UDanyeli 8
1 Ngomnyaka wesithathu wokubusa kwenkosi uBhelishazari mina Danyeli ngaba lombono ohambelana lalowo owake wangifikela ngaphambili.
In the third year of King Belshazzar's reign I, Daniel, saw another vision after the one I had seen previously.
2 Embonweni wami ngazibona ngisenqabeni yaseSusa esigabeni sase-Elamu; embonweni ngangisekhunjini lomgelomfula u-Ulayi.
In my vision I looked around and saw I was in the castle at Susa in the province of Elam. In the vision I was beside the River Ulai.
3 Ngakhangela, ngabona khonapho phambi kwami kwakulenqama elempondo ezimbili imi eceleni komgelo, impondo zazizinde. Olunye lwempondo lwalulude kulolunye kodwa muva lwakhula kakhulu.
I looked around and saw a ram standing beside the river. It had two long horns, one longer than the other, even though the longer one had grown last.
4 Ngayibukela inqama ihlasela isiya entshonalanga, lenyakatho leningizimu. Kwakungelanyamazana eyayingamelana layo, kungekho njalo ongalamulela emandleni ayo. Yazenzela ngokuthanda kwayo yaba yinto enkulu.
I watched the ram charging west, north, and south. No animal could stand up to it—nor was there any chance of rescue from its power. It did whatever it wanted and grew powerful.
5 Ngilokhu ngicabanga ngalokhu, masinyane kwathutsha imbuzi entshonalanga ilophondo oluqaphileyo phakathi kwamehlo ayo, idabula phakathi komhlaba wonke ingathintanga umhlabathi.
As I was thinking about what I'd seen, a male goat came in from the west, racing in across the surface of the earth so fast it didn't touch the ground. It had a large, prominent horn between its eyes.
6 Yasondela enqameni yempondombili engayibona imi ekhunjini lomgelomfula yayihlasela ngolaka olukhulu.
It approached the ram with the two horns which I had seen standing beside the river, rushing in to attack in a furious rage.
7 Yayidumela inqama ngodlakela, yayigqubula yavikiza impondo zombili. Inqama yayingelamandla okumelana layo; impongo le yayilahla phansi inqama yayigxobagxoba, kungekho ongayilamulela emandleni ayo.
I watched as the goat charged furiously at the ram, hitting it and breaking off its two horns. The ram did not have the strength to resist the goat's attack. The goat threw the ram to the ground, trampling on it, and there was no possibility of rescuing it from the goat's power.
8 Impongo (imbuzi) yaba lamandla amakhulu, kodwa kwathi amandla ayo esemakhulu kangako uphondo lwayo olukhulu lwephuka, endaweni yalo kwakhula impondo ezine eziqaphileyo ezakhula zakhangela kuwo wonke amagumbi amane omkhathi.
The goat grew very powerful, but at the height of its power its large horn was broken off. In its place four large horns came up, pointing to the four winds of heaven.
9 Kolunye uphondo lwayo kwathutsha olunye uphondo olwaqalisa luluncinyane kodwa lwakhula ngamandla kusiya eningizimu, lasempumalanga laseLizweni Elihle.
A little horn came up from one of them, and grew extremely powerful to the south and to the east and to the Beautiful Land.
10 Lwakhula lwaze lwafinyelela izinkanyezi zezulu, lwaphosela phansi emhlabeni ezinye izinkanyezi lwazigxobagxoba.
It grew in power until it reached the heavenly army, throwing some of them and some of the stars down to the earth and trampled on them.
11 Lwaziphakamisa ngokuzikhukhumeza njengengomlawuli webutho likaThixo, lwamisa umhlatshelo walo wansuku zonke kuThixo lendawo yakhe yokukhonzela yangcoliswa.
It even tried to make itself as great as the Prince of the heavenly army—it removed the continual service, and the place of his sanctuary was destroyed.
12 Ngenxa yomvukela, ibutho likaThixo, kanye lomhlatshelo wansuku zonke kwanikelwa kulo. Lwaphumelela kukho konke olwalukwenza, iqiniso alabe lisatsho ulutho.
An army of people and the continual service were handed over to it because of rebellion, and it overthrew truth, and it was successful in everything it did.
13 Ngasengisizwa ongcwele ekhuluma, omunye ongcwele wathi kuye, “Kuzathatha isikhathi esingakanani ukuze umbono lo ugcwaliseke, umbono omayelana lomhlatshelo wansuku zonke, lomvukela oletha incithakalo, lokukhalala indawo yokukhonzela, lezinkanyezi ezizagxotshwagxotshwa zinyawo zabantu bakaThixo?”
Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one asked the one who was speaking, “How long is this vision for—the removal of the continual service, the rebellion that causes devastation, the handing over of the sanctuary and the army of people to be trampled down?”
14 Wathi kimi, “Kuzathatha izikhathi zokuhlwa lezokusa ezizinkulungwane ezimbili lamakhulu amathathu; lapho-ke indawo yokukhonzela izangcweliswa kutsha.”
He replied, “For two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings, then the sanctuary will be cleansed.”
15 Kwathi mina Danyeli ngilokhu ngiwubukele umbono lo, ngizama ukuwuzwisisa, kwema khonapho phambi kwami othile owayefana lomuntu.
As I, Daniel, tried to work out what this vision meant suddenly I saw someone who looked like a man standing in front of me.
16 Ngasengisizwa ilizwi lomuntu limemeza lisuka e-Ulayi lisithi, “Gabhriyeli, tshela umuntu lo ingcazelo yombono lo.”
I also heard a human voice calling from the River Ulai, “Gabriel, explain to this man the meaning of the vision.”
17 Wathi esondela engangimi khona, ngezwa ngisesaba, ngawa ngithe thwitshi. Wathi kimi, “Ndodana yomuntu, qedisisa ukuthi umbono umayelana lesikhathi sokucina.”
As he approached me, I was terrified and fell face down before him. “Son of man,” he told me, “You need to understand that this vision refers to the time of the end.”
18 Wathi esakhuluma lami, ngalala ubuthongo obunzima ngithe mbo phansi ngobuso. Wasengithinta, wangiphakamisa, wangimisa ngezinyawo zami.
As he spoke to me I lost consciousness as I laid face down on the ground. But he took hold of me and helped me to my feet.
19 Wathi, “Ngizakutshela okuzakwenzakala ngemuva, ngesikhathi esimisiweyo esokucina.
He told me, “Pay attention! I'm going to explain to you what's going to happen during the time of anger, which refers to the appointed time of the end.
20 Inqama empondombili owayibonayo imele amakhosi eMede lePhezhiya.
The ram with two horns that you saw symbolizes the kings of Media and Persia.
21 Impongo eyisinephu yinkosi yeGrisi, lophondo olukhulu oluphakathi kwamehlo ayo yinkosi yakuqala.
The male goat is the kingdom of Greece, and the large horn between its eyes is its first king.
22 Impondo ezine ezathatha indawo yalolo olwephukayo zimele imibuso emine ezaphuma esizweni sakhe kodwa kayiyikuba lamandla alingana lawaso.”
The four horns that came up in place of the large horn that was broken represent the four kingdoms that arose from that nation, but not as powerful as the first.
23 Lapho umbuso wabo ususiya ekucineni, abahlamuki nxa sebexhwale beqisa, inkosi elolunya, eliqili kakhulu, izavela.
When those kingdoms come to an end, when their sins have reached their fullest extent, a ferocious and treacherous kingdom will rise to power.
24 Izaqina kakhulu kodwa kungasikho ngenxa yamandla ayo. Izakwenza umonakalo wokubhidliza okukhulu, iphumelele kukho konke ekwenzayo. Izawabhubhisa amaqhawe kanye labantu abangcwele.
It will become very powerful but not by its own power. It will be terribly destructive, and will succeed in everything it does. It will destroy great leaders and God's dedicated people.
25 Izakwandisa inkohlakalo, izibone yona isedlula bonke abanye. Bazakuthi besithi sebezinzile, izabhubhisa abanengi ibe isihlasela iNkosi yamakhosi. Ikanti yona izabhujiswa kodwa hatshi ngezandla zomuntu.
Through its deviousness, its lies will be convincing and successful. It shows its arrogance both in thought and action, destroying those who thought they were perfectly safe. It even fights in opposition against the Prince of princes, but it will be defeated, though not by any human power.
26 “Umbono owuphiweyo owezikhathi zokuhlwa lezokusa uliqiniso, kodwa ugcike umbono lo, ngoba uphathelane lesikhathi esizayo esikhatshana.”
The vision about the evenings and mornings that has been explained to you is true, but for now seal up this vision because it refers to the distant future.”
27 Mina Danyeli, ngadinwa kakhulu ngalala ngingogulayo okwensuku ezimbalwa. Ngasengivuka ngaqhubeka ngomsebenzi wami wenkosi. Ngadideka ngombono lowo; wawungaphezu kwengqondo.
After this, I, Daniel, became exhausted, and I was sick for days. Then I got up and went back to working for the king, but I was devastated at what I'd seen in vision and I couldn't understand it.
