Daniel 2
1 [One night] during the second year that Nebuchadnezzar ruled, he had a dream. The dream worried him very much; and [as a result] he could not sleep.
Ngomnyaka wesibili wokubusa kukaNebhukadinezari, uNebhukadinezari waphupha amaphupho; umoya wakhe wasukhathazeka, lobuthongo bakhe basuka kuye.
2 [The next morning] he summoned his men who worked magic, fortune-tellers, those who worked sorcery, and those who studied the stars. [Because he had forgotten what he had dreamed, ] he insisted that they tell him what he had dreamed. As they stood there in front of the king,
Inkosi yasisithi kubizwe izanuse lezangoma labavumisayo lamaKhaladiya, ukuze batshengise inkosi amaphupho ayo. Beza-ke, bema phambi kwenkosi.
3 he said, “I had a dream [last night] that worries me. [Tell me what I dreamed, because] I want to know what the dream [means].”
Inkosi yasisithi kubo: Ngiphuphe iphupho; umoya wami wasukhathazeka ukulazi iphupho.
4 The men who studied the stars replied to the king, speaking in the Aramaic [language]. They said, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we hope that you will live a long time! Tell us what you dreamed, and [then] we will tell you what it means!”
AmaKhaladiya asekhuluma enkosini ngesiAramu: Nkosi, phila kuze kube nininini! Tshela inceku zakho iphupho, thina sizatshengisa ingcazelo.
5 But the king replied, “I have firmly decided that you must tell me the dream, and [also tell me] what it means. If you do not do that, I will [order my soldiers to] cut you into pieces, and to cause your houses to become only piles of stones!
Inkosi yaphendula yathi kumaKhaladiya: Into isisukile kimi; uba lingayikungazisa iphupho lengcazelo yalo, lizakwenziwa iziqa, lezindlu zenu zenziwe inqumbi yomquba.
6 But if you tell me what I dreamed and what it means, I will reward you. I will give you wonderful gifts and greatly honor you. So tell me what I dreamed and what it means!”
Kodwa uba litshengisa iphupho lengcazelo yalo, lizakwemukela kimi izipho lomvuzo lodumo olukhulu. Ngakho ngitshengisani iphupho lengcazelo yalo.
7 But again they said, “Tell us what you dreamed, and [then] we will tell you what it means.”
Baphendula okwesibili bathi: Inkosi kayitshele inceku zayo iphupho, thina sizabonisa ingcazelo yalo.
8 The king replied, “I know that you are just trying to get more time, because you know that I will do to you what I said that I would do.
Inkosi yaphendula yathi: Mina ngiyazi isibili ukuthi lithenga isikhathi, ngoba liyabona ukuthi into isukile kimi.
9 If you do not tell me what I dreamed, you will be punished. [I think that] you have all agreed to tell me lies and [other] wicked things, because you hope that I will change ([my mind/what I am thinking]). But tell me the dream, and [then] I will know that you can [also] tell me what it means.”
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 The men who studied the stars replied, “There is no one on the earth who can do what you ask! There is no king, [even] a great and mighty king, who has [ever] asked his men who work magic or his fortune-tellers or men who study the stars to do something like that!
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 What you are asking [us to do] is impossible. Only the gods can tell you what you dreamed, and they do not live among us!”
Futhi kuyinto enzima inkosi eyibuzayo, njalo kakho omunye ongayibonisa phambi kwenkosi, ngaphandle kwabonkulunkulu, okuhlala kwabo kakukho kwabasenyameni.
12 The king was very angry when he heard that, so he commanded [his soldiers] that they execute all such wise men in Babylon.
Ngenxa yalokhu inkosi yaba lolaka yathukuthela kakhulu, yalaya ukuthi kubhujiswe bonke abahlakaniphileyo beBhabhiloni.
13 And because of what the king commanded, they sent some men to find me and my [three] friends, to execute us [also].
Kwasekuphuma isimiso, ukuthi abahlakaniphileyo babulawe; basebedinga uDaniyeli labangane bakhe ukuthi babulawe.
14 Arioch, the commander of the king’s guards, came to kill us. But I spoke to him very wisely and tactfully/skillfully.
Lapho uDaniyeli wabuyisela icebo lokuqonda kuAriyoki induna yabalindi benkosi, owayephumele ukubulala abahlakaniphileyo beBhabhiloni.
15 I asked Arioch, “Why has the king made such a harsh/terrible decree?” So Arioch told me all that had happened [because of the king’s dream].
Waphendula wathi kuAriyoki induna yenkosi: Kungani isimiso singesesiphangiphangi esivela enkosini? Lapho uAriyoki wamazisa uDaniyeli indaba.
16 I [immediately] went to talk to the king and requested that the king give me some time, so that I could find out [what the dream was and] what the dream meant.
UDaniyeli wasengena, wacela enkosini ukuthi imnike isikhathi sokuthi ayitshengise inkosi ingcazelo.
