< Isambulo 13 >
1 Ngasengisima etshebetshebeni lolwandle; ngasengibona isilo sikhuphuka olwandle, silamakhanda ayisikhombisa lempondo ezilitshumi, laphezu kwempondo zaso imiqhele elitshumi, laphezu kwamakhanda aso kulebizo lenhlamba.
Now I was standing on the seashore, and I saw a Beast of prey coming up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten diadems and on his heads blasphemous names.
2 Lesilo engasibonayo sasinjengengwe, lenyawo zaso zazinjengezebhere, lomlomo waso unjengomlomo wesilwane. Njalo umgobho wasinika amandla awo, lesihlalo sawo sobukhosi, legunya elikhulu.
The beast that I saw was similar to a leopard, his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth was like a lion's mouth. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.
3 Ngasengibona elinye lamakhanda aso kungathi lilimele okokufa; lenxeba laso lokufa selapholiswa; umhlaba wonke wasumangala ngemva kwesilo;
And one of his heads was as if it had been mortally wounded, but his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth marveled after the Beast.
4 basebewukhonza umgobho owasinika isilo amandla, basebesikhonza isilo, besithi: Ngubani ofanana lesilo? Ngubani ongalwa laso?
And they did obeisance to the dragon who had given the authority to the Beast, and they did obeisance to the Beast saying, “Who is like the Beast, and who is able to make war with him?”
5 Kwasekunikelwa kuso umlomo wokukhuluma izinto ezinkulu lezinhlamba, kwasekunikelwa kuso amandla okusebenza inyanga ezingamatshumi amane lambili.
And he was given a mouth speaking great things, that is, blasphemy; and he was given authority to make war forty-two months.
6 Sasesivula umlomo waso ukuhlambaza okumelane loNkulunkulu, lokuhlambaza ibizo lakhe, lethabhanekele lakhe, lalabo abahlezi ezulwini.
So he opened that mouth of his in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, those who dwell in Heaven.
7 Kwasekunikelwa kuso ukuthi silawule impi labangcwele, lokubanqoba; kwasekunikelwa kuso amandla phezu kwawo wonke umhlobo lolimi lesizwe.
And it was given to him to make war with the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given him over every tribe and language and ethnic nation.
8 Labo bonke abakhileyo emhlabeni bazasikhonza, labo amabizo abo angabhalwanga egwalweni lwempilo lweWundlu elahlatshwayo selokhu kwasekelwa umhlaba.
All who dwell on the earth will do obeisance to him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slaughtered from the foundation of the world.
9 Uba umuntu elendlebe, kezwe.
If anyone has an ear, let him hear.
10 Uba umuntu ethumba, uya ekuthunjweni; uba umuntu ebulala ngenkemba, yena kumele abulawe ngenkemba. Lapha kulokubekezela lokholo lwabangcwele.
If anyone has captivity, he goes away. If anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the endurance and the faith of the saints.
11 Ngasengibona esinye isilo sisenyuka emhlabeni, sasilempondo ezimbili njengewundlu, sasesikhuluma njengomgobho.
Now I saw another beast of prey coming up out of the land, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.
12 Njalo sasebenzisa wonke amandla esilo sokuqala phambi kwaso, futhi senza ukuthi umhlaba labakhileyo kuwo bakhonze isilo sokuqala, esinxeba laso lokufa lapholiswa.
And he exercises all the authority of the first Beast in his presence; and he started to cause the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first Beast, whose mortal wound was healed.
13 Sasesisenza izibonakaliso ezinkulu, saze senza ukuthi lomlilo wehle uvela ezulwini uze emhlabeni, phambi kwabantu.
And he performs great signs, including that fire should come down from heaven upon the earth before the people.
14 Sasesiduhisa abakhileyo emhlabeni ngalezozibonakaliso ezanikelwa kuso ukuzenza phambi kwesilo, sisithi kwabakhileyo emhlabeni, kabasenzele umfanekiso isilo ebesilenxeba lenkemba, sasesiphila.
And he deceives my own people, those dwelling on the earth, by the signs that it was given to him to perform before the Beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the Beast who had the sword wound and lived.
15 Sanikwa futhi ukupha umfanekiso wesilo umoya, ukuze umfanekiso wesilo lawo ukhulume, besesisenza ukuthi bonke abangakhonziyo umfanekiso wesilo babulawe.
And it was granted to him to give breath to the image of the Beast, so that the image of the Beast should actually speak, and should cause as many as would not worship the image of the Beast to be killed.
16 Sasesisenza bonke, abancinyane labakhulu, labanothileyo labayanga, labakhululekileyo lezigqili, ukuthi baphiwe uphawu esandleni sabo sokunene, loba emabunzini abo,
And he causes everyone—both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave—to receive marks on their right hand or on their foreheads,
17 ukuze kungabi khona olakho ukuthenga loba ukuthengisa, ngaphandle kwalowo olophawu, loba ibizo lesilo loba inombolo yebizo laso.
so that no one would be able to buy or sell who does not have the mark, the name of the Beast or the number of his name.
18 Nansi inhlakanipho. Olokuqedisisa kabale inombolo yesilo; ngoba iyinombolo yomuntu, lenombolo yaso ingamakhulu ayisithupha lamatshumi ayisithupha lesithupha.
Here is wisdom: let the one who has understanding evaluate the number of the Beast, for it is the number of man—his number is 666.