Nebukadineza unokombeledza bathu kunamata ifano
1 Mambo Nebukadineza kabumba ifano tje golide tjili bulefu gwe maboko ali makumi mabili ana ali kutendeka (27) kuyenda pezhugwi ne bupabi gwe maboko ali matatu, ngono kanotjibiga pa tjibata tje Dura mu ntuthu we Bhabhiloni. 2 Ngono kudwapo Nebukadineza kadusa ndaulo kuti kudang'we batungamili bose ne makulukota wose ne balauli bose ne batjengeti be matula bose ne basumikilisi bose na bose be zwe milayo na bose batungamili be mituthu kuti bazhe ku nshingo we kutangisa kuthigamila ifano tjaakabe athama. 3 Ndizo bakokiwa bose bakanokubungana kutangisa nshingo we kuthigamila ifano tjakathamiwa ndi Nebukadineza ngono bakaswika bema mbeli kwatjo. 4 Ngono ntumwa wa mambo kalebeleka nge hwi li pezhugwi eti, “Imwi bathu be zwitjaba zose ne njudzi dzose nenge bathu bose be ndimi dzipoga molaugwa kuti muthame tjandinomubudza, 5 mutimuhwa lunyanga kene nyele kene tjilidzo tje zitheri kene tjilidzo tje laya ne dumba ne zwimwe zwilidzo zwilila muwe nge zwidwi muthigamile ifano tje golide tjakathamiwa ndi Mambo Nebukadineza. 6 Ngono iye usingawothigamila ifano itjetji unowolashigwa mu bhuba le moto.” 7 Ndizo bakati behwa lila kwe lunyanga ne nyele ne zitheri ne laya ne dumba ne zwimwe zwilidzo bathu be zwitjaba zose ne njudzi dzose nenge bathu bose be ndimi dzipoga bakawila pasi bakathigamila ifano tje golide tjakathamiwa ndi Mambo Nebukadineza.
Bakwinya ba Daniyele banotilikwa nlandu
8 Nge tjibaka itjetjo kwakabe kuna bathu be Bhabhiloni bakatilika Bajuta nlandu. 9 Bakadwa Mambo Nebukadineza beti, “Atshene mambo bangatjilila tjatjose! 10 Makadusa ndaulo mambo kuti mmwe ne mmwe unohwa kulila kwe lunyanga ne nyele ne zitheri ne laya ne dumba ne zwimwe zwilidzo awe pasi nge zwidwi athigamile ifano tje golide, 11 ngono iye usingowothigamila ifano tje golide unowolashigwa mu bhuba le moto. 12 Koga kuna Bajuta bamwe bamakabiga kuyendisa mishingo ye ntuthu we Bhabhiloni bo Shadireke na Meshaki na Abedineko basinga bhulutane tjamakaleba mambo wedu! Abatoshingila midzimu yenyu kene kuli kuthigamila ifano tje golide tjamakathama.”
13 Ipapo Nebukadineza kazhala bushongola ngono kati adanigwe Shadireke na Meshaki na Abedineko. Ndizo balume ibaba bakazhisiwa mbeli kwa mambo, 14 ngono Nebukadineza kabadwa kati, “Apa malebeswa Shadireke na Meshaki na Abedineko kuti amutoshingila midzimu yangu kene kuli kuthigamila ifano tje golide tjandakathama kene? 15 Ngono ngwenu ha muhwa kulila kwe lunyanga ne nyele ne zitheri ne laya ne dumba ne zwimwe zwilidzo muwe pasi nge zwidwi muthigamile ifano tje golide tjandakathama kowobe kwakanaka koga ha musingake mukawa nge zwidwi mukathigamila ifano tjinyolotjo mowolashigwa mu bhuba le moto. Apa ndiupi ndzimu unowomuangula mu simba langu kene?”
16 Ngono Shadireke na Meshaki na Abedineko bakashandula mambo beti, “Dumbu Nebukadineza, akutosheteka kuti tingazwilebelekela mbeli kwenyu ngekwe ndebo iyeyi. 17 Ha tingalashigwa mu bhuba le moto, Ndzimu watinoshingila unowotitjidza mu moto iwoyo kakale unotiangula mu simba lenyu mambo. 18 Koga ha Ndzimu usingake ukatitjidza toshaka kuti muzibe mambo wedu kuti atingake tikashingila midzimu yenyu kene kuli kuthigamila ifano tje golide tjamakathama.”
Bakwinya ba Daniyele banosumikilisigwa lufu
19 Ipapo Nebukadineza kazhalilana kagwadzila moyo Shadireke na Meshaki na Abedineko kwaakashanduka ndingiko ye tjiso tjitje. Kalaula kuti vutho le moto lipisiwe kwakapindilila kungabe katendeka, 20 kalaula kuti babhayani bakasima be ngwa iye babhate Shadireke na Meshaki na Abedineko babasunge babalashile mu vutho le moto. 21 Ndizo bakasunga balume ibaba bakaambala hazu dzabo ne marukhwi ne hwutshe ne zwimwe zwiambalo bakabalashila mu vutho le moto. 22 Ndaulo ya mambo yakashingikadziwa tjinyolotjo vutho le moto likabe lipisa kwazo kwakati nthuto walo ukapisa ukabulaya babhayani bakabe bakabhata Shadireke na Meshaki na Abedineko, 23 ngono balume ngosungwa kwabo butatu gwabo bakawila mu vutho le moto. 24 Tjinyolotjo Nebukadineza ngo tjenama kamadzuka kabhuzwa bakumbuludzi babe kati, “Apa atizolashila balume batatu mu moto takabasunga kene?” Ngono bakashandula beti, “Nge malebeswa wose mambo wedu, ndibo” 25 “Ngono ini ndibona balume banna beyendayenda mu moto, basakasungwa kakale basina hwubadzi ngono kakale we bunna iye elingika se nkololo we midzimu!”
