Isambulo 17

1 Kwasekusiza enye yengilosi eziyisikhombisa ezazilemiganu eyisikhombisa, yasikhuluma lami, isithi kimi: Woza lapha, ngizakutshengisa isigwebo sesifebe esikhulu, esihlezi phezu kwamanzi amanengi,

And one of the seven angels, which had the seven bowls, came and spoke with me, saying, Come here, I will shew thee the sentence of the great harlot who sits upon the many waters;

2 afeba laso amakhosi omhlaba, labakhileyo emhlabeni badakwe liwayini lobufebe baso.

with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication; and they that dwell on the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

3 Yasingithwalela enkangala ngikuMoya; ngasengibona owesifazana ehlezi phezu kwesilo esibomvu, sigcwele amabizo enhlamba, silamakhanda ayisikhombisa lempondo ezilitshumi.

And he carried me away in spirit to a desert; and I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

4 Njalo owesifazana wayembethe okuyibubende lokubomvu, futhi ececiswe ngegolide langamatshe aligugu langamapharele, elenkezo yegolide esandleni sakhe, igcwele amanyala lokungcola kobufebe bakhe,

And the woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and had ornaments of gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and the unclean things of her fornication;

5 njalo ebunzini lakhe kwakulotshiwe ibizo lokuthi: IMFIHLO, IBHABHILONI ELIKHULU, UNINA WEZIFEBE LOWAMANYALA OMHLABA.

and upon her forehead a name written, Mystery, great Babylon, the mother of the harlots, and of the abominations of the earth.

6 Ngasengibona owesifazana edakwe ligazi labangcwele, legazi labafakazi bakaJesu. Sengimbonile ngamangala ngokumangala okukhulu.

And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. And I wondered, seeing her, with great wonder.

7 Ingilosi yasisithi kimi: Umangalelani? Mina ngizakutshela imfihlo yowesifazana, leyesilo esimthweleyo, esilamakhanda ayisikhombisa lempondo ezilitshumi.

And the angel said to me, Why hast thou wondered? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast which carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.

8 Isilo, osibonileyo, sasikhona, njalo kasisekho, futhi sizakwenyuka sivela emgodini ongelamkhawulo, sibe sesisiya ekubhujisweni; labakhileyo emhlabeni bazamangala, abamabizo abo ayengabhalwanga egwalweni lwempilo, kusukela ekusekelweni komhlaba, bebona isilo esasikhona, njalo singasekho, lanxa sikhona. (Abyssos g12)

The beast which thou sawest was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go into destruction: and they who dwell on the earth, whose names are not written from the founding of the world in the book of life, shall wonder, seeing the beast, that it was, and is not, and shall be present. (Abyssos g12)

9 Nanku ukuqedisisa okulenhlakanipho. Amakhanda ayisikhombisa azintaba eziyisikhombisa owesifazana ahlezi khona phezu kwazo;

Here is the mind that has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains, whereon the woman sits.

10 futhi angamakhosi ayisikhombisa, amahlanu asewile, lenye ikhona, lenye kayikafiki, njalo nxa isifikile imele ukuhlala isikhatshana.

And there are seven kings: five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes he must remain [only] a little while.

11 Lesilo esasikhona, njalo singasekho, yona-ke ingeyesificaminwembili, njalo ivela kwayisikhombisa, ibisisiya ekubhujisweni.

And the beast that was and is not, he also is an eighth, and is of the seven, and goes into destruction.

12 Lempondo ezilitshumi, ozibonileyo, zingamakhosi alitshumi, angakemukeli umbuso, kodwa emukele amandla njengamakhosi ngehola linye kanye lesilo.

And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have not yet received a kingdom, but receive authority as kings one hour with the beast.

13 Wona angqondonye, njalo abela isilo awawo amandla lokubusa.

These have one mind, and give their power and authority to the beast.

14 La azakulwa leWundlu, njalo iWundlu lizawanqoba, ngoba liyiNkosi yamakhosi loMbusi wababusi, labakanye lalo ngababiziweyo labakhethiweyo labathembekileyo.

These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them; for he is Lord of lords and King of kings: and they [that are] with him called, and chosen, and faithful.

15 Yasisithi kimi: Amanzi owabonileyo, lapho esihlezi khona isifebe, angabantu lamaxuku lezizwe lendimi.

And he says to me, The waters which thou sawest, where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.

16 Lempondo ezilitshumi, ozibonileyo esilweni, zona zizasizonda isifebe, besezisichitha zisinqunule, zidle inyama yaso, zisitshise ngomlilo.

And the ten horns which thou sawest, and the beast, these shall hate the harlot, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and shall burn her with fire;

17 Ngoba uNkulunkulu ufakile enhliziyweni zazo ukuthi zenze ingqondo yakhe, lokwenza ngqondonye, lokunika isilo umbuso wazo, kuze kupheleliswe amazwi kaNkulunkulu.

for God has given to their hearts to do his mind, and to act with one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

18 Lowesifazana ombonileyo ungumuzi omkhulu olombuso phezu kwamakhosi omhlaba.

And the woman which thou sawest is the great city, which has kingship over the kings of the earth.