Daniel 5
1 [Several years later, ] Belshazzar [became the] king [of Babylon. One day] he invited 1,000 of his officers to a big feast, and he drank [a lot of] wine with them.
Inkosi uBhelishazari wenzela izikhulu zakhe ezizinkulungwane idili elikhulu, wanatha lazo iwayini.
2 While he was drinking, he commanded [his servants] bring to him the gold and silver cups that the previous king, Nebuchadnezzar, had taken from the temple in Jerusalem. [He did that] because he wanted himself and his officials, his wives, and [even] his (concubines/slave wives) to drink from them, [making fun of the god that we Israelis worshiped].
Kwathi uBhelishazari enatha iwayini lakhe walaya ukuthi kulethwe izitsha zegolide lezesiliva ezazithethwe nguyise uNebhukhadineza ethempelini eJerusalema, efuna ukuthi inkosi, lezikhulu zayo, labafazi bayo kanye labafazi bayo beceleni banathele kuzo.
3 So his servants brought in [all] those gold cups, that had been taken [many years previously] from the temple of [the true] God in Jerusalem. Then the king and his officials and his wives and his slave wives drank [wine] from those cups.
Yikho baziletha izitsha zegolide ezazithethwe ethempelini likaNkulunkulu eJerusalema, kwasekusithi inkosi lezikhulu zayo kanye labafazi bayo beceleni banathela kuzo.
4 They drank to praise/honor their idols that were made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, and [even] wood and stone.
Bathi belinatha iwayini babelokhu bedumisa onkulunkulu begolide labesiliva, labethusi, labensimbi, labezigodo labamatshe.
5 Suddenly they saw a man’s hand writing on the plaster of the wall opposite the lampstand. The king also saw the hand as it was writing.
Masinyane nje kwavela iminwe yesandla somuntu yaloba emdulini eduzane loluthi lwesibane esigodlweni. Inkosi yasibukela isandla siloba.
6 He became very frightened, and his face became pale/white. His knees started shaking, and his legs became very weak, with the result that he could not stand up.
Ubuso bayo bahloba, yethuka amadolo ayo aze atshayana, imilenze yathamba yathi wohlo phansi.
7 [Then] he shouted to summon the men who worked magic, the men who studied the stars, and the fortune-tellers. He said, “I will [greatly honor] any one of them who can read this writing and tell me what it means. I will give him a purple [robe like I wear because I am the king], and I will put a gold chain around his neck. He will become a very important official in my kingdom; there will be only two others who will be more important than he will be.”
Inkosi yamemeza yathi kakubizwe izangoma lezingcazi zezinkanyezi kanye lezanuse yasisithi kuwo la amadoda ayizihlakaniphi zaseBhabhiloni, “Loba ngubani ongabala umbhalo lo angitshele ukuthi utshoni uzagqokiswa eziyibubende agqiziswe iketane legolide entanyeni yakhe, njalo uzaphiwa isikhundla sesithathu sokuba ngumbusi kulelilizwe.”
8 But when all those wise men came in, none of them could read the writing, or tell him what it meant.
Zasezingena zonke izihlakaniphi. Kodwa zehluleka ukuwubala umbhalo lokutshela inkosi ukuthi utshoni.
9 So King Belshazzar became more afraid. His face became [even] paler/whiter. And [all] his officials [who were there at the feast] did not know what to do.
Ngakho inkosi uBhelishazari yathuthumela okwedlulayo, ubuso bayo bahloba. Izikhulu zayo zadideka.
10 But when the mother of the king (OR, of the previous king) heard the king and his officials talking [loudly about what had happened], she entered the room where they were having the feast. She said [to Belshazzar], “(Your majesty/O King), I hope you will live for a long time! But do not be pale and afraid about this.
Indlovukazi yathi isizwa amazwi enkosi lezikhulu zayo yeza yangena endlini yedili. Yathi, “Oh nkosi, mana njalo. Ungethuki! Ungaze wahloba kanjalo!
11 There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. When Nebuchadnezzar was ruling, they discovered that this man understood many things and was wise, just like the gods. The man who was king previously, Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him to be in charge of all the men [in Babylon] who worked magic, the men who worked sorcery, the men who studied the stars, and the fortune-tellers.
