9
Umkhuleko KaDanyeli
1 Ngomnyaka wokuqala kaDariyu indodana ka-Ahasuweru (umuMede ngosendo), owenziwa umbusi phezu kombuso waseBhabhiloni 2 ngomnyaka wokuqala wokubusa kwakhe, mina Danyeli ngezwa emiBhalweni, mayelana lelizwi likaThixo elaphiwa uJeremiya umphrofethi, ukuthi incithakalo yeJerusalema yayizakuba khona okweminyaka engamatshumi ayisikhombisa. 3 Yikho ngaphendukela eNkosini uNkulunkulu ngamncenga ngomkhuleko langokulabhela, langokuzila, ngigqoke amasaka ngazibhuqa emlotheni.
4 Ngakhuleka kuThixo uNkulunkulu wami ngafakaza ngathi:
“Oh Nkosi, Nkulunkulu omkhulu, owesabekayo, ogcina isivumelwano sakhe sothando lalabo bonke abamthandayo, abagcina imilayo yakhe: 5 senzile isono njalo senza okubi. Sisuke saxhwala, sahlamuka; siyifulathele imilayo yakho kanye lemithetho yakho. 6 Kasizilalelanga izinceku zakho abaphrofethi abakhuluma ngebizo lakho emakhosini ethu, lamakhosana ethu lakubobaba lakubo bonke abantu belizwe.
7 Nkosi, ulungile, kodwa lamuhla sembeswe ngehlazo, abantu bakoJuda labantu beJerusalema lo-Israyeli wonke, abaseduze labakude, kuwo wonke amazwe lapho osihlakazele khona ngenxa yokungathembeki kwethu kuwe. 8 Oh Thixo, thina lamakhosi ethu, lamakhosana ethu kanye labobaba sembeswe ngehlazo ngoba senzile isono kuwe. 9 INkosi uNkulunkulu wethu ilesihawu njalo iyathethelela loba thina siyihlamukele; 10 kasimlalelanga uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu, njalo kasiyigcinanga imithetho asipha yona ngezinceku zakhe abaphrofethi. 11 U-Israyeli wonke uwephule umthetho wakho wafulathela, esala ukukulalela.
Ngakho iziqalekiso lezahlulelo ezifungelwayo ezibhaliweyo eMthethweni kaMosi, inceku kaNkulunkulu, zithululelwe phezu kwethu, ngoba senzile isono kuwe. 12 Usuwagcwalisile amazwi okusilahla njalo alahla ababusi bethu ngokusehlisela incithakalo enkulu. Ngaphansi kwalo lonke izulu kakukaze kwenziwe ulutho olulingana lalokhu osekwenziwe eJerusalema. 13 Njengoba kulotshiwe eMthethweni kaMosi yonke le incithakalo yehlele kithi, ikanti kasicelanga umusa kaThixo uNkulunkulu wethu ngokufulathela izono zethu sifunisise iqiniso lakho. 14 UThixo kathikazanga ukwehlisela incithakalo phezu kwethu, ngoba uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu ulungile kukho konke akwenzayo; kodwa kasimlalelanga.
15 Manje-ke, Nkosi Nkulunkulu wethu, owakhupha abantu bakho eGibhithe ngesandla esilamandla njalo owazenzela ibizo elimiyo kuze kube namhla, senzile isono, senzile okubi. 16 Nkosi, ngenxa yemisebenzi yakho yonke elungileyo, qambula ulaka lwakho lentukuthelo yakho kusuke eJerusalema, idolobho lakho, intaba yakho engcwele. Izono zethu lezinengiso zabobaba sezenze iJerusalema labantu bakho baba yinto yokuhlekisa kubo bonke abakhelene lathi.
17 Manje-ke, Nkulunkulu wethu, zwana imikhuleko lokulabhela kwenceku yakho. Ngenxa yebizo lakho, awu Nkosi, ake uhawukele indlu yakho engcwele esibhidlikile. 18 Beka indlebe yakho, Oh Nkulunkulu, uzwe; vula amehlo akho ubone incithakalo yedolobho elibizwa ngeBizo lakho. Kasilethi lezizicelo kuwe ngoba silungile, kodwa ngenxa yesihawu sakho esikhulu. 19 Nkosi, lalela! Nkosi, thethelela! Nkosi, lalela wenze! Ngenxa yebizo lakho, Oh Nkulunkulu wami, ungaphuzi, ngoba idolobho lakho labantu bakho kubizwa ngeBizo lakho.”
“Izikhombisa” Ezingamatshumi Ayisikhombisa
20 Ngathi ngikhuluma njalo ngikhuleka, ngivuma isono sami, lesono sabantu bakithi abako-Israyeli, ngiletha isikhalazo sami kuThixo uNkulunkulu wami ngentaba yakhe engcwele, 21 ngilokhu ngisakhuleka, uGabhriyeli, indoda engayibonayo embonweni wokuqala, weza kimi endiza kungesikhathi somhlatshelo wakusihlwa. 22 Wangilaya wathi kimi, “Danyeli, khathesi sengilande ukukupha ukuqonda lokuzwisisa. 23 Wonele ukuqalisa ukukhuleka impendulo yahle yaphiwa, eyiyo engizokutshela yona, ngoba uyaqakathekiswa kakhulu. Ngakho-ke, cabanga ngalo ilizwi, uwuzwisise umbono ukuthi:
24 Amatshumi ayisikhombisa ‘ezikhombisa’ (amaviki) asequnyelwe abantu bakini ledolobho lenu elingcwele ukuqedisa ukona, ukukhawula isono, ukuhlawulela ububi, ukuletha ukulunga okungapheliyo, ukuphetha umbono lesiphrofethi lokugcoba indawo engcwelengcwele.
25 Yazi njalo uzwisise lokhu: Kusukela ekukhutshweni kwesimemezelo sokuthi kuvuselelwe njalo kwakhiwe kutsha iJerusalema kuze kufike umbusi oGcotshiweyo kuzakuba lamaviki ‘ayizikhombisa’ eziyisikhombisa ‘lezikhombisa’ ezingamatshumi ayisithupha lambili. Lizakwakhiwa libe lemigwaqo lomgelo, kodwa kuyizikhathi zohlupho. 26 Ngemva ‘kwezikhombisa’ lezo ezingamatshumi ayisithupha lambili oGcotshiweyo uzaqunywa afe engelalutho. Abantu bombusi ozakuza bazalibhidliza idolobho lendlu yenkonzo. Ukuphela kuzafika njengesikhukhula: Impi izaqhubeka kuze kube sekupheleni, sekumenyezelwe incithakalo. 27 Uzaqinisa isivumelwano labanengi ‘okwesikhombisa’ esisodwa. Phakathi ‘kwesikhombisa’ uzamisa imihlatshelo leminikelo. Kuzakuthi eceleni lethempeli uzabeka isinengiso esibanga incithakalo, kuze kuthi ukucina okumisiweyo kuchithelwe kuye.”