< Daniel 8 >

1 In the third year of King Belshazzar's reign I, Daniel, saw another vision after the one I had seen previously.
Ngomnyaka wesithathu wokubusa kwenkosi uBelishazari kwabonakala umbono kimi, mina Daniyeli, emva kwalowo owabonakala kimi kuqala.
2 In my vision I looked around and saw I was in the castle at Susa in the province of Elam. In the vision I was beside the River Ulai.
Ngabona-ke embonweni; kwasekusithi, sengibonile, ngiseShushani isigodlo, esisesabelweni seElamu; ngasengibona embonweni, mina ngangingasemfuleni iUlayi.
3 I looked around and saw a ram standing beside the river. It had two long horns, one longer than the other, even though the longer one had grown last.
Ngasengiphakamisa amehlo ami, ngabona, khangela-ke, kwema phambi komfula inqama elempondo ezimbili. Impondo zombili zaziphakeme, kodwa olunye lwaluphakeme okwedlula olunye, njalo oluphakemeyo lwenyuka muva.
4 I watched the ram charging west, north, and south. No animal could stand up to it—nor was there any chance of rescue from its power. It did whatever it wanted and grew powerful.
Ngabona inqama ihlaba ikhangele ngentshonalanga langenyakatho langeningizimu; ukuze kungabi lezinyamazana ezingema phambi kwayo, njalo kungekho ongophula esandleni sayo; kodwa yenza njengentando yayo, yazikhulisa.
5 As I was thinking about what I'd seen, a male goat came in from the west, racing in across the surface of the earth so fast it didn't touch the ground. It had a large, prominent horn between its eyes.
Kwathi mina ngisacabanga, khangela-ke, kweza impongo yembuzi ivela ngentshonalanga phezu kobuso bomhlaba wonke, njalo kayiwuthintanga umhlabathi. Njalo limpongo yayilophondo olunanzelelekayo phakathi laphakathi kwamehlo ayo.
6 It approached the ram with the two horns which I had seen standing beside the river, rushing in to attack in a furious rage.
Yasisiza enqameni eyayilempondo ezimbili, engangiyibone imi phambi komfula, yagijimela kuyo ngolaka lwamandla ayo.
7 I watched as the goat charged furiously at the ram, hitting it and breaking off its two horns. The ram did not have the strength to resist the goat's attack. The goat threw the ram to the ground, trampling on it, and there was no possibility of rescuing it from the goat's power.
Ngasengiyibona isondela ngasenqameni, yathukuthela kakhulu imelene layo, yayitshaya inqama, yephula impondo zayo zombili. Kwakungaselamandla enqameni okuma phambi kwayo; kodwa impongo yayiwisela emhlabathini, yayinyathelela phansi; njalo kwakungekho owayengayophula inqama esandleni sayo.
8 The goat grew very powerful, but at the height of its power its large horn was broken off. In its place four large horns came up, pointing to the four winds of heaven.
Ngakho impongo yembuzi yazikhulisa kakhulukazi; yathi isilamandla, uphondo olukhulu lwephuka; njalo endaweni yalo kwenyuka ezine ezinanzelelekayo ngasemimoyeni emine yamazulu.
9 A little horn came up from one of them, and grew extremely powerful to the south and to the east and to the Beautiful Land.
Njalo kolunye lwazo kwaphuma uphondo oluncinyane, olwakhula kakhulukazi, ngaseningizimu langasempumalanga langaselizweni elihle.
10 It grew in power until it reached the heavenly army, throwing some of them and some of the stars down to the earth and trampled on them.
Lwaselukhula kwaze kwaba sebuthweni lamazulu; lwaseluwisela emhlabathini okwebutho lokwezinkanyezi, lwakunyathelela phansi.
11 It even tried to make itself as great as the Prince of the heavenly army—it removed the continual service, and the place of his sanctuary was destroyed.
Yebo, lwazikhulisa kwaze kwaba sesiphathamandleni sebutho, langalo umhlatshelo oqhubekayo wasuswa, lendawo yendlu yaso engcwele yadilizelwa phansi.
12 An army of people and the continual service were handed over to it because of rebellion, and it overthrew truth, and it was successful in everything it did.
Kwasekunikelwa ibutho limelene lomhlatshelo oqhubekayo ngenxa yesiphambeko, laphosela emhlabathini iqiniso, lenza, laphumelela.
13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one asked the one who was speaking, “How long is this vision for—the removal of the continual service, the rebellion that causes devastation, the handing over of the sanctuary and the army of people to be trampled down?”
