UDaniyeli 9:1-27

Ngonyaka wokuqala kaDariyu indodana ka-Ahashiveroshi, wozalo lwamaMede, owabekwa inkosi phezu kombuso wamaKhaledi, ngonyaka wokuqala wokubusa kwakhe, mina Daniyeli ngabona emqulwini inani leminyaka izwi likaSimakade elafika ngayo kuJeremiya umphrofethi ukuba kupheleliswe ukubhujiswa kweJerusalema, okuyiminyaka engama-70. Ngase ngibhekisa ubuso bami kuyo iNkosi uNkulunkulu ngakhuleka, nganxusa ngokuzila ukudla, nangendwangu eyisaka, nangomlotha. Ngakhuleka kuSimakade uNkulunkulu wami, ngavuma ngathi: “Nkosi, Nkulunkulu omkhulu nowesabekayo, ogcina isivumelwano nomusa kwabamthandayo nabagcina imiyalo yakhe, sonile, siziphathe kabi, senzile okubi, sihlubukile, sachezuka emiyalweni yakho nasezahlulelweni zakho; asilalelanga izinceku zakho, abaphrofethi, ezazikhuluma egameni lakho emakhosini ethu, nasezikhulwini zethu, nakokhokho bethu, nakubo bonke abantu bezwe. “Kuwena Nkosi kukhona ukulunga, kepha thina sinamahloni njenganamuhla: kubantu bakwaJuda, nezakhamuzi zaseJerusalema, nakuye wonke u-Israyeli, abaseduze nabakude, kuwo onke amazwe obahlakazele kuwo ngenxa yezeqo zabo abeqe ngazo kuwe. Simakade, thina sinamahloni: kuwo amakhosi ethu, nakuzo izikhulu zethu, nakokhokho bethu, ngokuba sonile kuwe. Kepha kuyo iNkosi, uNkulunkulu wethu, kukhona umusa nokuthethelela, ngokuba simhlubukile, asililalelanga izwi likaSimakade uNkulunkulu wethu ukuba sihambe ngemithetho yakhe ayibeka phambi kwethu ngezinceku zakhe abaphrofethi. Wonke u-Israyeli weqile umthetho wakho, echezuka ukuze bangalilaleli izwi lakho; ngalokho isiqalekiso sithululwe phezu kwethu kanye nesifungo esilotshiwe emthethweni kaMose inceku kaNkulunkulu, ngokuba sonile kuye. Uqinisile amazwi akhe awakhuluma ngathi nangabehluleli bethu abasahlulelayo ngokusehlisela okubi okukhulu, ngokuba phansi kwezulu lonke akwenziwanga njengokwenziwe kulo iJerusalema. Njengokulotshiweyo emthethweni kaMose konke lokhu okubi kusehlele, nokho asincenganga ebusweni bukaSimakade uNkulunkulu wethu ukuba siphenduke ebubini bethu, siqonde iqiniso lakho. USimakade uyilungiselele inhlekelele, wayeseyehlisela kithi, ngokuba uSimakade uNkulunkulu wethu ulungile emisebenzini yakhe yonke ayenzayo, kodwa asililalelanga izwi lakhe. “Manje, Nkosi, Nkulunkulu wethu, wena owakhipha abantu bakho eGibhithe ngesandla esinamandla, wazenzela igama njenganamuhla, sonile, senzile okubi. Nkosi, ngakho konke ukulunga kwakho mawubuyise intukuthelo yakho nokufutheka kwakho emzini eJerusalema, intaba yakho engcwele, ngokuba ngenxa yezono zethu nangobubi bokhokho bethu iJerusalema nabantu bakho sebeyihlazo kubo bonke abasizungezileyo. “Kalokhu, Nkulunkulu wethu, yizwa umkhuleko wenceku yakho nokunxusa kwayo, ukhanyise ubuso bakho phezu kwendlu yakho engcwele, echithakeleyo ngenxa yeNkosi. Nkulunkulu wami, beka indlebe yakho, uzwe; vula amehlo akho, ubheke izincithakalo zethu nomuzi obizwe ngegama lakho, ngokuba asilethi ukunxusa kwethu phambi kwakho ngenxa yokulunga kwethu kepha ngomusa wakho omkhulu. Nkosi, yizwa; Nkosi, thethelela; Nkosi, lalela, wenze; ungalibali ngenxa yakho, Nkulunkulu wami, ngokuba umuzi nabantu bakho babizwe ngegama lakho.” Ngisakhuluma ngikhuleka, ngivuma izono zami nezono zabantu bakithi u-Israyeli, ngiletha ukunxusa kwami phambi kukaSimakade uNkulunkulu wami ngentaba engcwele kaNkulunkulu wami, yebo, ngisakhuluma ngomkhuleko, lowo muntu uGabhriyeli engambona embonweni kuqala, endiziswa ngokushesha, wangithinta ngesikhathi somnikelo wakusihlwa. Wangiqondisa, wakhuluma nami, wathi: “Daniyeli, sengiphumele ukukuhlakaniphisa nokukuqondisa. Ekuqaleni kokunxusa kwakho izwi lavela; sengifikile ukukutshela, ngokuba uthandekile; ngalokho qonda leli lizwi, uqonde nombono. “Amasonto angama-70 anqunyelwe abantu bakho nomuzi wakho ongcwele ukuqeda iziphambeko, nokukhawula izono, nokwenza ukubuyisana ngobubi, nokungenisa ukulunga okuphakade, nokunamathelisa umbono nesiphrofetho, nokugcoba indlu engcwelengcwele. “Ngalokho yazi, uqonde ukuthi, kusukela ekuphumeni kwezwi lokubuyisa nokwakha iJerusalema kuze kufike ogcotshiweyo, umbusi, kuyakuba ngamasonto ayisikhombisa, lihlale lakhiwe, imigwaqo yalo nogange lwalo, amasonto angama-62 nasesikhathini sokuhlupheka. Emva kwalawo masonto angama-62 ogcotshiweyo uyakunqunywa angabi namuntu; umuzi nendlu engcwele kuyakuchithwa ngabantu bombusi ozayo, ukuphela kwakho kube sesikhukhuleni, kube ngukulwa kuze kube sekugcineni; incithakalo inqunyiwe. Uyakuqinisa isivumelwano nabaningi isonto libe linye, imihlatshelo neminikelo ikhawuke phakathi kwesonto, kufike incithakalo ngephiko lesinengiso, kuze kuphele okunqunyiweyo, kuthululelwe phezu kombhubhisi.”