< Daniel 2 >

1 In the second year of [his] reign Nabuchodonosor dreamed a dream, and his spirit was amazed, and his sleep departed from him.
Ngomnyaka wesibili wokubusa kukaNebhukadinezari, uNebhukadinezari waphupha amaphupho; umoya wakhe wasukhathazeka, lobuthongo bakhe basuka kuye.
2 And the king gave orders to call the enchanters, and the magicians, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, to declare to the king his dreams. And they came and stood before the king.
Inkosi yasisithi kubizwe izanuse lezangoma labavumisayo lamaKhaladiya, ukuze batshengise inkosi amaphupho ayo. Beza-ke, bema phambi kwenkosi.
3 And the king said to them, I have dreamed, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.
Inkosi yasisithi kubo: Ngiphuphe iphupho; umoya wami wasukhathazeka ukulazi iphupho.
4 And the Chaldeans spoke to the king in the Syrian language, [saying], O king, live for ever: do thou tell the dream to thy servants, and we will declare the interpretation.
AmaKhaladiya asekhuluma enkosini ngesiAramu: Nkosi, phila kuze kube nininini! Tshela inceku zakho iphupho, thina sizatshengisa ingcazelo.
5 The king answered the Chaldeans, The thing has departed from me: if ye do not make known to me the dream and the interpretation, ye shall be destroyed, and your houses shall be spoiled.
Inkosi yaphendula yathi kumaKhaladiya: Into isisukile kimi; uba lingayikungazisa iphupho lengcazelo yalo, lizakwenziwa iziqa, lezindlu zenu zenziwe inqumbi yomquba.
6 But if ye make known to me the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and presents and much honour: only tell me the dream, and the interpretation thereof.
Kodwa uba litshengisa iphupho lengcazelo yalo, lizakwemukela kimi izipho lomvuzo lodumo olukhulu. Ngakho ngitshengisani iphupho lengcazelo yalo.
7 They answered the second time, and said, Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will declare the interpretation.
Baphendula okwesibili bathi: Inkosi kayitshele inceku zayo iphupho, thina sizabonisa ingcazelo yalo.
8 And the king answered and said, I verily know that ye are trying to gain time, because ye see that the thing has gone from me.
Inkosi yaphendula yathi: Mina ngiyazi isibili ukuthi lithenga isikhathi, ngoba liyabona ukuthi into isukile kimi.
9 If then ye do not tell me the dream, I know that ye have concerted to utter before me a false and corrupt tale, until the time shall have past: tell me my dream, and I shall know that ye will also declare to me the interpretation thereof.
Kodwa uba lingangazisi iphupho, kulesimiso esisodwa ngani; ngoba livumelene ukukhuluma ilizwi lamanga elikhohlakeleyo phambi kwami, kuze kuguquke isikhathi. Ngakho ngitshelani iphupho, besengisazi ukuthi lingangitshela ingcazelo yalo.
10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is no man upon the earth, who shall be able to make known the king’s matter: forasmuch as no great king or ruler asks such a question of an enchanter, magician, or Chaldean.
AmaKhaladiya aphendula phambi kwenkosi, athi: Kakulamuntu emhlabeni olakho ukutshengisa udaba lwenkosi; ngakho kayikho inkosi enkulu kumbe umbusi owake wabuza into enje kuloba yisiphi isanuse kumbe isangoma kumbe umKhaladiya.
11 For the question which the king asks is difficult, and there is no one else who shall answer it before the king, but the gods, whose dwelling is not with any flesh.
Futhi kuyinto enzima inkosi eyibuzayo, njalo kakho omunye ongayibonisa phambi kwenkosi, ngaphandle kwabonkulunkulu, okuhlala kwabo kakukho kwabasenyameni.
12 Then the king in rage and anger commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
Ngenxa yalokhu inkosi yaba lolaka yathukuthela kakhulu, yalaya ukuthi kubhujiswe bonke abahlakaniphileyo beBhabhiloni.
13 So the decree went forth, and they began to slay the wise men; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to slay [them].
Kwasekuphuma isimiso, ukuthi abahlakaniphileyo babulawe; basebedinga uDaniyeli labangane bakhe ukuthi babulawe.
