1 Ke kaloku ukumkani uNebhukadenezare wenza umfanekiso ngegolide. Ukuphakama wawuziimitha ezimashumi mabini anesixhenxe; ukwisithuba seemitha ezintathu ububanzi. Wawumisa kwithafa laseDura kwalapho esithilini saseBhabheli.
2 Akuba ewenzile wazihlanganisela kuye iirhuluneli, nabaphathiswa, nabalawuli, nabacebisi, noonondyebo, nabagwebi, noomantyi, nawo onke amanye amagosa ombuso eso sithili. Wayewabizela ukusungula loo mfanekiso wayewumisile.
3 Bakuba behlanganisene ke oozirhuluneli aba, nabaphathiswa, nabalawuli, nabacebisi, noonondyebo, nabagwebi, noomantyi, nawo onke amanye amagosa eso sithili, beze kulo msitho wokusungula umfanekiso omiswe ngukumkani uNebhukadenezare, bema xhonkxosholo apho phambi kwawo.
4 Ke isigidimi sadanduluka simemeza sisithi: “Nina zizwe xa ninonke, iintlanga nazo zonke iilwimi,
5 ze nithi nakuva isandi sesigodlo, ixilongo, umrhubhe, ikatala, ihapu, impempe, nazo zonke ezinye iintlobo zezixhobo zomculo, ewe, xa ninonke mayithi nje yakuqala loo ngoma, nithi guqaqa nikhahlele ninqule lo mfanekiso umiswe ngukumkani uNebhukadenezare!
6 Kambe ke nabani na ongakhahlelanga anqule, ngoko nangoko uya kuthathwa aphoswe kwiziko elidangazela umlilo.”
7 Ngenene ke sathi sakuvakala eso sandi sesigodlo, nexilongo, nomrhubhe, nekatala, nehapu, nazo zonke ezinye iintlobo zezixhobo zomculo, wonke umntu nazo zonke izizwe iintlanga neelwimi, xa bebonke bee waca bakhahlela banqula loo mfanekiso wegolide wawumiswe ngukumkani uNebhukadenezare.
8 Ngeli thuba ke amaKaledi athile amangalela inxenye yamaJuda.
9 Abhekisa kukumkani uNebhukadenezare, athi: “Bayethe, mhlekazi! Phila ngonaphakade!
10 Wena uwise umthetho wokuba ze kuthi kusakuvakala isandi sesigodlo, ixilongo, umrhubhe, ikatala, ihapu, impempe, nazo zonke ezinye izixhobo zomculo, wonke umntu akhahlele anqule umfanekiso wegolide.
11 Watsho nokuthi umntu ongakhahlelanga anqule lo mfanekiso uya kuthathwa aphoswe kwiziko elidangazela umlilo.
12 Ke, mhlekazi, kukho amaJuda athile wena owawamisayo angoomaqhuzu kwimicimbi yesi sithili saseBhabheli – abo nguShedreki, uMeshaki, noAbhednigo – abo kanye ke, mhlekazi, abakuhoyanga. Ewe, ababanquli oothixo bakho, bengakhahleli nakulo mfanekiso uwumisileyo.”
13 Ukumkani wavutha ngumsindo, wathi mabaziswe kuye ooShedreki noMeshaki noAbhednigo. Aziswa ke la madoda phambi kokumkani,
14 wabhekisa kuwo wathi: “Shedreki, Meshaki, nawe Abhednigo, ngaba yinyani ukuba nina niyala ukubanqula oothixo bam, ningavumi nokukhahlela kumfanekiso wegolide endiwumisileyo?
15 Nangoku ke ze nithi nisakuva isandi sesigodlo, ixilongo, umrhubhe, ikatala, ihapu, impempe, nazo zonke ezinye izixhobo zomculo, ningathingazi, koko nikhahlele ninqule lo mfanekiso ndiwumisileyo. Ke ukuba aniyenzanga loo nto, ngoko nangoko niya kuphoswa kwiziko elivutha umlilo. Kakade ke nguwuphi na uthixo onganihlangulayo esandleni sam?”
16 Ke kaloku uShedreki noMeshaki noAbhednigo baphendula ukumkani bathi: “Mhlekazi Nebhukadenezare, akukho mfuneko yokuba sizithethelele kulo mbandela.
