1 Kwathi xa ukumkani uJoyakim akunyaka wesithathu elawula kwelakwaJuda, ukumkani uNebhukadenezare waseBhabheli weza eJerusalem, wayingqinga.
2 Ke iNkosi yamnikela esandleni sakhe uJoyakim ukumkani wakwaJuda, yathinjwa inxalenye yempahla yendlu kaThixo. Ezi zinto uNebhukadenezare waya nazo ezweni laseShinare, waya kuzifaka endlwini yothixo wakhe kwigumbi elinguvimba wobutyebi.
3 Ukumkani uNebhukadenezare wathi kuAshpenazi, intloko yamaphakathi akomkhulu, makakhethe abafana begazi nabomnombo wezikhulu apho kuloo maSirayeli wayewathimbile.
4 Wathi makakhethe iinzwana ezingenasiphako, ezikrelekrele ngengqondo, eziqeqeshekileyo, nezinengqiqo – abafana abakufaneleyo ukugosiswa komkhulu. UAshpenazi wayalelwa ukuba abafundise ukusithetha nokusifunda isiKaledi.
5 Ngaphezu koko ukumkani wayalela ukuba yonke imihla mabaphakelwe kwimbiza kakumkani, ngokunjalo basele nakwiwayini yakhe. Olu qeqesho ke lwaluza kuthatha iminyaka emithathu, emva koko bagosiswe komkhulu.
6 Phakathi kwâbo bakhethiweyo ke kwabakho nabafana bendlu kaJuda: uDaniyeli, uHananiya, uMishayeli, noAzariya.
7 Ke kaloku intloko yamaphakathi akomkhulu yabathiya amagama amatsha; uDaniyeli wabizwa ngokuba nguBhelteshazare, uHananiya ngokuba nguShadraki, uMishayeli ngokuba nguMeshaki, uAzariya ngokuba nguAbhednigo.
8 Kambe ke yena uDaniyeli wenza isigqibo sokuba angazixabheli ngokutya nangeziselo zalapho ebhotwe. Ngoko ke wacela kwintloko yamaphakathi akomkhulu ukuba avunyelwe ukungazixabheli ngoku kutya.
9 Ngenene ke uThixo wayenza intloko yamaphakathi akomkhulu ukuba ivelane noDaniyeli, ibe nenceba kuye,
10 yona yathi kuye: “Ndiyayoyika inkosi yam ukumkani othe ngokwakhe wayalela ngento emaniyitye nemaniyisele. Ngoko ke, xa enokunifumana imbonakalo yenu ingekho kumgangatho omnye nabafana abaziintanga zenu, mna angandibulala.”
11 Ngoko ke uDaniyeli waya kuthetha negosa elalibekwe phezu koDaniyeli noHananiya noMishayeli noAzariya yintloko yamaphakathi leyo, wathi:
12 “Khawusilinge iintsuku zibe lishumi, usityisa kuphela imifino, sisela amanzi,
13 emva kwazo ke uthelekise imbonakalo yethu neyoogxa bethu abatya kwimbiza kakumkani, ubone ke ukuba thina bakhonzi bakho masithiweni.”
14 Nalo ke lavuma ukulwenza olo vavanyo lweentsuku ezilishumi.
15 Zakuphela ezo ntsuku uDaniyeli nabalingane bakhe abathathu bafumaniseka bephilile bondlekile ngaphezu kweentanga zabo ezazisitya kwimbiza kakumkani.
16 Ukususela ngoko ke igosa elo labanika imifino endaweni yokutya newayini yasebhotwe.
17 Aba bafana bane ke uThixo wabathi jize ngolwazi nobuchule kwizinto ezinjengoluncwadi nobulumko. Ewe, uDaniyeli wamenza wayincutshe ekuqondeni zonke iindidi zemibono namaphupha.
18 Ke kaloku yakuphela iminyaka emithathu leyo yayimiswe ngukumkani, intloko yamaphakathi akomkhulu yabathatha bonke abo bafana, yabasa kukumkani uNebhukadenezare.
19 Ke ukumkani wathi akuthetha nabo wafumana ukuba akukho namnye okumgangatho omnye noDaniyeli noHananiya noMishayeli noAzariya. Ngoko ke bona bangeniswa emsebenzini wakomkhulu.
20 Kwimicimbi ephathelele kwezobulumko nengqiqo aba bafana bane baqaqamba kukumkani, kuba babemanelisa kuwo nawuphi na umbuzo, bebadlula kalishumi bonke abenzi bemilingo noosiyazi ababekhona kwelo zwe.
21 UDaniyeli lo ke wahlala apho komkhulu yada yangunyaka wokuqala kakumkani uSirasi.