< Daniel 2 >

1 In the second year of the rule of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was troubled and his sleep went from him.
Ngomnyaka wesibili wokubusa kukaNebhukadinezari, uNebhukadinezari waphupha amaphupho; umoya wakhe wasukhathazeka, lobuthongo bakhe basuka kuye.
2 Then the king gave orders that the wonder-workers, and the users of secret arts, and those who made use of evil powers, and the Chaldaeans, were to be sent for to make clear to the king his dreams. So they came and took their places before the king.
Inkosi yasisithi kubizwe izanuse lezangoma labavumisayo lamaKhaladiya, ukuze batshengise inkosi amaphupho ayo. Beza-ke, bema phambi kwenkosi.
3 And the king said to them, I have had a dream, and my spirit is troubled by the desire to have the dream made clear to me.
Inkosi yasisithi kubo: Ngiphuphe iphupho; umoya wami wasukhathazeka ukulazi iphupho.
4 Then the Chaldaeans said to the king in the Aramaean language, O King, have life for ever: give your servants an account of your dream, and we will make clear to you the sense of it.
AmaKhaladiya asekhuluma enkosini ngesiAramu: Nkosi, phila kuze kube nininini! Tshela inceku zakho iphupho, thina sizatshengisa ingcazelo.
5 The king made answer and said to the Chaldaeans, This is my decision: if you do not make clear to me the dream and the sense of it, you will be cut in bits and your houses made waste.
Inkosi yaphendula yathi kumaKhaladiya: Into isisukile kimi; uba lingayikungazisa iphupho lengcazelo yalo, lizakwenziwa iziqa, lezindlu zenu zenziwe inqumbi yomquba.
6 But if you make clear the dream and the sense of it, you will have from me offerings and rewards and great honour: so make clear to me the dream and the sense of it.
Kodwa uba litshengisa iphupho lengcazelo yalo, lizakwemukela kimi izipho lomvuzo lodumo olukhulu. Ngakho ngitshengisani iphupho lengcazelo yalo.
7 A second time they said in answer, Let the king give his servants an account of his dream, and we will make clear the sense.
Baphendula okwesibili bathi: Inkosi kayitshele inceku zayo iphupho, thina sizabonisa ingcazelo yalo.
8 The king made answer and said, I am certain that you are attempting to get more time, because you see that my decision is fixed;
Inkosi yaphendula yathi: Mina ngiyazi isibili ukuthi lithenga isikhathi, ngoba liyabona ukuthi into isukile kimi.
9 That if you do not make my dream clear to me there is only one fate for you: for you have made ready false and evil words to say before me till the times are changed: so give me an account of the dream, and I will be certain that you are able to make the sense of it clear.
Kodwa uba lingangazisi iphupho, kulesimiso esisodwa ngani; ngoba livumelene ukukhuluma ilizwi lamanga elikhohlakeleyo phambi kwami, kuze kuguquke isikhathi. Ngakho ngitshelani iphupho, besengisazi ukuthi lingangitshela ingcazelo yalo.
10 Then the Chaldaeans said to the king in answer, There is not a man on earth able to make clear the king's business; for no king, however great his power, has ever made such a request to any wonder-worker or user of secret arts or Chaldaean.
AmaKhaladiya aphendula phambi kwenkosi, athi: Kakulamuntu emhlabeni olakho ukutshengisa udaba lwenkosi; ngakho kayikho inkosi enkulu kumbe umbusi owake wabuza into enje kuloba yisiphi isanuse kumbe isangoma kumbe umKhaladiya.
11 The king's request is a very hard one, and there is no other who is able to make it clear to the king, but the gods, whose living-place is not with flesh.
Futhi kuyinto enzima inkosi eyibuzayo, njalo kakho omunye ongayibonisa phambi kwenkosi, ngaphandle kwabonkulunkulu, okuhlala kwabo kakukho kwabasenyameni.
12 Because of this the king was angry and full of wrath, and gave orders for the destruction of all the wise men of Babylon.
Ngenxa yalokhu inkosi yaba lolaka yathukuthela kakhulu, yalaya ukuthi kubhujiswe bonke abahlakaniphileyo beBhabhiloni.
13 So the order went out that the wise men were to be put to death; and they were looking for Daniel and his friends to put them to death.
