Daniel 2
1 In the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign the king had dreams that upset him so much that he found it difficult to sleep.
Ngomnyaka wesibili wokubusa kwakhe, uNebhukhadineza waphupha amaphupho; wahlupheka engqondweni, wehluleka lokulala.
2 So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. They came in and stood before him.
Ngakho inkosi yasibiza omasalamusi, lezangoma, labavumisi lezingcazi zezinkanyezi ukuthi bamtshele lokho ayekuphuphile. Sebengenile bema phambi kwayo inkosi,
3 “I've had a dream that has really upset me,” he told them. “I need to know what it means.”
yathi kubo, “Ngibe lephupho elingihluphayo yikho ngifuna ukwazi ukuthi litshoni.”
4 The astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, “May Your Majesty the king live forever! Tell us your dream and we your servants will interpret it for you.”
Kwasekusithi ingcazi zezinkanyezi zayiphendula inkosi zikhuluma ngesi-Aramu zathi, “Bayethe, nkosi! Phila kuze kube nininini! Zitshele izinceku zakho iphupho lelo, thina sizalichaza.”
5 “I can't recall it,” the king told the astrologers. “If you can't reveal the dream to me, and its meaning, you will be cut into pieces and your houses will be totally destroyed!
Inkosi yaziphendula ingcazi zezinkanyezi yathi, “Nanku esengikumisile: Nxa lingangitsheli ukuthi iphupho lami beliyini beselilichaza, ngizakuthi liqunywaqunywe iziqa, izindlu zenu zidilizwe zibe yinqwaba.
6 But if you can tell me the dream and its meaning you will receive from me gifts, rewards, and great honor. So tell me the dream and what it means!”
Kodwa lingangitshela iphupho kanye lengcazelo yalo ngizalipha izipho lemivuzo lodumo olukhulu. Ngakho ngitshelani iphupho libe selingichazela lona.”
7 Again they said the same thing: “If Your Majesty the king would tell us his servants the dream, we will explain what it means.”
Baphinda njalo baphendula bathi, “Inkosi kayizitshele izichaka zayo iphupho lelo, thina sizalichasisa.”
8 “It's obvious to me that you're just trying to buy time!” said the king. “You can see that I can't remember the dream.
Inkosi yaphendula yathi, “Ngileqiniso ukuthi liqonde ukuchitha isikhathi ngoba libona ukuthi yilokhu esengikumisile ukuthi:
9 If you can't reveal the dream to me, you will all receive the same punishment! You have conspired against me, telling me lies, hoping things will change. So tell me what my dream was and then I'll know that you can explain what it means.”
Nxa lingangitsheli iphupho lelo, sinye zwi isijeziso senu. Seliyengene ukuthi lingitshele inkohliso lamanyala, licabanga ukuthi kumbe izinto zizaguquka. Manje-ke ngitshelani iphupho lelo yikho ngizakwazi ukuthi lingangichasisela lona.”
10 The astrologers answered the king, “No one on earth could tell the king what he dreamed! Never before has a king, however great and powerful, demanded this of any magician, enchanter, or astrologer!
Ingcazi zezinkanyezi zayiphendula inkosi zathi, “Kakulamuntu emhlabeni ongakwenza lokho okufunwa yinkosi! Kayikho inkosi, loba ingenkulu kanganani kumbe ilamandla anganani, eyake yafuna into enjalo laloba kubani oyenza amasalamusi, kumbe isangoma loba ingcazi yezinkanyezi.
11 What Your Majesty is asking is impossible! No one can tell Your Majesty what you dreamed, except the gods, and they do not live among us mortals.”
Lokhu okufunwa yinkosi kunzima kakhulu. Kakho ongakwambulela inkosi ngaphandle kwabonkulunkulu, njalo kabahlali ebantwini.”
12 This made the king extremely angry, and he ordered all the wise men of Babylon executed.
Lokhu kwayizondisa inkosi yabila ngolaka yahle yathi zonke izihlakaniphi zaseBhabhiloni kazibulawe.
13 The decree was issued. The wise men were about to be executed, and the king's men went looking for Daniel and his friends.
