¹ Inkhosi Nebuchadnezzar yatfumela umlayeto kubo bonkhe bantfu, tive, tilwimi tonkhe letihlala emhlabeni: Mane kuvana kweni kuchubeke. ² Kubukeka kukuhle kimi kunatisa ngalokuhle netimangaliso lengentelwe tona nguLongetulu kunakoKonkhe. ³ Umusa wakhe lomkhulu kangaka, netimangaliso takhe letiphakeme! Umbuso wakhe ngumbuso wengunaphadze, nemandla akhe ayochubekele ngesitukulwane ngesitukulwane.'' ⁴ Mine, Nebuchadnezzar, bengihlala ngijabulile endlini yami, bengikujabulela nekuphila kahle endzaweni yami. ⁵ Kepha leliphupho lengibenalo lingente ngesaba. Ngiselele lapho , tintfombe lengitibonile nemibono engcondvweni yami tingihluphile. ⁶ Ngako ngente lomlayeto nitongiletsela onkhe emadvodza aseBhabhilona lanehlakanipho khona atongihumushela leliphuphu lami. ⁷ Bantfu labenta umlingo befika, labo labebatitjela kutsi bangakhuluma nalabafa, emadvodza lahlakaniphile, kanye netinyaga. Ngabatjela liphupho, kepha behluleka kungihumushela. ⁸ Kepha ekugcineni Danyela wangena-lona labebitwa ngaBelteshazzar emvakwelibito lankulunkulu wami, umoya wabonkulunkulu longcwele lokuye-ngamtjela leliphupho. ⁹ ''Belteshazzar, sikhulu sebantfu labenta umlingo, ngiyati kutsi umoya wabonkulunkulwana ukuwe kute lokungacondzisiseki lokungaba lukhuni kuwe. Ngitjele lengikubone ephupheni lami nekutsi kusho kutsini. ¹⁰ Leti tintfo lengatibona engcondvweni yami ngiselele: ngabuka, bekunesihlahla ekhatsi nemhlaba, budze baso bebubukhulu. ¹¹ Lesihlahla sakhula sacina. Budze baso bebubufika emazulwini besibonakala ekugcineni kwemhlaba wonkhe. ¹² Emacembe aso abemahle, titselo taso betitinyenti, bekukudla kwawonkhe muntfu. Tilwane tasendle betitfole umutfunti phasi kwaso, tinyoni telizulu betihlala emagaleni aso. Yonkhe imvelo beyitfolakala idla khona. ¹³ Lengakubona ngiselele embhedzeni wami, sitfunya lesachamuka emazulwini. ¹⁴ Wamemeta watsi, 'Juba phansi lesihlala usijube lamagala, hhohlota emecembe aso, uhlukanise titselo taso. Vumela tilwane tihlale phasi kwaso netinyoni tindizele emagaleni aso. ¹⁵ Shiya siphunti kanye netimphandze taso emhlabatsini, kuboshwe ngensimbi nangelitfusi, emkhatsini wetjani besiganga. Ayinetfwe matolo labuya ezulwini. Iphile netilwane ihlale emkhatsini walokumila emhlabatsini. ¹⁶ Ingcodvo yakhe ayigucuke ekubeni yemuntfu, akanikwe ingcondvo yetilwane kute imiminyaka lesikhombisa yendlule. ¹⁷ Lesincumo lesimenyetelwe titfunya, sicumo lesentiwe ngulabangcwele, khona labo labaphilako bati kutsi Longetulu Kwako Konkhe wengamele yonkhe imibuso yebantfu futsi uyinika noba ngubani latsandza kubapha yona. 'Mine Inkhosi Nebuchadnezzar, ngibe naleliphupho. Nyalo wena, ¹⁸ Belteshazzar, ngitjele lelihumusho, ngoba kulamandvodza lakona kulombuso wami kute lokhona kungihumushela. Kepha wena uyakhona kwenta loko, ngoba umoya longcwele wabo nkulunkulwana ukuwe.'' ¹⁹ Wase Danyela, lebe aphindze abitwe ngekutsi nguBelteshazzar, waphatseka kabi sikhashana, imicabango yakhe yamtfusa. Inkhosi yatsi, '''Belteshazzar, ungalivumeli leliphupho noma lihumusho lalo likwetfuse. ''Belteshazza waphendvula, '''' Mphatsi wami, mane leliphupho libe lalabo labakuzondako; lihumusho lalo libe letitsa takho. ²⁰ Lesihlahla losibonile- lesakhula sacina, leso lesikhula sifike emazulwini, lesibonakala ngisho ekugcineni kwemhlaba- ²¹ lesinemacembe labemahle, netitselo