< Kings III 13 >
1 And behold, there came a man of God out of Juda by the word of the Lord to Baethel, and Jeroboam stood at the altar to sacrifice.
Kwa neno la Bwana, mtu wa Mungu alifika Betheli kutoka Yuda wakati Yeroboamu alipokuwa amesimama kando ya madhabahu ili kutoa sadaka.
2 And he cried against the altar by the word of the Lord, and said, O altar, altar, thus says the Lord, Behold, a son is [to be] born to the house of David, Josias by name; and he shall offer upon you the priests of the high places, [even] of them that sacrifice upon you, and [he] shall burn men's bones upon you.
Akapiga kelele dhidi ya madhabahu kwa neno la Bwana: “Ee madhabahu, madhabahu! Hivi ndivyo asemavyo Bwana: ‘Mwana aitwaye Yosia atazaliwa katika nyumba ya Daudi. Juu yako atawatoa dhabihu makuhani wa mahali pa juu pa kuabudia miungu wale ambao wanatoa sadaka hapa sasa, nayo mifupa ya wanadamu itachomwa juu yako.’”
3 And in that day one shall give a sign, saying, This [is] the word which the Lord has spoken, saying, Behold, the altar is tore, and the fatness upon it shall be poured out.
Siku iyo hiyo, mtu wa Mungu akatoa ishara: “Hii ndiyo ishara Bwana aliyotangaza: Madhabahu haya yatapasuka na majivu yaliyo juu yake yatamwagika.”
4 And it came to pass when king Jeroboam heard the words of the man of God who called on the altar that was in Baethel, that the king stretched forth his hand from the altar, saying, Take hold of him. And, behold, his hand, which he stretched forth against him, withered, and he could not draw it back to himself.
Mfalme Yeroboamu aliposikia kile mtu wa Mungu alichosema, alipopiga kelele dhidi ya madhabahu huko Betheli, akanyoosha mkono wake kutoka madhabahuni na kusema, “Mkamate!” Lakini mkono aliokuwa ameunyoosha kumwelekea yule mtu ukasinyaa na kubaki hapo hapo, kiasi kwamba hakuweza kuurudisha.
5 And the altar was tore, and the fatness was poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God gave by the word of the Lord.
Pia, madhabahu yalipasuka na majivu yakamwagika sawasawa na ishara iliyotolewa na mtu wa Mungu kwa neno la Bwana.
6 And king Jeroboam said to the man of God, Intreat the Lord your God, and let my hand be restored to me. And the man of God entreated the Lord, and he restored the king's hand to him, and it became as before.
Kisha mfalme akamwambia mtu wa Mungu, “Niombee kwa Bwana Mungu wako ili mkono wangu upate kupona.” Kwa hiyo mtu wa Mungu akamwombea kwa Bwana, nao mkono wa mfalme ukapona na kuwa kama ulivyokuwa hapo kwanza.
7 And the king said to the man of God, Enter with me into the house, and dine, and I will give you a gift.
Mfalme akamwambia yule mtu wa Mungu, “Twende nyumbani kwangu upate chakula, nami nitakupa zawadi.”
8 And the man of God said to the king, If you should give me the half of your house, I would not go in with you, neither will I eat bread, neither will I drink water in this place; for thus the Lord charged me by [his] word, saying,
Lakini yule mtu wa Mungu akamjibu mfalme, “Hata kama ungenipa nusu ya mali zako, nisingekwenda pamoja na wewe, wala nisingekula mkate au kunywa maji hapa.
9 Eat no bread, and drink no water, and return not by the way by which you came.
Kwa kuwa niliagizwa kwa neno la Bwana: ‘Kamwe usile mkate wala usinywe maji au kurudi kwa njia uliyojia.’”
10 So he departed by another way, and returned not by the way by which he came to Baethel.
Kwa hiyo akafuata njia nyingine na hakurudi kupitia njia ile ambayo alikuwa ameijia Betheli.
11 And there lived an old prophet in Baethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God did on that day in Baethel, and the words which he spoke to the king: and they turned the face of their father.
Basi kulikuwepo na nabii fulani mzee aliyekuwa anaishi Betheli, ambaye wanawe walikuja kumwambia yote ambayo mtu wa Mungu alikuwa ameyafanya pale siku ile. Pia wakamwambia baba yao yale aliyomwambia mfalme.
12 And their father spoke to them, saying, Which way went he? and his sons show him the way by which the man of God who came out of Juda went up.
Baba yao akawauliza, “Ameelekea njia gani?” Nao wanawe wakamwonyesha ile njia yule mtu wa Mungu kutoka Yuda aliyopita.
13 And he said to his sons, Saddle me the ass: and they saddled him the ass, and he mounted it,
Hivyo akawaambia wanawe, “Nitandikieni punda.” Walipokwisha kumtandikia punda, akampanda
14 and went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said to him, Are you the man of God that came out of Juda? And he said to him, I [am].
na kumfuatilia yule mtu wa Mungu. Akamkuta ameketi chini ya mwaloni na akamuuliza, “Je, wewe ndiwe mtu wa Mungu kutoka Yuda?” Akamjibu, “Mimi ndiye.”
15 And he said to him, Come with me, and eat bread.
Basi nabii akamwambia, “Karibu nyumbani pamoja na mimi ule.”
16 And he said, I shall not by any means be able to return with you, neither will I eat bread, neither will I drink water in this place.
Yule mtu wa Mungu akasema, “Siwezi kurudi na kwenda nawe, wala siwezi kula mkate au kunywa maji pamoja nawe mahali hapa.
17 For thus the Lord commanded me by word, saying, Eat not bread there, and drink not water, and return not there by the way by which you came.