Kwasekuphuma isimiso, ukuthi abahlakaniphileyo babulawe; basebedinga uDaniyeli labangane bakhe ukuthi babulawe.
14 Then Daniel gave an answer with wisdom and good sense to Arioch, the captain of the king's armed men, who had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon;
Lapho uDaniyeli wabuyisela icebo lokuqonda kuAriyoki induna yabalindi benkosi, owayephumele ukubulala abahlakaniphileyo beBhabhiloni.
15 He made answer and said to Arioch, O captain of the king, why is the king's order so cruel? Then Arioch gave Daniel an account of the business.
Waphendula wathi kuAriyoki induna yenkosi: Kungani isimiso singesesiphangiphangi esivela enkosini? Lapho uAriyoki wamazisa uDaniyeli indaba.
16 And Daniel went in and made a request to the king to give him time and he would make clear the sense of his dream to the king.
UDaniyeli wasengena, wacela enkosini ukuthi imnike isikhathi sokuthi ayitshengise inkosi ingcazelo.
17 And Daniel went to his house and gave his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah the news:
UDaniyeli wasesiya endlini yakhe, wabazisa oHananiya, uMishayeli, loAzariya, abangane bakhe, loludaba;
18 So that they might make a request for the mercy of the God of heaven in the question of this secret; so that Daniel and his friends might not come to destruction with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
ukuze bacele izihawu kuNkulunkulu wezulu ngalimfihlakalo; ukuze bangabhubhi oDaniyeli labangane bakhe kanye labanye abahlakaniphileyo beBhabhiloni.
19 Then the secret was made clear to Daniel in a vision of the night. And Daniel gave blessing to the God of heaven.
Lapho imfihlakalo yembulelwa uDaniyeli embonweni wobusuku. UDaniyeli wasemdumisa uNkulunkulu wamazulu.
20 And Daniel said in answer, May the name of God be praised for ever and ever: for wisdom and strength are his:
UDaniyeli waphendula wathi: Kalidunyiswe ibizo likaNkulunkulu kusukela phakade kuze kube phakade, ngoba inhlakanipho lamandla kungokwakhe.
21 By him times and years are changed: by him kings are taken away and kings are lifted up: he gives wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to those whose minds are awake:
Ngoba uyaguqula izikhathi lezikhathi ezimisiweyo, uyasusa amakhosi, amise amakhosi, upha inhlakanipho kwabahlakaniphileyo, lolwazi kulabo abazi ukuqedisisa.
22 He is the unveiler of deep and secret things: he has knowledge of what is in the dark, and the light has its living-place with him.
Uyembula okujulileyo lokufihlakeleyo, uyakwazi okusemnyameni, lokukhanya kuhlala kanye laye.
23 I give you praise and worship, O God of my fathers, who have given me wisdom and strength, and have now made clear to me what we were requesting from you: for you have given us knowledge of the king's business.
Ngiyakubonga ngikudumise, wena Nkulunkulu wabobaba, ongiphe inhlakanipho lamandla, ongazise khathesi lokho esikucelileyo kuwe, ngoba usazisile udaba lwenkosi.
24 For this reason Daniel went to Arioch, to whom the king had given orders for the destruction of the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, Do not put to death the wise men of Babylon: take me in before the king and I will make clear to him the sense of the dream.
Ngakho uDaniyeli wangena kuAriyoki, inkosi eyayimmisele ukuthi abhubhise abahlakaniphileyo beBhabhiloni; wahamba, wakhuluma kanje kuye: Ungabhubhisi abahlakaniphileyo beBhabhiloni; ngingenisa phambi kwenkosi, mina ngizayitshengisa inkosi ingcazelo.
25 Then Arioch quickly took Daniel in before the king, and said to him, Here is a man from among the prisoners of Judah, who will make clear to the king the sense of the dream.
Lapho uAriyoki wangenisa uDaniyeli phambi kwenkosi ngokuphangisa, watsho njalo kuyo: Ngithole indoda kwabathunjiweyo bakoJuda, ezakwazisa inkosi ingcazelo.
26 The king made answer and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Are you able to make clear to me the dream which I saw and its sense?
Inkosi yaphendula yathi kuDaniyeli, obizo lakhe lalinguBeliteshazari: Ulakho yini ukungazisa iphupho engilibonileyo, lengcazelo yalo?
