< Daniel 6 >

1 It seemed good to Darius, and he appointed over the kingdom a hundred and twenty governors to be over his whole kingdom.
Kwaba kuhle kuDariyusi ukubeka phezu kombuso iziphathamandla ezilikhulu lamatshumi amabili, ukuthi zibe phezu kombuso wonke,
2 And three princes over them, of whom Daniel was one: that the governors might give an account to them, and the king might have no trouble.
laphezu kwazo ababonisi abathathu, uDaniyeli aba ngowokuqala kubo; ukuthi leziziphathamandla zilandise kubo, njalo inkosi ingabi lomonakalo.
3 And Daniel excelled all the princes, and governors: because a greater spirit of God was in him.
Lapho uDaniyeli lo wenza ngcono kulababonisi leziphathamandla, ngoba umoya owedlulisileyo wawukuye. Njalo inkosi yacabanga ukumbeka phezu kombuso wonke.
4 And the king thought to set him over all the kingdom: whereupon the princes, and the governors sought to find occasion against Daniel with regard to the king: and they could find no cause, nor suspicion, because he was faithful, and no fault, nor suspicion was found in him.
Lapho ababonisi leziphathamandla badinga ukuthola ithuba bemelene loDaniyeli mayelana lombuso; kodwa bengelakho ukuthola ithuba kumbe insolo; ngoba wayethembekile, futhi kungelampambaniso kumbe insolo okwatholakala kuye.
5 Then these men said: We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, unless perhaps concerning the law of his God.
Lapho lawomadoda athi: Kasiyikuthola thuba ngaye lo uDaniyeli ngaphandle kokuthi silithole limelene laye emlayweni kaNkulunkulu wakhe.
6 Then the princes, and the governors craftily suggested to the king, and spoke thus unto him: King Darius, live for ever:
Lapho labobabonisi leziphathamandla babuthana ndawonye enkosini, batsho kanje kuyo: Dariyusi nkosi, phila kuze kube nininini!
7 All the princes of the kingdom, the magistrates, and governors, the senators, and judges have consulted together, that an imperial decree, and an edict be published: That whosoever shall ask any petition of any god, or man, for thirty days, but of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions.
Bonke ababonisi bombuso, izinduna, leziphathamandla, abeluleki, lababusi bacebisa ukumisa umthetho wesikhosini, lokwenza isimiso esiqinileyo, ukuthi loba ngubani ozacela isicelo lakuwuphi unkulunkulu loba umuntu phakathi kwezinsuku ezingamatshumi amathathu ngaphandle kuwe, nkosi, uzaphoselwa ebhalwini lwezilwane.
8 Now, therefore, O king, confirm the sentence, and sign the decree: that what is decreed by the Medes and Persians may not be altered, nor any man be allowed to transgress it.
Khathesi, nkosi, misa umlayo uphawule umbhalo, ukuthi ungaguqulwa, njengokomthetho wamaMede lamaPerisiya, ongadluliyo.
9 So king Darius set forth the decree, and established it.
Ngakho inkosi uDariyusi yaphawula umbhalo lesimiso.
10 Now when Daniel knew this, that is to say, that the law was made, he went into his house: and opening the windows in his upper chamber towards Jerusalem, he knelt down three times a day, and adored, and gave thanks before his God, as he had been accustomed to do before.
Kwathi lapho uDaniyeli asesazi ukuthi umbhalo uphawuliwe, wangena endlini yakhe; njalo amawindi ekamelo lakhe eliphezulu elikhangele eJerusalema evulekile; waguqa ngamadolo akhe izikhathi ezintathu ngosuku, wakhuleka, wapha izibongo phambi kukaNkulunkulu wakhe, njengokwenza kwakhe mandulo kwalokhu.
11 Wherefore those men carefully watching him, found Daniel praying and making supplication to his God.
Lapho la amadoda abuthana, athola uDaniyeli ekhuleka encenga phambi kukaNkulunkulu wakhe.
12 And they came and spoke to the king concerning the edict: O king, hast thou not decreed, that every man that should make a request to any of the gods, or men, for thirty days, but to thyself, O king, should be cast into the den of the lions? And the king answered them, saying: The word is true according to the decree of the Medes and Persians, which it is not lawful to violate.
Lapho asondela, akhuluma phambi kwenkosi mayelana lesimiso senkosi athi: Kawuphawulanga isimiso yini, sokuthi wonke umuntu ocela lakuwuphi unkulunkulu loba umuntu phakathi kwezinsuku ezingamatshumi amathathu ngaphandle kuwe, nkosi, uzaphoselwa ebhalwini lwezilwane? Inkosi yaphendula yathi: Linto iliqiniso, ngokomthetho wamaMede lamaPerisiya ongadluliyo.
13 Then they answered, and said before the king: Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Juda, hath not regarded thy law, nor the decree that thou hast made: but three times a day he maketh his prayer.
Lapho aphendula athi phambi kwenkosi: UDaniyeli ongowabantwana bokuthunjwa bakoJuda kakunanzi, nkosi, lesimiso osiphawulileyo, kodwa uyakhuleka isicelo sakhe izikhathi ezintathu ngosuku.
