Isahluko 4
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UNebukadinesari inkosi kubo bonke abantu, nezizwe, nezilimi ezakhe emhlabeni wonke: ukuthula makuvame kinina.
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Bekukuhle kimi ukwazisa izibonakaliso nezimangaliso uNkulunkulu oPhezukonke azenzile kimi.
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Yeka ubuningi bezibonakaliso zakhe, namandla ezimangaliso zakhe! Umbuso wakhe ungumbuso ongunaphakade, nokubusa kwakhe kungokwezizukulwane.
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Mina Nebukadinesari ngangihlezi ngokuthula, ngatamasa endlini yami yobukhosi.
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Ngase ngibona iphupho, langethusa; imicabango embhedeni wami nemibono yekhanda lami yangesabisa.
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Ngalokho ngakhipha isimemezelo sokuba kulethwe bonke abahlakaniphileyo baseBabele phambi kwami, ukuze bangazise incazelo yephupho.
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Zase zifika izanusi, nabathwebulayo, namaKaledi, nabahlola imihlola, ngabatshela iphupho, kepha abangazisanga incazelo yalo.
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Kodwa ngasekugcineni kwangena uDaniyeli phambi kwami ogama lakhe linguBeliteshasari njengegama likankulunkulu wami, okuye umoya wawonkulunkulu abangcwele; ngamtshela iphupho, ngathi:
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“Beliteshasari, wena nduna yezanusi, ngokuba ngiyazi ukuthi umoya wawonkulunkulu abangcwele ukuwe nokuthi awukhathazwa mfihlakalo, ngitshele imibono yephupho lami engilibonileyo nencazo yalo.
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Yayinje imibono yekhanda lami ngisembhedeni wami: ngabona, bheka, nanko umuthi phakathi nomhlaba, nokuphakama kwawo kwakukukhulu.
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Umuthi wakhula, waqina, ubude bawo bafinyelela ezulwini nokubonakala kwawo kwaze kwaba sekugcineni komhlaba.
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Amaqabunga awo ayemahle, nezithelo zawo zaziziningi, kukhona kuwo ukudla kubo bonke; izilwane zasendle zazinomthunzi phansi kwawo, izinyoni zezulu zazihlala emagatsheni awo, nenyama yonke yondliwa kuwo.
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“Ngabona emibonweni yekhanda lami ngisembhedeni wami, bheka, nango umlindi ongcwele ehla ezulwini.
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Wamemeza ngamandla, washo kanje, wathi: ‘Gawula umuthi, unqume amagatsha awo, uvuthulule amaqabunga awo, uhlakaze izithelo zawo; izilwane mazisuke phansi kwawo, nezinyoni emagatsheni awo.
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Nokho shiya isiqu sezimpande zawo emhlabathini, sinesibopho sensimbi nesethusi, ohlazeni lwasendle, simanziswe ngamazolo ezulu, isabelo saso sibe nezilwane zasetshanini bomhlaba;
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inhliziyo yakhe iyakuguqulwa ingabi ngeyomuntu, aphiwe inhliziyo yesilwane, kudlule izikhathi eziyisikhombisa phezu kwakhe.
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“ ‘Kunqunyiwe ngesimemezelo sabalindi nangesiyalezo sezwi labangcwele ukuba abaphilayo bazi ukuthi oPhezukonke ubusa imibuso yabantu, ayinike amthandayo, amise phezu kwayo ophansi phakathi kwabantu.’
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“Leli phupho ngalibona mina Nebukadinesari; wena Beliteshasari, yisho incazelo, njengokuba bonke abahlakaniphileyo bombuso wami bengazi ukungazisa incazelo; kepha wena ungakwenza, ngokuba umoya wawonkulunkulu abangcwele ukuwe.”
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Khona uDaniyeli ogama lakhe lalinguBeliteshasari wamangala isikhashana, imicabango yakhe yamesabisa. Inkosi yathatha yathi: “Beliteshasari, iphupho nencazo makungakwesabisi.” UBeliteshasari waphendula wathi: “Nkosi, iphupho malibe kwabakuzondayo, nencazo yalo kuzo izitha zakho.
