Daniel 9
1 [Now I am going to tell you about what happened] when Darius, who was from the Mede people-group and who was the son of Xerxes, ruled as the King of Babylonia.
Ngomnyaka wokuqala kaDariyu indodana ka-Ahasuweru (umuMede ngosendo), owenziwa umbusi phezu kombuso waseBhabhiloni
2 During the first year that he was the king, I, Daniel, was studying/reading the [holy] books/Scriptures the message that Yahweh had given to the prophet Jeremiah. In that message Jeremiah had written that Jerusalem would [be destroyed and] remain ruined for seventy years.
ngomnyaka wokuqala wokubusa kwakhe, mina Danyeli ngezwa emiBhalweni, mayelana lelizwi likaThixo elaphiwa uJeremiya umphrofethi, ukuthi incithakalo yeJerusalema yayizakuba khona okweminyaka engamatshumi ayisikhombisa.
3 [After I read that], I pleaded to Yahweh my God [to help us], praying and (fasting/abstaining from eating food). [While doing that, I was wearing] rough cloth and [sitting in] ashes [to show that I was very sad about what was going to happen to us].
Yikho ngaphendukela eNkosini uNkulunkulu ngamncenga ngomkhuleko langokulabhela, langokuzila, ngigqoke amasaka ngazibhuqa emlotheni.
4 I confessed [the sins that we had committed], and [this is what I] prayed: Lord, you are great and awesome! You have faithfully done what you said that you would do for us. You faithfully love those who love you and who do what you have commanded [that they should do].
Ngakhuleka kuThixo uNkulunkulu wami ngafakaza ngathi: “Oh Nkosi, Nkulunkulu omkhulu, owesabekayo, ogcina isivumelwano sakhe sothando lalabo bonke abamthandayo, abagcina imilayo yakhe:
5 But we [Israelis] have sinned. We have done things that are wrong. We have done wicked things, and we have rebelled [against you]. We have turned away from [obeying] your commands [DOU].
senzile isono njalo senza okubi. Sisuke saxhwala, sahlamuka; siyifulathele imilayo yakho kanye lemithetho yakho.
6 Your prophets spoke for you [MTY], [giving your messages to] kings, to our other rulers, to our [other] ancestors, and to all the Israeli people, but we have refused to (pay attention to/heed) those prophets.
Kasizilalelanga izinceku zakho abaphrofethi abakhuluma ngebizo lakho emakhosini ethu, lamakhosana ethu lakubobaba lakubo bonke abantu belizwe.
7 Lord, you always do what is righteous/just/fair, but we have caused ourselves to be ashamed [IDM]. This is [still] true about all of the Israelis who live in Jerusalem and who live in other places in Judea. It is [also] true about all us Israelis whom you scattered, who [were taken to] other countries, some near [Israel] and some far away, because we were very unfaithful/disloyal to you.
Nkosi, ulungile, kodwa lamuhla sembeswe ngehlazo, abantu bakoJuda labantu beJerusalema lo-Israyeli wonke, abaseduze labakude, kuwo wonke amazwe lapho osihlakazele khona ngenxa yokungathembeki kwethu kuwe.
8 Lord, we and our kings and our other rulers and our [other] ancestors have done very shameful things and have sinned against you.
Oh Thixo, thina lamakhosi ethu, lamakhosana ethu kanye labobaba sembeswe ngehlazo ngoba senzile isono kuwe.
9 Although we have rebelled against you, you act mercifully [toward us] and you [are willing/ready] to forgive us.
INkosi uNkulunkulu wethu ilesihawu njalo iyathethelela loba thina siyihlamukele;
10 Yahweh our God, when you gave your laws to your prophets who served you, and they told us to conduct our lives according to those laws, we did not (listen to/heed) you.
kasimlalelanga uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu, njalo kasiyigcinanga imithetho asipha yona ngezinceku zakhe abaphrofethi.
11 All [of us] Israeli people have disobeyed your laws, and we have turned away from [obeying] what you said. We have sinned against you. As a result, [you] have caused us to experience the terrible things that your servant Moses said/wrote [would happen to us] if we sinned against you.
