¹ Kwaba kuhle kuDariyu ukubeka phezu kombuso izikhulu eziyikhulu namashumi amabili ebeziyakuba sembusweni wonke. ² Phezu kwazo wamisa abongameli abathathu , uDaniyeli engomunye wabo , ukuba izikhulu zibike kubo, ukuze inkosi ingalimali ngalutho. ³ Khona uDaniyeli lo wabadlula abongameli nezikhulu , ngokuba umoya ophakemeyo wawukuye ; inkosi yayicabanga ukummisa phezu kombuso wonke. ⁴ Khona abongameli nezikhulu base befuna ukuthola utho ngoDaniyeli oluqondene nombuso, kepha abatholanga lutho nacala kuye , ngokuba wayethembekile; akutholwanga siphosiso nacala kuye. ⁵ Ayesethi lawa madoda : Asiyikuthola lutho ngoDaniyeli , uma singalutholi kokuqondene nomthetho kaNkulunkulu wakhe. ⁶ Base bebuthana labo bongameli nez ikhulu enkosini , basho kanje kuyo , bathi: Mana njalo, nkosi Dariyu. ⁷ Bonke abongameli bombuso , nababusi, nezikhulu, nabomkhandlu, nezinduna balulekene kanyekanye ukuba kumiswe isimiso senkosi , kumenyezelwe isiyalezo esiqinileyo sokuthi yilowo nalowo ocela isicelo nakumuphi unkulunkulu noma kumuntu ngezinsuku ezingamashumi amathathu, kuphela kuwe nkosi , uyakuphonswa emph andwini wezingonyama. ⁸ Kalokhu, nkosi, simemezele isiyalezo, ulobe umbhalo ukuba ungaguqulwa ngokomthetho wamaMede namaPheresiya ongenakuguquka. ⁹ Ngokunjalo inkosi uDariyu yayisiloba umbhalo nesiyalezo. ¹⁰ UDaniyeli esekwazi ukuthi umbhalo ulotshiwe, wangena endlini yakhe amafasitele ekamelo lakhe ayevulekile ebhekisa eJerusalema waguqa ngamadolo kathathu ngosuku , wakhuleka, wabonga uNkulunku lu wakhe , njengalokho enzile kuqala. ¹¹ Ayesebuthana lawo madoda , amfumana uDaniyeli ekhuleka , enxusa kuNkulunkulu wakhe. ¹² Asondela, akhuluma phambi kwenkosi ngesiyalezo senkosi , athi: Asithi ulobile isiyalezo sokuthi yilowo nalowo ocela nakumuphi unkulunk ulu noma kumuntu ngezinsuku ezingamashumi amathathu , kuphela kuwe nkosi , uyakuphonswa emphandwini wezingonyama na ? Inkosi yaphendula yathi : Iqinisile leyo nto ngokomthetho wamaMede namaPheresiya ongenakuguquka. ¹³ Ayesephendula ethi phambi kwenkosi : UDaniyeli lowo ongowabathunjwa bakwaJuda akakunaki wena nkosi , nesiyalezo osilob ileyo, kepha uyacela isicelo sakhe kathathu ngosuku. ¹⁴ Lapho inkosi isizwile lawa mazwi , yadabuka kakhulu , yayibeka inhliziyo yayo kuDaniyeli ukuba imkhulule , yazama ukumophula kwaze kwaba sekushoneni kwelanga. ¹⁵ Ayesebuthana lawo madoda enkosini , athi enkosini: Yazi, nkosi, ukuthi kungumthetho wamaMede namaPheresiya ukuba kungaguqulwa isiyalezo nesimiso esimiswa yinkosi. ¹⁶ Yayisiyaleza inkosi , walethwa uDaniyeli , waphonswa emphandwini wezingonyama. Inkosi yakhuluma , yathi kuDaniyeli : UNkulunkulu wakho omkhonza njalo uyakukukhulula. ¹⁷ Kwase kulethwa itshe , labekwa emlonyeni womphandu , inkosi yalinamathelisa ngendandatho yayo nangendandatho yizikhulu zayo , ukuze kungaguqulwa lutho maqondana noDaniyeli. ¹⁸ Inkosi yase iya endlini yayo yobukhosi, yadlulisa ubusuku izila; izinkenezo zokubethwa azilethwanga kuyo, nobuthongo bayibalekela. ¹⁹ Inkosi yavuka ekuseni kakhulu , yashesha yaya emphandwini wezingonyama. ²⁰ Kwathi isisondele emphandwini k uDaniyeli, yamemeza ngezwi elikhalayo ; inkosi yakhuluma , yathi kuDaniyeli : Daniyeli, wena nceku kaNkulunkulu ophilayo, uNkulunkulu wakho omkhonza njalo angakukhulula kuzo izingonyama na? ²¹ UDaniyeli wathi enkosini: Mana njalo, nkosi. ²² UNkulunkulu uthumil e ingelosi yakhe , wavimba imilomo yezingonyama, azingilimazanga, ngokuba kwafunyanwa kimi ukungabi nacala phambi kwakhe; naphambi kwakho, nkosi, angenzanga okubi. ²³ Yayisijabula kakhulu inkosi , yayaleza ukuba uDaniyeli akhushulwe emphandwini. UDaniyeli way esekhushulwa emphandwini , akufunyanwanga mcothu kuye, ngokuba wayemethembile uNkulunkulu wakhe. ²⁴ Inkosi yayaleza, alethwa lawo madoda ayemangalele uDaniyeli , aphonswa emphandwini wezingonyama , wona nabantwana bawo , nawomkawo; izingonyama zatheleka phezu k wabo, zachoboza amathambo abo , bengakafinyeleli phansi emphandwini. ²⁵ UDariyu inkosi wayeselobela bonke abantu , nezizwe, nezilimi ezikhona emhlabeni wonke ukuthi: Ukuthula makwande kinina. ²⁶ Ngenza isiyalezo ukuba ekubuseni konke kombuso wami abantu bathuthumele, besabe phambi kukaNkulunkulu kaDaniyeli , ngokuba unguNkulunkulu ophilayo , umi kuze kube phakade , nombuso wakhe yiwo ongayikuchithwa, nokubusa kwakhe kuyakuma kuze kube sekupheleni. ²⁷ Uyakhulula, ophule; uyenza izibonakaliso nezimangaliso ezulwini nasemhlabeni, yena omkhululile uDaniyeli emandleni ezingonyama. ²⁸ UDaniyeli wayeseqhubeka ngesineke ekubuseni kukaDariyu , nasekubuseni kukaKoresi umPheresiya.