Tshenolo 17
1 Mme mongwe wa baengele ba ba su pang ba ba neng ba tshololetse dipetso mo lefatsheng a tla a bua le nna. A re, “Ntshala morago, ke tlaa go supegetsa se se tlaa diragalelang seaka se se tumileng; se se ntseng mo godimo ga metse a mantsi a lefatshe.
One of the seven angels, who had [one of] the seven bowls, came to me. He said to me, “Come [with me], and I will show you how [God] will punish the very evil [city that is represented by] [SYM] a prostitute, a city in which there are many canals [of] water.
2 Dikgosi tsa lefatshe di ne tsa akafala naso, le batho ba tagisitswe ke mofine wa boaka jwa sone.”
[It is as though] the rulers of earth have acted immorally [and idolatrously] with the people of that city [MET], and they [have persuaded people] who live on the earth to act immorally [and idolatrously] with them [MET], [just like a prostitute persuades men to drink] the [strong] wine [she gives them, resulting in their] becoming drunk [and] then committing sexual immorality. with her.”
3 Jalo moengele a ntsaya ke le mo moweng a nkisa kwa sekakeng. Teng koo ka bona mosadi a palame sebatana se se hibidu se se neng se na le ditlhogo di supa le dinaka di le lesome, se kwadilwe matlhapa gongwe le gongwe ka mafoko a a tlhapatsang Modimo.
Then, as [God’s] Spirit [controlled me], the angel carried me away to a desolate area. There I saw a woman who was sitting on a red beast. The beast had names [written] all over itself. They were names that (insulted/spoke evil against) [God]. The beast had seven heads and ten horns.
4 Mosadi yo o ne a apere diaparo tse di borokwa le bohibidu le manyena a mantle a a dirilweng ka gauta le majana a botlhokwa le ditalama, mme a bo a tshotse phafana ya gauta e tletse tse di makgapha, ebong dilo tse di maswe tsa kgokafalo ya gagwe.
The woman [that I saw] was wearing purple and red [clothes]; and gold, precious stones, and pearls were fastened to her [clothes and her body]. She held in her hand a golden cup. The cup was full of [a liquid that represents] [SYM] the detestable/disgusting, idolatrous things and filthy immoral things that she [does].
5 Mme ga bo go kwadilwe mo phatleng ya gagwe sesupo se se gakgamatsang se re, “Babelone yo Mogolo, Mmadiaka le wa Kobamelo ya Disetwa, gongwe le gongwe mo tikologong ya Lefatshe.”
This name, that has a hidden/secret [meaning], was written on her forehead: “[This woman is] Babylon, the very evil [city! She acts like] the mother of the prostitutes on the earth. She teaches them to [act] immorally and to worship idols.”
6 Ke ne ka bona gore o ne a tlhapetswe, a tlhapetswe ke madi a baswela tumelo ba ga Jesu ba a ba bolaileng. Ka mo tlhoma matlho ke tshogile thata.
I saw that the woman had become drunk as a result of drinking the blood of God’s people, those who had told others about Jesus. When I saw her, I was very bewildered/perplexed.
7 Mme moengele a botsa a re, “Ke eng fa o gakgametse jaana? Ke tlaa go bolelela gore mosadi yoo ke mang le gore sebatana se o se palamang se raya eng.
The angel said to me, “Do not be bewildered [RHQ]! I will explain to you the hidden/secret meaning of the woman and of the beast on which she rides, the beast that has the seven heads and the ten horns.
8 Sebatana se se ne se tshela mme jaanong ga se tlhole se tshela. Le fa go ntse jalo se tlaa tloga se tswa mo moleting o o senang bolekanngo se ya kwa tatlhegong ya bosakhutleng; mme batho ba lefatshe, ba maina a bone a sa kwalwang mo Lokwalong lwa Botshelo pele ga tshimologo ya lefatshe, ba tlaa akabadiwa ke go tla ga sone, morago ga se sena go swa. (Abyssos g12)
The beast that you saw [lived] previously. Eventually God will destroy him, but now he is dead. He is [about to] come up (from the underworld/from the deep dark pit). [When] the beast who had previously lived, and who then had died, reappears, the people who live on the earth will be amazed. [They are people whose] names were not in the book in which are written the names of people [who will] have eternal life. [The angels have been writing those names in a list] (from the beginning of the world/from the time when the world began). (Abyssos g12)
9 “Mme jaanong akanya thata: ditlhogo tsa sone tse supa di emetse motse mongwe o o agilweng mo dithabeng di supa kwa mosadi yo o nnang teng.
