Ondjodhi ontiyali yaNebukadnezzar
1 Omukwaniilwa Nebukadnezzar okwa tumu elaka kaantu yomiigwana ayihe, momaludhi nomomalaka agehe muuyuni tali ti: “Otandi mu kundu! 2 Pulakeneni ehokololo lyandje lyiilongakumithi niilongandhindhiliko mbyoka Kalunga gwokombandambanda e yi ulukile ndje.
3 “Iilongankumwe iinene ngiini
Kalunga e yi tu ulukile!
Iilongandhindhiliko oyoonkondo ngiini
mbyoka e yi longo!
Kalunga ota kala omukwaniilwa sigo aluhe;
oye ta ka lela aluheluhe.
4 “Onda li ndi li nawa muuwa wandje, te nyanyukilwa elago enene. 5 Ihe onda yaguma ondjodhi ontilithi nonda mono omamoniko guugelele, manga nda li nda kotha. 6 Onda gandja elombwelo, aanongo ayehe yomuBabilon ye etwe kungame, opo ya fatululile ndje ondjodhi yandje. 7 Nena aayanekeli ayehe, oonganga, oompulile naakonekinyothi oye ya mo, nonde ya hokololele ondjodhi yandje, ihe inaa vula oku yi fatululila ndje. 8 Nena Daniel okwe ya mo. (Ohi ithanwa Beltshazzar, a lukilwa kalunga kandje.) Ombepo yookalunga aayapuki oyi li muye, onkee nde mu hokololele shoka nda yaguma. Onda ti kuye: 9 Beltshazzar, omukuluntu gwaayanekeli, onda tseya kutya ombepo yookalunga aayapuki oyi li mungoye nou shi iiholekwa ayihe. Ondjodhi yandje oyo ndjika. Lombwela ndje shoka tayi ti.
10 “Manga nda li nda kotha, onda mono emoniko lyomuti omuleeleka gu li pokati kuuyuni. 11 Ogwa koko omunene, sigo gwa adha mewangandjo nogwa monika kaantu ayehe ya kala muuyuni. 12 Omafo gagwo ogo opala nogwa kakata iiyimati — ya gwanena okuliwa kuuyuni auhe. Iiyamakuti ohayi gondjo momuzile gwagwo, oondhila otadhi tungile iihandhila yadho miitayi yagwo, niinamwenyo ayihe otayi li iiyimati yagwo.
13 “Manga nda li tandi dhiladhila emoniko ndyoka, onda mono omuyengeli ta kuluka megulu a pya ondjungu. 14 Okwa popi newi lyomokule a ti: ‘Kii po omuti, pomponeni iitayi yagwo, kweyii ko omafo gagwo, halakanitheni iiyimati yagwo. Tidhii mo iiyamakuti mugwo noondhila kiitayi yagwo. 15 Ihe oshithindi shi thigii mo mevi sha mangwa nomalyenge giiyela iiluudhe niikushu. Nashi kale melundu mokati komwiidhi.
“ ‘Ngashingeyi etheni, omume yi gwile komulumentu nguka, mu kalekeni mokati kiiyamakuti nokiimeno mokuti. 16 Omimvo heyali ota kala kee na we uuntu meni lye, ihe uuthitukuti. 17 Ndika olyo etokolo lyaayengeli mbeyaka ya pya ondjungu. Tseyithila ano aantu ayehe shaa mpoka kutya Kalunga gwokombandambanda oku na oonkondo okupangela uukwaniilwa auhe wopantu kombanda yevi note u pe ngoka ye mwene e mu hogolola — nando na kale omufupi gwomaantu.’ ”
18 Omukwaniilwa Nebukadnezzar okwa ti: “Ondjodhi oyo ndjika nda yaguma. Ngashingeyi, Beltshazzar, lombwela ndje shoka tayi ti. Kape na gumwe gwomaanongo moshilongo shandje ta vulu okulombwela ndje, ihe ngoye oto vulu, oshoka ombepo yookalunga aayapuki oyi li mungoye.”
Daniel ta fatulula ondjodhi
19 Daniel, ngu haku tiwa Beltshazzar, okwa li a kankwa noina vula okutya sha. Omukwaniilwa okwa ti kuye: “Beltshazzar, ondjodhi nelaka lyayo inayi ku kunka.”
Beltshazzar okwa yamukula: “Nkeyama, ando ondjodhi nefatululo lyayo li kale li na sha naatondi yoye nohangoye mwene! 20 Omuti ngoka omule gwa adha ewangandjo, ogwa vulu okumonika kushaa ngoka muuyuni. 21 Omafo gagwo oga li go opala, nogu na iiyimati ya gwana okupalutha uuyuni auhe. Iiyamakuti oya gondjo momuzile gwagwo, noondhila odha tungile iihandhila yadho miitayi yagwo.
