1 UBelishasari inkosi wenzela izinduna zakhe eziyinkulungwane idili, waphuza iwayini ngaphambi kwaleyo nkulungwane.
2 UBelishasari esalinambitha iwayini wayaleza ukuba kulethwe izitsha zegolide nezesiliva, uNebukadinesari uyise ayezikhiphe ethempelini laseJerusalema, ukuba inkosi nezikhulu zayo, nawomkayo, nezancinza zayo baphuze ngazo.
3 Base beletha izitsha zegolide ezazikhishwe ethempelini lendlu kaNkulunkulu yaseJerusalema, inkosi, nezikhulu zayo, nawomkayo, nezancinza zayo baphuza ngazo.
4 Baphuza iwayini, batusa onkulunkulu begolide, nabesiliva, nabethusi, nabensimbi, nabomuthi, nabetshe.
5 Ngasona leso sikhathi kwavela iminwe yesandla somuntu, yaloba maqondana nothi lwezibani kokunamekiweyo kodonga lwendlu yenkosi; inkosi yabona inxenye yesandla esalobayo.
6 Kwase kuguquka ukucwebezela kwayo, nemicabango yayo yayesabisa, zaxhega izinyonga zokhalo lwayo, namadolo ayo ashayana.
7 Inkosi yamemeza ngamandla ukuba kulethwe abathwebulayo, namaKaledi, nabahlola imihlola. Yayisikhuluma inkosi, yathi kwabahlakaniphileyo baseBabele: “Ongafunda lo mbhalo, angitshele incazelo yawo uyakwembathiswa okububende, abe nomgexo wegolide entanyeni yakhe, abuse engowesithathu embusweni.”
8 Base bengena bonke abahlakaniphileyo benkosi, kepha behluleka ukuwufunda umbhalo nokwazisa inkosi incazelo.
9 Khona inkosi uBelishasari yesaba kakhulu, nokucwebezela kwayo kwaguquka kuyo, nezinduna zayo zamangala.
10 Ngenxa yamazwi enkosi nawezinduna zayo kwase kungena inkosikazi endlini yedili; inkosikazi yakhuluma yathi: “Mana njalo, nkosi; imicabango yakho mayingakwesabisi, kungaguquki ukucwebezela kwakho.
11 Kukhona embusweni wakho umuntu okukuye umoya wawonkulunkulu abangcwele; ezinsukwini zikayihlo kwafunyanwa kuye ukukhanya nokuqonda nokuhlakanipha njengokuhlakanipha kwawonkulunkulu; inkosi uNebukadinesari, uyihlo yambeka induna yezanusi, neyabathwebulayo, neyamaKaledi, neyabahlola imihlola, yebo, nkosi, uyihlo,
12 ngokuba kwafunyanwa umoya odluleleyo, nokwazi, nokuqonda ukuchaza amaphupho, nokubonakalisa izimfumbe, nokuthukulula amafindo kuye uDaniyeli lowo inkosi eyambiza ngokuthi uBeliteshasari; kalokhu makabizwe uDaniyeli, uyakubonakalisa incazelo.”
13 Khona uDaniyeli wangeniswa phambi kwenkosi. Inkosi yakhuluma, yathi kuDaniyeli: “Wena unguDaniyeli lowo ongowabathunjwa bakwaJuda, abalethwa yinkosi ubaba, bevela kwaJuda na?
14 Ngizwile ngawe ukuthi umoya wawonkulunkulu ukuwe nokuthi kufunyenwe kuwe ukukhanya nokuqonda nokuhlakanipha okudluleleyo.
15 Manje-ke kungeniswe phambi kwami abahlakaniphileyo nabathwebulayo ukuba bafunde lo mbhalo, bangazise incazelo yawo, kepha behluleka ukubonakalisa incazelo yale ndaba.
16 Kepha ngizwe ngawe ukuthi ungaveza izincazelo, uthukulule amafindo; manje-ke uma ungafunda lo mbhalo, ungazise incazelo yawo, uyakwembathiswa okububende, ube nomgexo wegolide entanyeni yakho, ubuse ube ngowesithathu embusweni.”
17 Wayesephendula uDaniyeli, wathi phambi kwenkosi: “Izipho zakho mazibe kuwe, umuphe omunye imivuzo yakho; nokho ngiyakufundela inkosi umbhalo, ngiyazise incazelo.
18 “E nkosi, uNkulunkulu oPhezukonke wanika uNebukadinesari uyihlo umbuso, nobukhulu, nodumo, nobukhosi;
19 ngenxa yobukhulu owamnika bona, bonke abantu, nezizwe, nezilimi bathuthumela, besaba phambi kwakhe; athanda ukumbulala wambulala, athanda ukumyeka wamyeka; athanda ukumphakamisa wamphakamisa, athanda ukumthobisa wamthobisa.
20 Kepha lapho inhliziyo yakhe yaziphakamisa, nomoya wakhe waba lukhuni waze wazidla, wehliswa esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi, balususa udumo lwakhe kuye;
21 waxoshwa kubantwana babantu; inhliziyo yakhe yaba njengeyezilwane, nenhlalo yakhe yayinezimbongolo zasendle; wadliswa utshani njengezinkabi, nomzimba wakhe wamanziswa ngamazolo ezulu, waze wazi ukuthi uNkulunkulu oPhezukonke ubusa imibuso yabantu, ubeka phezu kwayo amthandayo.
22 “Nawe ndodana yakhe, Belishasari, awuthobanga inhliziyo yakho, noma wazi konke lokho,
23 kepha uziphakamisile eNkosini yasezulwini; balethe izitsha zendlu yakhe phambi kwakho; wena nezinduna zakho, nawomkakho, nezancinza zakho niphuzile iwayini ngazo, utusile wena onkulunkulu besiliva, nabegolide, nabethusi, nabensimbi, nabomuthi, nabetshe abangaboni, abangezwa, abangazi; kodwa uNkulunkulu omphefumulo wakho usesandleni sakhe, nokungezakhe zonke izindlela zakho awumdumisanga.
24 Yayisithunywa le nxenye yesandla ivela kuye, walotshwa lo mbhalo.
25 “Yilo umbhalo owalotshwa: MENE, MENE TEKEL, UFARSIN.
26 “Nansi incazelo yale nto: MENE: uNkulunkulu ubalile umbuso wakho, uwuqedile.
27 TEKEL: ulinganisiwe esilinganisweni, ufunyenwe ulula.
28 PERES: umbuso wakho wahlukene, unikelwe kumaMede namaPheresiya.”
29 Khona uBelishasari wayaleza, bamembathisa uDaniyeli okububende, bafaka umgexo wegolide entanyeni yakhe, benza isimemezelo ngaye ukuthi ubeyakubusa engowesithathu embusweni.
30 Ngalobo busuku uBelishasari inkosi yamaKaledi wabulawa.
31 UDariyu umMede wamukela umbuso eneminyaka engamashumi ayisithupha nambili.