Xa uNebhukadenetsare wayethatha iinkosana zakwaYuda ezisa eBhabhiloni, wazibeka phantsi kweliso lika-Ashpenazi. Wamxelela ukuba akhangele abafana abancinane abakrelekrele nabasempilweni. Aba bafana babeza kuqeqeshwa iminyaka emithathu. Olu qeqesho lwaluza kubenza babe ngamagosa abalulekileyo aseBhabhiloni. Kwakufuneka bakwazi ukufunda, ukubhala, nokuthetha ulwimi lwaseBhabhiloni, isiAkhadiya. Kwakufuneka batye ukutya okutyiwa ngukumkani. Amagama abo yayinguDaniyeli, uHananiya, uMishayeli noAzariya. UAshpenazi wabathiya amagama aseBhabhiloni: UBheleteshatsare, uShadraki, uMeshaki noAbhednego. Ngaba imfundo ababeyifumana yayiza kubenza bayeke ukukhonza uYehova?

 Babezimisele ukuthobela uYehova. Babesazi ukuba abafanelanga bakutye ukutya okutyiwa ngukumkani ngenxa yokuba uMthetho kaYehova wawusithi okunye koko kutya akucocekanga. Ngoko bathi kuAshpenazi: ‘Sicela ungasiphi ukutya kukakumkani.’ Wathi: ‘Ukuba anityi aze ukumkani anibone ningondlekanga, uza kundibulala!’

UDaniyeli weza necebo. Wathi kuAshpenazi: ‘Sicela usiphe imifuno namanzi iintsuku zibe lishumi, uze usithelekise nabafana abatya ukutya kukakumkani.’ Wavuma.

Emva kweentsuku ezilishumi, uDaniyeli nabahlobo bakhe babondlekile kunabanye abafana. UYehova wavuyiswa kukuba bamthobela. Wade wanika uDaniyeli ubulumko bokuqonda imibono namaphupha.

Akugqiba ukubaqeqesha uAshpenazi, wabasa kuNebhukadenetsare. Ukumkani wathetha nabo, wabona ukuba bakrelekrele yaye bathe qwa kunabanye abafana. Wabakhetha ukuba basebenze kwakhe. Wayedla ngokufuna ukuba bamcebise ngezinto ezibalulekileyo. UYehova wayebenze balumka ngaphezu kwazo zonke izilumko zikakumkani nabantu abenza imilingo.

Nangona babengekho kwilizwe lakowabo, uDaniyeli, uHananiya, uMishayeli noAzariya abazange balibale ukuba bangabakhonzi bakaYehova. Ngaba nawe uza kuhlala umkhumbula uYehova naxa abazali bakho bengekho?