Kulomuntu embusweni wakho olomoya wabonkulunkulu abangcwele phakathi kwakhe. Ngesikhathi sikayihlo watshengisa ukuqonda, lokukhalipha lenhlakanipho okufana lokwabonkulunkulu. Uyihlo, inkosi uNebhukhadineza yambeka ukuba yinduna yabomasalamusi, lezangoma, lezingcazi zezinkanyezi lezanuse.
12 That man’s name is Daniel; the king gave him a [new] name, Belteshazzar. He is very intelligent and is able to know and understand many things. He is [even] able to tell the meaning of dreams, and explain riddles, and explain things that are very difficult to understand. Summon him, and he will tell you what [this writing] means.”
Indoda le, uDanyeli, inkosi eyayimbiza ngokuthi nguBhelitheshazari, wabonakala elengqondo evukileyo, lolwazi lokuzwisisa, njalo elamandla okuhumutsha amaphupho, lokuchaza amalibho kanye lokuhlahlula izinkinga ezinzima. Mbize uDanyeli, uzakutshela ukuthi umbhalo utshoni.”
13 So they [went and] brought me in. The king asked me, “You [must] be Daniel [RHQ]! [They told me that you are] one of those who was brought [here] from Judah by the previous king.
Ngakho uDanyeli walethwa phambi kwenkosi, inkosi yathi kuye, “Wena unguye uDanyeli na, omunye wabathunjwa abalethwa ngubaba inkosi bevela koJuda?
14 I have [also] heard that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that you are very wise and understand many things.
Sengizwile ukuthi umoya wabonkulunkulu uphakathi kwakho lokuthi ulokuqonda, lokukhalipha lenhlakanipho eyinqaba.
15 My wise men and men who work magic have tried to read the writing on this wall and tell me what it means, but they are not able to do it.
Izihlakaniphi lezangoma zilethwe kimi ukuthi zingibalele umbhalo lo, zingitshele ukuthi utshoni, kodwa zehlulekile ukuwuchaza.
16 [Someone] told me that you can tell what dreams mean and explain things that are very difficult to understand. If you can read these words and tell me what they mean, [I] give you a purple robe [like I wear because I am the king], and I will put a gold chain around your neck. You will become a very important official in my kingdom; there will be only two others who will be more important than you will be.”
Manje sengizwile ukuthi wena ulamandla okutsho ingcazelo lokuhlahlula izinkinga ezinzima. Aluba ungawubala umbhalo lo uphinde ungitshele ukuthi utshoni, uzagqokiswa eziyibubende, ugqiziswe leketane legolide entanyeni yakho, uphinde ubekwe esikhundleni sokuba ngowesithathu ebukhulwini bombuso lo.”
17 I replied, “[I do not want] your gifts; keep them, or give them to someone else. But I will read for you the writing [on the wall], and I will tell you what it means.
UDanyeli wasephendula inkosi wathi, “Ungazigcinela lezozipho zakho, uphe leyomivuzo yakho omunye umuntu. Loba kunjalo ngizayibalela inkosi umbhalo lowo ngiyitshele ukuthi utshoni.
18 (Your Majesty/O king), the Supreme God caused the man who was king before you, Nebuchadnezzar, to become a great ruler, who was greatly praised and honored.
Yebo kambe nkosi, uNkulunkulu oPhezukonke wanika uyihlo uNebhukhadineza ubukhosi lobukhulu lodumo kanye lenkazimulo.
19 Because God caused him to become [very] great, people of many [HYP] people-groups and nations and who spoke many different languages were very much afraid of him. He [commanded his soldiers to] kill those whom he wanted to be killed, and he (spared/allowed to live) those whom he wanted to spare. He honored those whom he wanted to honor, and he caused to be disgraced those whom he wanted to be disgraced.
Ngenxa yesikhundla esiphezulu amnika sona, bonke abantu kanye lezizwe zonke labantu bendimi zonke babemqhuqha, bemesaba. Labo inkosi eyafuna ukubabulala, yababulala; labo eyafuna ukubaxolela, yabaxolela; labo eyafuna ukubakhweza ezikhundleni yabakhweza; kwathi labo eyafuna ukubayangisa, yabayangisa.
20 But when he became very proud and stubborn [IDM], he was removed from being king [MTY]. People did not consider him to be glorious/great any more.
