Daniel 9
1 It was the first year of Darius the Mede, son of Ahasuerus, after he had become king of the Babylonians.
Ngomnyaka wokuqala kaDariyu indodana ka-Ahasuweru (umuMede ngosendo), owenziwa umbusi phezu kombuso waseBhabhiloni
2 During the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures as given to the prophet Jeremiah that the time of seventy years for Jerusalem to lie desolate would soon be fulfilled.
ngomnyaka wokuqala wokubusa kwakhe, mina Danyeli ngezwa emiBhalweni, mayelana lelizwi likaThixo elaphiwa uJeremiya umphrofethi, ukuthi incithakalo yeJerusalema yayizakuba khona okweminyaka engamatshumi ayisikhombisa.
3 So I turned to the Lord God in prayer. I fasted and wore sackcloth and ashes, and I pleaded with him in prayer to act.
Yikho ngaphendukela eNkosini uNkulunkulu ngamncenga ngomkhuleko langokulabhela, langokuzila, ngigqoke amasaka ngazibhuqa emlotheni.
4 I prayed to the Lord my God, and confessed, saying, “Lord, you are a great and awesome God! You always keep your promises and show your trustworthy love to those who love you and keep your commandments.
Ngakhuleka kuThixo uNkulunkulu wami ngafakaza ngathi: “Oh Nkosi, Nkulunkulu omkhulu, owesabekayo, ogcina isivumelwano sakhe sothando lalabo bonke abamthandayo, abagcina imilayo yakhe:
5 But we have sinned, we have done wrong. We have acted wickedly, we have rebelled against you. We have turned away from your commandments and your laws.
senzile isono njalo senza okubi. Sisuke saxhwala, sahlamuka; siyifulathele imilayo yakho kanye lemithetho yakho.
6 We have not paid attention to your servants the prophets who spoke in your name to our kings and leaders and forefathers, and to everybody in the country.
Kasizilalelanga izinceku zakho abaphrofethi abakhuluma ngebizo lakho emakhosini ethu, lamakhosana ethu lakubobaba lakubo bonke abantu belizwe.
7 Lord, you always do what is right, but we continue to be ashamed to this very day—we the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all Israel, those nearby and those far away, those of every country where you have driven them because of their unfaithfulness to you.
Nkosi, ulungile, kodwa lamuhla sembeswe ngehlazo, abantu bakoJuda labantu beJerusalema lo-Israyeli wonke, abaseduze labakude, kuwo wonke amazwe lapho osihlakazele khona ngenxa yokungathembeki kwethu kuwe.
8 Public shame is ours Lord, and on our kings and princes and forefathers, because we have sinned against you.
Oh Thixo, thina lamakhosi ethu, lamakhosana ethu kanye labobaba sembeswe ngehlazo ngoba senzile isono kuwe.
9 Yet you, the Lord our God, are compassionate and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against you.
INkosi uNkulunkulu wethu ilesihawu njalo iyathethelela loba thina siyihlamukele;
10 We have not obeyed what you, the Lord God, have told us. We have not followed your law that you gave us through your servants the prophets.
kasimlalelanga uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu, njalo kasiyigcinanga imithetho asipha yona ngezinceku zakhe abaphrofethi.
11 The whole of Israel has broken your law and turned away from you, not listening to what you had to say. That's why the condemnation that comes from our broken promise has been poured out on us—because of our sin, as made clear in the Law of Moses, the servant of the Lord.
U-Israyeli wonke uwephule umthetho wakho wafulathela, esala ukukulalela. Ngakho iziqalekiso lezahlulelo ezifungelwayo ezibhaliweyo eMthethweni kaMosi, inceku kaNkulunkulu, zithululelwe phezu kwethu, ngoba senzile isono kuwe.
12 You have carried out what you warned us about, against us and against our rulers—such a terrible punishment brought upon Jerusalem, the worst that has ever happened in the whole world.
Usuwagcwalisile amazwi okusilahla njalo alahla ababusi bethu ngokusehlisela incithakalo enkulu. Ngaphansi kwalo lonke izulu kakukaze kwenziwe ulutho olulingana lalokhu osekwenziwe eJerusalema.
13 Just as the Law of Moses said, all this punishment has fallen on us, but we still have not asked you, the Lord our God, to be favorable to us, turning away from our sins and paying attention to your truth.
Njengoba kulotshiwe eMthethweni kaMosi yonke le incithakalo yehlele kithi, ikanti kasicelanga umusa kaThixo uNkulunkulu wethu ngokufulathela izono zethu sifunisise iqiniso lakho.
14 You were ready to punish us, and you were right to do everything you have done, for we didn't listen to you.
UThixo kathikazanga ukwehlisela incithakalo phezu kwethu, ngoba uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu ulungile kukho konke akwenzayo; kodwa kasimlalelanga.
15 You, our Lord God, by your great power brought us out of Egypt, making a name for yourself that lasts even until now. But we have sinned, we have done wicked things.
Manje-ke, Nkosi Nkulunkulu wethu, owakhupha abantu bakho eGibhithe ngesandla esilamandla njalo owazenzela ibizo elimiyo kuze kube namhla, senzile isono, senzile okubi.
16 So Lord, because you are so good, please turn away from your anger and fury against Jerusalem, your holy mountain. Because of our sins and those of our forefathers, Jerusalem and your people are mocked by all our neighbors.
