1 Mina-ke, ngomnyaka wokuqala kaDariyu umMede, ngema ukumqinisa ukuba abe namandla.
2 “Kalokhu ngiyakukutshela iqiniso. Bheka, kusezakuvela amakhosi amathathu ePheresiya; eyesine iyakunotha kunawo onke; isiqinile ngengcebo yayo iyakuvusa bonke ukulwa nombuso waseJavani.
3 Kuyakuvela inkosi enamandla eyakubusa ngokubusa okukhulu, yenze njengentando yayo.
4 Iyakwanele ukuvela nje, umbuso wayo uyakufohlozwa, wahlukaniselwe emimoyeni yomine yezulu, ungabi ngowenzalo yayo, ungabi njengasekubuseni kwayo eyabusa ngakho, ngokuba umbuso wayo uyakusishulwa, ube ngowabanye ngaphandle kwalaba.
5 “Inkosi yaseningizimu iyakuba namandla, kanjalo esinye sezikhulu zayo, yebo, sibe namandla kunayo, sibuse, nokubusa kwaso kuyakuba ngukubusa okukhulu.
6 Ngasekupheleni kweminyaka bayakuhlangana, kufike indodakazi yenkosi yaseningizimu enkosini yasenyakatho ukwenza isivumelwano; kepha ayiyikugcina amandla engalo, nayo inkosi ayiyikuma nengalo yayo, kodwa iyakunikelwa nabayilethayo, nowayizalayo, nowayisizayo ngalezo zikhathi.
7 “Kepha ehlumeleni lezimpande zayo kuyakuvela omunye esikhundleni sayo oyakuya empini, angene enqabeni yenkosi yasenyakatho, amelane nabo, ahlule.
8 Nawonkulunkulu babo kanye nezithombe zabo ezibunjiweyo nezitsha zabo ezinxanelekayo zesiliva nezegolide uyakukuthumba, akuyise eGibithe, ayiyeke inkosi yasenyakatho iminyaka ethile.
9 Kepha yona iyakungena embusweni wenkosi yaseningizimu, kodwa iyakubuyela ezweni lakubo.
10 Amadodana ayo ayakuhloma, abuthe isixuku sezimpi eziningi; ziyakufika nokufika, zikhukhule, zidlule; ziyakubuya, zilwe kuze kube senqabeni yayo.
11 “Inkosi yaseningizimu iyakubaba, iphume, ilwe nenkosi yasenyakatho; iyakuveza isixuku esikhulu, isixuku sinikelwe esandleni sayo.
12 Kepha isixuku sesisusiwe, inhliziyo yayo iyakuziphakamisa, iwise phansi izinkulungwane ezingamashumi amaningi, kepha ayiyikuba namandla.
13 Inkosi yasenyakatho iyakubuya, iveze isixuku esikhulu kunesokuqala, ifike nokufika ngasekupheleni kwezikhathi eziyiminyaka nempi enkulu nempahla eningi.
14 “Ngalezo zikhathi abaningi bayakuyisukela inkosi yaseningizimu, nabaphangi babantu bakho bayakuziphakamisa ukuwuqinisa umbono, kepha bayakuwa.
15 Iyakufika inkosi yasenyakatho, inqwabele iduli, ithathe umuzi obiyelweyo; izingalo zaseningizimu aziyikuma, nabantu bayo abakhethiweyo abayikuba namandla okuma.
16 Kepha omsukelayo uyakwenza njengentando yakhe, akakho oyakuma phambi kwakhe; uyakuma ezweni elihle, abhubhise ngesandla sakhe.
17 Uyakubhekisa ubuso bakhe ukufika namandla ombuso wakhe wonke kanye nezivumelwano, azenze; uyakumnika indodakazi yabesifazane, ayonakalise, kepha ayiyikuma, ingabi ngowakhe.
18 Useyakubuphendulela ubuso bakhe eziqhingini, athathe eziningi, kepha isikhulu siyakuqeda ihlazo elenziwa nguye, futhi sibuyisele ihlazo lakhe kuye.
19 Useyakubuphendulela ubuso bakhe ezinqabeni zezwe lakubo, kepha uyakukhubeka, awe, angabe esafunyanwa.
20 “Bese kuvela esikhundleni sakhe oyakudlulisa umthelisi emhlobisweni wombuso, kepha ngezinsuku eziyingcosana uyakubhujiswa, kungabi ngolaka nangokulwa kodwa.
21 “Esikhundleni sakhe kuyakuvela odelelekileyo abangamnikanga udumo lobukhosi; uyakufika ngesikhathi sokuthula, athathe umbuso ngobushelezi.