22 “Nkeyama, ongoye omuti ngoka omule nomunankondo. Owa koko unene, sigo wa tsu mewangandjo, noonkondo dhoye odha taandele nuuyuni auhe. 23 Nkeyama, manga wa li we shi tongolola, omuyengeli okwa kuluka a zi megulu nokwa ti: ‘Kii po omuti nguka noku gu hanagula po, ihe oshithindi shagwo shi thigileni mevi. Shi mangeni nomalyenge giiyela iiluudhe niikushu, nomu shi thigile melundu lyomwiidhi, gwithileni omume kombanda yomulumentu nguka, ne mu mu kalithe mumwe niiyamakuti omimvo heyali.’
24 “Nkeyama, efatululo lyondjodhi yoye netokolo lyaKalunga gwokombandambanda mushoka tashi ke ku adha, olyo ndika: 25 Oto ka tidhwa mo mokati kaantu e to ka kala mokati kiiyamakuti. Omimvo heyali oto ka lya omwiidhi wa fa ondumetana, e to lala polweela, mpoka to gwilwa komume. Nena oto ka zimina kutya Kalunga gwokombandambanda oha pangele iilongo ayihe yaantu nota vulu oku yi pa shaa ngoka ye mwene e mu hogolola. 26 Aayengeli oya lombwele, oshithindi shi kale mevi. Shika otashi ti kutya ngoye oto ka kala omukwaniilwa ishewe, shaa wa tseya kutya Kalunga ota lele uuyuni auhe. 27 Nkeyama, taamba ano omayele gandje. Etha okuyona, longa shoka shu uka, sila ohenda oohepele. Nena oto kala u na elago.”
28 Ayihe mbika oya ka ningilwa omukwaniilwa Nebukadnezzar. 29 Konima yoomwedhi omulongo nambali manga a li ta lyanga pombanda yongulumbala ye muBabilon, 30 okwa ti: “Taleni, Babilon nkene oshinene! Ngame ongame nde shi tungu, shi ninge oshilandopangelo shandje, shi holole oonkondo noonkondopangelo dhandje, eadhimo lyandje nuunenepangelo wandje.”
31 Manga tuu inaa mana okupopya, lyo ewi otali popi megulu tali ti: “Mukwaniilwa Nebukadnezzar, pulakena shoka tandi ti. Uukwaniilwa woye owe u kuthwa ngashingeyi. 32 Oto ka tidhwa mo mokati kaantu e to ka kala mokati kiiyamakuti e to li omwiidhi wa fa ondumetana omimvo heyali. Nena oto ki ilonga okutseya kutya Kalunga gwokombandambanda oha pangele iilongo yaantu nota vulu oku yi pa shaa ngoka ye mwene e mu hogolola.”
33 Oohapu ndhika odha ka tsa mbalambala. Nebukadnezzar okwa tidhwa mo mokati kaantu e ta napa omwiidhi a fa ondumetana. Omume oya gwile kolutu lwe, nomafufu ge oga koko omale ga fa omalwenya gontsa, noonyala dhe dha homonoka mo dha fa oonyala dhoondhila.
Nebukadnezzar ta tanga Kalunga
34 Omimvo heyali sho dha piti po, omukwaniilwa okwa ti: “Onda ligamene kegulu, noondunge dhandje odha galukile ndje. Onda hambelele Kalunga gwokombandambanda e te simaneke nokutumbaleka ngoka ta kala e na omwenyo aluhe sigo aluhe.
“Ye ota ka lela aluhe sigo aluhe,
nuukwaniilwa we otau ka kala ko sigo aluhe.
35 Oye ta tala aakali kombanda yevi aanima yowala;
aayengeli megulu naantu kombanda yevi,
oye li mepangelo lye.
Kape na ngoka ta vulu okukondjitha ehalo lye
nenge okupula shoka ta ningi.
36 “Oondunge dhandje sho dha galukile ndje, esimano lyandje, uunenepangelo lyandje neadhimo lyuukwaniilwa wandje oya galulilwa ndje wo. Aambala yandje nomalenga gandje oga kundu ndje nombili, nonda shunithilwa oonkondo dhuukwaniilwa nesimano enene li vule lyonale.
37 “Nongashingeyi, ngame Nebukadnezzar, ote tanga, te hambelele note simaneke Omukwaniilwa gwomegulu. Shaa shoka ta longo, otashi kala sho opala noshu uka, nota shonopeke shaa ngoka ti inenepeke.”
King Nebuchadnezzar's Letter about His Second Dream
1 King Nebuchadnezzar sent the following letter to the people of all nations and races on the earth:
Greetings to all of you!
