< 2 Kings 6 >
1 And the sons of the prophets said to Eliseus: Behold the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us.
Wana wa manabii wakamwambia Elisha, “Sehemu ambayo tunayoishi na wewe ni ndogo sana kwa ajili ya wote.
2 Let us go as far as the Jordan and take out of the wood every man a piece of timber, that we may build us there a place to dwell in. And he said: Go.
Tafadhali, tuache tuende Yordani, na umwache kila mtu akate mti hapo ambako tunaweza kuishi.” Elisha akajibu, “unaweza kwenda mbele.”
3 And one of them said: But come thou also with thy servants. He answered: I will come.
Mmoja wao akasema, “Nenda na watumishi wako tafadhali.” Elisha akajibu, “Nitaenda.”
4 So he went with them. And when they were come to the Jordan they cut down wood.
Kwa hiyo akaenda pamoja nao, na wakati walipokuja Yordani, wakaanza kukata miti.
5 And it happened, as one was felling some timber, that the head of the axe fell into the water: and he cried out, and said: Alas, alas, alas, my lord, for this same was borrowed.
Lakini mmoja wao alipokuwa akikata, kichwa cha shoka kikaangukia kwenye maji; akalia kwa sauti na kusema, “la hasha, bwana wangu, kilikuwa kimeazimwa!”
6 And the man of God said: Where did it fall? and he shewed him the place. Then he cut off a piece of wood, and cast it in thither: and the iron swam.
Basi mtu wa Mungu akasema, “kiliangukia wapi?” Yule mtu akamwonyesha Elisha ile sehemu. akakata fimbo, akarusha kwenye maji, na kufanya chuma kuelea.
7 And he said: Take it up. And he put out his hand and took it.
Elisha akasema, “Kichukue.” Basi yule mtu akafikisha mkono wake na kukinyakua.
8 And the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying: In such and such a place let us lay ambushes.
Basi mfalme wa Shamu alikuwa akipigana vita dhidi ya Israel. Akafanya shauri na watumishi wake, akisema, “kambi yangu itakuwa sehemu flani na flani.”
9 And the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying: Beware that thou pass not to such a place: for the Syrians are there in ambush.
Basi huyo mtu wa Mungu akamtuma kwa mfalme wa Israeli, akisema, “Kuwa makini usipite ile sehemu, kwa kuwa ndipo Washamu wanakoshukia hapo.”
10 And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God had told him, and prevented him, and looked well to himself there not once nor twice.
Mfalme wa Israeli akatuma mjumbe kwenda pale sehemu ambayo mtu wa Mungu alipaongelea na kumtahadharisha. Zaidi ya mara moja au mbili, wakati mfalme alipoenda pale, alikuwa kwenye ulinzi wake.
11 And the heart of the king of Syria was troubled for this thing. And calling together his servants, he said: Why do you not tell me who it is that betrays me to the king of Israel?
Huyo mfalme wa Shamu alikasirishwa kuhusu haya maonyo, na akawaita watumishi wake na kuwaambia, “Je hamtaniambia ni nani miongoni mwetu aliye upande wa Israeli?”
12 And one of his servants said: No one, my lord O king: but Eliseus the prophet, that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel all the words, that thou speakest in thy privy chamber.
Hivyo mmoja wa watumishi wake akasema, “Hapana, bwana wangu, mfalme, kwa ajili ya Elisha yule nabii katika Israeli humwambia yule mfalme wa Israeli maneno ambayo uyaongeayo kwenye kitanda chako cha kulala!”
13 And he said to them: Go, and see where he is: that I may send, and take him. And they told him, saying: Behold he is in Dothan.
Yule mfalme akajibu, “Nenda na uone Elisha alipo hivyo naweza kutuma watu na kumkamata.” Akaambiwa, “Tazama yuko Dothani.”
14 Therefore he sent thither horses and chariots, and the strength of an army: and they came by night, and beset the city.
Kwa hiyo yule mfalme akatuma farasi kwenda Donathi, magari ya farasi, na jeshi kubwa. Wakaja usiku na kuzunguka ule mji.
15 And the servant of the man of God rising early, went out, and saw an army round about the city, and horses and chariots: and he told him, saying: Alas, alas, alas, my lord, what shall we do?
Wakati yule mtumishi wa mtu wa Mungu alipoamka mapema na kutoka nje, kumbe, jeshi kubwa pamoja na farasi na magari ya farasi yameuzunguka mji. Mtumishi wake akamwabia, “Kumbe, bwana wangu! Tutafanya nini?”
16 But he answered: Fear not: for there are more with us than with them.
Elisha akajibu, “usiogope, wale walio na sisi ni zaidi kuliko wale walio nao.”
17 And Eliseus prayed, and said: Lord, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the servant, and he saw: and behold the mountain was full of horses, and chariots of fire round about Eliseus.
Elisha akajibu na kusema, “Yahwe, nakuomba kwamba utamfungua macho yake ili kwamba aweze kuona.” Ndipo Yahwe alipofungua macho ya mtumishi, na akaona. Kumbe, ule mlima ulikuwa umejaa farasi na magari ya farasi ya moto yamemzunguka Elisha!
18 And the enemies came down to him, but Eliseus prayed to the Lord, saying: Strike, I beseech thee, this people with blindness. And the Lord struck them with blindness, according to the word of Eliseus.
Wakati hao Washami walipomshukia chini, Elisha aliomba kwa Yahwe na kusema, “Uwapige hawa watu kwa upofu, nakuomba.” Hivyo Yahwe akawafanya vipofu, kama Elisha alivyoomba.
