ISAHLUKO 1 1Kwahlala indoda eBhabhiloni, ibizo layo linguJowakimi; 2 Wathatha umfazi ogama lakhe lalinguSusana, indodakazi kaHilikiya, owesifazane omuhle kakhulu nowesaba uJehova. 3 Abazali bakhe laye babelungile, bafundisa indodakazi yabo ngokomthetho kaMozisi. 4 UJehoyakimi wayengumuntu onothileyo omkhulu, enensimu enhle eduze nendlu yakhe; amaJuda abuthana kuye; ngoba wayehlonipheka ukwedlula bonke abanye. 5 Ngawo lowo nyaka kwabekwa ababili kwabadala babantu ukuba babe ngabahluleli, njengalokhu iNkosi yakhuluma ngabo, ukuthi ububi bavela eBabiloni kubahluleli basendulo, ababebonakala bebusa abantu. 6 Laba bagcina okuningi endlini kaJehoyakimi; bonke abakhwenyana beza kubo. 7 Kwathi sebemuka abantu emini, uSusana wangena ensimini yomyeni wakhe ukuba ahambe. 8 Amalunga amabili ambona engena imihla ngemihla ehamba; kangangokuthi inkanuko yabo yavutha ngakuye. 9 Futhi bayiphendukezela eyabo ingqondo, futhi baphendulela amehlo abo, ukuze bangabheki ezulwini, noma bakhumbule izahlulelo ezilungile. 10 Nokho bobabili balinyazwa ngenxa yothando lwakhe, kodwa kakubangakho muntu onesibindi sokubonisa omunye usizi lwakhe. 11 Ngokuba babenamahloni okuveza inkanuko yabo, ababefisa ukuyenza naye. 12 Nokho bambhekisisa imihla ngemihla ukuba bambone. 13 Omunye wathi komunye: “Kasihambe siye ekhaya, ngokuba sekuyisidlo sakusihlwa; 14 Ngakho lapho sebephumile bahlukana omunye komunye, baphindela emuva bafika endaweni efanayo; sebebuzana ngesizatho, bakuvuma ukufisa kwabo; 15 Kwathi belindile, wangena njengakuqala ehamba lezincekukazi ezimbili zodwa, wafisa ukugeza ensimini, ngoba kwakutshisa. 16 Kwakungekho muntu lapho ngaphandle kwamalunga amabili ayecashile, amqapha. 17 Wayesethi kuzo izincekukazi zakhe: "Ngilethele amafutha nezigaxa zokuwasha, uvale iminyango yensimu ukuba ngigeze."
18 Benza-ke njengoba ebatshelile, bavala iminyango yensimu, baphuma bona ngeminyango yensimu ukuyalanda lokho ayebalaye ngakho; kodwa kababonanga abadala, ngoba kwakufihliwe. 19 Kwathi izincekukazi seziphumile, amalunga amabili asukuma, agijimela kuye, athi: 20 Bheka, iminyango yensimu ivaliwe, ukuze kungabikho muntu ongasibona, futhi sithandana nawe; ngakho-ke sivumele, ulale nathi. 21 Uma ungathandi, siyakufakaza ngawe ukuthi insizwa yayinawe; ngalokho wazimukisa izincekukazi zakho. 22 Wabubula uSusana, wathi: "Ngicindezelekile nxazonke, ngokuba uma ngenza lokho, kungukufa kimi; uma ngingakwenzi, anginakuphunyuka ezandleni zenu." 23 Kungcono kimi ukuba ngiwele ezandleni zenu, ngingakwenzi, kunokuba ngone phambi kukaJehova. 24 Khona uSusana wamemeza ngezwi elikhulu, namalunga amabili amemeza ngokumelene naye. 25 Wasegijima omunye, wavula umnyango wensimu. 26 Kwathi lapho izinceku zendlu zizwa ukukhala ensimini, zagijima zangena ngomnyango womnyango ukuze zibone ukuthi kwenziweni kuye. 27 Kwathi abadala sebeyilandisile indaba yabo, izinceku zaba lenhloni kakhulu; 28 Kwathi ngangomuso abantu sebebuthene kuJehowakimi umyeni wakhe, kwafika namalunga amabili egcwele umcabango omubi ngoSusana ukuba ambulale; 29 Wathi phambi kwabantu: "Bizani uSusana indodakazi kaHilikiya umkaJowakimi." Basebethumela. 30 Ngakho wafika loyise lonina labantwabakhe kanye lezihlobo zakhe zonke. 31 Manje uSusana wayengowesifazane obuthakathaka kakhulu, futhi emuhle lapho ebhekwa. 32 Lawo madoda akhohlakele ayala ukuba ambule ubuso bakhe, ngokuba wayemboziwe, ukuze agcwaliswe ngobuhle bakhe. 33 Ngakho-ke abangane bakhe nabo bonke abambonayo bakhala izinyembezi. 34 Ayesesukuma amalunga amabili phakathi kwabantu, abeka izandla zawo ekhanda lakhe.