14 Now when the king had heard these words, he was very much grieved, and in behalf of Daniel he set his heart to deliver him and even till sunset he laboured to save him.
Kwathi lapho inkosi isizwile lelilizwi, yazizondela kakhulu, yabeka ingqondo kuDaniyeli ukumkhulula; yebo, yalwisa laze latshona ilanga ukumophula.
15 But those men perceiving the king’s design, said to him: Know thou, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, that no decree which the king hath made, may be altered.
Lapho abuthana enkosini lawomadoda, athi enkosini: Yazi, nkosi, ukuthi umthetho wamaMede lamaPerisiya uthi: Kakulasimiso kumbe umthetho inkosi eyawumisayo ongaguqulwa.
16 Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of the lions. And the king said to Daniel: Thy God, whom thou always servest, he will deliver thee.
Lapho inkosi yalaya, bamletha uDaniyeli, bamphosela ebhalwini lwezilwane. Inkosi yaphendula yathi kuDaniyeli: UNkulunkulu wakho, omkhonzayo njalonjalo, kungathi angakukhulula!
17 And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den: which the king sealed with his own ring, and with the ring of his nobles, that nothing should be done against Daniel.
Kwasekulethwa ilitshe, labekwa phezu komlomo wobhalu; inkosi yasilinameka ngendandatho elophawu lwayo, langendandatho elophawu lwamakhosi ayo, ukuze kungaguqulwa ulutho mayelana loDaniyeli.
18 And the king went away to his house and laid himself down without taking supper, and meat was not set before him, and even sleep departed from him.
Lapho inkosi yaya esigodlweni sayo, yachitha ubusuku izila ukudla; lamachacho kawalethwanga phambi kwayo; lobuthongo bayibalekela.
19 Then the king rising very early in the morning, went in haste to the lions’ den:
Lapho inkosi yavuka emadabukakusa, yaya ngokuphangisa ebhalwini lwezilwane.
20 And coming near to the den, cried with a lamentable voice to Daniel, and said to him: Daniel, servant of the living God, hath thy God, whom thou servest always, been able, thinkest thou, to deliver thee from the lions?
Yathi isisondele ebhalwini, yamemeza ngelizwi lokulila kuDaniyeli; inkosi yaphendula yathi kuDaniyeli: Daniyeli, nceku kaNkulunkulu ophilayo, uNkulunkulu wakho omkhonzayo njalonjalo, ulakho ukukukhulula yini ezilwaneni?
21 And Daniel answering the king, said: O king, live for ever:
Lapho uDaniyeli wathi enkosini: Nkosi, phila kuze kube nininini!
22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut up the mouths of the lions, and they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him justice hath been found in me: yea and before thee, O king, I have done no offence.
UNkulunkulu wami uthumile ingilosi yakhe, yavala imilomo yezilwane, okokuthi kazingilimazanga, ngoba phambi kwakhe ukungabi lecala kutholakale kimi; njalo phambi kwakho, nkosi, kangenzanga bubi.
23 Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and he commanded that Daniel should be taken out of the den: and Daniel was taken out of the den, and no hurt was found in him, because he believed in his God.
Lapho inkosi yamthokozela kakhulu, yalaya ukukhuphula uDaniyeli ebhalwini. UDaniyeli wasekhutshulwa ebhalwini, kakwatholwa kulimala kuye, ngoba ekholwe kuNkulunkulu wakhe.
24 And by the king’s commandment, those men were brought that bad accused Daniel: and they were cast into the lions’ den, they and their children, and their wives: and they did not reach the bottom of the den, before the lions caught them, and broke all their bones in pieces.
Inkosi yasilaya, kwasekulethwa lawomadoda ayehlebe uDaniyeli, bawaphosela ebhalwini lwezilwane, wona, abantwana bawo, labomkawo; kwathi bengakafiki phansi ebhalwini, izilwane zazibusa phezu kwabo, zachoboza wonke amathambo abo.
25 Then king Darius wrote to all people, tribes, and languages, dwelling in the whole earth: PEACE be multiplied unto you.
Lapho inkosi uDariyusi yabalela bonke abantu, izizwe, lezindimi, ezihlezi emhlabeni wonke, yathi: Kakwandiswe ukuthula kwenu.
26 It is decreed by me, that in all my empire and my kingdom all men dread and fear the God of Daniel. For he is the living and eternal God for ever: and his kingdom shall not be destroyed, and his power shall be for ever.
Umlayo wenziwa yimi, ukuthi kukho konke ukubuswa kombuso wami bathuthumele besabe phambi kukaNkulunkulu kaDaniyeli; ngoba enguNkulunkulu ophilayo, lomi kuze kube nininini, lombuso wakhe ngongayikuchithwa, lokubusa kwakhe kuzakuba khona kuze kube sekupheleni.
27 He is the deliverer, and saviour, doing signs and wonders in heaven, and in earth: who hath delivered Daniel out of the lions’ den.
Uyakhulula, ophule, enze izibonakaliso lezimangaliso emazulwini lemhlabeni, osekhulule uDaniyeli emandleni ezilwane.
28 Now Daniel continued unto the reign of Darius, and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
Ngakho uDaniyeli lo waphumelela embusweni kaDariyusi, lembusweni kaKoresi umPerisiya.

< Daniel 6 >