Isambulo 13
1 Ngasengisima etshebetshebeni lolwandle; ngasengibona isilo sikhuphuka olwandle, silamakhanda ayisikhombisa lempondo ezilitshumi, laphezu kwempondo zaso imiqhele elitshumi, laphezu kwamakhanda aso kulebizo lenhlamba.
Then the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads. On its horns were ten crowns, and on each of its heads was a blasphemous name.
2 Lesilo engasibonayo sasinjengengwe, lenyawo zaso zazinjengezebhere, lomlomo waso unjengomlomo wesilwane. Njalo umgobho wasinika amandla awo, lesihlalo sawo sobukhosi, legunya elikhulu.
This beast I saw was like a leopard. Its feet were like a bear's feet, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. The dragon gave his power to it, and his throne, and his great authority to rule.
3 Ngasengibona elinye lamakhanda aso kungathi lilimele okokufa; lenxeba laso lokufa selapholiswa; umhlaba wonke wasumangala ngemva kwesilo;
One of the beast's heads appeared to have been killed, but its fatal wound was healed. The whole earth marveled as they followed the beast.
4 basebewukhonza umgobho owasinika isilo amandla, basebesikhonza isilo, besithi: Ngubani ofanana lesilo? Ngubani ongalwa laso?
They also worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast. They worshiped the beast, too, and kept saying, “Who is like the beast?” and “Who can fight against it?”
5 Kwasekunikelwa kuso umlomo wokukhuluma izinto ezinkulu lezinhlamba, kwasekunikelwa kuso amandla okusebenza inyanga ezingamatshumi amane lambili.
The beast was given a mouth that could speak proud words and blasphemies. It was permitted to exercise authority for forty-two months.
6 Sasesivula umlomo waso ukuhlambaza okumelane loNkulunkulu, lokuhlambaza ibizo lakhe, lethabhanekele lakhe, lalabo abahlezi ezulwini.
So the beast opened its mouth to speak blasphemies against God—blaspheming his name, the place where he lives, and those who live in heaven.
7 Kwasekunikelwa kuso ukuthi silawule impi labangcwele, lokubanqoba; kwasekunikelwa kuso amandla phezu kwawo wonke umhlobo lolimi lesizwe.
The beast was permitted to wage war with the saints and to conquer them. Also, authority was given to it over every tribe, people, language, and nation.
8 Labo bonke abakhileyo emhlabeni bazasikhonza, labo amabizo abo angabhalwanga egwalweni lwempilo lweWundlu elahlatshwayo selokhu kwasekelwa umhlaba.
All who live on the earth will worship it, everyone whose name was not written, since the creation of the world, in the Book of Life, which belongs to the Lamb, who had been slaughtered.
9 Uba umuntu elendlebe, kezwe.
If anyone has an ear, let him listen.
10 Uba umuntu ethumba, uya ekuthunjweni; uba umuntu ebulala ngenkemba, yena kumele abulawe ngenkemba. Lapha kulokubekezela lokholo lwabangcwele.
If anyone is to be taken into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed. Here is a call for the patient endurance and faith of the saints.
11 Ngasengibona esinye isilo sisenyuka emhlabeni, sasilempondo ezimbili njengewundlu, sasesikhuluma njengomgobho.
Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, and it 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.
It exercised all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and it made the earth and those who live on it worship the first beast—the one whose lethal wound had been healed.
13 Sasesisenza izibonakaliso ezinkulu, saze senza ukuthi lomlilo wehle uvela ezulwini uze emhlabeni, phambi kwabantu.
It performed mighty miracles. It even made fire come down on the earth from heaven in front of people.
14 Sasesiduhisa abakhileyo emhlabeni ngalezozibonakaliso ezanikelwa kuso ukuzenza phambi kwesilo, sisithi kwabakhileyo emhlabeni, kabasenzele umfanekiso isilo ebesilenxeba lenkemba, sasesiphila.
By the signs it was permitted to do, it deceived those who lived on the earth. It told them to make an image in honor of the beast that had the sword wound but lived.
15 Sanikwa futhi ukupha umfanekiso wesilo umoya, ukuze umfanekiso wesilo lawo ukhulume, besesisenza ukuthi bonke abangakhonziyo umfanekiso wesilo babulawe.
It was permitted to give breath to the beast's image so that the image would even speak and cause all who refused to worship the beast to be killed.
16 Sasesisenza bonke, abancinyane labakhulu, labanothileyo labayanga, labakhululekileyo lezigqili, ukuthi baphiwe uphawu esandleni sabo sokunene, loba emabunzini abo,
It also forced everyone, unimportant and mighty, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on the right hand or on the forehead.
17 ukuze kungabi khona olakho ukuthenga loba ukuthengisa, ngaphandle kwalowo olophawu, loba ibizo lesilo loba inombolo yebizo laso.
It was impossible for anyone to buy or sell unless he had the mark of the beast, that is, the number representing its name.
18 Nansi inhlakanipho. Olokuqedisisa kabale inombolo yesilo; ngoba iyinombolo yomuntu, lenombolo yaso ingamakhulu ayisithupha lamatshumi ayisithupha lesithupha.
This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast. For it is the number of a human being. Its number is 666.
