1 Kwaba kuhle kuDariyu ukubeka phezu kombuso izikhulu eziyikhulu namashumi amabili ebeziyakuba sembusweni wonke.
2 Phezu kwazo wamisa abongameli abathathu, uDaniyeli engomunye wabo, ukuba izikhulu zibike kubo, ukuze inkosi ingalimali ngalutho.
3 Khona uDaniyeli lo wabadlula abongameli nezikhulu, ngokuba umoya ophakemeyo wawukuye; inkosi yayicabanga ukummisa phezu kombuso wonke.
4 Khona abongameli nezikhulu base befuna ukuthola utho ngoDaniyeli oluqondene nombuso, kepha abatholanga lutho nacala kuye, ngokuba wayethembekile; akutholwanga siphosiso nacala kuye.
5 Ayesethi lawa madoda: “Asiyikuthola lutho ngoDaniyeli, uma singalutholi kokuqondene nomthetho kaNkulunkulu wakhe.”
6 Base bebuthana labo bongameli nezikhulu enkosini, basho kanje kuyo, bathi: “Mana njalo, nkosi Dariyu.
7 Bonke abongameli bombuso, nababusi, nezikhulu, nabomkhandlu, nezinduna balulekene kanyekanye ukuba kumiswe isimiso senkosi, kumenyezelwe isiyalezo esiqinileyo sokuthi yilowo nalowo ocela isicelo nakumuphi unkulunkulu noma kumuntu ngezinsuku ezingamashumi amathathu, kuphela kuwe nkosi, uyakuphonswa emphandwini wezingonyama.
8 Kalokhu, nkosi, simemezele isiyalezo, ulobe umbhalo ukuba ungaguqulwa ngokomthetho wamaMede namaPheresiya ongenakuguquka.”
9 Ngokunjalo inkosi uDariyu yayisiloba umbhalo nesiyalezo.
10 UDaniyeli esekwazi ukuthi umbhalo ulotshiwe, wangena endlini yakhe amafasitele ekamelo lakhe ayevulekile ebhekisa eJerusalema waguqa ngamadolo kathathu ngosuku, wakhuleka, wabonga uNkulunkulu wakhe, njengalokho enzile kuqala.
11 Ayesebuthana lawo madoda, amfumana uDaniyeli ekhuleka, enxusa kuNkulunkulu wakhe.
12 Asondela, akhuluma phambi kwenkosi ngesiyalezo senkosi, athi: “Asithi ulobile isiyalezo sokuthi yilowo nalowo ocela nakumuphi unkulunkulu noma kumuntu ngezinsuku ezingamashumi amathathu, kuphela kuwe nkosi, uyakuphonswa emphandwini wezingonyama na?”Inkosi yaphendula yathi: “Iqinisile leyo nto ngokomthetho wamaMede namaPheresiya ongenakuguquka.”
13 Ayesephendula ethi phambi kwenkosi: “UDaniyeli lowo ongowabathunjwa bakwaJuda akakunaki wena nkosi, nesiyalezo osilobileyo, kepha uyacela isicelo sakhe kathathu ngosuku.”
14 Lapho inkosi isizwile lawa mazwi, yadabuka kakhulu, yayibeka inhliziyo yayo kuDaniyeli ukuba imkhulule, yazama ukumophula kwaze kwaba sekushoneni kwelanga.
15 Ayesebuthana lawo madoda enkosini, athi enkosini: “Yazi, nkosi, ukuthi kungumthetho wamaMede namaPheresiya ukuba kungaguqulwa isiyalezo nesimiso esimiswa yinkosi.”
16 Yayisiyaleza inkosi, walethwa uDaniyeli, waphonswa emphandwini wezingonyama. Inkosi yakhuluma, yathi kuDaniyeli: “UNkulunkulu wakho omkhonza njalo uyakukukhulula.”
17 Kwase kulethwa itshe, labekwa emlonyeni womphandu, inkosi yalinamathelisa ngendandatho yayo nangendandatho yizikhulu zayo, ukuze kungaguqulwa lutho maqondana noDaniyeli.
18 Inkosi yase iya endlini yayo yobukhosi, yadlulisa ubusuku izila; izinkenezo zokubethwa azilethwanga kuyo, nobuthongo bayibalekela.
19 Inkosi yavuka ekuseni kakhulu, yashesha yaya emphandwini wezingonyama.
20 Kwathi isisondele emphandwini kuDaniyeli, yamemeza ngezwi elikhalayo; inkosi yakhuluma, yathi kuDaniyeli: “Daniyeli, wena nceku kaNkulunkulu ophilayo, uNkulunkulu wakho omkhonza njalo angakukhulula kuzo izingonyama na?”
21 UDaniyeli wathi enkosini: “Mana njalo, nkosi.
22 UNkulunkulu uthumile ingelosi yakhe, wavimba imilomo yezingonyama, azingilimazanga, ngokuba kwafunyanwa kimi ukungabi nacala phambi kwakhe; naphambi kwakho, nkosi, angenzanga okubi.”
23 Yayisijabula kakhulu inkosi, yayaleza ukuba uDaniyeli akhushulwe emphandwini. UDaniyeli wayesekhushulwa emphandwini, akufunyanwanga mcothu kuye, ngokuba wayemethembile uNkulunkulu wakhe.
24 Inkosi yayaleza, alethwa lawo madoda ayemangalele uDaniyeli, aphonswa emphandwini wezingonyama, wona nabantwana bawo, nawomkawo; izingonyama zatheleka phezu kwabo, zachoboza amathambo abo, bengakafinyeleli phansi emphandwini.
25 UDariyu inkosi wayeselobela bonke abantu, nezizwe, nezilimi ezikhona emhlabeni wonke ukuthi: “Ukuthula makwande kinina.
26 “Ngenza isiyalezo ukuba ekubuseni konke kombuso wami abantu bathuthumele, besabe phambi kukaNkulunkulu kaDaniyeli, ngokuba“unguNkulunkulu ophilayo,umi kuze kube phakade,nombuso wakhe yiwo ongayikuchithwa,nokubusa kwakhe kuyakuma kuze kube sekupheleni.
27 Uyakhulula, ophule;uyenza izibonakaliso nezimangalisoezulwini nasemhlabeni,yena omkhululile uDaniyeli emandleni ezingonyama.”
28 UDaniyeli wayeseqhubeka ngesineke ekubuseni kukaDariyu, nasekubuseni kukaKoresi umPheresiya.