14 Then Daniel answered [with] counsel and prudence to Arioch the captain of the royal guard, who was gone forth to kill the wise men of Babylon; [saying],
Lapho uDaniyeli wabuyisela icebo lokuqonda kuAriyoki induna yabalindi benkosi, owayephumele ukubulala abahlakaniphileyo beBhabhiloni.
15 Chief magistrate of the king, wherefore has the peremptory command proceeded from the king? So Arioch made known the matter to Daniel.
Waphendula wathi kuAriyoki induna yenkosi: Kungani isimiso singesesiphangiphangi esivela enkosini? Lapho uAriyoki wamazisa uDaniyeli indaba.
16 And Daniel intreated the king to give him time, and that he might [thus] declare to the king the interpretation of it.
UDaniyeli wasengena, wacela enkosini ukuthi imnike isikhathi sokuthi ayitshengise inkosi ingcazelo.
17 So Daniel went into his house, and made known the matter to Ananias, and Misael, and Azarias, his friends.
UDaniyeli wasesiya endlini yakhe, wabazisa oHananiya, uMishayeli, loAzariya, abangane bakhe, loludaba;
18 And they sought mercies from the God of heaven concerning this mystery; that Daniel and his friends might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
ukuze bacele izihawu kuNkulunkulu wezulu ngalimfihlakalo; ukuze bangabhubhi oDaniyeli labangane bakhe kanye labanye abahlakaniphileyo beBhabhiloni.
19 Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night: and Daniel blessed the God of heaven, and said,
Lapho imfihlakalo yembulelwa uDaniyeli embonweni wobusuku. UDaniyeli wasemdumisa uNkulunkulu wamazulu.
20 May the name of God be blessed from everlasting and to everlasting: for wisdom and understanding are his.
UDaniyeli waphendula wathi: Kalidunyiswe ibizo likaNkulunkulu kusukela phakade kuze kube phakade, ngoba inhlakanipho lamandla kungokwakhe.
21 And he changes times and seasons: he appoints kings, and removes [them], giving wisdom to the wise, and prudence to them that have understanding:
Ngoba uyaguqula izikhathi lezikhathi ezimisiweyo, uyasusa amakhosi, amise amakhosi, upha inhlakanipho kwabahlakaniphileyo, lolwazi kulabo abazi ukuqedisisa.
22 he reveals deep and secret [matters]; knowing what is in darkness, and the light is with him.
Uyembula okujulileyo lokufihlakeleyo, uyakwazi okusemnyameni, lokukhanya kuhlala kanye laye.
23 I give thanks to thee, and praise [thee], O God of my fathers, for thou hast given me wisdom and power, and hast made known to me the things which we asked of thee; and thou hast made known to me the king’s vision.
Ngiyakubonga ngikudumise, wena Nkulunkulu wabobaba, ongiphe inhlakanipho lamandla, ongazise khathesi lokho esikucelileyo kuwe, ngoba usazisile udaba lwenkosi.
24 And Daniel came to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon, and said to him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon, but bring me in before the king, and I will declare the interpretation to the king.
Ngakho uDaniyeli wangena kuAriyoki, inkosi eyayimmisele ukuthi abhubhise abahlakaniphileyo beBhabhiloni; wahamba, wakhuluma kanje kuye: Ungabhubhisi abahlakaniphileyo beBhabhiloni; ngingenisa phambi kwenkosi, mina ngizayitshengisa inkosi ingcazelo.
25 Then Arioch in haste brought in Daniel before the king, and said to him, I have found a man of the children of the captivity of Judea, who will declare the interpretation to the king.
Lapho uAriyoki wangenisa uDaniyeli phambi kwenkosi ngokuphangisa, watsho njalo kuyo: Ngithole indoda kwabathunjiweyo bakoJuda, ezakwazisa inkosi ingcazelo.
26 And the king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Baltasar, Canst thou declare to me the dream which I saw, and the interpretation thereof?
Inkosi yaphendula yathi kuDaniyeli, obizo lakhe lalinguBeliteshazari: Ulakho yini ukungazisa iphupho engilibonileyo, lengcazelo yalo?
