KWENZEKANI lapha? Kunedili elikhulu. Inkosi yaseBhabhiloni imeme inkulungwane yezivakashi ezibalulekile. Basebenzisa izinkomishi zegolide nezesiliva nezitsha ezathathwa ethempelini likaJehova eJerusalema. Kodwa, ngokushesha, iminwe yesandla somuntu ibonakala emoyeni iqale ukubhala odongeni. Besaba bonke.

UBhelishazari, umzukulu kaNebukhadinezari, uyena inkosi manje. Uyala ukuba kulethwe amadoda akhe ahlakaniphile. Inkosi ithi: ‘Noma ubani ongafunda lo mbhalo angitshele ukuthi usho ukuthini, uyonikezwa izipho eziningi futhi abe ngumbusi wesithathu embusweni.’ Kodwa akekho emadodeni ahlakaniphile ongafunda umbhalo osodongeni, noma awuchaze.

Unina wenkosi uzwa umsindo eze endlini yokudlela. ‘Ningesabi,’ etshela inkosi. ‘Kukhona umuntu embusweni wakho owazi onkulunkulu abangcwele. Ngesikhathi uyihlomkhulu uNebukhadinezari eyinkosi wamenza induna yabo bonke abahlakaniphileyo. Igama lakhe uDaniyeli. Thumela umbize, uzokutshela ukuthi konke lokhu kusho ukuthini.’

Ngakho ngokushesha uDaniyeli uyangeniswa. Ngemva kokwenqaba noma iziphi izipho, uDaniyeli uqala ukulandisa ukuthi kungani uJehova ake wasusa uyisemkhulu kaBelishazari uNebukhadinezari ebukhosini. Uthi: ‘Wayezikhukhumeza, ngakho uJehova wamjezisa.’

‘Kodwa wena,’ uDaniyeli etshela uBhelishazari, ‘uyakwazi konke okwenzeka kuye, kodwa usakhukhumele njengoba uNebukhadinezari ayenjalo. Uthathé izinkomishi nezitsha zethempeli likaJehova waphuza kuzo. Udumisé onkulunkulu abenziwe ngokhuni netshe, awumdumisanga uMdali wethu oMuhle. Kungakho uNkulunkulu ethumele isandla ukuba sibhale la mazwi.

UDaniyeli uthi: ‘Nakhu okubhaliwe: MENÉ, MENÉ, TEKÉL, UFARSÍN.’

‘MENÉ usho ukuthi uNkulunkulu uzibalile izinsuku zombuso wakho wawuqeda. TEKÉL usho ukuthi ufakwe esilinganisweni wafunyanwa ulula. UFARSÍN usho ukuthi umbuso wakho unikelwe kumaMede namaPheresiya.’

Ngisho nangesikhathi uDaniyeli esakhuluma, amaMede namaPheresiya aseqalile ukuhlasela iBhabhiloni. Ahaqa umuzi abulale uBhelishazari. Umbhalo wesandla osodongeni uba yiqiniso ngalobo busuku! Kuzokwenzekani kuma-Israyeli manje? Sizozwa ngokushesha, kodwa okokuqala ake sibone okwenzeka kuDaniyeli.