U-Israyeli wonke uwephule umthetho wakho wafulathela, esala ukukulalela. Ngakho iziqalekiso lezahlulelo ezifungelwayo ezibhaliweyo eMthethweni kaMosi, inceku kaNkulunkulu, zithululelwe phezu kwethu, ngoba senzile isono kuwe.
12 You warned us and our rulers that you would punish Jerusalem severely by causing a great disaster there, a disaster that would be worse than any disaster that any other city had ever experienced, and you have done what you said that you would do.
Usuwagcwalisile amazwi okusilahla njalo alahla ababusi bethu ngokusehlisela incithakalo enkulu. Ngaphansi kwalo lonke izulu kakukaze kwenziwe ulutho olulingana lalokhu osekwenziwe eJerusalema.
13 [You] punished us just like Moses wrote [that you would do]. But, Yahweh our God, we still have not tried, by turning away from our sinning and by heeding your truth, to persuade you to act mercifully toward us.
Njengoba kulotshiwe eMthethweni kaMosi yonke le incithakalo yehlele kithi, ikanti kasicelanga umusa kaThixo uNkulunkulu wethu ngokufulathela izono zethu sifunisise iqiniso lakho.
14 So, because we did not obey you, you prepared to punish us, and [then] you did punish us, because you always do what is righteous/just/fair.
UThixo kathikazanga ukwehlisela incithakalo phezu kwethu, ngoba uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu ulungile kukho konke akwenzayo; kodwa kasimlalelanga.
15 O Lord our God, you brought your people out of Egypt by your great power [MTY], and by doing that you have caused people from that time until the present time to know that you are great [IDM] [even though] we have sinned and done wicked things.
Manje-ke, Nkosi Nkulunkulu wethu, owakhupha abantu bakho eGibhithe ngesandla esilamandla njalo owazenzela ibizo elimiyo kuze kube namhla, senzile isono, senzile okubi.
16 Lord, Jerusalem is your city, and [your temple was built there] on your sacred hill. Now all the people who live in nearby [countries/nations] despise Jerusalem and [us] your people because of our sins and because of the evil things that our ancestors did. But [now], because you do what is righteous/just, [we ask you to] not be angry with Jerusalem any longer.
Nkosi, ngenxa yemisebenzi yakho yonke elungileyo, qambula ulaka lwakho lentukuthelo yakho kusuke eJerusalema, idolobho lakho, intaba yakho engcwele. Izono zethu lezinengiso zabobaba sezenze iJerusalema labantu bakho baba yinto yokuhlekisa kubo bonke abakhelene lathi.
17 O Lord our God, listen to what I am praying and pleading [for you to do]. (For your own sake/In order that people will know that you are very great), act kindly [IDM] concerning your temple, which was destroyed [by the armies of Babylonia].
Manje-ke, Nkulunkulu wethu, zwana imikhuleko lokulabhela kwenceku yakho. Ngenxa yebizo lakho, awu Nkosi, ake uhawukele indlu yakho engcwele esibhidlikile.
18 My God, listen [to my prayer]. Look [at us] and see our troubles, and see that this city that belongs to you [MTY] has been ruined/destroyed. We are praying to you because you are merciful, not because we have done what is right/good.
Beka indlebe yakho, Oh Nkulunkulu, uzwe; vula amehlo akho ubone incithakalo yedolobho elibizwa ngeBizo lakho. Kasilethi lezizicelo kuwe ngoba silungile, kodwa ngenxa yesihawu sakho esikhulu.
19 Lord, listen [to us]! Lord, forgive us! Lord, this city and these people belong to you, so [we plead with you to] heed what we are saying and act [to help us] right now, (for your own sake/in order that people will know that you are very great)!
Nkosi, lalela! Nkosi, thethelela! Nkosi, lalela wenze! Ngenxa yebizo lakho, Oh Nkulunkulu wami, ungaphuzi, ngoba idolobho lakho labantu bakho kubizwa ngeBizo lakho.”
20 I continued praying and confessing the sins that my people and I had committed, and pleading with Yahweh my God that he would restore [the temple on] the sacred hill [in Jerusalem].
