Isambulo 1
1 Isambulelo sikaJesu Kristu, amnika sona uNkulunkulu, ukuze abonise inceku zakhe izinto ezimele ukwenzeka ngokuphangisa, esethume ngengilosi yakhe wazibonakalisa kunceku yakhe uJohane,
[This book tells the message] that God revealed to Jesus Christ. God revealed it to him in order that he might reveal to his servants the [things/events] that must happen soon. Jesus communicated [this message] to [me], his servant John, by sending his angel to me.
2 owafakaza ilizwi likaNkulunkulu, lobufakazi bukaJesu Kristu, lakho konke akubonayo.
[As I write it, I], John, am truthfully reporting everything that I saw [and heard], the message from God that Jesus Christ [truthfully reported to me].
3 Ubusisiwe ofunda, lalabo abezwa amazwi alesisiprofetho, besebegcina izinto ezilotshiweyo kuso; ngoba isikhathi siseduze.
[God is] pleased with those who read [this book to the congregations], and he will be pleased with those who listen carefully to it and obey what [he has commanded in this prophetic message that I] am writing. [So read this message to the congregations, listen carefully to it, and obey it], because [these things that Jesus has revealed] will happen soon.
4 UJohane kumabandla ayisikhombisa aseAsiya: Umusa kawube kini lokuthula okuvela kuye okhona lowayekhona lozakuza; lakubomoya abayisikhombisa abaphambi kwesihlalo sakhe sobukhosi;
[I], John, am [writing this] to [you believers in] the seven congregations [that are located] in Asia [province]. [I pray that God the Father, God’s Spirit, and Jesus Christ] be kind to (OR, bless) you and cause you to have [inner] peace. [God the Father is] the one who exists, who has always existed, and who will always exist. The Spirit [of God, who] is in front of God’s throne, has [all kinds of power] (OR, The Spirit of God [is symbolized] by seven spirits who are in front of God’s throne).
5 lakuJesu Kristu, umfakazi othembekileyo, olizibulo kwabafileyo lombusi wamakhosi omhlaba. Kuye owasithandayo, wasigezisa ezonweni zethu egazini lakhe;
Jesus Christ is the one who has faithfully told [people about God]. He is the first one (whom God has raised from the dead/who became alive again after being dead), in order [to show that God will raise us who trust in Jesus]. Jesus is the one who rules the kings of the earth. He is the one who loves us. He is the one who has erased the record our sins. He did that by shedding his blood [when he died on the cross].
6 owasenza saba ngamakhosi labapristi kuNkulunkulu uYise; kakube kuye ubukhosi lamandla kuze kube nini lanini. Ameni. (aiōn g165)
He is [the one who] has caused us to become people whose lives God rules, and he has made us to be priests [who serve] God his Father. [As a result of this, we acknowledge that] Jesus Christ is eternally divine and eternally powerful. (Amen!/That is true!) (aiōn g165)
7 Khangela uyeza kanye lamayezi, futhi lonke ilihlo lizambona, lalabo abamgwazayo; lezizwe zonke zomhlaba zizalila ngenxa yakhe. Yebo. Ameni.
Listen carefully! Christ will surely come in the midst of the clouds [in order that he may judge the rebellious people of earth], and everyone [SYN] will see him [come]. Even those who [are responsible for] piercing [and killing] him [MTY] [will see him come. People from] all people-groups on earth will mourn because he [will punish them]. (Amen!/May it be so.)
8 Mina nginguAlfa loOmega, ukuqala lokucina, kutsho iNkosi, ekhona leyayikhona lezakuza, uSomandla.
The Lord God declares, “I am the one who created [everything], and I am the [one who will cause everything to] end [MET].” He is the one who exists, who has always existed, and who will always exist. He is the Almighty One.
9 Mina uJohane, longumzalwane wenu, lohlanganyela kanye lani ekuhluphekeni lembusweni lekubekezeleni kukaJesu Kristu, ngangisesihlengeni esithiwa yiPatmosi, ngenxa yelizwi likaNkulunkulu langenxa yobufakazi bukaJesu Kristu.