Ngakho sakhutshwa isimemezelo sokuthi izazi kazibulawe, yikho kwathunywa amadoda ukuyadinga uDanyeli labakhula bakhe ukuthi babulawe.
14 Daniel approached Arioch, the commander of the imperial guard, whom the king had put in charge of the order to execute all the wise men of Babylon. Wisely and tactfully
Kwathi u-Ariyoki, indunankulu yamanxusa enkosi isiphumile ukuyabulala izihlakaniphi zaseBhabhiloni, uDanyeli wakhuluma laye ngokuhlakanipha langokunanzelela.
15 Daniel asked him, “Why would the king issue such a harsh decree?” So Arioch explained to Daniel what had happened.
Wasibuza isikhulu lesi senkosi wathi, “Kungani inkosi ikhuphe isimemezelo esibuhlungu kangaka na?” U-Ariyoki waseyichaza indaba kuDanyeli.
16 Daniel immediately went to see the king and asked for more time to explain the dream and its meaning to him.
Esekuzwile lokho uDanyeli waya enkosini wacela ukuba ake aphiwe isikhathi, ukuze ayichazele iphupho layo.
17 Then Daniel went home and shared with Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what was going on.
UDanyeli wabuyela endlini yakhe wayatshela abakhula bakhe oHananiya, loMishayeli lo-Azariya ngendaba leyo.
18 He told them to pray to the God of heaven, asking for help regarding this mystery, so that he and his friends would not be killed along with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
Wabakhuthaza ukuthi bacele umusa kuNkulunkulu wasezulwini ngale inkinga eyimfihlakalo, ukuze kuthi yena labakhula bakhe baphephe ekubulaweni kanye lazozonke izihlakaniphi zaseBhabhiloni.
19 That night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven:
Kwathi ebusuku inkinga leyo yambulelwa uDanyeli ngombono. UDanyeli wasemdumisa uNkulunkulu wasezulwini
20 “Praise the wonderful nature of God forever and ever, for he is wise and powerful.
wathi: “Kalidunyiswe ibizo likaNkulunkulu nini lanini; inhlakanipho lamandla kungokwakhe.
21 He is in charge of time and history. He removes kings, and he sets kings in place. He gives wisdom to make people wise; he gives knowledge to people so they can understand.
Uyaguqula izikhathi lezibanga; uyawabeka amakhosi aphinde awaqethule. Unika inhlakanipho kwabahlakaniphileyo lolwazi kwabaqedisisayo.
22 He reveals deep, mysterious things. He knows what lies in darkness, and light lives in his presence.
Uveza obala izinto ezizikileyo lezifihlakeleyo; uyakwazi okucatshe emnyameni, lokukhanya kuhlala kuye.
23 I give thanks and praise to you, God of my fathers, for you have given me wisdom and power. Now you have revealed to me what we asked you; you have revealed to us the king's dream.”
Ngiyakubonga njalo ngiyakudumisa, Oh Nkulunkulu wabokhokho bami: Ungiphile inhlakanipho lamandla, usungazisile mina lokho esikucelileyo kuwe, ususazisile thina iphupho lenkosi.”
24 So Daniel went to Arioch whom the king had ordered to execute the wise men of Babylon and told him, “Don't execute the wise men of Babylon! Take me to see the king and I will explain to him his dream.”
UDanyeli wasesiya ku-Ariyoki owayekhethwe yinkosi ukuba abulale izihlakaniphi zaseBhabhiloni, wathi kuye, “Ungazibulali izihlakaniphi zaseBhabhiloni. Ngisa enkosini, ngizayichasisela iphupho layo.”
25 Arioch immediately took Daniel to the king and told him, “I've found one of the captives from Judah who can tell Your Majesty what your dream means.”
U-Ariyoki wahle wasa uDanyeli enkosini wathi, “Sengiyifumene indoda kwabathunjiweyo bakwaJuda engayitshela inkosi ukuthi iphupho layo litshoni.”
26 The king asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar), “Are you really able to tell me what my dream was, and what it means?”
