Nebukadnezzar ta lombwele ayehe, ya simaneke oshiyelekela shoshingoli
1 Omukwaniilwa Nebukadnezzar okwa hongitha oshiyelekela shoshingoli shi na uule woometa omilongo mbali naheyali nomutamo gwasho oometa ndatu konyala, e te shi dhikithile molushandja lwaDura moshikandjo shaBabilon. 2 Nena omukwaniilwa okwa lombwele oongoloneya, aaleli, ookomufala, aagandjimayele, aadhiginini yeliko, aatokolihapu, oomangestalata naakwanepangelo ayehe yalwe yomiitopolwa, ye ye keyapulo lyoshiyelekela shoka sha dhikwa komukwaniilwa Nebukadnezzar. 3 Aakwanepangelo mbaka ayehe sho ya gongala keyapulo noya thikama komeho goshiyelekela, 4 omunashipundi okwa popi newi lyopombanda a ti: “Aantu yiigwana ayihe, yomaludhi noyomalaka! 5 Otamu ku uva ewi lyoombenda lya landulwa kehiko lyoohiya, iiketala, uuharpa nuushandja, nonena iihikomwa yi ili noyi ili otayi itula mo. Opo tuu mpoka sho iihikomwa ya tameke, omu na okwiinyongamena pevi, mu simaneke oshiyelekela shoshingoli shoka sha dhikwa po komukwaniilwa Nebukadnezzar. 6 Shaa ngoka itee shi inyongamene, e shi simaneke, ote ku umbilwa mbalambala meziko lya hanya.”
7 Nopo tuu mpoka sho yu uvu oshihomo shiihikomwa, aantu yomiigwana ayihe, yomaludhi agehe noyomalaka agehe, oya nyongama e taa simaneke oshiyelekela shoshingoli shoka sha dhikwa po komukwaniilwa Nebukadnezzar.
Ookuume kaDaniel yatatu taa pewa ondjo yokwaavulika
8 Aababiloni yamwe oya mono ompito yokutamaneka Aajuda. 9 Oya ti komukwaniilwa Nebukadnezzar: “Omukwaniilwa na kale e na omwenyo sigo aluhe! 10 Nkeyama, owa gandja oshipango kutya nanziya ngele iihikomwa ya tameke, shaa ngoka na nyongame, a simaneke oshiyelekela shoshingoli, 11 nokutya shaa ngoka itaa nyongama, e shi simaneke, otu umbilwa meziko lya hanya. 12 Oku na Aajuda yamwe mboka we ya ningi aakuluntu yoshikandjo shaBabilon — Shadrak, Meshak naAbednego — mboka inaa vulika kelombwelo lyoye, Nkeyama. Itaa simaneke kalunga koye nenge yi inyongamene koshiyelekela we shi dhike.”
13 Nena omukwaniilwa okwa kala a thita po kondjahi e ta gandja elombwelo, aalumentu yatatu ye etwe koshipala she. 14 Okwa ti kuyo: “Shadrak, Meshak naAbednego, odhoshili tuu kutya ne omwa tinda okusimaneka kalunga kandje nokwiinyongamena koshiyelekela shoshingoli shoka nda dhike? 15 Eewa, shampa tuu mu uvu ewi lyoombenda, oohiya, iiketala, uuharpa nuushandja nolyiihikomwa ayihe yi ili noyi ili, nyongameni ne mu simaneke oshiyelekela. Ngele itamu shi ningi, nena otamu umbilwa mbala meziko lya hanya. Otamu dhiladhila kutya oku na kalunga ta vulu oku mu hupitha?”
16 Shadrak, Meshak naAbednego oya yamukula: “Tatekulu, itatu kambadhala okwiipopila tse yene. 17 Kalunga ngoka hatu mu longele okwa gwana oku tu hupitha meziko lya hanya nomiikaha yoye; ote ke shi ninga. 18 Ihe ngele ite shi ningi, Nkeyama, kala u shi shi, tse itatu ka simaneka kalunga koye noitatu inyongamene koshiyelekela shoshingoli shoka wa dhika.”
Ookuume kaDaniel yatatu taa pangulilwa eso
19 Nena Nebukadnezzar okwa kanitha eidhidhimiko lye, nomeho ge ga tiliganene Shadrak, Meshak naAbednego. Onkee okwa lombwele aantu ye, ya hanyeke eziko li pupyale li vule shito luheyali. 20 Nokwa lombwele aalumentu aanankondo yomaakwiita ye, ya mange aalumentu mboka yatatu noye yu umbile meziko lya hanya. 21 Mbaka oye ya manga — oya li ya zala oohema, oondjatha, omagala noonguwo dhawo adhihe dhilwe — noye ya umbile meziko lya hanya. 22 Ngashingeyi, molwaashoka omukwaniilwa a gandja elaka lya kola, eziko li pupyalekwe lela, omalaka gomulilo oga fike aalumentu mboka ye ya fala meziko. 23 Nena Shadrak, Meshak naAbednego, manga ya li ya mangwa, oya gwile menilela lyeziko lya hanya.
24 Ohaluka Nebukadnezzar okwa haluka a kunkwa. Okwa pula aambala ye: “Inatu manga nani aalumentu yatatu noku ya umbila meziko lya hanya?”
Oya yamukula ya ti: “Eeno, osho twa ningi, Nkeyama.”