22 Ngengalo yesifufula bayakukhukhulwa ebusweni bakhe, babhujiswe, yebo, nesikhulu sesivumelwano.
23 Emva kokuvumelana naye uyakusebenza ngenkohliso, ngokuba uyakukhuphuka, abe namandla enesizwe esincane nje.
24 Ngesikhathi sokuthula uyakusukela izindawo ezinonileyo zesifunda, akwenze okungenziwanga ngoyise nangoyisemkhulu: uyakuhlakaza phakathi kwabo impango, nengcugco, nempahla, acebe amacebo ngezinqaba kube yisikhathi.
25 “Uyakuvusela inkosi yaseningizimu amandla akhe nesibindi sakhe ngempi enkulu, inempi enkulu enamandla impela; kepha ayiyikuma, ngokuba bayakuceba amacebo ngayo.
26 Abadla ukudla kwayo okumnandi bayakuyibhubhisa, impi yayo ikhukhulwe; abaningi bayakuwa phansi begwaziwe.
27 Amakhosi-ke omabili, izinhliziyo zawo ziyakuba ngezokwenza okubi; ayakukhuluma amanga esetafuleni linye, kepha akuyikuphumelela, ngokuba ukuphela kusezakuba sesikhathini esimisiweyo.
28 Bese ibuyela ezweni lakubo inempahla enkulu, inhliziyo yayo imelane nesivumelwano esingcwele; isikwenzile iyakubuyela ezweni lakubo.
29 “Ngesikhathi esinqunyiweyo iyakubuya, iye eningizimu; kepha akuyikuba sekugcineni njengasekuqaleni.
30 Imikhumbi yaseKitimi iyakuyisukela; bese idabuka, ibuye ithukuthelele isivumelwano esingcwele, ifeze; iyakubuya, inake abasishiyile isivumelwano esingcwele.
31 “Izimpi ziyakuvela nayo, zingcolise indlu engcwele, inqaba, zisuse umnikelo oshiswa imihla yonke, zimise isinengiso esichithayo.
32 Iyakonakalisa ngokuthopha abaphatha kabi isivumelwano, kepha abantu abamaziyo uNkulunkulu wabo bayakuba namandla, baphikelele.
33 “Abahlakaniphileyo babantu bayakuqondisa abaningi; kepha bayakuwa ngenkemba, nangelangabi, nangokuthunjwa, nangokuphangwa izinsuku eziningi.
34 Ekuweni kwabo bayakusizwa ngokusizwa okuncane, bese bebambelela kubo abaningi ngokuthopha.
35 Abanye kwabahlakaniphileyo bayakuwa ukuba bacwengisiswe, bahlanzwe, benziwe mhlophe kuze kube sesikhathini sokuphela, ngokuba kusezakuba sesikhathini esimisiweyo.
36 “Inkosi iyakwenza njengentando yayo, iziphakamise, izikhulise phezu kwabo bonke onkulunkulu, ikhulume okumangalisayo ngoNkulunkulu wawonkulunkulu, ibe nenhlanhla luze luphelele ulaka, ngokuba okumisiweyo kuyakwenziwa.
37 Ayiyikunakekela onkulunkulu bawoyise nofiswa yisifazane, inganaki nonkulunkulu oyedwa, ngokuba iyakuzikhulisa phezu kwabo bonke.
38 Kepha unkulunkulu wezinqaba uyakumdumisa esikhundleni sabo, nonkulunkulu ababengamazi oyise uyakumdumisa ngegolide, nangesiliva, nangamatshe anqabileyo nangokunye okuthandiweyo.
39 Iyakwenze njalo ezinqabeni ezinamandla inonkulunkulu ongowabezizwe; omvumayo iyakumandisela udumo, imenze ukuba abuse abaningi, imahlukanisele izwe libe ngumvuzo wakhe.
40 “Ngesikhathi sokuphela inkosi yaseningizimu iyakuqhubukushana nayo; inkosi yasenyakatho isiyakuvunguzela yona ngezinqola, nangabamahhashi, nangemikhumbi eminingi, ingene emazweni amaningi, ikhukhule, idlule.
41 Iyakungena nasezweni elihle, namanye amaningi ayakukhubeka, kepha lana ayakophulwa esandleni sayo: o-Edomi, noMowabi, nemvama yabantwana bakwa-Amoni.
42 Iyakwelulela isandla emazweni, nezwe laseGibithe aliyikubaleka.
43 Iyakubusa phezu kwengcebo yegolide nesiliva, naphezu kwakho konke okuthandiweyo kwaseGibithe; amaLubi namaKushe ayakuba sezinyathelweni zayo.
44 Iyakwethuswa yimibiko evela empumalanga nasenyakatho; iyakuphuma ngokufutheka okukhulu ukuchitha nokubhubhisa abaningi.
45 Iyakumisa itende lendlu yayo yobukhosi phakathi kolwandle nentaba enhle engcwele; kepha iya nokho ekupheleni kwayo, akakho ongayisiza.