19 And Eliseus said to them: This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will shew you the man whom you seek. So he led them into Samaria.
Kisha Elisha akawaambia Washami, “Hii njia sio, pia mji huu sio. Nifuateni mimi, na nitawaleta kwa yule mtu ambaye mnayemtafuta.” Ndipo akawaongoza kweda Samaria.
20 And when they were come into Samaria, Eliseus said: Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw themselves to be in the midst of Samaria.
Hata walipokwisha kufika Samaria, Elisha akasema, “Yahwe, fungua macho ya hawa watu ili waweze kuona.” Yahwe akawafungua macho yao na wakaona, na kumbe, walikuwa katikati ya mji wa Samaria.
21 And the king of Israel said to Eliseus, when he saw them: My father, shall I kill them?
Yule mfalme wa Israeli akamwambia Elisha, wakati alipowaona, “Baba yangu, niwaue? Niwaue?”
22 And he said: Thou shalt not kill them: for thou didst not take them with thy sword, or thy bow, that thou mayst kill them: but set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.
Elisha akajibu, “Usiwaue. Ungeweza kuwaua wale ambao uliokuwa umewachukua mateka kwa upanga na upinde wako? Weka mkate na maji mbele yao, ili kwamba waweze kula na kunywa, na kwenda kwa bwana wao.”
23 And a great provision of meats was set before them, and they ate and drank, and he let them go, and they went away to their master, and the robbers of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.
Ndipo mfalme akaandaa chakula kingi kwa ajili yao, na wakati walipokula na kunywa, akawapeleka mbali, na walirudi kwa bwana wao. Lile kundi la jeshi la Wasahami halikurudi kwa mda mrefu katika nchi ya Israeli.
24 And it came to pass after these things, that Benadad king of Syria gathered together all his army, and went up, and besieged Samaria.
Baadaye baada ya huyu Ben Hadadi mfalme wa Shamu kukusanya majeshi yake yote na kuiteka Samaria na kuizingira.
25 And there was a great famine in Samaria: and so long did the siege continue, till the head of an ass was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cabe of pigeon’s dung, for five pieces of silver.
Hivyo kulikuwa na njaa kubwa katika Samaria. Kumbe, wakauzingira hadi kichwa cha punda kilipouzwa kwa vipande themanini vya fedha, na sehemu ya nne ya sehemu ya kibaba cha kinyesi cha njiwa kwa vipande vitano vya fedha.
26 And as the king of Israel was passing by the wall, a certain woman cried out to him, saying: Save me, my lord O king.
Wakati mfalme wa Israeli alipokuwa akipita karibu na ukuta, mwanamke mmoka akamlilia akisema, “Nisaidie, bwana wangu, mfalme.”
27 And he said: If the Lord doth not save thee, how can I save thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress? And the king said to her: What aileth thee? And she answered:
Akasema, “Kama Yahwe hawezi kukusaidia, je nitakusaidiaje? je kuna kitu chochote kinakuja kutoka sehemu ya kupuria nafaka au shinikizoni?”
28 This woman said to me: Give thy son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.
Mfalme akaendelea, “Nini kinakusumbua?” Akajibu, “Huyu mwanamke ameniambia, 'Mtoe mtoto wako ili tuweze kumla leo, na tutamla wakwangu kesho.”
29 So we boiled my son, and ate him. And I said to her on the next day: Give thy son that we may eat him. And she hath hid her son.
Hivyo tulimchemsha mtoto wangu na kumla, na siku ya pili yake nikamwambia, “Mtoe mtoto wako ili tuweze kumla, lakini alikuwa amemficha mtoto wake.”
30 When the king heard this, he rent his garments, and passed by upon the wall. And all the people saw the haircloth which he wore within next to his flesh.
Basi mfalme aliposikia yale maneno ya yule mwanamke, akayachana mavazi yake (sasa alikuwa akitembelea kwenye ukuta), na watu wakatazama na kuona kwamba alikuwa amevaa nguo ya gunia chini, dhidi ya ngozi yake.
31 And the king said: May God do so and so to me, and may he add more, if the head of Eliseus the son of Saphat shall stand on him this day.
Kisha akasema, “Mungu afanye hivyo kwangu, na zaidi pia, kama kichwa cha Elisha mwana wa Shafati kitabaki juu yake leo.”
32 But Eliseus sat in his house, and the ancients sat with him. So he sent a man before: and before that messenger came, he said to the ancients: Do you know that this son of a murderer hath sent to cut off my head? Look then, when the messenger shall come, shut the door, and suffer him not to come in: for behold the sound of his master’s feet is behind him.
Basi Elisha alikuwa ameketi kwenye nyumba yake, na wazee walikuwa wamekaa pamoja naye. Yule mfalme akamtuma mtu wa mbele yake, lakini wakati mjumbe alipokuja kwa Elisha, akawaambia wazee, “Ona jinsi huyu mwana wa muuaji alivytumwa kuchukua kichwa changu? Tazama, wakati yule mjumbe atakapokuja, funga mlango, na uushikilie huo mlango funga dhidi yake asiingie. Je sio sauti ya bwana wake nyuma mguuni pake?”
33 While he was yet speaking to them, the messenger appeared who was coming to him. And he said: Behold, so great an evil is from the Lord: what shall I look for more from the Lord?
Wakati alipokuwa bado akiongea pamoja nao, kumbe, yule mjumbe alishuka kwake. Mfalme akasema, “Kumbe, masumbuko haya yatoka kwa Yahwe. Kwa nini nimsubiri Yahwe tena?”