UDaniyeli 3:1-30

Inkosi uNebukadinesari yenza isithombe segolide, ukuphakama kwaso kwakuyizingalo ezingamashumi ayisithupha, nobubanzi baso buyizingalo eziyisithupha; wawumisa ethafeni laseDura esifundeni saseBabele. Inkosi uNebukadinesari yayisithumela ukuba kubuthelwe ndawonye izikhulu, nababusi, nababusi, nabahluleli, nabaphathi-zimali, nabeluleki, nabahluleli, nabo bonke ababusi bezifunda, ukuba beze ekungcweliseni isithombe inkosi uNebukadinesari eyayisimisile usethe unayo. Izikhulu, nababusi, nezinduna, nabahluleli, nabaphathi-zimali, nabeluleki, nezinduna, nazo zonke izikhulu zezifunda zabuthana ukungcwelisa isithombe inkosi uNebukadinesari eyayisimisile; bema phambi kwesithombe uNebukadinesari ayesimisile. Kwase kumemeza ummemezeli, wathi: “Kuyaliwe nina bantu, nezizwe, nezilimi! Lapho nizwa ukukhala kwecilongo, negenkle, nehabhu, nehabhu, nehabhu, nehabhu, nazo zonke izinhlobo zezinsimbi zomculo, niwela phansi nikhuleke esithombeni segolide inkosi uNebukadinesari esimisileyo. Futhi wonke umuntu ongawi phansi akhuleke uyophonswa phakathi kwesithando somlilo ovuthayo ngaso leso sikhathi. Ngakho-ke, ngaleso sikhathi, lapho abantu bonke bezwa ukukhala kwecilongo, negenkle, nehabhu, negenkle, nogubhu, nezingubhu, nazo zonke izinhlobo zezinsimbi zokubethwa, bonke abantu, nezizwe, nezilimi, bawa phansi, bakhuleka. Isithombe segolide uNebukadinesari inkosi ayesimisile unayo. Kungakho amaKaledi athile asondela ngaleso sikhathi asola amaJuda. Basebekhuluma bathi enkosini uNebhukhadinezari: O nkosi, phila kuze kube nininini! Wena, nkosi, ukhiphe isimemezelo sokuthi wonke umuntu ozwa ukukhala kwecilongo, negenkle, nehabhu, nehabhu, nehabhu, nehabhu, nazo zonke izinhlobo zezinsimbi zokubethwa, makawe phansi, akhuleke esithombeni segolide. Noma ubani ongawi phansi akhuleke kumelwe aphonswe esithandweni somlilo ovuthayo. Kukhona abaJuda abathile owabeke phezu kwezindaba zesifunda saseBabele, oShadiraki, noMeshaki, no-Abhedinego; Lawa madoda, nkosi, awakunakanga; azikhonzi onkulunkulu bakho, azikhuleki esithombeni segolide osimisileyo. UNebukadinesari wayala ngokuthukuthela nangokufutheka ukuba kulethwe oShadiraki, noMeshaki, no-Abhedinego. Base beletha lawa madoda phambi kwenkosi. UNebukadinesari wakhuluma kubo, wathi: “Kuyiqiniso yini, Shadiraki, Meshaki, no-Abedi Nego, ukuthi anibakhonzi onkulunkulu bami, anikhuleki esithombeni segolide engisimisileyo na? Futhi lapho senilungile ngesikhathi enizwa ngaso ukukhala kwecilongo, negenkle, nehabhu, nehabhu, nehabhu, nehabhu, nempumputhe, nazo zonke izinhlobo zezinsimbi zomculo, niwela phansi nikhuleke esithombeni engiwenzile; yebo, kodwa uma ningakhuleki, ngaso leso sikhathi niyophonswa phakathi kwesithando somlilo esivuthayo; futhi ngubani uNkulunkulu oyakunikhulula esandleni sami na? OShadiraki, noMeshaki, no-Abedi Nego baphendula, bathi enkosini: “Nebukadinesari, asiqinanga ukuba sikuphendule ngale ndaba. Uma kunjalo, uNkulunkulu wethu osikhonzayo angasikhulula esithandweni somlilo ovuthayo, asikhulule esandleni sakho, nkosi. Kepha uma kungenjalo, makwazeke kuwe, nkosi, ukuthi asiyikukhonza onkulunkulu bakho, sikhuleke esithombeni segolide osimisileyo. Khona uNebukadinesari wagcwala intukuthelo, nesimo sobuso bakhe sashintsha kuShadiraki, noMeshaki, no-Abhedinego; ngakho-ke wakhuluma futhi wayala ukuthi isithando somlilo kufanele sibase ngokuphindwe kasikhombisa kunalokho esijwayele ukushiswa ngaso. Wayala amaqhawe ayesempini yakhe ukuba abophe oShadiraki, noMeshaki, no-Abhedinego, abaphonse esithandweni somlilo ovuthayo. Khona-ke la madoda aboshwa egqoke izingubo zawo, amabhulukwe nezigqoko nezinye izingubo zawo, aphonswa phakathi kwesithando somlilo ovuthayo. Ngakho-ke, ngenxa yokuthi umyalo wenkosi wawushubile futhi isithando somlilo sasishisa kakhulu, ilangabi lomlilo lawabulala lawo madoda athatha oShadiraki, uMeshaki no-Abhedinego. Lawa madoda amathathu, oShadiraki, noMeshaki, no-Abhedinego, awela eboshwe izandla phakathi kwesithando somlilo ovuthayo. Khona-ke inkosi uNebukadinesari yamangala, yasukuma ngokushesha, yathi kubaphathi bayo: “Asiphonsanga yini amadoda amathathu eboshwe izandla emlilweni na? Baphendula, bathi enkosini: Kuyiqiniso, nkosi! Waphendula wathi: “Bheka, ngibona amadoda amane ehamba phakathi komlilo, awalimalanga; nesimo sesine sinjengeNdodana kaNkulunkulu. UNebukadinesari wasondela emnyango wesithando somlilo ovuthayo, wakhuluma wathi: “Shadiraki, noMeshaki, no-Abedi Nego, zinceku zikaNkulunkulu oPhezukonke, phumani nize lapha. Khona-ke uShadiraki, uMeshaki no-Abhedinego baphuma emlilweni. Izikhulu, nababusi, nezinduna, nabeluleki benkosi ababebuthene bawabona lawa madoda, umlilo wawungenamandla emizimbeni yawo, nonwele lwamakhanda awo aluzange lushunqe, nezingubo zawo aziguqukanga, futhi iphunga lomlilo lidlule phezu kwabo. UNebukadinesari wakhuluma, wathi: “Makatuswe uNkulunkulu kaShadiraki, uMeshaki no-Abedi Nego, othume ingelosi yakhe, wakhulula izinceku zakhe ezimethembayo, waguqula izwi lenkosi, wakhulula imizimba yazo, ukuze bangamkhonzi, bakhulekele noma yimuphi unkulunkulu. Kodwa uNkulunkulu wabo. Ngalokho ngiyaleza ukuba bonke abantu, nezizwe, nezilimi, abakhuluma okubi ngoNkulunkulu kaShadiraki, noMeshaki, no-Abhedinego, banqunywe izicucu, izindlu zabo zenziwe iquba, ngokuba akakho omunye uNkulunkulu olandela lolu hlobo angahlenga. Inkosi yayisikhulisa oShadiraki, noMeshaki, no-Abhedinego esifundeni saseBabele.