I, John, your fellow believer, am suffering as you [are] because of our letting Jesus rule [our lives]. We are steadfastly enduring [trials] because of our relationship with him. I was punished by being sent/exiled to Patmos island because [of my proclaiming] God’s message and telling [people about] Jesus.
10 NgangikuMoya ngosuku lweNkosi; futhi ngezwa ngemva kwami ilizwi elikhulu kungathi ngelophondo,
[God’s] Spirit took control of me on one of the days [that we believers met to worship] the Lord.
11 lisithi: Mina nginguAlfa loOmega, ukuqala lokucina; lokuthi: Okubonayo kubhale encwadini, ukuthumele emabandleni ayisikhombisa aseAsiya, eEfesu, leSemerna, lePergamo, leTiyathira, leSardisi, leFiladelfiya, leLawodikeya.
[At that time], I heard behind me someone [speaking to me as loudly and as clearly] [SIM] as a trumpet. He was saying [to me], “Write on a scroll what you see, and send it to seven congregations. Send it to [the congregations] in Ephesus [city], in Smyrna [city], in Pergamum [city], in Thyatira [city], in Sardis [city], in Philadelphia [city], and in Laodicea [city].”
12 Ngasengitshibilika ukuze ngibone ilizwi elikhuluma lami. Sengitshibilikile ngabona iziqobane zezibane zegolide eziyisikhombisa,
[In this vision] I turned in order that I might see who had spoken to me [SYN]. When I turned,
13 laphakathi kweziqobane zezibane eziyisikhombisa onjengeNdodana yomuntu, embethe isembatho esifika ezinyaweni futhi ezibophe ezithandele ngeqhele legolide emabeleni;
I saw seven golden lampstands. In the midst of the lampstands there was [someone] who looked like he came from heaven. He wore a robe that reached to his feet, and he wore a gold band around his chest.
14 njalo ikhanda lakhe lenwele zakhe kwakumhlophe njengoboya bezimvu, njengeliqhwa elikhithikileyo; lamehlo akhe enjengelangabi lomlilo,
The hair on his head was white like white wool [or] like snow. His eyes were [shining brightly] [SIM], like a flame of fire.
15 lenyawo zakhe zazinjengethusi elikhazimulayo, njengelivutha esithandweni; lelizwi lakhe lalinjengenhlokomo yamanzi amanengi;
His feet [looked] like brass that glows [as it is being] purified {as [people] purify it} in a furnace. [When he spoke], his voice [sounded] like the sound [made by] a huge waterfall (OR, a great/wide river of rushing water).
16 futhi elenkanyezi eziyisikhombisa esandleni sakhe sokunene, lemlonyeni wakhe kwaphuma inkemba ebukhali inhlangothi zombili; lobuso bakhe bunjengelanga elikhanya emandleni alo.
In his right hand he held seven stars. A sword that had two sharp edges extended from his mouth. His face [shone as bright] as the sun shines [at midday] [MTY].
17 Njalo ngathi ngimbona, ngawela ngasezinyaweni zakhe njengofileyo; wasebeka isandla sakhe sokunene phezu kwami esithi kimi: Ungesabi; mina ngingowokuqala lowokucina,
When I saw him, I fell down at his feet [and was unable to move or speak] [SIM], as though [I were] dead. But he put his right hand on me and said to me, “Don’t be afraid! I am the one who created [all things] and the [one who will cause all things to] end.
19 Bhala izinto ozibonileyo, lezinto ezikhona, lezinto ezizakuba khona emva kwalezi:
So write the [vision] that you are seeing. Write about the [conditions] that exist now, and the [events] that are about to happen next.
20 Imfihlo yenkanyezi eziyisikhombisa ozibonileyo esandleni sami sokunene, leziqobane zezibane zegolide eziyisikhombisa. Inkanyezi eziyisikhombisa ziyizithunywa zamabandla ayisikhombisa; leziqobane zezibane eziyisikhombisa ozibonileyo zingamabandla ayisikhombisa.
The meaning of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and the seven golden lampstands [that you saw is this]: The seven stars [in my hand represent the leaders, who are like] angels, [who watch over] the seven congregations, and the [seven] lampstands [represent] the seven congregations.”
