YINTONI le yenzeka apha? Abantu basesidlweni esikhulu. Ukumkani waseBhabhiloni umeme iindwendwe ezibalulekileyo eziliwaka. Basebenzisa iindebe zegolide nezesilivere kwanezitya ezathatyathwa etempileni kaYehova eYerusalem. Kodwa ngequbuliso, kubonakala iminwe yesandla somntu emoyeni ize ibhale eludongeni. Kothuka wonke umntu.

UBheleshatsare, umzukulwana kaNebhukadenetsare, ungukumkani ngoku. Uthi makubizwe amadoda akhe azizilumko. ‘Umntu onokufunda lo mbhalo aze andixelele ukutyhilwa kwawo,’ utsho ukumkani, ‘wofumana izipho ezininzi aze enziwe umlawuli wesithathu onegunya ebukumkanini.’ Kodwa akukho namnye kwizilumko owufundayo umbhalo oseludongeni, kwanochaza ukutyhilwa kwawo.

Unina wokumkani uyayiva ingxolo aze angene endlwini yesidlo. ‘Musa ukoyika kangaka,’ utsho kukumkani. ‘Kukho indoda ebukumkanini bakho ebaziyo oothixo abangcwele. Xa uyihlomkhulu uNebhukadenetsare wayengukumkani wayenza umongameli wawo onke amadoda akhe azizilumko. Igama layo nguDaniyeli. Yithi mayibizwe, yaye iya kukuxelela ukutyhilwa kwalo mbhalo.’

Ngoko nangoko kuziwa noDaniyeli. Emva kokwala ukwamkela naziphi na izipho, uDaniyeli uqalisa ukuxela isizathu sokuba uYehova ashenxise uyisemkhulu kaBheleshatsare uNebhukadenetsare ekubeni ngukumkani. ‘Wakhukhumala gqitha,’ utsho uDaniyeli. ‘Waza uYehova wamohlwaya.’

‘Kodwa wena,’ utsho uDaniyeli kuBheleshatsare, ‘uyakwazi konke okwamehlelayo, yaye sekunjalo uzikhukhumalisa njengoNebhukadenetsare. Uzise iindebe nezitya zetempile kaYehova waza wasela ngazo. Udumise oothixo abenziwe ngomthi nangelitye, waza akwambeka uMdali wethu Ozukileyo. Kungenxa yeso sizathu le nto uThixo ethumele isandla ukubhala la mazwi.

‘Nanku ke umbhalo,’ utsho uDaniyeli, ‘MENE, MENE, TEKEL, nelithi PARSIN.’

‘Ukuthi MENE kuthetha ukuba uThixo uyibalile imihla yobukumkani bakho waza wabuphelisa. Ukuthi TEKEL kuthetha ukuba ubekwe esikalini waza wafunyanwa ungento yanto. Ukuthi PERES kuthetha ukuba ubukumkani bakho bunikwe amaMedi namaPersi.’

Ngoxa uDaniyeli ethetha, amaMedi namaPersi sele eqalile ukuhlasela iBhabhiloni. Ayasithimba isixeko aze ambulale uBheleshatsare. Umbhalo oseludongeni uzaliseka kanye ngobo busuku! Kodwa kuza kwenzeka ntoni kumaSirayeli ngoku? Kungekudala siza kubona, kodwa kuqala masibone okwenzeka kuDaniyeli.