Inkosi yambuza uDanyeli (njalo othiwa nguBhelitheshazari), “Kambe ungangitshela na engakubonayo ephutsheni lami uphinde ulichasise?”
27 “No wise men or enchanters or magicians or diviners can explain the mystery Your Majesty wants to know,” Daniel replied.
Waphendula uDanyeli wathi, “Kasikho isihlakaniphi, noma isangoma, noma oyenza amasalamusi, noma isanuse esingayihlahlulela inkosi imfihlakalo eyidingayo,
28 “But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has revealed to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the last days. Your dream and the visions that came to your mind as you were lying in bed were these.
kodwa ukhona uNkulunkulu ezulwini owambula zonke imfihlakalo. Utshengise inkosi uNebhukhadineza okuzakwenzakala ngezinsuku ezizayo. Iphupho lakho lemibono eyafika engqondweni yakho ulele embhedeni wakho yile:
29 As Your Majesty lay there, your thoughts turned to the future, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what would take place.
Wathi ulele khonapho nkosi, ingqondo yakho yaphatha izinto ezisezakuza, kwathi umhlahluli wezinkinga wakubonisa okuzakwenzakala.”
30 It's not because I have any more wisdom than anyone else that this mystery has been revealed to me, but to explain to Your Majesty what you were thinking about so you could understand.
Okwami yikuthi ngiyambulelwe imfihlakalo le, kungesukuthi yingoba ngilenhlakanipho eyeqa eyabanye abaphilayo, kodwa ukuze kuthi wena, Oh nkosi, uyazi ingcazelo njalo ukuze uzwisise okwakuphithikana engqondweni yakho.
31 Your Majesty, as you looked, there before you stood a great statue. The statue standing in front of you was huge, and blazingly bright. It looked terrifying!
Wathi uyakhangela, Oh nkosi, wabona kumi phambi kwakho isithombe esikhulukazi, inkalakatha yesithombe esikhazimulayo, sisesabeka ukukhangeleka kwaso.
32 The head of the statue was gold, the chest and arms were silver, its middle and thighs were bronze,
Ikhanda lesithombe lalenziwe ngegolide elicengekileyo, isifuba saso lezingalo kubunjwe ngesiliva, isisu lemilenze kubunjwe ngethusi,
33 its legs were iron, and its feet were iron and baked clay.
imibala ibunjwe ngensimbi, inyawo zaso zilengxenye yensimbi lenye ingxenye yebumba elitshisiweyo.
34 While you were watching, a stone was quarried, but not by human hands. It struck the iron and clay feet of the statue and smashed them to pieces.
Wathi ulokhu usabukele, kwaqetshulwa ilitshe, kungesingazandla zamuntu. Lasigxoba isithombe ezinyaweni zaso zensimbi lebumba lazihlifiza.
35 Then the rest of the statue—the bronze, the silver, and the gold—broke into pieces like the iron and clay. The wind blew them all away like chaff from the summer threshing floor, so that no trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
Kwasekusithi insimbi, lebumba, lethusi, lesiliva kanye legolide kwachobozeka kwaba yizicucu kanyekanye kwaba njengomule esizeni ehlobo. Umoya waziphephula izicucu wazikhucula du. Kodwa ilitshe elagxoba isithombe laba yintaba enkulu yagcwala umhlaba wonke.
36 This was the dream, and now we will explain what it means to the king.
Leli bekuyilo iphupho, manje-ke sesizalichazela inkosi.
37 Your Majesty, you are the king of kings to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, and power, strength, and glory.
Wena, Oh nkosi uyinkosi yamakhosi. UNkulunkulu wasezulwini ukunikile umbuso, lamandla lobukhulu lodumo;
38 He gave you control over all peoples, as well as the wild animals and birds. He made you ruler of all of them. You are the head of gold.
uluntu lonke ulunikele ezandleni zakho kanye lezinyamazana zeganga lezinyoni zemoyeni. Loba zihlala ngaphi, ukwenze wena waba ngumbusi wakho konke. Ulikhanda leliyana legolide.
