²⁷Uyoqinisa isivumelwano nabaningi isonto elilodwa; phakathi nesonto uyomisa umhlatshelo nomnikelo. Ephikweni lethempeli uyomisa isinengiso esibanga incithakalo, kuze kube ukuphela okumisiwe kuthululeke phezu komchithi.”