27 And Daniel answered before the king, and said, The mystery which the king asks [the explanation of] is not [in the power] of the wise men, magicians, enchanters, [or] soothsayers to declare to the king.
UDaniyeli waphendula phambi kwenkosi, wathi: Imfihlakalo inkosi eyibuzayo, abahlakaniphileyo, izangoma, izanuse, abalumbi bangeyibonise inkosi.
28 But there is a God in heaven revealing mysteries, and he has made known to king Nabuchodonosor what things must come to pass in the last days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are as follows,
Kodwa ukhona uNkulunkulu emazulwini owembula izimfihlakalo, uyitshengisile inkosi uNebhukadinezari okuzakwenzeka ekucineni kwezinsuku; iphupho lakho lemibono yekhanda lakho embhedeni wakho yilokhu:
29 O king: thy thoughts upon thy bed arose [as to] what must come to pass hereafter: and he that reveals mysteries has made known to thee what must come to pass.
Wena, nkosi, usembhedeni wakho kwavela imicabango yakho ngalokhu okuzakwenzeka emva kwalokhu; lalowo owembula izimfihlakalo ukwazisile wena lokho okuzakwenzeka.
30 Moreover, this mystery has not been revealed to me by reason of wisdom which is in me beyond all [others] living, but for the sake of making known the interpretation to the king, that thou mightest know the thoughts of thine heart.
Mayelana lami, limfihlakalo yembulwa kimi hatshi ngenxa yenhlakanipho ephakathi kwami okwedlula bonke abaphilayo, kodwa ukuthi kwaziswe ingcazelo enkosini, lokuthi wazi imicabango yenhliziyo yakho.
31 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold an image: that image was great, and the appearance of it excellent, standing before thy face; and the form of it was terrible.
Wena nkosi, wabona, khangela-ke, isithombe esikhulu. Lesisithombe esikhulu, okukhazimula kwaso kwakusedlulisa, sema phambi kwakho; lesimo saso sasisesabeka.
32 [It was] an image, the head of which was of fine gold, its hands and breast and arms of silver, [its] belly and thighs of brass,
Ikhanda lalesisithombe lalingelegolide elihle, isifuba saso lengalo zaso kwakungokwesiliva, isisu saso lamathangazi aso kwakungokwethusi,
33 its legs of iron, its feet, part of iron and part of earthenware.
imilenze yaso yayingeyensimbi, inyawo zaso ingxenye yayingeyensimbi lengxenye yayingeyebumba.
34 Thou sawest until a stone was cut out of a mountain without hands, and it smote the image upon its feet of iron and earthenware, and utterly reduced them to powder.
Wasubona kwaze kwasikwa ilitshe kungengezandla, elatshaya isithombe ezinyaweni zaso ezensimbi lebumba, lazichoboza.
35 Then once for all the earthenware, the iron, the brass, the silver, the gold, were ground to powder, and became as chaff from the summer threshingfloor; and the violence of the wind carried them away, and no place was found for them: and the stone which had smitten the image became a great mountain, and filled all the earth.
Kwasekuchotshozwa ndawonye insimbi, ibumba, ithusi, isiliva, legolide, kwaba njengamakhoba amabala okubhulela ehlobo, lomoya wakususa, akwaze kwatholelwa ndawo. Njalo ilitshe elatshaya isithombe laba yintaba enkulu, lagcwalisa umhlaba wonke.
36 This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.
Yilo lelo iphupho; sesizakutsho ingcazelo yalo phambi kwenkosi.
37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given a powerful and strong and honourable kingdom,
Wena, nkosi, uyinkosi yamakhosi, ngoba uNkulunkulu wamazulu ukunikile umbuso, amandla, lokuqina, lodumo.
38 in every place where the children of men dwell: and he has given into thine hand the wild beasts of the field, and the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea, and he has made thee lord of all.
Njalo loba kungaphi lapho abantwana babantu abahlezi khona, izinyamazana zeganga lezinyoni zamazulu uzinikele esandleni sakho, wakwenza waba ngumbusi phezu kwazo zonke. Wena uyilelikhanda legolide.
