UDanyeli 8
1 Ngomnyaka wesithathu wokubusa kwenkosi uBelishazari kwabonakala umbono kimi, mina Daniyeli, emva kwalowo owabonakala kimi kuqala.
During the third year that Belshazzar was the King [of Babylonia], I had another vision.
2 Ngabona-ke embonweni; kwasekusithi, sengibonile, ngiseShushani isigodlo, esisesabelweni seElamu; ngasengibona embonweni, mina ngangingasemfuleni iUlayi.
In that vision I was in Susa, the capital city of Elam Province. I was [standing] alongside the Ulai Canal.
3 Ngasengiphakamisa amehlo ami, ngabona, khangela-ke, kwema phambi komfula inqama elempondo ezimbili. Impondo zombili zaziphakeme, kodwa olunye lwaluphakeme okwedlula olunye, njalo oluphakemeyo lwenyuka muva.
I looked up and saw a ram that was standing alongside the canal. It had two [long] horns, but the newest one was longer than the other one.
4 Ngabona inqama ihlaba ikhangele ngentshonalanga langenyakatho langeningizimu; ukuze kungabi lezinyamazana ezingema phambi kwayo, njalo kungekho ongophula esandleni sayo; kodwa yenza njengentando yayo, yazikhulisa.
The ram butted/knocked away [with its horns] everything that was west and everything that was north and everything that was south of it. There were no [other] animals that were able to oppose it, and none that could rescue/save [other animals] from its power. The ram did whatever it wanted to do and became very powerful.
5 Kwathi mina ngisacabanga, khangela-ke, kweza impongo yembuzi ivela ngentshonalanga phezu kobuso bomhlaba wonke, njalo kayiwuthintanga umhlabathi. Njalo limpongo yayilophondo olunanzelelekayo phakathi laphakathi kwamehlo ayo.
While I was thinking [about what I had seen, in the vision] I saw a goat come from the west. It ran across the land so quickly, that [it seemed like] its feet did not touch the ground. This goat had one very large horn between its eyes.
6 Yasisiza enqameni eyayilempondo ezimbili, engangiyibone imi phambi komfula, yagijimela kuyo ngolaka lwamandla ayo.
It was very angry, and it ran [straight] toward the ram that I had seen [previously, the ram] that was standing alongside the canal.
7 Ngasengiyibona isondela ngasenqameni, yathukuthela kakhulu imelene layo, yayitshaya inqama, yephula impondo zayo zombili. Kwakungaselamandla enqameni okuma phambi kwayo; kodwa impongo yayiwisela emhlabathini, yayinyathelela phansi; njalo kwakungekho owayengayophula inqama esandleni sayo.
The goat struck the ram furiously and broke off its two horns, with the result that the ram was unable [to defend itself]. [So] the goat knocked the ram down and trampled on it. No one could rescue the ram from the goat’s power.
8 Ngakho impongo yembuzi yazikhulisa kakhulukazi; yathi isilamandla, uphondo olukhulu lwephuka; njalo endaweni yalo kwenyuka ezine ezinanzelelekayo ngasemimoyeni emine yamazulu.
The goat became very powerful. But when its power was very great, its horn was broken off. But four [other] large horns took its place. They each pointed in a different direction.
9 Njalo kolunye lwazo kwaphuma uphondo oluncinyane, olwakhula kakhulukazi, ngaseningizimu langasempumalanga langaselizweni elihle.
[Then] from one of those [large horns] appeared a little horn, which became very big, [and pointed] toward the south and [then] toward the east and [then] toward the beautiful land [of Israel].
10 Lwaselukhula kwaze kwaba sebuthweni lamazulu; lwaseluwisela emhlabathini okwebutho lokwezinkanyezi, lwakunyathelela phansi.
[The man who was represented by] that horn became very strong, with the result that he attacked some of the [soldiers of the] army of heaven, and (OR, meaning) the stars in the sky [which represented God’s people]. He threw some of them to the ground and trampled on them.
11 Yebo, lwazikhulisa kwaze kwaba sesiphathamandleni sebutho, langalo umhlatshelo oqhubekayo wasuswa, lendawo yendlu yaso engcwele yadilizelwa phansi.
He (defied/considered himself to be greater than) the leader of the army [of heaven], and prevented [priests from] offering sacrifices to him. He also (defiled the temple/caused the temple to become unholy).
12 Kwasekunikelwa ibutho limelene lomhlatshelo oqhubekayo ngenxa yesiphambeko, laphosela emhlabathini iqiniso, lenza, laphumelela.
Then God’s people allowed the [man who was represented by] that horn to control/rule them, with the result that they sinned by offering sacrifices to him. And he threw to the ground the [laws that contained the] true religion. Everything that he did was successful.
13 Ngasengisizwa ongcwele oyedwa ekhuluma, njalo omunye ongcwele wathi kulowo othile owakhulumayo: Koze kube nini uzakuba khona lumbono mayelana lomhlatshelo oqhubekayo, lesiphambeko sencithakalo, ukunikela indawo engcwele kanye lebutho ukuthi kunyathelelwe phansi?