Balume batatu banosunungugwa
26 Ndizo Nebukadineza kayendila ku nkoba we vutho le moto ngono kaswika kadana kati, “Shadireke na Meshaki na Abedineko, balanda be Ndzimu nkulu, bhudilani kuzhe! Bhudilani ngeno!” Ngono Shadireke na Meshaki na Abedineko bakabhuda mu moto, 27 batungamili ne makulukota ne balauli be bakumbuludzi ba mambo bakabakubunganila kubabona zubuyanana. Bakawana kuli kuti moto akuna tjawabayita mibili yabo kene kuli kupisa mavudzi abo, hazu dzabo dzakabe dzisakatshwa kakale kusina ndodwa naiwo nnuhwo we tshwa.
28 Ipapo Nebukadineza kabe eti, “Kudzani Ndzimu wa Shadireke na Meshaki na Abedineko iwo watumila ntumwa we kudzimu kuwoangula balanda bawo! Bagalamoyo muuli ngono bakasilondolodze ndaulo dzangu ngono bakazwimisila kulashikigwa nge matjilo abo pana kuti bashingile ne kuthigamila midzimu kuzhe kwe Ndzimu wabo.
29 “Ndizoke ndodusa ndaulo kuti bathu be itjaba tjipi kene tjipi kene be ndimi dzipi bangaleba bubi ngekwe Ndzimu wa Shadireke na Meshaki na Abedineko bathubuligwe zwitibhutibhu ne ng'umba dzabo dzipkhwanyiwe dzisale dzili magwada woga ngoti kusina mmwe ndzimu ungatjidza saikoku.” 30 Kudwapo mambo kapa Shadireke na Meshaki na Abedineko mamo a pezhugwi mu ntuthu we Bhabhiloni.
King Nebuchadnezzar's Gold Statue
1 King Nebuchadnezzar ordered a gold statue to be built 27 meters high and nearly 3 meters wide. He had it set up in Dura Valley near the city of Babylon, 2 and he commanded his governors, advisors, treasurers, judges, and his other officials to come from everywhere in his kingdom to the dedication of the statue. 3 So all of them came and stood in front of it.
4 Then an official stood up and announced:
People of every nation and race, now listen to the king's command! 5 Trumpets, flutes, harps, and all other kinds of musical instruments will soon start playing. When you hear the music, you must bow down and worship the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 Anyone who refuses will at once be thrown into a flaming furnace.
7 As soon as the people heard the music, they bowed down and worshiped the gold statue that the king had set up.
8 Some Babylonians used this as a chance to accuse the Jews to King Nebuchadnezzar. 9 They said, “Your Majesty, we hope you live forever! 10 You commanded everyone to bow down and worship the gold statue when the music played. 11 And you said that anyone who did not bow down and worship it would be thrown into a flaming furnace. 12 Sir, you appointed three men to high positions in Babylon Province, but they have disobeyed you. Those Jews, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, refuse to worship your gods and the statue you have set up.”
13 King Nebuchadnezzar was furious. So he sent for the three young men and said, 14 “I hear that you refuse to worship my gods and the gold statue I have set up. 15 Now I am going to give you one more chance. If you bow down and worship the statue when you hear the music, everything will be all right. But if you don't, you will at once be thrown into a flaming furnace. No god can save you from me.”
16 The three men replied, “Your Majesty, we don't need to defend ourselves. 17 The God we worship can save us from you and your flaming furnace. 18 But even if he doesn't, we still won't worship your gods and the gold statue you have set up.”
19 Nebuchadnezzar's face twisted with anger at the three men. And he ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than usual. 20 Next, he commanded some of his strongest soldiers to tie up the men and throw them into the flaming furnace. 21-23 The king wanted it done at that very moment. So the soldiers tied up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and threw them into the flaming furnace with all of their clothes still on, including their turbans. The fire was so hot that flames leaped out and killed the soldiers.
24 Suddenly the king jumped up and shouted, “Weren't only three men tied up and thrown into the fire?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” his officers answered.
25 “But I see four men walking around in the fire,” the king replied. “None of them is tied up or harmed, and the fourth one looks like a god.”
26 Nebuchadnezzar went closer to the flaming furnace and said to the three young men, “You servants of the Most High God, come out at once!”
They came out, 27 and the king's high officials, governors, and advisors all crowded around them. The men were not burned, their hair wasn't scorched, and their clothes didn't even smell like smoke. 28 King Nebuchadnezzar said:
Praise their God for sending an angel to rescue his servants! They trusted their God and refused to obey my commands. Yes, they chose to die rather than to worship or serve any god except their own. 29 And I won't allow people of any nation or race to say anything against their God. Anyone who does will be chopped up and their houses will be torn down, because no other god has such great power to save.
30 After this happened, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to even higher positions in Babylon Province.