Verse 1: UBelishasari inkosi wenzela izinduna zakhe eziyinkulungwane idili, waphuza iwayini ngaphambi kwaleyo nkulungwane.
Verse 2: UBelishasari esalinambitha iwayini wayaleza ukuba kulethwe izitsha zegolide nezesiliva, uNebukadinesari uyise ayezikhiphe ethempelini laseJerusalema, ukuba inkosi nezikhulu zayo, nawomkayo, nezancinza zayo baphuze ngazo.
Verse 3: Base beletha izitsha zegolide ezazikhishwe ethempelini lendlu kaNkulunkulu yaseJerusalema, inkosi, nezikhulu zayo, nawomkayo, nezancinza zayo baphuza ngazo.
Verse 4: Baphuza iwayini, batusa onkulunkulu begolide, nabesiliva, nabethusi, nabensimbi, nabomuthi, nabetshe.
Verse 5: Ngasona leso sikhathi kwavela iminwe yesandla somuntu, yaloba maqondana nothi lwezibani kokunamekiweyo kodonga lwendlu yenkosi; inkosi yabona inxenye yesandla esalobayo.
Verse 6: Kwase kuguquka ukucwebezela kwayo, nemicabango yayo yayesabisa, zaxhega izinyonga zokhalo lwayo, namadolo ayo ashayana.
Verse 7: Inkosi yamemeza ngamandla ukuba kulethwe abathwebulayo, namaKaledi, nabahlola imihlola. Yayisikhuluma inkosi, yathi kwabahlakaniphileyo baseBabele: “Ongafunda lo mbhalo, angitshele incazelo yawo uyakwembathiswa okububende, abe nomgexo wegolide entanyeni yakhe, abuse engowesithathu embusweni.”
Verse 8: Base bengena bonke abahlakaniphileyo benkosi, kepha behluleka ukuwufunda umbhalo nokwazisa inkosi incazelo.
Verse 9: Khona inkosi uBelishasari yesaba kakhulu, nokucwebezela kwayo kwaguquka kuyo, nezinduna zayo zamangala.
Verse 10: Ngenxa yamazwi enkosi nawezinduna zayo kwase kungena inkosikazi endlini yedili; inkosikazi yakhuluma yathi: “Mana njalo, nkosi; imicabango yakho mayingakwesabisi, kungaguquki ukucwebezela kwakho.
Verse 11: Kukhona embusweni wakho umuntu okukuye umoya wawonkulunkulu abangcwele; ezinsukwini zikayihlo kwafunyanwa kuye ukukhanya nokuqonda nokuhlakanipha njengokuhlakanipha kwawonkulunkulu; inkosi uNebukadinesari, uyihlo yambeka induna yezanusi, neyabathwebulayo, neyamaKaledi, neyabahlola imihlola, yebo, nkosi, uyihlo,
Verse 12: ngokuba kwafunyanwa umoya odluleleyo, nokwazi, nokuqonda ukuchaza amaphupho, nokubonakalisa izimfumbe, nokuthukulula amafindo kuye uDaniyeli lowo inkosi eyambiza ngokuthi uBeliteshasari; kalokhu makabizwe uDaniyeli, uyakubonakalisa incazelo.”
Verse 13: Khona uDaniyeli wangeniswa phambi kwenkosi. Inkosi yakhuluma, yathi kuDaniyeli: “Wena unguDaniyeli lowo ongowabathunjwa bakwaJuda, abalethwa yinkosi ubaba, bevela kwaJuda na?
Verse 14: Ngizwile ngawe ukuthi umoya wawonkulunkulu ukuwe nokuthi kufunyenwe kuwe ukukhanya nokuqonda nokuhlakanipha okudluleleyo.
Verse 15: Manje-ke kungeniswe phambi kwami abahlakaniphileyo nabathwebulayo ukuba bafunde lo mbhalo, bangazise incazelo yawo, kepha behluleka ukubonakalisa incazelo yale ndaba.
Verse 16: Kepha ngizwe ngawe ukuthi ungaveza izincazelo, uthukulule amafindo; manje-ke uma ungafunda lo mbhalo, ungazise incazelo yawo, uyakwembathiswa okububende, ube nomgexo wegolide entanyeni yakho, ubuse ube ngowesithathu embusweni.”
Verse 17: Wayesephendula uDaniyeli, wathi phambi kwenkosi: “Izipho zakho mazibe kuwe, umuphe omunye imivuzo yakho; nokho ngiyakufundela inkosi umbhalo, ngiyazise incazelo.
Verse 18: “E nkosi, uNkulunkulu oPhezukonke wanika uNebukadinesari uyihlo umbuso, nobukhulu, nodumo, nobukhosi;
Verse 19: ngenxa yobukhulu owamnika bona, bonke abantu, nezizwe, nezilimi bathuthumela, besaba phambi kwakhe; athanda ukumbulala wambulala, athanda ukumyeka wamyeka; athanda ukumphakamisa wamphakamisa, athanda ukumthobisa wamthobisa.
Verse 20: Kepha lapho inhliziyo yakhe yaziphakamisa, nomoya wakhe waba lukhuni waze wazidla, wehliswa esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi, balususa udumo lwakhe kuye;
Verse 21: waxoshwa kubantwana babantu; inhliziyo yakhe yaba njengeyezilwane, nenhlalo yakhe yayinezimbongolo zasendle; wadliswa utshani njengezinkabi, nomzimba wakhe wamanziswa ngamazolo ezulu, waze wazi ukuthi uNkulunkulu oPhezukonke ubusa imibuso yabantu, ubeka phezu kwayo amthandayo.
Verse 22: “Nawe ndodana yakhe, Belishasari, awuthobanga inhliziyo yakho, noma wazi konke lokho,
Verse 23: kepha uziphakamisile eNkosini yasezulwini; balethe izitsha zendlu yakhe phambi kwakho; wena nezinduna zakho, nawomkakho, nezancinza zakho niphuzile iwayini ngazo, utusile wena onkulunkulu besiliva, nabegolide, nabethusi, nabensimbi, nabomuthi, nabetshe abangaboni, abangezwa, abangazi; kodwa uNkulunkulu omphefumulo wakho usesandleni sakhe, nokungezakhe zonke izindlela zakho awumdumisanga.
Verse 24: Yayisithunywa le nxenye yesandla ivela kuye, walotshwa lo mbhalo.
Verse 25: “Yilo umbhalo owalotshwa: MENE, MENE TEKEL, UFARSIN.
Verse 26: “Nansi incazelo yale nto: MENE: uNkulunkulu ubalile umbuso wakho, uwuqedile.
Verse 27: TEKEL: ulinganisiwe esilinganisweni, ufunyenwe ulula.
Verse 28: PERES: umbuso wakho wahlukene, unikelwe kumaMede namaPheresiya.”
Verse 29: Khona uBelishasari wayaleza, bamembathisa uDaniyeli okububende, bafaka umgexo wegolide entanyeni yakhe, benza isimemezelo ngaye ukuthi ubeyakubusa engowesithathu embusweni.
Verse 30: Ngalobo busuku uBelishasari inkosi yamaKaledi wabulawa.
Verse 31: UDariyu umMede wamukela umbuso eneminyaka engamashumi ayisithupha nambili.