lebetitingi, khona kutoba nekudla kito, phasi kwaso tilwane betitfola umtfunti, lapho bekuhla khona tinyoni telizulu- ²² lesihlahla nguwe, Nkhosi, nguwe lokhule wacina. Buhle bakho bukhule bafinyelela emazulwini, nemtsetfo wakho ufinyelela ekugcineni kwemhlaba. ²³ Wena, Nkhosi, ubone umcapheli, lonngcwele ehlela phansi asuka emazulwini atsi, ' Juba lesihihlahla usibulale, kepha ushiye siphunti setimphandze taso emhlabeni, siboshwe ngensimbi nangelitfusi etjanini besiganga. Linetfwe matolo elizulu. Akuvunyelwe ahlale netilwane tasehlane kuze kwendlule iminyaka lesikhombisa.' ²⁴ Leli ngulelihumusho, Nkhosi. Ngumtsetfo waLongetulu kwakoKonkhe lofike kuwe, Inkhosi umphatsi wami. ²⁵ Uyokhishishwa inyumbazana, uyohlala netilwane emadlelweni. Uyophocelelwa kutsi udle tjani njenge tinkhomo, uyoba manti ngenca yematolo labuya emazulwini, iminyaka lesikhombisa yonkhe kudzimate wati kubengulapho umukela kutsi Longetulu kunako konkhe ubusa ngetulu kwayo yonkhe imbuso yebantfu phindze unika noba ngubani lamfisako. ²⁶ Njengobe bekumyalo kutsi kushiywe siphunti setimphandze, ngaleyo ndlela umbuso ungabuyiselwa kuwe sukela ufundza imtsetfo yasezulwini. ²⁷ Ngako ke, Nkhosi, mukela seluleko sami. Yekela kona wente lokulungile. Fulatsela imikhuba yakho ngekukhombisa umusa kulabaphatseke kabi emoyeni, ngaloko kungenteka kutsi inchubekela phambili yakho ingeteke. '' ²⁸ Tonkhe letintfo leti tenteka eNkhosini Nebuchadnezzar. ²⁹ Emvakwe tinyanga letingemashumi nakubili abehamba tikweluphahla lasesigodlweni eBhabhilona, ³⁰ watsi, '' Lena akuyiso yini iBhabhilona lenkhulu langiyakhile yaba sigodlo asesebukhosini, ngenkhatimulo yeludvmo lwami? ³¹ Kusengulapho emavi asese tindzebeni teNkhosi, livi lichamuka ezulwini: ''Inkhosi Nebuchadnezzar, sekumenyetelwe kuwe kutsi Bukhosi sebutsetfwe kuwe. ³² Utawukhweshiswa kulabanye bantfu, likhaya lakho liyoba kanye netilwane tesiganga. Uyophocelelwa kutsi udle tjani njengetinkhomo. Kuyondlula iminyaka lesikhombisa uze umukele kutsi Longetulu KwakoKonkhe ubusa yonkhe imbuso yebantfu nekutsi uyiniketa noma ngabe ungabani kutsi aphatse. ³³ Ngekushesha lokukhulu lokwakukhulunyiwe ngaNebuchadnezzar kwagcwaliseka. Wacoshwa kubantfu.Wadla njani ngatsi yinkhomo, nemtimba wakhe wanetfwa matolo asezulwini. Tinwele takhe takhula taba tindze ngangetinsiba telusweti' netingalo takhe tafana netenyoni'. ³⁴ Ekugcineni kwalawo malanga mine, Nebuchadnezzar, ngiphakamisela emehlo ami ezulwini, kukhanyelwa kwengcondvo yami kwabuyiselwa kimi. ''Sengidvumisa Longetulu Kwako Konkhe, Ngahlonipha ngadvumisa lowo lophila kuze kube phakadze nembuso wakhe ungumbuso wetetitukulwane netitukulwane. ³⁵ Tonkhe tive temhlaba titsatfwa njengelilte; wenta njengobe enta kumandla asezulwini nakuto tonkhe tive temhlaba wenta intsandvo yakhe. Kute namunye longamvimba noma longamelelana naye. Kute longatsi kuye, ''Sewukwentelani loku?'' ³⁶ Ngasona lesikhatsi lekwabuya ngaso kusanguluka kimi, kuhlonishwa kwami neludvumo lwami kwabuyiselwa kimi. Beluleki bami netikhulu tami bacela umusa kimi. Ngabuyiselwa esihlalweni, kanye nebukhulu baniketwa mine. ³⁷ Nyalo mine, Nebuchadnezzar, ngidvumisa, ngiphakamisa, ngihlonipha Inkhosi yelizulu, ngoba konkhe lakwentako kulungile, nato tindlela takhe tilungile. Labo labahamba ngekuticabha uyakwati kubatfobisa.