17 Then I went home, and I told my friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, what had happened.
UDaniyeli wasesiya endlini yakhe, wabazisa oHananiya, uMishayeli, loAzariya, abangane bakhe, loludaba;
18 I urged them to ask God, who lives/rules in heaven, to have mercy on us by telling us the secret [meaning of what the king dreamed], in order that we and the other wise men in Babylon would not be executed.
ukuze bacele izihawu kuNkulunkulu wezulu ngalimfihlakalo; ukuze bangabhubhi oDaniyeli labangane bakhe kanye labanye abahlakaniphileyo beBhabhiloni.
19 And that night [God] gave to me a vision in which he revealed the secret. Then I praised God,
Lapho imfihlakalo yembulelwa uDaniyeli embonweni wobusuku. UDaniyeli wasemdumisa uNkulunkulu wamazulu.
20 saying, “We should praise God [MTY] forever, because [only] he truly is wise and powerful.
UDaniyeli waphendula wathi: Kalidunyiswe ibizo likaNkulunkulu kusukela phakade kuze kube phakade, ngoba inhlakanipho lamandla kungokwakhe.
21 He determines what events will happen through the years. He removes [some] kings and gives their authority to [new] kings. He is the one who causes people to become wise and enables those who study to understand [many] things.
Ngoba uyaguqula izikhathi lezikhathi ezimisiweyo, uyasusa amakhosi, amise amakhosi, upha inhlakanipho kwabahlakaniphileyo, lolwazi kulabo abazi ukuqedisisa.
22 He reveals things that are very mysterious; he is surrounded by light, but he knows things that are hidden [as though they were] in the darkness.
Uyembula okujulileyo lokufihlakeleyo, uyakwazi okusemnyameni, lokukhanya kuhlala kanye laye.
23 God, whom my ancestors [worshiped], I thank you and I praise you, because you have caused me to be wise and made me strong. You have told me what my friends and I asked you to tell us; and you have revealed to us what the king demanded to know.”
Ngiyakubonga ngikudumise, wena Nkulunkulu wabobaba, ongiphe inhlakanipho lamandla, ongazise khathesi lokho esikucelileyo kuwe, ngoba usazisile udaba lwenkosi.
24 Then I went to Arioch, the man whom the king had appointed to execute the wise men in Babylon. I said to him, “Do not kill those wise men. Take me to the king, and I will tell him what his dream means.”
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 So Arioch quickly took me to the king. He said to the king, “I have found [this man], one of the men whom we brought from Judah who [says he can] can tell you what your dream means!”
Lapho uAriyoki wangenisa uDaniyeli phambi kwenkosi ngokuphangisa, watsho njalo kuyo: Ngithole indoda kwabathunjiweyo bakoJuda, ezakwazisa inkosi ingcazelo.
26 The king said to me, whose [new] name was Belteshazzar, “[Is this true]? Can you tell me what I dreamed and what it means?”
Inkosi yaphendula yathi kuDaniyeli, obizo lakhe lalinguBeliteshazari: Ulakho yini ukungazisa iphupho engilibonileyo, lengcazelo yalo?
27 I replied, “There are no wise men or fortune-tellers or men who work magic or men who work sorcery who can tell such things to you.
UDaniyeli waphendula phambi kwenkosi, wathi: Imfihlakalo inkosi eyibuzayo, abahlakaniphileyo, izangoma, izanuse, abalumbi bangeyibonise inkosi.
28 But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets. And he has shown in [your dream] what will happen in the future. Now I will tell you what you dreamed, the vision you saw [as you were lying] on your bed.
Kodwa ukhona uNkulunkulu emazulwini owembula izimfihlakalo, uyitshengisile inkosi uNebhukadinezari okuzakwenzeka ekucineni kwezinsuku; iphupho lakho lemibono yekhanda lakho embhedeni wakho yilokhu:
29 O King, while you were sleeping, you dreamed about events that will happen in the future. The one who reveals mysteries has shown you what is going to happen.
Wena, nkosi, usembhedeni wakho kwavela imicabango yakho ngalokhu okuzakwenzeka emva kwalokhu; lalowo owembula izimfihlakalo ukwazisile wena lokho okuzakwenzeka.
30 And it is not because I am wiser than anyone else on earth that I know the meaning of this mysterious dream. It is because God wanted you to understand what you were thinking.
Mayelana lami, limfihlakalo yembulwa kimi hatshi ngenxa yenhlakanipho ephakathi kwami okwedlula bonke abaphilayo, kodwa ukuthi kwaziswe ingcazelo enkosini, lokuthi wazi imicabango yenhliziyo yakho.
31 O King, [in your vision] you saw in front of you a huge and terrifying statue [of a man. It was] shining very brightly, and it was frightening and awesome.
Wena nkosi, wabona, khangela-ke, isithombe esikhulu. Lesisithombe esikhulu, okukhazimula kwaso kwakusedlulisa, sema phambi kwakho; lesimo saso sasisesabeka.
32 The head of the statue was [made] of pure gold. Its chest and arms [were made of] silver. Its belly and thighs [were made of] bronze.
Ikhanda lalesisithombe lalingelegolide elihle, isifuba saso lengalo zaso kwakungokwesiliva, isisu saso lamathangazi aso kwakungokwethusi,
33 Its legs [were made of] iron, and its feet were a mixture of clay and iron.
imilenze yaso yayingeyensimbi, inyawo zaso ingxenye yayingeyensimbi lengxenye yayingeyebumba.