Ngathi ngikhuluma njalo ngikhuleka, ngivuma isono sami, lesono sabantu bakithi abako-Israyeli, ngiletha isikhalazo sami kuThixo uNkulunkulu wami ngentaba yakhe engcwele,
21 While I was praying, Gabriel, the angel/one whom I had seen in the vision previously, came flying rapidly to me, at the time in the evening when [the priests] offered sacrifices.
ngilokhu ngisakhuleka, uGabhriyeli, indoda engayibonayo embonweni wokuqala, weza kimi endiza kungesikhathi somhlatshelo wakusihlwa.
22 He said to me, “Daniel, I have come to you to enable you to understand [DOU] clearly [the message that God gave to Jeremiah].
Wangilaya wathi kimi, “Danyeli, khathesi sengilande ukukupha ukuqonda lokuzwisisa.
23 When you began to plead [with God], he gave me a message [to pass on to you]. He loves you very much, so [he has sent me] to tell you what he said to me. So [now] (pay attention/listen carefully) in order that you may understand the meaning of what he revealed [to Jeremiah].
Wonele ukuqalisa ukukhuleka impendulo yahle yaphiwa, eyiyo engizokutshela yona, ngoba uyaqakathekiswa kakhulu. Ngakho-ke, cabanga ngalo ilizwi, uwuzwisise umbono ukuthi:
24 [God] has determined/declared that there will be 490 years until he frees/saves your people from [the guilt of] their sins and to atone for the evil things that they have done. Then [God] will rule everyone justly, and he will do that forever. And [what you saw in] the vision and what [Jeremiah] prophesied will (come true/be fulfilled), and the sacred temple will be dedicated [to God again].
Amatshumi ayisikhombisa ‘ezikhombisa’ (amaviki) asequnyelwe abantu bakini ledolobho lenu elingcwele ukuqedisa ukona, ukukhawula isono, ukuhlawulela ububi, ukuletha ukulunga okungapheliyo, ukuphetha umbono lesiphrofethi lokugcoba indawo engcwelengcwele.
25 You need to know and understand this: There will be 49 years from the time that [the king] commands that Jerusalem should be rebuilt until the leader/king that God has chosen will come. Then 434 years later, Jerusalem will be rebuilt, and it will have streets and will have a (moat/deep ditch filled with water) around it [to protect the city]. But that will be a time when [God’s people] will have [a lot of] troubles/difficulties/suffering.
Yazi njalo uzwisise lokhu: Kusukela ekukhutshweni kwesimemezelo sokuthi kuvuselelwe njalo kwakhiwe kutsha iJerusalema kuze kufike umbusi oGcotshiweyo kuzakuba lamaviki ‘ayizikhombisa’ eziyisikhombisa ‘lezikhombisa’ ezingamatshumi ayisithupha lambili. Lizakwakhiwa libe lemigwaqo lomgelo, kodwa kuyizikhathi zohlupho.
26 After those 434 years, the leader/king whom God has appointed will be killed [when it seems that] he will have accomplished nothing (unjustly/without having done anything wrong). After that, the temple will be destroyed by [the army of] a powerful ruler. The city and the temple will be destroyed like a flood [MET] [destroys everything]. That will be the beginning of the war and destruction that [God] has decreed [will happen].
Ngemva ‘kwezikhombisa’ lezo ezingamatshumi ayisithupha lambili oGcotshiweyo uzaqunywa afe engelalutho. Abantu bombusi ozakuza bazalibhidliza idolobho lendlu yenkonzo. Ukuphela kuzafika njengesikhukhula: Impi izaqhubeka kuze kube sekupheleni, sekumenyezelwe incithakalo.
27 That ruler will make a strong agreement with many people. He will promise to do for seven years what he has said in that agreement. But when that time is half finished, he will prevent [priests from] giving any more offerings and sacrifices [to God]. A disgusting idol will be put on the highest part of the temple, and it will stay there until [God] gets rid of the one who put it there, which is what he said that he would do.”
Uzaqinisa isivumelwano labanengi ‘okwesikhombisa’ esisodwa. Phakathi ‘kwesikhombisa’ uzamisa imihlatshelo leminikelo. Kuzakuthi eceleni lethempeli uzabeka isinengiso esibanga incithakalo, kuze kuthi ukucina okumisiweyo kuchithelwe kuye.”