Ngasengisizwa ongcwele oyedwa ekhuluma, njalo omunye ongcwele wathi kulowo othile owakhulumayo: Koze kube nini uzakuba khona lumbono mayelana lomhlatshelo oqhubekayo, lesiphambeko sencithakalo, ukunikela indawo engcwele kanye lebutho ukuthi kunyathelelwe phansi?
14 He replied, “For two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings, then the sanctuary will be cleansed.”
Wasesithi kimi: Kuze kube zintambama lekuseni okuzinkulungwane ezimbili lamakhulu amathathu; kube sekuhlanjululwa indawo engcwele.
15 As I, Daniel, tried to work out what this vision meant suddenly I saw someone who looked like a man standing in front of me.
Kwasekusithi mina Daniyeli sengiwubonile umbono ngadinga ukuqedisisa, khangela-ke, kwema phambi kwami okunjengesimo somuntu.
16 I also heard a human voice calling from the River Ulai, “Gabriel, explain to this man the meaning of the vision.”
Ngasengisizwa ilizwi lomuntu phakathi kwezinkumbizeUlayi, elamemeza lathi: Gabriyeli, yenza lo aqedisise umbono.
17 As he approached me, I was terrified and fell face down before him. “Son of man,” he told me, “You need to understand that this vision refers to the time of the end.”
Wasesiza eceleni kwalapho engangimi khona. Esefikile, ngethuka, ngathi mbo ngobuso bami. Kodwa wathi kimi: Qedisisa, ndodana yomuntu, ngoba umbono ungowesikhathi sokucina.
18 As he spoke to me I lost consciousness as I laid face down on the ground. But he took hold of me and helped me to my feet.
Kwathi esakhuluma lami, ngangilele ubuthongo obukhulu ngobuso bami emhlabathini; kodwa wangithinta, wangimisa endaweni yami yokuma.
19 He told me, “Pay attention! I'm going to explain to you what's going to happen during the time of anger, which refers to the appointed time of the end.
Wasesithi: Khangela, ngizakwenza wazi okuzakuba sekupheleni kwentukuthelo, ngoba ukucina kuzakuba ngesikhathi esimisiweyo.
20 The ram with two horns that you saw symbolizes the kings of Media and Persia.
Inqama oyibonileyo elempondo ezimbili ngamakhosi eMede lePerisiya.
21 The male goat is the kingdom of Greece, and the large horn between its eyes is its first king.
Njalo impongo eyisiyephu iyinkosi yeGirisi, lophondo olukhulu oluphakathi laphakathi kwamehlo ayo luyinkosi yokuqala.
22 The four horns that came up in place of the large horn that was broken represent the four kingdoms that arose from that nation, but not as powerful as the first.
Ngolwephukayo, njengoba kwema ezine endaweni yalo, kuzakuma imibuso emine kuso isizwe, kodwa hatshi ngamandla alo.
23 When those kingdoms come to an end, when their sins have reached their fullest extent, a ferocious and treacherous kingdom will rise to power.
Njalo ekucineni kwemibuso yazo, lapho abaphambeki sebephelele, izakuma inkosi elukhuni ngobuso, eqedisisa imizekeliso.
24 It will become very powerful but not by its own power. It will be terribly destructive, and will succeed in everything it does. It will destroy great leaders and God's dedicated people.
Lamandla ayo azaqina, kodwa hatshi ngamandla ayo. Njalo izachitha ngokumangalisayo, iphumelele, yenze, ichithe abalamandla lesizwe sabangcwele.
25 Through its deviousness, its lies will be convincing and successful. It shows its arrogance both in thought and action, destroying those who thought they were perfectly safe. It even fights in opposition against the Prince of princes, but it will be defeated, though not by any human power.
Langobuqili bayo izaphumelelisa inkohliso esandleni sayo, izikhulise enhliziyweni yayo, ichithe abanengi ngokuthula, futhi izamelana leNkosana yamakhosana, kodwa izakwephulwa kungelasandla.
26 The vision about the evenings and mornings that has been explained to you is true, but for now seal up this vision because it refers to the distant future.”
Njalo umbono wantambama lowekuseni olandisiweyo uliqiniso; wena-ke valela umbono, ngoba ungowensuku ezinengi.
27 After this, I, Daniel, became exhausted, and I was sick for days. Then I got up and went back to working for the king, but I was devastated at what I'd seen in vision and I couldn't understand it.
Mina-ke Daniyeli, ngaphela amandla ngagula okwensuku ezithile; emva kwalokho ngasukuma, ngenza umsebenzi wenkosi; njalo ngamangala kakhulu ngombono, kodwa kakho owaqedisisayo.

< Daniel 8 >