Kodwa kwathi lapho inhliziyo yayo isilobuqholo, isilukhuni ngokuzigqaja yethulwa esihlalweni sayo sobukhosi yaphucwa udumo lwayo.
21 [His officials] sent him away in order that he would not be near [other] people. [God] caused him to have a mind like animals have. He lived among the wild donkeys. He ate grass like cows do, and dew from the sky caused his body to be damp/wet [each morning]. [He was like that] until he learned that the Supreme God is [really the one who] rules the kingdoms of this world, and that he appoints whomever he chooses to rule those kingdoms.
Yaxotshwa ebantwini yaphiwa ingqondo yenyamazana; yahlala labobabhemi beganga, yadla utshani njengezinkomo; lomzimba wayo wagxanxwa ngamazolo omkhathi yaze yavuma ukuthi uNkulunkulu oPhezukonke nguye uThixo phezu kwemibuso yabantu, abeke phezu kwayo loba nguphi umbusi amthandayo.
22 Now, Belshazzar, you have become the king. You [also] knew all those things, but you have not made yourself humble.
Kodwa wena ndodana yayo, awu Bhelishazari, kawuzithobanga, lokuba ukwazi konke lokhu.
23 You have considered yourself to be greater than [God], the Lord of heaven. [So you have commanded your servants to] bring to you these sacred cups, [which were dedicated to the Supreme God, and which were taken] from his temple [in Jerusalem]. You and your officials and your wives and your (concubines/slave wives) have been drinking wine from these cups, while you have been praising [your own] gods—gods which are made of gold and silver and bronze and iron and wood and stone. [Those are gods] that cannot see, that cannot hear, and that do not know anything! You have not honored the God who gives you breath and who controls everything that happens to you.
Endaweni yalokho, uzimisele ukumelana loThixo wezulu. Wathi kakuthathwe izitsha zethempeli layo zilethwe kuwe, kwasekusithi wena lezikhulu zakho, labafazi bakho kanye labafazi bakho beceleni lanathela iwayini kuzo. Wadumisa onkulunkulu besiliva legolide, abethusi, lensimbi, lezigodo lamatshe, abangaboniyo, labangezwayo labangaqedisisiyo. Kodwa kawumhloniphanga uNkulunkulu ophethe ukuphila kwakho kanye lezindlela zakho zonke esandleni sakhe.
24 So God sent that hand to write a message [for you].
Kungakho ethumele lesosandla esalobe lumbhalo.
25 This is the message that it wrote: ‘Mene, mene, tekel, parsin.’
Nanku umbhalo obulotshiwe: mene, mene, thekheli, pharisini.
26 This is what those words mean: Mene [means] ‘numbered/counted’. [That means that] God has been counting the days that you will rule, and he has [now] decided that you will not rule any more.
Nanku okutshiwo ngamagama la: Mene: Nkulunkulu usezibalile insuku zokubusa kwakho, usekuqedile.
27 Tekel [means ‘weighed’. It is as though God] has weighed you on a scale, and you do not weigh what you should, [which means that you have not been doing what you should; you are not fit to be a king] [MET].
Thekheli: Usulinganisiwe esikalini wafunyanwa ulula.
28 Parsin [means ‘divided’. That means that God] has divided your kingdom. Some of it will be ruled by people from Media and some will be ruled by people from Persia.”
Pharisini: Umbuso wakho usuhlukaniswe phakathi, wabelwa amaMede lamaPhezhiya.”
29 Then Belshazzar [did what he had promised]. He put on me a purple robe [like the one he himself wore. He] put a gold chain around my neck. And he proclaimed that there would be only two others who would be more important than me in his kingdom.
Kwathi ngomlayo kaBhelishazari uDanyeli wagqokiswa eziyibubende, wagqiziswa iketane legolide entanyeni yakhe, kwamenyezelwa ukuthi usengumbusi wesikhundla sobuthathu elizweni.
30 But that same night [soldiers from Media entered the city and] killed Belshazzar, the King of Babylonia.
Ngabona lobobusuku uBhelishazari, inkosi yamaBhabhiloni wabulawa,
31 Darius, the King of Media, became the King [of Babylonia] when he was 62 years old.
kwathi uDariyu umuMede wabuthatha ubukhosi eleminyaka engamatshumi ayisithupha lambili.
