UDanyeli.
7.
Ngomnyaka wokuqala kaBhelishazari inkosi yaseBhabhiloni, uDanyeli waphupha iphupho, kwaphithika imibono engqondweni yakhe elele embhedeni wakhe. Wakubhala phansi okwakuqukethwe liphupho lakhe. 
UDanyeli wathi: “Embonweni wami ebusuku ngakhangela ngabona phambi kwami imimoya emine yasezulwini iqubula ulwandle olukhulu. 
Izilo ezine ezinkulu, yileso singafanani lezinye, zaqhamuka olwandle. 
Esakuqala sasinjengesilwane, njalo silamaphiko engqungqulu. Ngabukela amaphiko aso aze akhutshwa, sasesiphakanyiswa emhlabathini sema ngezinyawo ezimbili njengomuntu, sasesiphiwa inhliziyo yomuntu. 
Khonapho phambi kwami kwakujame isilo sesibili esasifana lebhele. Sasiphakanyisiwe kwelinye icele laso, njalo emlonyeni waso sasilezimbambo ezintathu emazinyweni aso. Satshelwa kwathiwa, ‘Sukuma udle inyama usuthe!’ 
Ngemva kwalokho ngakhangela ngabona phambi kwami esinye isilo esasikhangeleka njengengwe. Emhlane waso sasilamaphiko amane afana lawenyoni. Isilo lesi sasilamakhanda amane, saphiwa amandla okuba sibuse.” 
Ngemva kwalokho, embonweni wami ebusuku ngakhangela, kwathi phambi kwami kwema isilo sesine esithuthumelisayo, sisesabeka njalo silamandla amakhulu. Sasilamazinyo ensimbi amakhulu; safohloza esikubambileyo sakudla, okuseleyo sakugxobela phansi. Sasingafanani lazozonke izilo zakuqala, sona silempondo ezilitshumi. 
Ngisalokhu ngicabanga ngempondo lezo, khonapho phambi kwami kwaba lolunye uphondo oluncinyane olwama phakathi kwazo; kwathi ezintathu zempondo zakuqala zagunyulwa phambi kwalo. Uphondo lolu lwalulamehlo anjengamehlo omuntu lomlomo owawukhuluma okokuzikhukhumeza. 
“Ngisakhangele, kwabekwa izihlalo zobukhosi, uSimakade wahlala kwesakhe. Izigqoko zakhe zazimhlophe njengeqhwa; inwele zekhanda lakhe zimhlophe njengoboya bezimvu. Isihlalo sakhe sasilavuka umlilo, lamavili aso wonke evutha umlilo. 
Kwakugeleza umfula womlilo, uthutsha ngaphambi kwakhe. Izinkulungwane lezinkulungwane zazimkhonza; izinkulungwane ezilitshumi ziphindwe ngezinkulungwane ezilitshumi zema phambi kwakhe. Inkundla yokwahlulela yahlala phansi, kwasekuvulwa izincwadi.” 
Ngasengiqhubeka ngilokhu ngibukele ngenxa yamazwi okuzikhukhumeza ayekhulunywa luphondo. Ngala ngilokhu ngikhangele isilo saze sabulawa, isidumbu saso saphoselwa emlilweni ovuthayo. 
(Leziyana ezinye izilo zase ziphuciwe ubukhulu bazo kodwa zavunyelwa ukuphila okwesikhathi esithile.) 
Embonweni wami ebusuku ngakhangela kwabonakala khonapho phambi kwami lowo owayefana lendodana yomuntu esiza ngamayezi ezulu. Yasondela kuSimakade yasiwa phambi kwakhe. 
Yaphiwa amandla lobukhosi lamandla okubusa; bonke abantu, lezizwe zonke labantu bendimi zonke bamkhonza. Ubukhosi bakhe yibukhosi obungapheliyo obungayikwedlula, lombuso wakhe kawusoze uchithwe. 
Mina Danyeli, ngakhathazeka emoyeni, lemibono eyayidlula engqondweni yami yangidabula. 
Ngasondela komunye walabo ababemi khonapho ngambuza okuyikho okutshiwo yikho konke lokhu. Yikho wangitshela wangipha ingcazelo yezinto lezi, wathi: 
“Izilo ezine ezinkulu yimibuso emine ezaqhamuka emhlabeni. 
Kodwa abangcwele bakhe oPhezukonke bazawemukela umbuso ube ngowabo lanininini, yebo, okwanini lanini.” 
Ngase ngifisa ukwazi ingcazelo eqotho eyesilo sesine, esasingafanani lezinye njalo sisesabeka kakhulu, ngamazinyo aso ensimbi lenzipho zethusi, isilo esafohloza sadla esikubambileyo sagxobagxoba okuseleyo. 
Ngafuna njalo ukwazi ngempondo ezilitshumi ekhanda laso langalolo olunye uphondo olwamilayo, okwathi ezinye ezintathu zawa phambi kwalo lolophondo olwabonakala kakhulu kulezinye, olwalulamehlo kanye lomlomo owawukhuluma ngokukloloda. 
Ngilokhu ngibukele, uphondo lolu lwalusilwa luhlasela abangcwele lubehlula, 
kwaze kwafika uMvelinqaki wabalamulela abangcwele bakhe oPhezukonke, kwafika isikhathi bawuthatha umbuso. 
Wangipha ingcazelo le: Isilo sesine singumbuso wesine ozavela emhlabeni. Uzaba lomahluko kweminye yonke imibuso njalo uzawuthumba wonke umhlaba, uwugxobagxobe, uwufohloze. 
Impondo ezilitshumi ngamakhosi alitshumi azavela kuwo lo umbuso. Ngemva kwawo kuzavela enye inkosi engafani lalayana awokuqala; izanqoba amakhosi amathathu. 
Izakhuluma okubi ngoPhezukonke incindezele abangcwele bakhe izame ukuguqula izikhathi ezimisiweyo kanye lemithetho. Abangcwele bazanikelwa kuyo okwesikhathi esithile, izikhathi ezilengxenye yesikhathi. 
Kodwa umthethwandaba uzahlala phansi, amandla ayo asuswe abhidlizwe okwanini lanini. 
Lapho-ke ubukhosi, lamandla lobukhulu bemibuso leyo ngaphansi kwezulu lonke kuzaphiwa abangcwele, abantu bakhe oPhezukonke. Umbuso wakhe uzakuba ngumbuso ongapheliyo, njalo bonke ababusi bazamkhonza bamlalele. 
“Lokhu yikho ukuphela kwendaba. Mina Danyeli ngakhathazeka kakhulu ngemicabango yami, ubuso bami bahloba, kodwa indaba le yaba yimfihlo yami.” 