2 I am glad to tell about
the wonderful miracles
God Most High
has done for me.
3 His miracles are mighty
and marvelous.
He will rule forever,
and his kingdom
will never end.
4 I was enjoying a time of peace and prosperity, 5 when suddenly I had some horrifying dreams and visions. 6 Then I commanded every wise man in Babylonia to appear in my court, so they could explain the meaning of my dream. 7 After they arrived, I told them my dream, but they were not able to say what it meant. 8 Finally, a young man named Daniel came in, and I told him the dream. The holy gods had given him special powers, and I had renamed him Belteshazzar after my own god.
9 I said, “Belteshazzar, not only are you the wisest of all advisors and counselors, but the holy gods have given you special powers to solve the most difficult mysteries. So listen to what I dreamed and tell me what it means:
10 In my sleep I saw
a very tall tree
in the center of the world.
11 It grew stronger and higher,
until it reached to heaven
and could be seen
from anywhere on earth.
12 It was covered with leaves
and heavy with fruit—
enough for all nations.
Wild animals enjoyed its shade,
birds nested in its branches,
and all creatures on earth
lived on its fruit.
13 “While I was in bed, having this vision, a holy angel came down from heaven 14 and shouted:
‘Chop down the tree
and cut off its branches;
strip off its leaves
and scatter its fruit.
Make the animals leave its shade
and send the birds flying
from its branches.
15 But leave its stump and roots
in the ground,
surrounded by grass
and held by chains
of iron and bronze.
‘Make sure that this ruler
lives like the animals
out in the open fields,
unprotected from the dew.
16 Give him the mind
of a wild animal
for seven long years.
17 This punishment is given
at the command
of the holy angels.
It will show to all who live
that God Most High
controls all kingdoms
and chooses for their rulers
persons of humble birth.’
18 “Daniel, that was the dream that none of the wise men in my kingdom were able to understand. But I am sure that you will understand what it means, because the holy gods have given you some special powers.”
19 For a while, Daniel was terribly confused and worried by what he was thinking. But I said, “Don't be bothered either by the dream or by what it means.”
Daniel replied:
Your Majesty, I wish the dream had been against your enemies. 20 You saw a tree that grew so big and strong that it reached up to heaven and could be seen from anywhere on earth. 21 Its leaves were beautiful, and it produced enough fruit for all living creatures; animals lived in its shade, and birds nested in its branches. 22 Your Majesty, that tree is you. Your glorious reputation has reached heaven, and your kingdom covers the earth.
23 Then you saw a holy angel come down from heaven and say, “Chop down the tree and destroy it! But leave its stump and roots in the ground, fastened there by a chain of iron and bronze. Let it stay for seven years out in the field with the wild animals, unprotected from the dew.”
24 Your Majesty, God Most High has sent you this message, and it means 25 that you will be forced to live with the wild animals, far away from humans. You will eat grass like a wild animal and live outdoors for seven years, until you learn that God Most High controls all earthly kingdoms and chooses their rulers. 26 But he gave orders not to disturb the stump and roots. This is to show that you will be king once again, after you learn that the God who rules from heaven is in control. 27 Your Majesty, please be willing to do what I say. Turn from your sins and start living right; have mercy on those who are mistreated. Then all will go well with you for a long time.
The Rest of Nebuchadnezzar's Letter about His Second Dream
28-30 About twelve months later, I was walking on the flat roof of my royal palace and admiring the beautiful city of Babylon, when these things started happening to me. I was saying to myself, “Just look at this wonderful capital city that I have built by my own power and for my own glory!”
31 But before I could finish speaking, a voice from heaven interrupted:
King Nebuchadnezzar, this kingdom is no longer yours. 32 You will be forced to live with the wild animals, away from people. For seven years you will eat grass, as though you were an ox, until you learn that God Most High is in control of all earthly kingdoms and that he is the one who chooses their rulers.
33 This was no sooner said than done—I was forced to live like a wild animal; I ate grass and was unprotected from the dew. As time went by, my hair grew longer than eagle feathers, and my fingernails looked like the claws of a bird.
34 Finally, I prayed to God in heaven, and my mind was healed. Then I said:
“I praise and honor
God Most High.
God lives forever,
and his kingdom
will never end.
35 To him the nations
are far less than nothing;
God controls the stars in the sky
and everyone on this earth.
When God does something,
we cannot change it
or even ask why.”
36 At that time my mind was healed, and once again I became the ruler of my glorious kingdom. My advisors and officials returned to me, and I had greater power than ever before. 37 That's why I say:
“Praise and honor the King
who rules from heaven!
Everything he does
is honest and fair,
and he can shatter the power
of those who are proud.”