Then I heard two angels who were talking to each other. One of them asked, “How long will the things/events that were in this vision continue? How long will the man who rebels against God and causes [the temple] to be defiled be able to prevent [priests from] offering sacrifices? How long will he trample on the temple and on the armies of heaven?”
14 Wasesithi kimi: Kuze kube zintambama lekuseni okuzinkulungwane ezimbili lamakhulu amathathu; kube sekuhlanjululwa indawo engcwele.
The other angel replied, “[It will continue] for 1,150 days. During all of that time, [people will not be permitted to offer sacrifices] in the morning or in the evening. After that, the temple will be purified.”
15 Kwasekusithi mina Daniyeli sengiwubonile umbono ngadinga ukuqedisisa, khangela-ke, kwema phambi kwami okunjengesimo somuntu.
While I, Daniel, was trying to understand what the vision meant, suddenly [an angel] who resembled a man stood/appeared in front of me.
16 Ngasengisizwa ilizwi lomuntu phakathi kwezinkumbizeUlayi, elamemeza lathi: Gabriyeli, yenza lo aqedisise umbono.
And I heard a man call out from [the other side of] the Ulai Canal, saying, “Gabriel, explain to him the meaning of the vision [that he saw]!”
17 Wasesiza eceleni kwalapho engangimi khona. Esefikile, ngethuka, ngathi mbo ngobuso bami. Kodwa wathi kimi: Qedisisa, ndodana yomuntu, ngoba umbono ungowesikhathi sokucina.
So Gabriel came and stood beside me. I was very terrified, with the result that I fell onto the ground. But he said to me, “You human, it is necessary for you to understand that [the events that you saw in] the vision will occur [near] the time that [the world] will end.”
18 Kwathi esakhuluma lami, ngangilele ubuthongo obukhulu ngobuso bami emhlabathini; kodwa wangithinta, wangimisa endaweni yami yokuma.
While he was speaking, I fainted. I lay there, unconscious, with my face still on the ground. But Gabriel put his hand on me and lifted me up in order that I could stand again.
19 Wasesithi: Khangela, ngizakwenza wazi okuzakuba sekupheleni kwentukuthelo, ngoba ukucina kuzakuba ngesikhathi esimisiweyo.
Then he said, “I [have come here to] tell you what will happen because of [God] being angry. These things will happen near the time when [the world] will end.
20 Inqama oyibonileyo elempondo ezimbili ngamakhosi eMede lePerisiya.
As for the ram with two horns that you saw, those horns [represent] the kingdoms of Media and Persia.
21 Njalo impongo eyisiyephu iyinkosi yeGirisi, lophondo olukhulu oluphakathi laphakathi kwamehlo ayo luyinkosi yokuqala.
The goat [that you saw represents] the kingdom of Greece, and the horn that appeared between its eyes [represents] its first king.
22 Ngolwephukayo, njengoba kwema ezine endaweni yalo, kuzakuma imibuso emine kuso isizwe, kodwa hatshi ngamandla alo.
As for the four horns that grew after the first horn was broken off, they [represent] four kingdoms into which that first kingdom will be divided [after the first king dies]. Those four kingdoms will not be as strong/powerful as the first kingdom was.
23 Njalo ekucineni kwemibuso yazo, lapho abaphambeki sebephelele, izakuma inkosi elukhuni ngobuso, eqedisisa imizekeliso.
The people [in those kingdoms] will become very wicked, with the result that it will be necessary for them to be punished. But near the time when those kingdoms will end, one of those kingdoms will have a king who will be very proud/defiant [IDM]. He will [also] be very fierce and very deceitful.
24 Lamandla ayo azaqina, kodwa hatshi ngamandla ayo. Njalo izachitha ngokumangalisayo, iphumelele, yenze, ichithe abalamandla lesizwe sabangcwele.
He will become very powerful, but it will not be because of what he himself does. He will terribly destroy things in many places, and he will succeed in doing everything that he wants to. He will get rid of [many] powerful men, and [also] some of God’s people.
25 Langobuqili bayo izaphumelelisa inkohliso esandleni sayo, izikhulise enhliziyweni yayo, ichithe abanengi ngokuthula, futhi izamelana leNkosana yamakhosana, kodwa izakwephulwa kungelasandla.
Because he is very cunning/clever, he will succeed by doing things that deceive many people. He will be proud of himself. He will destroy many people when they think that they are safe. He will also rebel against [God] [EUP], who is the greatest king. But [God] will destroy him, without the help [MTY] of any human being.
26 Njalo umbono wantambama lowekuseni olandisiweyo uliqiniso; wena-ke valela umbono, ngoba ungowensuku ezinengi.
What you saw in the vision about [priests being prevented from making] sacrifices in the morning and in the evening, which [I] explained [to you], will surely happen. But [for the present time], do not reveal the vision [to others], because it will be many years before those things happen.”
27 Mina-ke Daniyeli, ngaphela amandla ngagula okwensuku ezithile; emva kwalokho ngasukuma, ngenza umsebenzi wenkosi; njalo ngamangala kakhulu ngombono, kodwa kakho owaqedisisayo.
Then I, Daniel, became weak, and I was sick for several days. Then I arose and [returned to] doing the work that the king [had given to me], but I was perplexed/confused about the vision, and I could not understand it.