Nkosi, ngenxa yemisebenzi yakho yonke elungileyo, qambula ulaka lwakho lentukuthelo yakho kusuke eJerusalema, idolobho lakho, intaba yakho engcwele. Izono zethu lezinengiso zabobaba sezenze iJerusalema labantu bakho baba yinto yokuhlekisa kubo bonke abakhelene lathi.
17 Now, our Lord, please listen to the prayer and pleading of your servant, and for your own sake look kindly on your abandoned sanctuary.
Manje-ke, Nkulunkulu wethu, zwana imikhuleko lokulabhela kwenceku yakho. Ngenxa yebizo lakho, awu Nkosi, ake uhawukele indlu yakho engcwele esibhidlikile.
18 Please listen carefully and open your eyes and see the terrible state we are in, and the city that bears your name. We're not making these requests to you for this because of our goodness, but because of your great mercy.
Beka indlebe yakho, Oh Nkulunkulu, uzwe; vula amehlo akho ubone incithakalo yedolobho elibizwa ngeBizo lakho. Kasilethi lezizicelo kuwe ngoba silungile, kodwa ngenxa yesihawu sakho esikhulu.
19 Lord, please listen! Lord, please forgive! Please pay attention and do something! For your own sake, my God, don't delay, for your city and your people are identified by your name.”
Nkosi, lalela! Nkosi, thethelela! Nkosi, lalela wenze! Ngenxa yebizo lakho, Oh Nkulunkulu wami, ungaphuzi, ngoba idolobho lakho labantu bakho kubizwa ngeBizo lakho.”
20 I continued speaking, praying and confessing my sins and those of my people Israel, pleading before the Lord my God on behalf of Jerusalem, his holy mountain.
Ngathi ngikhuluma njalo ngikhuleka, ngivuma isono sami, lesono sabantu bakithi abako-Israyeli, ngiletha isikhalazo sami kuThixo uNkulunkulu wami ngentaba yakhe engcwele,
21 While I was still praying, Gabriel, whom I'd seen previously when I'd had the vision, came flying rapidly towards me at the time of the evening sacrifice.
ngilokhu ngisakhuleka, uGabhriyeli, indoda engayibonayo embonweni wokuqala, weza kimi endiza kungesikhathi somhlatshelo wakusihlwa.
22 He gave me the following explanation, saying, “Daniel, I've come to give you insight and understanding.
Wangilaya wathi kimi, “Danyeli, khathesi sengilande ukukupha ukuqonda lokuzwisisa.
23 As soon as you started praying, the answer was given, and I have come to explain it to you because God loves you very much. So please listen to the explanation and understand the meaning of the vision.
Wonele ukuqalisa ukukhuleka impendulo yahle yaphiwa, eyiyo engizokutshela yona, ngoba uyaqakathekiswa kakhulu. Ngakho-ke, cabanga ngalo ilizwi, uwuzwisise umbono ukuthi:
24 Seventy weeks has been allotted to your people and your holy city to deal with the rebellion, to put an end to sin, to forgive wrongdoing, to bring in everlasting goodness, to confirm the vision and the prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place.
Amatshumi ayisikhombisa ‘ezikhombisa’ (amaviki) asequnyelwe abantu bakini ledolobho lenu elingcwele ukuqedisa ukona, ukukhawula isono, ukuhlawulela ububi, ukuletha ukulunga okungapheliyo, ukuphetha umbono lesiphrofethi lokugcoba indawo engcwelengcwele.
25 You need to know and understand that from the time the command is given to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, until the Messiah, seven weeks plus sixty-two weeks will elapse. It will be built with streets and defenses, in spite of the difficult times.
Yazi njalo uzwisise lokhu: Kusukela ekukhutshweni kwesimemezelo sokuthi kuvuselelwe njalo kwakhiwe kutsha iJerusalema kuze kufike umbusi oGcotshiweyo kuzakuba lamaviki ‘ayizikhombisa’ eziyisikhombisa ‘lezikhombisa’ ezingamatshumi ayisithupha lambili. Lizakwakhiwa libe lemigwaqo lomgelo, kodwa kuyizikhathi zohlupho.
26 After sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be put to death, and will be brought to nothing. A ruler will come to power whose army will destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end will come like a flood. War and devastation will continue until that period of time is completed.
Ngemva ‘kwezikhombisa’ lezo ezingamatshumi ayisithupha lambili oGcotshiweyo uzaqunywa afe engelalutho. Abantu bombusi ozakuza bazalibhidliza idolobho lendlu yenkonzo. Ukuphela kuzafika njengesikhukhula: Impi izaqhubeka kuze kube sekupheleni, sekumenyezelwe incithakalo.
27 He will confirm the agreement with many people for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put an end to sacrifices and offerings. The idolatry that causes devastation will be supported until the end when the same fate is poured out on the one who devastates.”
Uzaqinisa isivumelwano labanengi ‘okwesikhombisa’ esisodwa. Phakathi ‘kwesikhombisa’ uzamisa imihlatshelo leminikelo. Kuzakuthi eceleni lethempeli uzabeka isinengiso esibanga incithakalo, kuze kuthi ukucina okumisiweyo kuchithelwe kuye.”