17 Sinaye uThixo wethu esimnqulayo. Unawo amandla okusihlangula kwelo ziko lidangazela umlilo, yaye uya kusisindisa esandleni sakho, kumkani.
18 Kambe ke, noba akasihlangulanga, yazi mhlophe, mhlekazi, ukuba asiyi kubanqula oothixo bakho, futhi asiyi kuguqa sikhahlele kulo mfanekiso wegolide uwumisileyo.”
19 Hayi ke ngoku, ukumkani uNebhukadenezare watsho wandlongozela ngumsindo, nobuso bakhe baxubayela ngakooShedreki noMeshaki noAbhednigo. Ngoko ke wathi iziko malibaswe ngokuphindwe kasixhenxe kunesiqhelo.
20 Waza ke wayalela ezinye iingwanyalala zomkhosi wakhe ukuba zibaqamangele ooShedreki noMeshaki noAbhednigo, zibaphose kwelo ziko lidangazelayo.
21 Aza ke la madoda abotshwa aphoswa phakathi kwelo ziko livuthayo enxibe ezo mpahla zawo – iminweba, iibhulukhwe, nezankwane.
22 Kwathi, ngenxa yokuba ilizwi lokumkani belingqongqo, iziko lenziwa lashushu ngokugqithisileyo kangangokuba loo madoda ayebaphosa ooShedreki noMeshaki noAbhednigo kwelo ziko atshiswa ngumlilo lowo, afa.
23 Ke bona bobathathu uShedreki noMeshaki noAbhednigo baya kuwa besabotshiwe apho phakathi kweloo ziko livuthayo.
24 Kuthe kusenjalo wothuka wasuka waxhuma emangalisekile ukumkani uNebhukadenezare. Wabuza kumaphakathi akhe, wathi: “Kanene besingaphosanga amadoda amathathu na abotshiweyo kweli ziko lidangazelayo?”Ke aphendula athi: “Kunjalo, mhlekazi.”
25 Ke yena wathi: “Phofu ke, ngani ukuba ndibone amadoda amane ehamba-hamba emlilweni? Akabotshwanga nakubotshwa, futhi akabonakalisi nakwenzakala – ke yona le yesine ifana nonyana woothixo ngembonakalo.”
26 Ngoko ke ukumkani uNebhukadenezare wasondela esangweni lelo ziko livuthayo, wathi: “Shedreki! Meshaki! Abhednigo! Zicaka zikaThixo uPhezukonke! Phumani, nize apha!” Aphuma ke loo madoda omathathu.
27 Ke onke amagosa kakumkani ahlanganiselana, iziirhuluneli, nabaphathiswa, nabalawuli, nabacebisi, bonke bemangalisiwe kukubona loo mhlola wokuba umlilo awubanga namandla emizimbeni yaloo madoda. Ewe, iinwele zawo zange zirhawuke nokurhawuka oku, kanti neempahla zawo zange zitshe ngumlilo; ngenene wona ayengenalo nevumba eli lomlilo.
28 Ukumkani uNebhukadenezare ke wathi: “Makabongwe uThixo kaShedreki, kaMeshaki, noAbhednigo, othume isithunywa wazihlangula izicaka zakhe. Zona zimnqule ngentembeko, zaza azawuhoya umyalelo kakumkani, zaxolela ukuyinikela imizimba yazo endaweni yokuguqa zinqule nawuphi na uthixo ngaphandle koThixo wazo.
29 “Ngoko ke ndiwisa umthetho othi nabani na, nowasiphi na isizwe, noba ngowaluphi na uhlanga, noba ngowayiphi na intetho, umntu onyelisa uThixo kaShedreki noMeshaki noAbhednigo – owenza loo nto uya kwenziwa iziqwenga, wona umzi wakhe udilizwe ube yindawo ekuyiwa kuyo ngasese. Kaloku akukho Thixo wumbi unako ukusindisa ngale ndlela.”
30 Waza ke ukumkani uNebhukadenezare wabanyusela kwizikhundla eziphezulu ooShedreki noMeshaki noAbhednigo apho kweso sithili saseBhabheli.