Those who [think] wisely [can understand] this: The seven heads [of the beast] on which the woman sits [symbolize] the seven hills [of the city that the woman represents]. They also [symbolize] seven rulers.
10 Gape di emetse dikgosi di supa. Tse tlhano di setse di ole, jaanong go busa ya borataro, mme ya bosupa e e tla, mme puso ya yone e tlaa nna ka lobakanyana.
Five [of those rulers] have died. One is [still alive]. The seventh [ruler] has not yet come. When he comes, he must remain on earth for [only] a short [time].
11 Sebatana se sehibidu se se suleng, ke kgosi ya boferabobedi, e e kileng ya busa pele e le nngwe ya tse di supang; morago ga puso ya sone ya bobedi, le sone se tlaa ya tatlhegong.
The beast that [lived] before and then was not [alive] will be the eighth [ruler]. He will be [evil like] the seven [rulers were, but God] will surely destroy him.
12 Dinaka tsa sone tse some ke dikgosi tse some tse di iseng di amogele bogosi; di tlaa bewa mo bogosing jwa tsone ka lobaka lo lo khutshwane, go busa le sone sebatana.
The ten horns that you saw [represent] ten rulers who have not yet begun to rule. They, together with the beast, will be authorized to rule [people for only a short time, as if it were] [MET] for one hour.
13 Tsotlhe di tlaa kwala tumalano ya go neela sebatana nonofo ya tsone le taolo.
Those [rulers] will all agree to do the same thing. [As a result] they will give to the beast their power [to rule people] as well as their authority [to rule people] [DOU].
14 Tsotlhe di tlaa tlhabantsha Kwana, mme e tlaa di fenya, gonne ke Morena wa barena botlhe, le Kgosi ya dikgosi, mme batho ba gagwe ke ba ba biditsweng, ba ba tlhophilweng, e bile ke ba ba ikanyegang.
The rulers and the beast will fight against [Jesus], the [one who is like a] lamb. He will defeat them, because he is Lord [who rules over all other] lords and the King [who rules over all other] kings. Those [people] who are with [and helping him] are the ones whom [God] has chosen, and who keep [serving him] faithfully.”
15 “Mawatle, macha le melapo e mosadi o ntseng mo go yone e emetse boidiidi jwa batho jwa merafe yotlhe.
Then the angel said to me, “The waters that you saw in the city where the prostitute sits represent people-[groups], multitudes [of people], nations, and [speakers of many languages] [MTY].
16 “Mme sebatana se se hibidu le dinaka tsa sone tse some, tse di emetseng dikgosi tse some tse di tlaa busang naso, tsotlhe di tlaa ila mosadi, mme di tlaa mo tlhasela di mo tlogele a sa ikatega a bo a fisiwe ka molelo.
The ten horns that you saw [represent rulers] [SYM]. They and the beast will hate [the people in the city] [MTY] that the prostitute [represents]. As a result, they will [take away everything that is in the city, as if] they were [MET] leaving it naked. They will [destroy it as if] [MET] devouring flesh/meat, and they will burn it with fire.
17 Gonne Modimo o tlaa tsenya mo ditlhaloganyong tsa bone, leano le le tlaa tsweledisang maikaelelo a one: ba tlaa dumalana ka bongwe jwa pelo go naya sebatana se sehibidu taolo, gore mafoko a Modimo a tle a diragadiwe.
They will do that because God has caused them to decide to do what he wants them to do. As a result, they will let the beast have their power to rule until what God has said is fulfilled {until [they] fulfill what God has said} [MTY].
18 Mosadi yo o mmonyeng mo ponatshegelong ya gago o emetse motse o mogolo o o busang dikgosi tsa lefatshe.”
The prostitute that you saw [represents] the very evil city [whose leaders] [MTY] rule over the kings of the earth.”