25 Omukwaniilwa okwa pula a ti: “Ihe ongiini ano ndi wete aantu yane taa ende momulilo? Inaa mangwa yo kaye na endhindhiliko lyuuwehame — nomutine okwa fa omuna gwaKalunga.”
Aalumentu yatatu taye ethiwa e taa yelwa
26 Osho ngeyi Nebukadnezzar okwa thikama po e ta yi komweelo gweziko lya hanya nokwi ithana a ti: “Shadrak! Meshak! Abednego! Aamati yaKalunga gwokombandambanda! Zii mo.” Oyo noya zi mo nziya. 27 Oongoloneya, aaleli, ookomufala naakwanepangelo ayehe yalwe yomukwaniilwa oya gongala, ya tale aalumentu yatatu mbaka inaa lungunithwa komulilo. Omafufu gawo oga li inaaga yayuka, oonguwo dhawo inadhi pya nokaya li ya nika othungu.
28 Omukwaniilwa okwa ti: “Tangeni Kalunga kaShadrak, Meshak naAbednego! Okwa tumu omuyengeli gwe nokwa hupitha aalumentu mbaka haye mu longele noye mu inekela. Oyo inaa vulika kiipango yandje noya hupula oomwenyo dhawo shi vulithe okwiinyongamena nokusimaneka kalunga kalwe, kakele Kalunga kawo yene.
29 “Ngashingeyi otandi gandja elombwelo kutya ngele oku na ngoka gwomoshigwana kehe, moludhi kehe nenge melaka kehe ta popi ta shundula Kalunga kaShadrak, Meshak naAbednego, oku na okundembagulwa miintimbu, negumbo lye otali ka halakanithwa po, li ninge ondumba yomakulukuma. Kaku na kalunga kalwe ta vulu okuhupitha, ngaashi twe shi mono nena.”
30 Omukwaniilwa nokwa lenge Shadrak, Meshak naAbednego omalenga omanene moshikandjo shaBabilon.
Nebuchadnezzar Commands Everyone to Worship a Gold Statue
1 King Nebuchadnezzar had a gold statue made, ninety feet high and nine feet wide, and he had it set up in the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 Then the king gave orders for all his officials to come together—the princes, governors, lieutenant governors, commissioners, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the other officials of the provinces. They were to attend the dedication of the statue which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 3 When all these officials gathered for the dedication and stood in front of the statue, 4 a herald announced in a loud voice, “People of all nations, races, and languages! 5 You will hear the sound of the trumpets, followed by the playing of oboes, lyres, zithers, and harps; and then all the other instruments will join in. As soon as the music starts, you are to bow down and worship the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 Anyone who does not bow down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.” 7 And so, as soon as they heard the sound of the instruments, the people of all the nations, races, and languages bowed down and worshiped the gold statue which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
Daniel's Three Friends Are Accused of Disobedience
8 It was then that some Babylonians took the opportunity to denounce the Jews. 9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May Your Majesty live forever! 10 Your Majesty has issued an order that as soon as the music starts, everyone is to bow down and worship the gold statue, 11 and that anyone who does not bow down and worship it is to be thrown into a blazing furnace. 12 There are some Jews whom you put in charge of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—who are disobeying Your Majesty's orders. They do not worship your god or bow down to the statue you set up.”
13 At that, the king flew into a rage and ordered the three men to be brought before him. 14 He said to them, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, is it true that you refuse to worship my god and to bow down to the gold statue I have set up? 15 Now then, as soon as you hear the sound of the trumpets, oboes, lyres, zithers, harps, and all the other instruments, bow down and worship the statue. If you do not, you will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace. Do you think there is any god who can save you?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered, “Your Majesty, we will not try to defend ourselves. 17 If the God whom we serve is able to save us from the blazing furnace and from your power, then he will. 18 But even if he doesn't, Your Majesty may be sure that we will not worship your god, and we will not bow down to the gold statue that you have set up.”
Daniel's Three Friends Are Sentenced to Death
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar lost his temper, and his face turned red with anger at Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So he ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than usual. 20 And he commanded the strongest men in his army to tie the three men up and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So they tied them up, fully dressed—shirts, robes, caps, and all—and threw them into the blazing furnace. 22 Now because the king had given strict orders for the furnace to be made extremely hot, the flames burned up the guards who took the men to the furnace. 23 Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, still tied up, fell into the heart of the blazing fire.
24 Suddenly Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement. He asked his officials, “Didn't we tie up three men and throw them into the blazing furnace?”
They answered, “Yes, we did, Your Majesty.”
25 “Then why do I see four men walking around in the fire?” he asked. “They are not tied up, and they show no sign of being hurt—and the fourth one looks like an angel.”
The Three Men Are Released and Promoted
26 So Nebuchadnezzar went up to the door of the blazing furnace and called out, “Shadrach! Meshach! Abednego! Servants of the Supreme God! Come out!” And they came out at once. 27 All the princes, governors, lieutenant governors, and other officials of the king gathered to look at the three men, who had not been harmed by the fire. Their hair was not singed, their clothes were not burned, and there was no smell of smoke on them.
28 The king said, “Praise the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel and rescued these men who serve and trust him. They disobeyed my orders and risked their lives rather than bow down and worship any god except their own.
29 “And now I command that if anyone of any nation, race, or language speaks disrespectfully of the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, he is to be torn limb from limb, and his house is to be made a pile of ruins. There is no other god who can rescue like this.”
30 And the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to higher positions in the province of Babylon.