34 As you watched, something cut a rock [from a mountain, but it was] not a human [who cut it]. The rock [tumbled down and] smashed the feet of the statue, feet [that were made of] iron and clay. It smashed them to bits.
Wasubona kwaze kwasikwa ilitshe kungengezandla, elatshaya isithombe ezinyaweni zaso ezensimbi lebumba, lazichoboza.
35 Then the rest of the statue collapsed into a big heap of iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold. The pieces of the statue were as small as bits of chaff on the ground where it is threshed, and the wind blew away all the tiny pieces. There was nothing left. But the rock that smashed the statue became a large mountain that covered the whole 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 That was what you dreamed. Now I will tell you what it means.
Yilo lelo iphupho; sesizakutsho ingcazelo yalo phambi kwenkosi.
37 You are a king [who rules] over [many other] kings. The God who rules in heaven has caused you to rule over them and has given you great power [DOU] and has honored you.
Wena, nkosi, uyinkosi yamakhosi, ngoba uNkulunkulu wamazulu ukunikile umbuso, amandla, lokuqina, lodumo.
38 He has caused you to be the ruler over all people, and [even] the animals and birds are controlled by you. [So] the head [of the statue] represents you.
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 But after your [kingdom/rule] ends, there will be another [great] kingdom, [but it] will not be as great as yours. [The silver parts of the statue represent that kingdom]. Then there will be a third [great] kingdom [whose king] will rule over the whole earth. The bronze parts [of the statue represent] that kingdom.
Langemva kwakho kuzavela omunye umbuso omncinyane kulowakho, lomunye owesithathu umbuso wethusi, ozabusa emhlabeni wonke.
40 After that kingdom ends, there will be a fourth [great] kingdom. The iron [parts of the statue represent that kingdom]. [The army of] that kingdom will smash the previous kingdoms, just like iron smashes everything that it strikes.
Lombuso wesine uzaqina njengensimbi; ngoba njengoba insimbi ichoboza yehlisele phansi konke, njalo njengensimbi echoboza konke lokhu, ngokunjalo uzachoboza wephule.
41 The feet and toes of the statue that you saw, that were a mixture of iron and clay, indicate that the kingdom they represent will [later] be divided.
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 Some parts of that kingdom will be as strong as iron, but some parts will not remain together, just as iron and clay do not stick together.
Njengoba amazwane enyawo ayelengxenye yensimbi lengxenye yebumba; umbuso uzakuba lamandla nganxanye, wephuke lula nganxanye.
43 The mixture of iron and clay [in the statue] shows also that the rulers of those kingdoms that separate from each other will try to form alliances with each other as a result of members of the royal families of those kingdoms marrying each other. But that will not succeed, just as iron and clay do not stick together.
Njalo njengoba wabona insimbi ihlanganiswe lebumba eliludaka, bazazihlanganisa lenzalo yabantu, kodwa kabayikunamathelana, njengoba insimbi ingahlanganiswa lebumba.
44 But while those kings are ruling, God who rules in heaven will establish a kingdom that will never end. No one will ever defeat its king. He will completely destroy all those kingdoms, but his kingdom will remain forever.
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 That is the meaning of the rock that something cut from the mountain, the rock that will crush to tiny bits the statue that is made of iron, bronze, silver, and gold. O king, the great God has shown you what will truly happen in the future. And you can trust [what I told you about] the meaning of the dream.”
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 prostrated himself in front of me [in great respect]. He commanded [his people] that they burn incense and burn an offering of grain to honor me.
Lapho inkosi uNebhukadinezari yathi mbo ngobuso bayo, yakhuleka kuDaniyeli, yathi kuthululelwe kuye umnikelo lezimpepha.
47 The king said to me, “[Your God has enabled] you to tell me the meaning of this dream/mystery, so now I truly know that your God is greater than all the other gods and all other kings. He reveals [to people] things that they cannot know.”
Inkosi yamphendula uDaniyeli, yathi: Kuliqiniso ukuthi uNkulunkulu wenu unguNkulunkulu wabonkulunkulu, leNkosi yamakhosi, lomambuli wezimfihlakalo, ngoba ubelakho ukwembula limfihlakalo.
48 Then the king gave many gifts to me, and he [also] appointed me to rule over the entire province of Babylon, and [also] to be the boss of all his wise men.
Inkosi yasimenza uDaniyeli waba ngomkhulu, yamupha izipho ezinkulu ezinengi, yamenza waba ngumbusi phezu kwesabelo sonke seBhabhiloni, lenduna yababusi phezu kwabo bonke abahlakaniphileyo beBhabhiloni.
49 I asked the king to appoint Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to [also] have important positions in Babylon province, and the king did what I asked him to do. But [I did my work while] I stayed at the king’s palace.
UDaniyeli wasecela enkosini, njalo yamisa oShadraki, uMeshaki loAbedinego phezu komsebenzi wesabelo seBhabhiloni; kodwa uDaniyeli waba sesangweni lenkosi.