Nimeambiwa kwa neno la Bwana: ‘Kamwe usile mkate au kunywa maji huko au kurudia njia uliyojia.’”
18 And he said to him, I also am a prophet as you [are]; and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, Bring him back to you into your house, and let him eat bread and drink water: but he lied to him.
Yule nabii mzee akajibu, “Mimi pia ni nabii, kama wewe. Naye malaika alisema nami kwa neno la Bwana: ‘Mrudishe aje katika nyumba yako ili apate kula mkate na kunywa maji.’” (Lakini alikuwa akimwambia uongo.)
19 And he brought him back, and he ate bread and drank water in his house.
Hivyo mtu wa Mungu akarudi pamoja naye na akala na kunywa katika nyumba yake.
20 And it came to pass while they were sitting at the table, that the word of the Lord came to the prophet that brought him back;
Wakati walipokuwa wameketi mezani, neno la Bwana likamjia yule nabii mzee aliyemrudisha huyo mtu wa Mungu.
21 and he spoke to the man of God that came out of Juda, saying, Thus says the Lord, Because you have resisted the word of the Lord, and have not kept the commandment which the Lord your God commanded you,
Akampazia sauti yule mtu wa Mungu aliyekuwa ametoka Yuda, “Hivi ndivyo asemavyo Bwana: ‘Umeasi neno la Bwana na hukushika amri uliyopewa na Bwana Mungu wako,
22 but have returned, and eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which he spoke to you, saying, You shall not eat bread, and shall not drink water; [therefore] your body shall in nowise enter into the sepulchre of your fathers.
bali ulirudi na ukala mkate na kunywa maji mahali ambapo alikuambia usile wala usinywe. Kwa hiyo maiti yako haitazikwa katika kaburi la baba zako.’”
23 And it came to pass after he had eaten bread and drunk water, that he saddled the ass for him, and he turned and departed.
Wakati huyo mtu wa Mungu alipomaliza kula na kunywa, nabii aliyekuwa amemrudisha akamtandikia punda wake.
24 And a lion found him in the way, and killed him; and his body was cast out in the way, and the ass was standing by it, and the lion [also] was standing by the body.
Alipokuwa akienda akakutana na simba njiani, akamuua na maiti yake ikabwagwa barabarani, yule punda wake na simba wakiwa wamesimama karibu yake.
25 And, behold, men [were] passing by, and saw the carcase cast in the way, and the lion was standing near the carcase: and they went in and spoke [of it] in the city where the old prophet lived.
Baadhi ya watu waliopita pale waliona maiti imebwagwa pale chini, simba akiwa amesimama kando ya maiti, wakaenda na kutoa habari katika mji ambao nabii mzee aliishi.
26 And [the prophet] that turned him back out of the way heard, and said, This is the man of God who rebelled against the word of the Lord.
Yule nabii aliyekuwa amemrudisha kutoka safari yake aliposikia habari hii akasema, “Ni yule mtu wa Mungu ambaye aliasi neno la Bwana. Bwana amemtoa kwa simba, ambaye amemrarua na kumuua, sawasawa na neno la Bwana lilivyokuwa limemwonya.”
27 [And he spoke to his sons, saying, Saddle me the ass, and they saddled it. ]
Nabii akawaambia wanawe, “Nitandikieni punda,” nao wakafanya hivyo.
28 And he went and found the body cast in the way, and the ass and the lion were standing by the body: and the lion had not devoured the body of the man of God, and had not torn the ass.
Kisha akatoka akaenda akakuta maiti imebwagwa chini barabarani, punda na simba wakiwa wamesimama kando yake. Simba hakuwa amekula ile maiti wala kumrarua punda.
29 And the prophet took up the body of the man of God, and laid it on his ass; and the prophet brought him back to his city, to bury him in his own tomb,
Basi yule nabii mzee akachukua maiti ya mtu wa Mungu, akailaza juu ya punda na akairudisha katika mji wake, ili amwombolezee na kumzika.
30 and they bewailed him, [saying], Alas, brother.
Kisha akailaza ile maiti katika kaburi lake huyo nabii mzee, nao wakaomboleza juu yake na kusema, “Ee ndugu yangu!”
31 And it came to pass after he had lamented him, that he spoke to his sons, saying, Whenever I die, bury me in this tomb wherein the man of God is buried; lay me by his bones, that my bones may be preserved with his bones.
Baada ya kumzika, akawaambia wanawe, “Wakati nitakapokufa, mnizike kwenye kaburi alimozikwa huyu mtu wa Mungu; lazeni mifupa yangu kando ya mifupa yake.
32 For the word will surely come to pass which he spoke by the word of the Lord against the altar in Baethel, and against the high houses in Samaria.
Kwa maana ujumbe alioutangaza kwa neno la Bwana dhidi ya madhabahu huko Betheli na dhidi ya madhabahu yote katika mahali pa juu pa kuabudia miungu katika miji ya Samaria, hakika yatatokea kweli.”
33 And after this Jeroboam turned not from his sin, but he turned and made of part of the people priests of the [high places]: whoever would, he consecrated him, and he became a priest for the high places.
Hata baada ya haya, Yeroboamu hakubadili njia zake mbaya, lakini mara nyingine tena akaweka makuhani kwa ajili ya mahali pa juu pa kuabudia miungu kutoka watu wa aina zote. Yeyote aliyetaka kuwa kuhani alimweka wakfu kwa ajili ya mahali pa juu pa kuabudia miungu.
34 And this thing became sin to the house of Jeroboam, even to its destruction and its removal from the face of the earth.
Hii ilikuwa ndiyo dhambi ya nyumba ya Yeroboamu ambayo iliisababishia kuanguka na kuangamia kwake hadi kutoweka kwenye uso wa dunia.