UDanyeli 7
1 Ngomnyaka wokuqala kaBelishazari inkosi yeBhabhiloni, uDaniyeli wabona iphupho lemibono yekhanda lakhe embhedeni wakhe. Lapho walibhala iphupho, wakhuluma indikimba yezindaba.
[Previously, ] during the first year that Belshazzar was the king of Babylonia, I had a dream and a vision one night as I lay on my bed. [The next morning] I wrote down what I had dreamed. This is what I wrote:
2 UDaniyeli waphendula wathi: Ngabona embonweni wami ebusuku, khangela-ke, imimoya yomine yamazulu yavumbuluka phezu kolwandle olukhulu.
I, Daniel, had a vision last night. In the vision I saw that strong winds were blowing from all four directions, stirring up [the water in] the ocean.
3 Izilo ezine ezinkulu zakhuphuka elwandle, zehlukile esinye kwesinye.
Then [I saw] four beasts coming out of the ocean. All four of them were different.
4 Esokuqala sasinjengesilwane, esilempiko zenkozi. Ngakhangela zaze zacuthwa impiko zaso, sasesiphakanyiswa sisuswa emhlabeni, samiswa ngenyawo njengomuntu, sanikwa inhliziyo yomuntu.
The first one resembled a lion, but it had wings like an eagle has. But as I watched, something tore off its wings {its wings were pulled off}. The beast was left there, standing on its two hind/rear legs, like a human being stands. And it was given a mind like humans have.
5 Khangela-ke esinye isilo, esesibili, sasinjengebhere, sazimisa ehlangothini olulodwa, silembambo ezintathu emlonyeni waso phakathi kwamazinyo aso. Basebesithi njalo kuso: Sukuma, udle inyama enengi.
The second beast resembled a bear. It was crouching, and it held between its teeth three ribs [from another animal that it had killed and eaten]. Someone said to it {It was told}, “Stand up and eat as much meat [as you want]!”
6 Emva kwalokhu ngabona, khangela-ke esinye, sasinjengengwe, silempiko ezine zenyoni emhlana waso, njalo isilo sasilamakhanda amane, lokubusa kwaphiwa kuso.
Then I saw in front of me the third of those beasts. It resembled a leopard, but it had four wings protruding from its back. The wings were like a bird’s wings. It had four heads. It was given the power/authority to rule [people].
7 Emva kwalokhu ngabona emibonweni yebusuku, khangela-ke isilo sesine, esesabekayo, esethusayo, silamandla kakhulukazi, silamazinyo amakhulu ensimbi, sadla safohloza, sanyathela okuseleyo ngenyawo zaso. Njalo sasehlukile kuzo zonke izilo ezazingaphambi kwaso; futhi sasilempondo ezilitshumi.
In the vision I saw a fourth beast. It was stronger than the other beasts, and it was more terrifying. It crushed other creatures with its huge iron teeth and ate their flesh. The parts of animals that it did not grind with its teeth, it trampled [on the ground]. It was different from the other three beasts: It had ten horns [on its head].
8 Ngakhangelisisa izimpondo, khangela-ke, kwenyuka phakathi kwazo olunye uphondo oluncinyane; lezintathu zezimpondo zokuqala zasitshunwa ngezimpande phambi kwalo; khangela-ke, amehlo anjengamehlo omuntu aba sephondweni lolu, lomlomo okhuluma izinto ezinkulu.
While I was looking at those horns, I saw a little horn appear [on the head of that beast]. It tore out three of the other horns. This little horn had eyes like humans have, and it had a mouth [with which it spoke] very boastfully.
9 Ngakhangela, kwaze kwabekwa izihlalo zobukhosi, kwahlala oMdala wezinsuku, ozembatho zakhe zazimhlophe njengeliqhwa elikhithikileyo, lenwele zekhanda lakhe njengoboya bemvu obuhlanzekileyo; isihlalo sakhe sobukhosi sililangabi lomlilo, amavili aso angumlilo ovuthayo.
[Then] while I watched, thrones were put in the places [where they belonged], and [God], the one who had been living forever, sat on one of the thrones. His clothes were as white as snow, and his hair was as white as pure/clean wool. His throne had wheels that were blazing with fire, and his throne was [also] blazing.
10 Isifudlana somlilo sageleza saphuma phambi kwakhe. Inkulungwane zezinkulungwane zamkhonza, lezinkulungwane ezilitshumi zezinkulungwane ezilitshumi zema phambi kwakhe. Isahlulelo sazimisa, lezincwadi zavulwa.
A fire was rushing out of in front of him like a stream. Many thousands [of people] (OR, [angels]) [were there] serving him, and millions [of other people] (OR, [angels]) were standing in front of him. They started (the court session/judging people), and they opened the books [in which they had written the record of all the good and bad things that people had done].
11 Lapho ngakhangela ngenxa yomsindo wamazwi amakhulu uphondo olwawakhulumayo. Ngakhangela saze sabulawa isilo, lomzimba waso wachithwa, wanikelwa emlilweni obhebhayo.
While I was watching, I could hear the little horn speaking very boastfully. As I [continued to] watch, the [fourth] beast was killed. Its corpse was thrown into a fire and completely burned.
12 Mayelana lezinye izilo, umbuso wazo wasuswa, kanti ukwelulwa empilweni kwanikwa kuzo kwaze kwaba yisikhathi esimisiweyo lethuba.
The power/authority of the other [three] beasts was taken away from them, but they were allowed to continue to live for a while.
13 Ngabona emibonweni yebusuku, khangela-ke, onjengendodana yomuntu weza ngamayezi amazulu, wafika kuMdala wezinsuku, basebemsondeza phambi kwakhe.
