1 Ke kaloku kwakungunyaka wokuqala wokulawula kukaDariyo unyana ka-Asuwerosi. WayengumMedi ngokomnombo, kodwa waba ngukumkani wamaKaledi.
2 Ke ngalo nyaka wakhe wokuqala elawula mna Daniyeli ndandicamngca ngale ndawo kwizibhalo ezingcwele ngokomlomo *kaNdikhoyo *kumshumayeli uJeremiya ethetha ngeminyaka emashumi asixhenxe ekufuneka iJerusalem ihlale iphanzisiwe.
3 Ndabhekisa kwiNkosi uThixo, ndazibika kuyo ngomthandazo, ndizila ukutya, ndinxiba ezirhwexayo, ndizigalela ngothuthu entloko.
4 Ndathandaza kuNdikhoyo uThixo wam, ndisenza isivumo, ndathi: “Aa, Mhlekazi! Thixo omkhulu owoyikekayo, mgcini womnqophiso wakho, wena menzi wezibele kwabo bakuthandayo, abo bayithobelayo imiyalelo yakho,
5 sonile senza ubugwenxa nobubi! Sikuvukele sayityeshela imiyalelo nemithetho owasinika yona.
6 Asiziphulaphulanga izicaka zakho abashumayeli ababethetha egameni lakho belumkisa izikumkani zethu, iziphathamandla, oobawo, nabantu bonke bakowethu.
7 “Ke wena, Mhlekazi, ulilungisa, ukanti ke thina sigutyungelwe lihlazo njengoko kunjalo nanamhla. Xa sisonke thina sinjalo, thina bemi belakwaJuda, naseJerusalem, namaSirayeli onke owawasarhaza ezizweni, kwezikude nakwezikufuphi, ngenxa yokungathembeki kwawo.
8 Ewe, Ndikhoyo, sihlelwe lihlazo; ookumkani bethu neziphathamandla, ndawonye noobawo-mkhulu, xa sisonke sonile kuwe.
9 Kambe ke, wena Mhlekazi, Thixo wethu, nangona sakuvukelayo, uhlala unemfesane uxolela.
10 Wena Ndikhoyo, Thixo wethu, asikuphulaphulanga, asihambanga ngokwemiyalelo yakho owasinika yona ngezicaka zakho abashumayeli.
11 USirayeli ephela uyigqithile imithetho yakho, waphambuka akavuma ukulithobela izwi lakho.“Ngenxa yokona kwethu ke uNdikhoyo uzithulule phezu kwethu zonke iziqalekiso ngokwesifungo sakhe esibhaliweyo emthethweni kaMosis isicaka sakhe.
12 Ngale ntlekele ingaka uwafezekisile amazwi awasilumkisa ngawo thina neenkokheli zethu. Ehlabathini jikelele iJerusalem uyohlwaye ngqongqo ngendlela engazange yabakho.
13 Ewe, ubuthululele phezu kwethu bonke ububi obukhankanyiweyo emthethweni kaMosis. Kambe nangoku asikayelelisi ekumkholiseni uNdikhoyo uThixo wethu ngokujika kubugwenxa bethu; asikayinyamekeli inyaniso yakhe.
14 Ke uNdikhoyo wayehleli ethe qwa, waza wasihlisela le ntlekele, kuba yena Ndikhoyo uThixo wethu ulilungisa kuko konke akwenzayo, sabe ke thina singaliphulaphulanga ilizwi lakhe.
15 “Mhlekazi, Thixo wethu, wena othe ngesandla sakho esinamandla wabakhulula abantu bakho kwelaseJiputa, latsho laduma igama lakho njengoko kunjalo unanamhlanje, ewe, sonile senza okugwenxa.
16 Mhlekazi, ngokwemisebenzi yakho yonke yobulungisa, mawukhe uthothe umsindo wakho nengqumbo yakho kwisicaka sakho iJerusalem, nditsho kwintaba yakho eyodwa. Ngenxa yezono zethu nobugwenxa boobawo iJerusalem nabantu bakho balihlazo kubo bonke abasingqongileyo.
17 Ngoko ke, Thixo wethu, kuve ukuzibika nokutarhuzisa komkhonzi wakho. Yikhangele ngobubele indlu yakho elibhodlo, kuba kaloku nguwe oyiNkosi.
18 Khawubek' iindlebe uphulaphule, Thixo wam! Khawuvule amehlo ukubone ukuphanza kwesixeko esibizwa ngegama lakho. Akungenxa yemisebenzi yethu yobulungisa le nto sikubongozayo, kodwa kungenxa yenceba yakho enkulu.
19 Ndimamele, Mhlekazi, usixolele, usive, wenze! Ewe, Mhlekazi, ngenxa yegama lakho uze ungalibazisi, kuba kaloku esi sixeko sakho naba bantu bakho babizwa ngegama lakho.”
20 Ndathi ndisathetha, ndithandaza, ndivuma isono sam nesono sabantu bakowethu amaSirayeli, ndizibika *kuNdikhoyo uThixo wam ngenxa yentaba yakhe eyodwa,
21 ewe, ndisathandaza njalo, gqi uGabriyeli, indoda ebendikhe ndayibona kumbono wam wangaphambili, endanda esondela kum ngexesha lokwenziwa kwamadini atshiswayo angokuhlwa.
22 Wathetha nam ke endikhanyisela, wathi: “Daniyeli, ndilapha nje ndize kukuvula ingqiqo ukuze ube nokuqonda.
23 Uthe usaqala nje ukuzibika kuThixo waba yena selenesigqibo. Ngoko ke ndize kukuchazela isigqibo eso. Kaloku ukuxabisile. Mandikuchazele esi sigqibo ke, uwuqonde lo mbono.
24 “UThixo umisele abantu bakowenu ndawonye nesixeko sakowenu esingcwele ‘iiveki’ ezingamashumi asixhenxe zokuba lufikele esiphelweni uvukelo, ngokunjalo nesono sicinywe, bucanyagushelwe ubugwenxa, kuphuhliswe ubulungisa obungasoze bube nesiphelo, kuzalisekiswe umbono nodaba lomshumayeli, nengcwele kangcwele ithanjiswe.
25 “Qwalasela uqaphele ke: ukusuka kwixesha lokubhengezwa kwesigqibo sokuvuswa nokwakhiwa ngokutsha kweJerusalem ukuya kwixesha lokufika koMthanjiswa oyiNkosi yoba ‘ziiveki’ ezisixhenxe ekongezwe kuzo ‘iiveki’ ezingamashumi amathandathu anesibini. IJerusalem iya kwakhiwa ngelo xesha igqibelele, ibe nezitalato, ikhuselwe ngentendelezo yomhadi, ime njalo ‘iiveki’ ezingamashumi amathandathu anesibini.
26 Ekupheleni kwelo xesha ke uMthanjiswa uya kunqanyulwa, kungabikho bani ungakuye. Isixeko ndawonye nendlu kaThixo ziya kutshatyalaliswa ngumkhosi wenjengele efikayo. Isiphelo ke siya kugaleleka ngathi sisikhukula, imfazwe iqhubele phambili iphelekwa ziinkxwaleko ezimiselweyo.
27 Loo njengele iya kwenza umnqophiso ongenakwaphulwa, iwenze nabaninzi, kuhlale kunjalo ke ‘iveki’ ibe nye. Ekupheleni kwesiqingatha saloo ‘veki’ ke iya kuwaphelisa amadini atshiswayo neminikelo. Ke isikizi eliphanzisayo liya kubekwa encochoyini yendlu kaThixo, ade ke umphanzisi lowo afikelwe seso siphelo asimiselweyo.”