27 Then Daniel said in answer to the king, No wise men, or users of secret arts, or wonder-workers, or readers of signs, are able to make clear to the king the secret he is searching for;
UDaniyeli waphendula phambi kwenkosi, wathi: Imfihlakalo inkosi eyibuzayo, abahlakaniphileyo, izangoma, izanuse, abalumbi bangeyibonise inkosi.
28 But there is a God in heaven, the unveiler of secrets, and he has given to King Nebuchadnezzar knowledge of what will take place in the last days. Your dreams and the visions of your head on your bed are these:
Kodwa ukhona uNkulunkulu emazulwini owembula izimfihlakalo, uyitshengisile inkosi uNebhukadinezari okuzakwenzeka ekucineni kwezinsuku; iphupho lakho lemibono yekhanda lakho embhedeni wakho yilokhu:
29 As for you, O King, the thoughts which came to you on your bed were of what will come about after this: and the unveiler of secrets has made clear to you what is to come.
Wena, nkosi, usembhedeni wakho kwavela imicabango yakho ngalokhu okuzakwenzeka emva kwalokhu; lalowo owembula izimfihlakalo ukwazisile wena lokho okuzakwenzeka.
30 As for me, this secret is not made clear to me because of any wisdom which I have more than any living man, but in order that the sense of the dream may be made clear to the king, and that you may have knowledge of the thoughts of your heart.
Mayelana lami, limfihlakalo yembulwa kimi hatshi ngenxa yenhlakanipho ephakathi kwami okwedlula bonke abaphilayo, kodwa ukuthi kwaziswe ingcazelo enkosini, lokuthi wazi imicabango yenhliziyo yakho.
31 You, O King, were looking, and a great image was there. This image, which was very great, and whose glory was very bright, was placed before you: its form sent fear into the heart.
Wena nkosi, wabona, khangela-ke, isithombe esikhulu. Lesisithombe esikhulu, okukhazimula kwaso kwakusedlulisa, sema phambi kwakho; lesimo saso sasisesabeka.
32 As for this image, its head was made of the best gold, its breast and its arms were of silver, its middle and its sides were of brass,
Ikhanda lalesisithombe lalingelegolide elihle, isifuba saso lengalo zaso kwakungokwesiliva, isisu saso lamathangazi aso kwakungokwethusi,
33 Its legs of iron, its feet were in part of iron and in part of potter's earth.
imilenze yaso yayingeyensimbi, inyawo zaso ingxenye yayingeyensimbi lengxenye yayingeyebumba.
34 While you were looking at it, a stone was cut out, but not by hands, and it gave the image a blow on its feet, which were of iron and earth, and they were broken in bits.
Wasubona kwaze kwasikwa ilitshe kungengezandla, elatshaya isithombe ezinyaweni zaso ezensimbi lebumba, lazichoboza.
35 Then the iron and the earth, the brass and the silver and the gold, were smashed together, and became like the dust on the floors where grain is crushed in summer; and the wind took them away so that no sign of them was to be seen: and the stone which gave the image a blow became a great mountain, covering all the earth.
Kwasekuchotshozwa ndawonye insimbi, ibumba, ithusi, isiliva, legolide, kwaba njengamakhoba amabala okubhulela ehlobo, lomoya wakususa, akwaze kwatholelwa ndawo. Njalo ilitshe elatshaya isithombe laba yintaba enkulu, lagcwalisa umhlaba wonke.
36 This is the dream; and we will make clear to the king the sense of it.
Yilo lelo iphupho; sesizakutsho ingcazelo yalo phambi kwenkosi.
37 You, O King, king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the strength, and the glory,
Wena, nkosi, uyinkosi yamakhosi, ngoba uNkulunkulu wamazulu ukunikile umbuso, amandla, lokuqina, lodumo.
38 Wherever the children of men are living; into whose hands he has given the beasts of the field and the birds of heaven, and has made you ruler over them all, you are the head of gold.
Njalo loba kungaphi lapho abantwana babantu abahlezi khona, izinyamazana zeganga lezinyoni zamazulu uzinikele esandleni sakho, wakwenza waba ngumbusi phezu kwazo zonke. Wena uyilelikhanda legolide.
