ISAHLUKO 1 1 Inkosi u-Astyages yabuthelwa koyise, uKoresi wasePheresiya wathatha umbuso wakhe. 2 UDaniyeli waxoxa nenkosi, futhi wayehlonishwa ngaphezu kwabo bonke abangane bakhe. 3 ElaseBabele lalinesithixo esibizwa ngokuthi uBeli, okwakudliwa phezu kwakhe amaseya amakhulu ayishumi nambili empuphu ecolekileyo imihla ngemihla, nezimvu ezingamashumi amane, nezitsha zewayini eziyisithupha. 4 Inkosi yayikhuleka kulo, yayikhuleka imihla ngemihla; kepha uDaniyeli wakhuleka kuNkulunkulu wakhe. Inkosi yasisithi kuye: Kungani ungakhulekeli uBeli? 5 Wasephendula wathi: Ngoba kangiyikukhonza izithombe ezenziwe ngezandla, kodwa uNkulunkulu ophilayo, owadala izulu lomhlaba, futhi ubusa phezu kwayo yonke inyama. 6 Inkosi yathi kuye: "Awucabangi yini ukuthi uBeli unguNkulunkulu ophilayo na? Kawuboni yini ukuthi udla aphuze kangakanani insuku zonke? 7 UDaniyeli wamomotheka, wathi: “O nkosi, ungadukiswa, ngokuba lokhu kulubumba nje ngaphakathi, nethusi ngaphandle, futhi kakuzange kudle noma kuphuze. 8 Inkosi yathukuthela, yabiza abapristi bayo, yathi kubo: "Uma ningangitsheli ukuthi ngubani lo odla lezi zindleko, niyakufa." 9 Kepha uma ningangitshela ukuthi uBeli uyazidla, uDaniyeli uyakufa, ngokuba ukhulume inhlamba ngoBeli. UDaniyeli wasesithi enkosini: Kakube njengokutsho kwakho. 10 Abapristi bakaBeli babengamashumi ayisikhombisa, ngaphandle kwabafazi nabantwana babo. Inkosi yangena noDaniyeli ethempelini likaBeli. 11 Abapristi bakaBeli bathi: “Bheka, siyaphuma; 12 Kusasa lapho ungena, uma ungatholi ukuthi uBeli usekudlile konke, siyakufa, noma uDaniyeli, okhuluma amanga ngathi. 13 Kepha bona kabanakanga, ngokuba phansi kwetafula bayenze ithunjana, babengena ngalo njalo, badla lezo zinto. 14 Kwathi sebephumile, inkosi yabeka ukudla phambi kukaBeli. UDaniyeli wayala izinceku zakhe ukuba zilethe umlotha, bawusakaza ethempelini lonke phambi kwenkosi yodwa, zaphuma, zavala umnyango, zawunamathelisa ngendandatho yenkosi, zahamba. 15 Kwathi ebusuku abapristi nabamkabo nabantwana, njengalokho babejwayele ukwenza, badla, baphuza. 16 Ngakusasa ekuseni inkosi yavuka, noDaniyeli enayo. 17 Inkosi yasisithi: Daniyeli, ingabe izimpawu ziphelele? Wathi: Yebo, nkosi, baphilile. 18 Ithe isilivula isango, inkosi yabheka etafuleni, yamemeza ngezwi elikhulu, yathi: “Mkhulu, Beli, akukho nkohliso kuwe nakanye. 19 Wayesehleka uDaniyeli, wayibamba inkosi ukuba ingangeni, wathi: “Bheka-ke indawo egandayiweyo, uqaphele ukuthi lezi zinyathela zikabani lezi. 20 Inkosi yathi: "Ngibona izinyathelo zamadoda, nabesifazane, nabantwana." Khona-ke inkosi yathukuthela. 21 Yathatha abapristi kanye nawomkabo nabantwana, bambonisa iminyango yendlu yangasese ababengena kuyo, badla okwakuphezu kwetafula. 22 Ngakho inkosi yababulala, yanikela uBeli esandleni sikaDaniyeli, owachitha yena nethempeli lakhe.
23 Futhi kuleyondawo kwakukhona udrako omkhulu, ababemkhulekela baseBhabhiloni. 24 Inkosi yasisithi kuDaniyeli: Uyakutsho lawe ukuthi lokhu ngowethusi? bheka, uyaphila, uyadla, uyaphuza; ungesho ukuthi akasiye unkulunkulu ophilayo; 25 Wayesethi uDaniyeli enkosini: "Ngiyakukhuleka kuJehova uNkulunkulu wami, ngokuba unguNkulunkulu ophilayo." 26 Kodwa ngivumele, O nkosi, futhi ngizombulala lo drako ngaphandle kwenkemba noma udondolo. Inkosi yasisithi: Ngiyakuyekela. 27 UDaniyeli wayesethatha ithoshi, namafutha, nezinwele, wakuhlanganisa, wenza izigaxa ngakho, wakubeka emlonyeni kadrako, udrako wadabuka phakathi; uDaniyeli wathi: “Bheka, laba bangonkulunkulu nina. ukukhonza. 28 Lapho abaseBabele bekuzwa lokho, bathukuthela kakhulu, benza uzungu ngenkosi, bathi: "Inkosi isibe ngumJuda, imchithile uBeli, ibulele udrako, yabulala abapristi." 29 Base befika enkosini, bathi: "Sinike uDaniyeli, funa sikubhubhise wena nendlu yakho." 30 Kwathi inkosi ibona ukuthi bamcindezela kakhulu, becindezelwa, yamnikela uDaniyeli kubo. 31 Yamphonsa emphandwini wezingonyama, lapho ahlala khona izinsuku eziyisithupha. 32 Emphandwini kwakukhona izingonyama eziyisikhombisa, futhi zabanika izidumbu ezimbili nsuku zonke nezimvu ezimbili, futhi ababenganikwanga zona, ukuze zimudle uDaniyeli. 33 Kwakukhona eJudiya umprofethi ogama lakhe linguHabakuki, owayephekile ukudla, wahlephula isinkwa ngesitsha, waya ensimini ukuba asiyise kubavuni. 34 Kepha ingelosi kaJehova yathi kuHabakuki: “Hamba, uyise isidlo sakho eBabele kuDaniyeli osemphandwini wezingonyama. 35 UHabakuki wasesithi: Nkosi, kangizange ngilibone iBhabhiloni; futhi angazi lapho umhume. 36 Ingelosi kaJehova yamthatha umqhele, yamkhumula ngezinwele zekhanda lakhe; 37 UHabakuki wamemeza wathi: “Daniyeli, Daniyeli, dla isidlo uNkulunkulu akuthumele sona. 38 UDaniyeli wathi: “O Nkulunkulu, ungikhumbulile, futhi awubashiyanga abakudingayo nabakuthandayo. 39 UDaniyeli wasukuma, wadla; ingelosi kaJehova yambuyisela uHabakuki endaweni yakhe masinyane. 40 Ngosuku lwesikhombisa inkosi yayisimkhalela uDaniyeli, lapho efika emgodini, walunguza, bheka, uDaniyeli wayehlezi. 41 Inkosi yayisimemeza ngezwi elikhulu, yathi: “Mkhulu uJehova uNkulunkulu kaDaniyeli, akakho omunye ngaphandle kwakho. 42 Wayeseyikhiphela ngaphandle, wabaphonsa emgodini ababeyimbangela yokubhujiswa;