While I [continued to] see the vision that night, I saw someone who resembled a human being. He was coming [closer to me], surrounded by clouds. Then he was taken to [God], the one who had been living forever.
14 Wasenikwa ukubusa, lodumo, lombuso, ukuze bonke abantu, izizwe, lezindimi kumkhonze. Ukubusa kwakhe kuyikubusa kwaphakade, okungayikudlula, lombuso wakhe ngongayikuchithwa.
He was honored and given great authority to rule over all the nations in the world, in order that people from every people-group and every nation, people from all language groups, would worship/serve him. He will rule forever; he will never stop ruling. The kingdom that he rules will never be destroyed.
15 Mina Daniyeli, umoya wami wadabuka phakathi komzimba, lemibono yekhanda lami yangethusa.
As for me, Daniel, I was very terrified by what I had seen in that vision, and I did not know what to think about it.
16 Ngasondela komunye wababemi khona, ngabuza kuye iqiniso lakho konke lokhu. Wasengitshela, wangazisa ingcazelo yezindaba.
I went to one of those who were standing in front of the throne of God, and I asked him to tell me what it meant. So he told me the meaning of it.
17 Lezizilo ezinkulu, zozine, zingamakhosi amane, azasukuma evela emhlabeni.
[He said], “The four huge beasts represent four kingdoms/empires that will exist on the earth.
18 Kodwa abangcwele boPhezukonke bazakwemukela umbuso, babe lombuso kuze kube phakade, ngitsho kuze kube nini lanini.
But the Supreme God will give power/authority to his people [to rule], and they shall rule forever.”
19 Lapho ngathanda ukwazi iqiniso ngesilo sesine, esasehlukile kuzo zonke, sisesabeka kakhulukazi, omazinyo aso ayengawensimbi, lenzipho zaso zingezethusi; sadla, safohloza, sanyathela okuseleyo ngenyawo zaso;
Then I wanted to know what the fourth beast signified—[the beast] that was different from the other three, the beast that crushed [those that it attacked] with its bronze claws, and [then] ate [their flesh] with its iron teeth, and trampled on the parts of their bodies [that it did not eat].
20 langezimpondo ezilitshumi ezazisekhanda laso, lolunye olwenyukayo, lezawa phambi kwalo ezintathu; ngitsho lolophondo olwalulamehlo, lomlomo owakhuluma izinto ezinkulu, lokubonakala kwalo kwakukukhulu kulezinye.
[I also wanted to know about] the ten horns on its head, and about the horn that appeared later, which got rid of three of the other horns. [I wanted to know what it meant that] it had eyes and a mouth with which it spoke very boastfully. [The beast that was represented by] that horn was more terrifying than the other beasts.
21 Ngabona, ukuthi loluphondo lusilwa labangcwele, lwabanqoba,
While I was having the vision, I saw that this horn attacked God’s people and was defeating them.
22 kwaze kwafika oMdala wezinsuku, lesahlulelo saphiwa abangcwele boPhezukonke; kwasekufika isikhathi esimisiweyo sokuthi abangcwele babe lombuso.
But then the Supreme God, the one who had been living forever, came and judged in favor of the people who belonged to him. And [I knew that] it was time for God’s people to receive authority [to rule].
23 Watsho njalo: Isilo sesine sizakuba ngumbuso wesine emhlabeni, ozakwehluka kuyo yonke imibuso, sidle wonke umhlaba, siwunyathelele phansi, siwufohloze.
[Then] the man who was standing there said [to me], “The fourth beast represents an empire that will exist on the earth; that [empire] will be different from all [other] empires. [The army of] that empire will crush/kill [people all over] the world and trample [on their bodies].
24 Mayelana lempondo ezilitshumi, amakhosi alitshumi azasukuma evela kulo umbuso, lenye izasukuma emva kwawo. Yona-ke izakwehluka kwawokuqala, iwehlisele phansi amakhosi amathathu.
As for its ten horns, they represent ten kings who will rule that empire, [one after the other]. Then another [king] will appear. He will be different from the previous kings. He will defeat the three kings [that were represented by the three horns that were pulled out].
25 Njalo izakhuluma amazwi imelene loPhezukonke, ihluphe njalonjalo abangcwele boPhezukonke, inakane ngokuguqula izikhathi lomlayo; njalo bazanikelwa esandleni sayo kuze kube yisikhathi lezikhathi lengxenye yesikhathi.
He will revile the Supreme God, and he will oppress God’s people. He will try to change the [sacred] festivals and their [religious] laws/regulations. He will control them for three and a half years.
26 Kodwa isahlulelo sizahlala, basuse umbuso wayo, ukuthi bawuchithe bawuqede kuze kube sekupheleni.
But there will be a session/meeting of the court/judges in heaven, and that king’s authority/power will be taken away, and he will be completely destroyed.
27 Njalo umbuso lokubusa lobukhulu bemibuso ngaphansi kwamazulu wonke kuzanikwa abantu babangcwele boPhezukonke, ombuso wabo ngumbuso ongulaphakade, lemibuso yonke izamkhonza ilalele.
Then all the power and the greatness of all the kingdoms on the earth will be given to the people who belong to the Supreme God. The kingdom that he rules (OR, they rule) will endure forever. And the rulers of all the nations on the earth will serve and obey him (OR, them).”
28 Kuze kube lapha yisicino sendaba. Mina Daniyeli, imicabango yami yangethusa kakhulu, lokucwebezela kobuso bami kwaguquka kimi; kodwa ngalugcina udaba enhliziyweni yami.
That is [what I saw in] my vision/dream. I, Daniel, was terrified, with the result that my face became pale. But I did not tell anyone about the vision [that I had seen].