39 Thou art the head of gold. And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and a third kingdom which is the brass, which shall have dominion over all the earth;
Langemva kwakho kuzavela omunye umbuso omncinyane kulowakho, lomunye owesithathu umbuso wethusi, ozabusa emhlabeni wonke.
40 and a fourth kingdom, which shall be strong as iron: as iron beats to powder and subdues all things, so shall it beat to powder and subdue.
Lombuso wesine uzaqina njengensimbi; ngoba njengoba insimbi ichoboza yehlisele phansi konke, njalo njengensimbi echoboza konke lokhu, ngokunjalo uzachoboza wephule.
41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and the toes, part of earthenware and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet there shall be in it of the strength of iron, as thou sawest the iron mixed with earthenware.
Njalo njengoba wabona izinyawo lamazwane, kuyingxenye yebumba lombumbi lengxenye yensimbi, umbuso uzadatshulwa phakathi. Kodwa kuzakuba kuwo okwamandla ensimbi, njengoba wabona insimbi ihlanganiswe lebumba eliludaka.
42 And [whereas] the toes of the feet were part of iron and part of earthenware, part of the kingdom shall be strong, and [part] of it shall be broken.
Njengoba amazwane enyawo ayelengxenye yensimbi lengxenye yebumba; umbuso uzakuba lamandla nganxanye, wephuke lula nganxanye.
43 Whereas thou sawest the iron mixed with earthenware, they shall be mingled with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave together, as the iron does not mix itself with earthenware.
Njalo njengoba wabona insimbi ihlanganiswe lebumba eliludaka, bazazihlanganisa lenzalo yabantu, kodwa kabayikunamathelana, njengoba insimbi ingahlanganiswa lebumba.
44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed: and his kingdom shall not be left to another people, [but] it shall beat to pieces and grind to powder all [other] kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
Langensuku zalamakhosi uNkulunkulu wamazulu uzamisa umbuso, ongayikuchithwa kuze kube phakade; lombuso kawuyikutshiyelwa abanye abantu; uzachoboza uqede yonke limibuso, wona-ke uzakuma kuze kube phakade.
45 Whereas thou sawest that a stone was cut out of a mountain without hands, and it beat to pieces the earthenware, the iron, the brass, the silver, the gold; the great God has made known to the king what must happen hereafter: and the dream is true, and the interpretation thereof sure.
Ngenxa yokuthi wabona ukuthi ilitshe liqetshulwa entabeni, kungengezandla, lokuthi lachoboza insimbi, ithusi, ibumba, isiliva, legolide; uNkulunkulu omkhulu uyazisile inkosi okuzakwenzeka emva kwalokhu; iphupho liqinisekile, lengcazelo yalo ithembekile.
46 Then king Nabuchodonosor fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and gave orders to offer to him gifts and incense.
Lapho inkosi uNebhukadinezari yathi mbo ngobuso bayo, yakhuleka kuDaniyeli, yathi kuthululelwe kuye umnikelo lezimpepha.
47 And the king answered and said to Daniel, Of a truth your God is a God of gods, and Lord of kings, who reveals mysteries; for thou hast been able to reveal this mystery.
Inkosi yamphendula uDaniyeli, yathi: Kuliqiniso ukuthi uNkulunkulu wenu unguNkulunkulu wabonkulunkulu, leNkosi yamakhosi, lomambuli wezimfihlakalo, ngoba ubelakho ukwembula limfihlakalo.
48 And the king promoted Daniel, and gave him great and abundant gifts, and set him over the whole province of Babylon, and [made him] chief satrap over all the wise men of Babylon.
Inkosi yasimenza uDaniyeli waba ngomkhulu, yamupha izipho ezinkulu ezinengi, yamenza waba ngumbusi phezu kwesabelo sonke seBhabhiloni, lenduna yababusi phezu kwabo bonke abahlakaniphileyo beBhabhiloni.
49 And Daniel asked of the king, and he appointed Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel was in the king’s palace.
UDaniyeli wasecela enkosini, njalo yamisa oShadraki, uMeshaki loAbedinego phezu komsebenzi wesabelo seBhabhiloni; kodwa uDaniyeli waba sesangweni lenkosi.

< Daniel 2 >