35 Wakhala wabheka ngasezulwini, ngokuba inhliziyo yakhe yayithembele kuJehova. 36 Abadala bathi: “Sathi sihamba sodwa ensimini, lo wesifazane wangena nezincekukazi ezimbili, wavala iminyango yensimu, wazimukisa izintombi. 37 Kwasekusiza kuye insizwa eyayicashile, yalala naye. 38 Khona-ke thina esasimi ekhoneni lensimu, sibona lobu bubi, sagijimela kubo. 39 Sathi sibabona bendawonye, lendoda asikwazanga ukuyibamba, ngokuba yayinamandla kunathi, yasivula umnyango, yagxumela ngaphandle. 40 Kepha sesimthathile lona wesifazane, sabuza ukuthi ingubani insizwa, kepha akasitshelanga; siyafakaza lezi zinto. 41 Khona ibandla labakholwa njengamalunga nabahluleli babantu, bamgweba ukuba afe. 42 USusana wayesememeza ngezwi elikhulu, wathi: “O Nkulunkulu ophakade, wena owazi izimfihlakalo, nowazi zonke izinto ngaphambi kokuba zibe khona; 43 Uyazi ukuthi bafakaza amanga ngami, futhi bheka, ngimelwe ukufa; kanti mina angizange ngenze izinto ezinjengalezi engiziqambele ngonya. 44 INkosi yasizwa izwi lakhe. 45 Ngakho lapho eyiswa ukuba abulawe, uJehova wavusa umoya ongcwele ensizwa egama layo linguDaniyeli. 46 Wamemeza ngelizwi elikhulu wathi: Ngikhululekile egazini lalumfazi. 47 Bonke abantu baphendukela kuye, bathi: “Ayini lawa mazwi owakhulumile? 48 Wayesemi phakathi kwabo wathi: “Nina niyiziwula kangaka, bantwana bakwa-Israyeli, naze nalahla indodakazi yakwa-Israyeli ngokungaphenyi, nangazi lutho, na? 49 Buyelani futhi endaweni yokwahlulela, ngokuba bafakazile amanga ngaye. 50 Base bebuya bonke abantu ngokuphangisa, amadoda amakhulu athi kuye: "Woza, uhlale phakathi kwethu, usibonise, lokhu uNkulunkulu ukunike udumo lwendoda enkulu." 51 Wayesethi uDaniyeli kubo: “Bekani laba ababili eceleni, omunye ube kude, mina ngiyakubabheka. 52 Kwathi sebehlukaniswa omunye komunye, wabiza omunye wabo, wathi kuye: O wena
osugugele ebubini, manje izono zakho owazenza kudala sezibonakalisiwe. 53 Ngokuba ukhulumé isahlulelo samanga futhi wabalahla abangenacala futhi wabakhulula abanecala; nokho uJehova uthi: “Awuyikubulala ongenacala nolungileyo. 54 Manje-ke, uma umbonile, ngitshele ukuthi: Wababona bebuthene phansi kwamuphi umuthi na? Waphendula wathi, Ngaphansi kwesihlahla sikamaskandi. 55 UDaniyeli wathi: “Kulungile; uqambe amanga ngekhanda lakho; ngoba lakhathesi ingilosi kaNkulunkulu isamukele isigwebo sikaNkulunkulu sokukuquma phakathi. 56 Wayibeka eceleni, wayala ukuba kulethwe enye, wathi kuye: “Wena nzalo yaseKhanani, hhayi eyakwaJuda, ubuhle bukukhohlisile, nenkanuko iphambukile inhliziyo yakho. 57 Nenze njalo emadodakazini akwa-Israyeli, ahlanganyela nani ngokwesaba, kepha indodakazi kaJuda ayivumanga ukuma ebubini benu. 58 Ngakho ngitshele ukuthi: Wababutha ngaphansi kwamuphi umuthi bebuthene? Yaphendula yathi, Ngaphansi kwesihlahla. 59 Wayesethi uDaniyeli kuye: “Kulungile; futhi uqambe amanga ngekhanda lakho, ngokuba ingelosi kaNkulunkulu ihlezi nenkemba ukukunquma kabili, ukuze ikubhubhise. 60 Ngalokho ibandla lonke lamemeza ngezwi elikhulu, lidumisa uNkulunkulu osindisa abathembela kuye. 61 Basebevukela abadala ababili, ngoba uDaniyeli wayebalahlile ngomlomo wabo ngobufakazi bamanga. 62 Njengomthetho kaMose benza kubo lokho ababehlose ukukwenza kumakhelwane wabo; base bebabulala. Kanjalo igazi elingenacala lasindiswa ngalo lolo suku. 63 Ngakho uHilikiya lomkakhe bamdumisa uNkulunkulu ngendodakazi yabo uSusana, kanye loJowakimi indoda yakhe lezihlobo zonke, ngoba kwakungatholakalanga ukungathembeki kuyo. 64 Kusukela ngalolo suku kuqhubeke uDaniyeli waba nedumela elikhulu emehlweni abantu.