39 But after you another kingdom will rise that is inferior to your kingdom and will replace yours. After that a third kingdom that is bronze will rise and rule over the whole world.
Ngemva kwakho, kuzakuba khona omunye umbuso, ophansi kulowakho. Kuzalandela owesithathu owethusi ozabusa umhlaba wonke.
40 The fourth kingdom will be strong as iron and in the same way that iron crushes and smashes everything; it will crush and smash all others.
Ekucineni kuzakuba lombuso wesine oqinileyo njengensimbi ngoba insimbi iyephula ivodloze yonke into, yikho njengoba insimbi isephula izinto zibe yizicucu, kanjalo umbuso lowo uzayichoboza yonke eminye.
41 You saw the feet and toes made from iron and baked clay, and this indicates it will be a divided kingdom. It will have some of the strength of iron but mixed with clay.
Njengoba ubonile ukuthi inyawo lamazwane bekulengxenye yebumba elitshisiweyo lengxenye yensimbi, yikho lo uzakuba ngumbuso odabuke phakathi; loba nje uzakuba lamanye amandla ensimbi phakathi kwawo, njengalokhu uyibonile insimbi ixubene lebumba.
42 As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, the kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle.
Njengoba amazwane abelengxenye yensimbi, lengxenye yebumba, kanjalo umbuso lo uzakuba lamandla nganxanye, nganxanye ubucuzeke.
43 In the same way that you saw the iron mixed with ordinary clay, so the people will mix but they will not stick together just as iron and clay do not mix.
Njalo njengoba ubonile insimbi ixubene lebumba elitshisiweyo, kanjalo abantu bazakuba yinhlanganisela bahlale bengamanyananga, njengoba insimbi ingahlangani lebumba.
44 During the time of these kings the God of heaven will set up an eternal kingdom that will never be destroyed or taken over by others. It will crush all these kingdoms, bringing them to an end, and it will last forever,
“Ngalesosikhathi samakhosi lawo uNkulunkulu wasezulwini uzabeka umbuso ongasoze wabhidlizwa lanini njalo ongasoze utshiyelwe abanye abantu. Uzayibhidliza yonke leyomibuso iphele, kodwa wona uzakuma laphakade.”
45 in the same way that you saw the stone quarried from the mountain, but not by human hands, crush the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. The great God has revealed to Your Majesty what is to come. The dream is true, and the explanation is trustworthy.”
Le yiyo ingcazelo yombono welitshe elaqhekezwa entabeni, kungasingezandla zomuntu, ilitshe elaphahlaza insimbi, lethusi, lebumba, lesiliva kanye legolide kwaba yizicucu. “UNkulunkulu omkhulu uyitshengisile inkosi okuzakwenzeka ngesikhathi esizayo. Iphupho liliqiniso lengcazelo iqondile.”
46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell down before Daniel and worshiped him, and ordered offerings of grain and incense to be made to him.
Inkosi uNebhukhadineza wazilahla wathi mbo phambi kukaDanyeli wamkhonza wakhupha ilizwi lokuthi kenzelwe umnikelo atshiselwe impepha njalo.
47 The king said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, the revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.”
Inkosi yathi kuDanyeli, “Ngempela uNkulunkulu wakho nguNkulunkulu wabonkulunkulu leNkosi yamakhosi lomambuleli wezimfihlakalo, ngoba ukwazile ukwambula imfihlakalo le.”
48 Then the king promoted Daniel to a high position and gave him many expensive gifts, making him governor over the whole province of Babylon and head of all the wise men of Babylon.
Inkosi yasibeka uDanyeli esikhundleni esiphezulu yelekelela ngezipho ezinengi kuye. Yamenza waba ngumbusi kulolonke ilizwe laseBhabhiloni njalo waba ngumphathi wazo zonke izazi zakhona.
49 At Daniel's request, the king placed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in charge of the province of Babylon, and Daniel remained at the king's court.
Isicelwe nguDanyeli, yaphinde yabeka uShadreki, loMeshaki lo-Abhediniko baba ngabaphathi beziqinti zelizwe laseBhabhiloni, kodwa yena uDanyeli wasala esigodlweni.