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Umuthi owawubonayo, owakhula, waqina, obude bawo bafinyelela ezulwini nokubonakala kwawo kwaze kwaba sekugcineni komhlaba;
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omaqabunga awo ayemahle, nezithelo zawo zaziziningi, kukhona ukudla kuwo kubo bonke; ozilwane zasendle zahlala phansi kwawo, nezinyoni zezulu zakha emagatsheni awo:
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nguwe nkosi okhulile waqina, ngokuba ubukhulu bakho bukhulile bufinyelele ezulwini nokubusa kwakho kuze kube sekugcineni komhlaba.”
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“Njengalokho inkosi yabona umlindi ongcwele ehla ezulwini, ethi: ‘Gawula umuthi, uwuchithe, kepha shiya isiqu sezimpande zawo emhlabathini, sinesibopho sensimbi nesethusi, ohlazeni lwasendle, simanziswe ngamazolo ezulu, isabelo saso sibe nezilwane zasendle, kuze kudlule izikhathi eziyisikhombisa phezu kwaso,’
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nansi incazelo, nkosi: kuyisimemezelo soPhezukonke esiyehlele inkosi yami, inkosi,
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sokuthi uyakuxoshwa kubantu, inhlalo yakho ibe nezilwane zasendle, udliswe utshani njengezinkabi, umanziswe ngamazolo ezulu, kudlule izikhathi eziyisikhombisa phezu kwakho, uze wazi ukuthi oPhezukonke ubusa imibuso yabantu, ayinike amthandayo.
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Njengalokho bayaleza ukuba kushiywe isiqu sezimpande zomuthi, umbuso wakho uyakuqina kuwe, lapho usufundile ukuthi izulu liyabusa.
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Ngalokho, nkosi, masamukeleke kuwe isiluleko sami, unqamule izono zakho ngokulunga, nobubi bakho ngokuba nomusa kwabampofu; mhlawumbe kungelulwa ukuthula kwakho.”
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Konke lokho kwamehlela uNebukadinesari.
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Ngasekugcineni kwezinyanga eziyishumi nambili wayehamba endlini yamakhosi eBabele.
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Inkosi yathatha yathi: “Angithi yileli Babele elikhulu engilakhile libe yindlu yobukhosi ngezikhwepha zamandla ami, libe ludumo lobukhosi bami, na?”
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Izwi lisesemlonyeni wenkosi, kwehla ezulwini izwi, lithi: “We nkosi Nebukadinesari, kukhulunyiwe kuwe ukuthi: Umbuso usukile kuwe;
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uyakuxoshwa kubantu, inhlalo yakho ibe nezilwane zasendle, udliswe utshani njengezinkabi, kudlule phezu kwakho izikhathi eziyisikhombisa, uze wazi ukuthi oPhezukonke ubusa imibuso yabantu, ayinike amthandayo.”
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Ngasona leso sikhathi le nto yagcwaliseka phezu kukaNebukadinesari: waxoshwa kubantu, wadliswa utshani njengezinkabi, umzimba wakhe wamanziswa ngamazolo ezulu, zaze zakhula izinwele zakhe njengezimpaphe zezinkozi nezinzipho zakhe njengamazipho ezinyoni.
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Ngasekugcineni kwezinsuku mina Nebukadinesari ngaphakamisa amehlo ami ezulwini, nomqondo wami wabuyela kimi, ngambonga oPhezukonke, ngamdumisa, ngamtusa yena ohlezi phakade. Ngokuba ukubusa kwakhe kungukubusa okuphakade, nombuso wakhe ungowezizukulwane ngezizukulwane;
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bonke abakhe emhlabeni bashaywa ize; uyenza njengentando yakhe empini yasezulwini naphakathi kwabakhileyo emhlabeni; akakho ongavimbela isandla sakhe, noma athi kuye: “Wenzani na?”
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Ngasona leso sikhathi wabuyela kimi umqondo wami, nobukhosi bami nokucwebezela kwami kwabuyela kimi, kwaba ludumo lombuso wami; abomkhandlu bami nezinduna zami bangifuna; ngase ngibekwa embusweni wami, ngenezelwa ubukhulu obudluleleyo.
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Kalokhu-ke mina Nebukadinesari ngiyatusa, ngiyaphakamisa, ngiyidumisa iNkosi yezulu, ngokuba yonke imisebenzi yayo iyiqiniso, nezindlela zayo zingukwahlulela; abahamba ngokuzidla inamandla okubathobisa.