39 And after you another kingdom, lower than you, will come to power; and a third kingdom, of brass, ruling over all the earth.
Langemva kwakho kuzavela omunye umbuso omncinyane kulowakho, lomunye owesithathu umbuso wethusi, ozabusa emhlabeni wonke.
40 And the fourth kingdom will be strong as iron: because, as all things are broken and overcome by iron, so it will have the power of crushing and smashing down all the earth.
Lombuso wesine uzaqina njengensimbi; ngoba njengoba insimbi ichoboza yehlisele phansi konke, njalo njengensimbi echoboza konke lokhu, ngokunjalo uzachoboza wephule.
41 And as you saw the feet and toes, part of potter's work and part of iron, there will be a division in the kingdom; but there will be some of the strength of iron in it, because you saw the iron mixed with the potter's earth.
Njalo njengoba wabona izinyawo lamazwane, kuyingxenye yebumba lombumbi lengxenye yensimbi, umbuso uzadatshulwa phakathi. Kodwa kuzakuba kuwo okwamandla ensimbi, njengoba wabona insimbi ihlanganiswe lebumba eliludaka.
42 And as the toes of the feet were in part of iron and in part of earth, so part of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will readily be broken.
Njengoba amazwane enyawo ayelengxenye yensimbi lengxenye yebumba; umbuso uzakuba lamandla nganxanye, wephuke lula nganxanye.
43 And as you saw the iron mixed with earth, they will give their daughters to one another as wives: but they will not be united one with another, even as iron is not mixed with earth.
Njalo njengoba wabona insimbi ihlanganiswe lebumba eliludaka, bazazihlanganisa lenzalo yabantu, kodwa kabayikunamathelana, njengoba insimbi ingahlanganiswa lebumba.
44 And in the days of those kings, the God of heaven will put up a kingdom which will never come to destruction, and its power will never be given into the hands of another people, and all these kingdoms will be broken and overcome by it, but it will keep its place for ever.
Langensuku zalamakhosi uNkulunkulu wamazulu uzamisa umbuso, ongayikuchithwa kuze kube phakade; lombuso kawuyikutshiyelwa abanye abantu; uzachoboza uqede yonke limibuso, wona-ke uzakuma kuze kube phakade.
45 Because you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that by it the iron and the brass and the earth and the silver and the gold were broken to bits, a great God has given the king knowledge of what is to take place in the future: the dream is fixed, and its sense is certain.
Ngenxa yokuthi wabona ukuthi ilitshe liqetshulwa entabeni, kungengezandla, lokuthi lachoboza insimbi, ithusi, ibumba, isiliva, legolide; uNkulunkulu omkhulu uyazisile inkosi okuzakwenzeka emva kwalokhu; iphupho liqinisekile, lengcazelo yalo ithembekile.
46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar, falling down on his face, gave worship to Daniel, and gave orders for an offering and spices to be given to him;
Lapho inkosi uNebhukadinezari yathi mbo ngobuso bayo, yakhuleka kuDaniyeli, yathi kuthululelwe kuye umnikelo lezimpepha.
47 And the king made answer to Daniel and said, Truly, your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings, and an unveiler of secrets, for you have been able to make this secret clear.
Inkosi yamphendula uDaniyeli, yathi: Kuliqiniso ukuthi uNkulunkulu wenu unguNkulunkulu wabonkulunkulu, leNkosi yamakhosi, lomambuli wezimfihlakalo, ngoba ubelakho ukwembula limfihlakalo.
48 Then the king made Daniel great, and gave him offerings in great number, and made him ruler over all the land of Babylon, and chief over all the wise men of Babylon.
Inkosi yasimenza uDaniyeli waba ngomkhulu, yamupha izipho ezinkulu ezinengi, yamenza waba ngumbusi phezu kwesabelo sonke seBhabhiloni, lenduna yababusi phezu kwabo bonke abahlakaniphileyo beBhabhiloni.
49 And at Daniel's request, the king gave Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego authority over the business of the land of Babylon: but Daniel was kept near the king's person.
UDaniyeli wasecela enkosini, njalo yamisa oShadraki, uMeshaki loAbedinego phezu komsebenzi wesabelo seBhabhiloni; kodwa uDaniyeli waba sesangweni lenkosi.

< Daniel 2 >