INKHOSI Nebukhadnezari yatsatsa onkhe ema-Israyeli labenemfundvo lencono yawayisa eBhabhulona. Ngemuva kwaloko yabese ikhetsa kuwo bafana labahle futsi nalabahlakaniphile. Laba labane lobabona lapha esitfombeni ngulabanye babo. Lona lokhulumako nguDanyela, kantsi laba labatsatfu eBhabhulona bebabitwa ngekutsi boShadraki, Meshaki, naAbednego.

Nebukhadnezari abefuna kubacecesha labafana, bese bayomsebentela endlini yakhe. Ngemuva kwekuceceshwa iminyaka lemitsatfu, abetawukhetsa labo labahlakaniphile kutsi bamsite acatulule tinkinga. Abefuna kutsi labafana babe nemandla, futsi babe nemphilo lenhle ngalesikhatsi basaceceshwa. Ngako waniketa tisebenti takhe umyalo wekutsi tiphe labafana kudla lokunemsoco, kanye neliwayini lelalinatfwa nguye nemndeni wakhe kuphela.

Ase ubuke Danyela asemncane. Uyati kutsi utsini kulendvuna yetisebenti taNebukhadnezari lengu-Ashpenazi? Uyitjela kutsi yena akakufuni lokudla lokunemsoco lokusetafuleni lenkhosi. Kodvwa Ashpenazi wacala kukhatsateka, watsi: ‘Inkhosi lencumako kutsi nitawudlani nekutsi nitawunatsani. Ngoba uma ningabukeki nondlekile njengalaba labanye bafana, ingangibulala.’

Ngako Danyela nebangani bakhe labatsatfu bahamba bayokhuluma nemnakekeli wabo labebekwe ngu-Ashpenazi, batsi: ‘Sicela kutsi usilinge emalanga langu-10. Sinikete kuphela tibhidvo sitekudla kanye nemanti, bese usicatsanisa nalaba labanye bafana labadla kudla kwenkhosi, ubone kutsi bobani lababukeka baphilile.’

Lomnakekeli wabo wavuma kutsi utakwenta loku. Kwatsi ngemuva kwemalanga langu-10, Danyela nebangani bakhe labatsatfu bebabukeka baphile kwendlula laba labanye bafana. Umnakekeli wabo wabavumela kutsi bachubeke badla tibhidvo, esikhundleni saloku inkhosi lebeyibaniketa kona.

Ekupheleni kweminyaka lemitsatfu, bonkhe labafana batsatfwa bayiswa kuNebukhadnezari. Ngemuva kwekukhuluma nabo, inkhosi yabona Danyela nebangani bakhe labatsatfu kungibo labahlakaniphile. Ngako yabagcina endlini yayo kutsi bayisite. Kwakutsi njalo inkhosi nayibuta boDanyela, Shadraki, Meshaki, naAbednego imibuto nobe ibaniketa tinkinga letilukhuni, beyibakhandza bati ngalokuphindvwe ka-10 kwendlula bonkhe baphristi nobe emadvodza lahlakaniphile.