< Judges 13 >
1 And the children of Israel did again the evil in the eyes of the Lord; and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.
Waisraeli wakafanya maovu tena mbele za Bwana. Hivyo Bwana akawatia mikononi mwa Wafilisti kwa muda wa miaka arobaini.
2 And there was a certain man of Zor'ah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoach; and his wife was barren, and did not bear.
Basi palikuwa na mtu mmoja wa Sora, aliyeitwa Manoa, wa kabila la Wadani, naye alikuwa na mke ambaye alikuwa tasa na hakuwa na mtoto.
3 And there appeared an angel of the Lord unto the woman, and he said unto her, Behold, thou art barren, and hast not born; but thou wilt conceive, and bear a son.
Malaika wa Bwana akamtokea huyo mwanamke na kumwambia, “Wewe ni tasa na huna mtoto, lakini utachukua mimba na utamzaa mtoto mwanaume.
4 And now do beware, and drink neither wine nor strong drink, and eat not any thing unclean.
Lakini ujihadhari sana usinywe mvinyo wala kileo kingine chochote, wala usile kitu chochote kilicho najisi,
5 For, lo, thou wilt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head; for a Nazarite of God shall the lad be from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.
kwa kuwa utachukua mimba na utamzaa mtoto mwanaume. Wembe usipite kichwani pake, kwa kuwa huyo mwana atakuwa Mnadhiri wa Mungu, aliyewekwa wakfu kwa ajili ya Mungu tangu tumboni mwa mama yake, naye ataanza kuwaokoa Waisraeli kutoka mikononi mwa Wafilisti.”
6 And the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, and his appearance was like the appearance of an angel of God, very terrible; but I asked him not whence he might be, and his name he did not tell me.
Ndipo huyo mwanamke akamwendea mumewe na kumweleza kuwa, “Mtu wa Mungu alinijia. Kule kuonekana kwake kulikuwa kama kwa malaika wa Mungu, wa kutisha sana. Sikumuuliza alikotoka wala hakuniambia jina lake.
7 And he said unto me, Behold, thou wilt conceive, and bear a son; and now thou must drink neither wine nor strong drink, and not eat anything unclean; for the child shall be a Nazarite of God from the womb until the day of his death.
Lakini aliniambia, ‘Utachukua mimba na utazaa mtoto mwanaume. Basi sasa, usinywe mvinyo wala kileo kingine chochote wala usile kitu kilicho najisi, kwa kuwa huyo mtoto atakuwa Mnadhiri wa Mungu tangu tumboni mwa mama yake mpaka kufa kwake.’”
8 And Manoach entreated the Lord, and said, Hear me, O Lord, let the man of God, whom thou didst send, come again unto us, and instruct us what we shall do unto the child that is to be born.
Ndipo Manoa akamwomba Bwana, akasema: “Ee Bwana, nakusihi, huyo mtu wa Mungu uliyemtuma kwetu aje tena ili atufundishe jinsi ya kumlea huyo mwana atakayezaliwa.”
9 And God hearkened to the voice of Manoach; and the angel of God came again unto the woman, as she was sitting in the field; and Manoach her husband was not with her.
Mungu akamsikia Manoa, naye malaika wa Mungu akamjia tena huyo mwanamke alipokuwa shambani, lakini mumewe Manoa hakuwepo.
10 And the woman made haste, and ran, and informed her husband; and she said unto him, Behold, there hath appeared unto me the man, that came unto me the other day.
Basi yule mwanamke akaenda haraka na kumwambia mumewe, “Tazama mtu yule aliyenitokea siku ile yupo hapa!”
11 And Manoach arose, and went after his wife; and he came to the man, and said unto him, Art thou the man that spokest unto the woman? and he said, I am.
Manoa akainuka akaandamana na mkewe. Alipomfikia yule mtu akamuuliza, “Je, wewe ndiye yule uliyesema na mke wangu?” Akasema, “Mimi ndiye.”
12 And Manoach said, If now thy words come to pass, what shall be [our] proceeding with the child, and what shall be done unto him?
Basi Manoa akamuuliza, “Wakati maneno yako yatakapotimia, masharti ya maisha ya mtoto huyu yatakuwa nini na kazi yake itakuwa ni nini?”
13 And the angel of the Lord said unto Manoach, Of all that I have said unto the woman must she beware.
Malaika wa Bwana akamjibu, “Mke wako hana budi kufanya yale yote niliyomwambia.
14 Of any thing that cometh of the grape-vine she may not eat, and wine or strong drink she may not drink, and any thing unclean she may not eat: all that I commanded her must she observe.
Kamwe asile kitu chochote kitakachotoka katika mzabibu, wala asinywe mvinyo wa aina yoyote wala kileo chochote wala asile kitu chochote kilicho najisi. Hana budi kufanya kila kitu nilichomwagiza.”
15 And Manoach said unto the angel of the Lord, Let us, I pray thee, detain thee, and we will make a kid ready for thee.
Manoa akamjibu yule malaika wa Bwana, “Twakuomba usubiri kwanza ili tuweze kuandaa mwana-mbuzi kwa ajili yako.”
16 And the angel of the Lord said unto Manoach, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread; but if thou wilt offer a burnt-offering, thou must offer it unto the Lord; for Manoach knew not that he was an angel of the Lord.
Malaika wa Bwana akamjibu, “Hata kama utanizuia, sitakula chochote kwako. Lakini ukitaka kuandaa sadaka ya kuteketezwa, mtolee Bwana hiyo sadaka.” (Kwa kuwa Manoa hakujua kuwa alikuwa malaika wa Bwana.)
17 And Manoach said unto the angel of the Lord, What is thy name, that, when thy word cometh to pass, we may do thee honor?
Ndipo Manoa akamuuliza yule malaika wa Bwana, “Jina lako ni nani, ili kwamba tuweze kukupa heshima hapo hayo uliyonena yatakapotimia?”
18 And the angel of the Lord said unto him, Why is it that thou wilt ask after my name, seeing it is secret?
Akamjibu, “Kwa nini unauliza Jina langu? Ni Jina la ajabu.”
19 And Manoach took the kid and the meat-offering, and offered it upon the rock unto the Lord: and he did wondrously; and Manoach and his wife looked on.
Ndipo Manoa akamchukua mwana-mbuzi, pamoja na sadaka ya unga, naye akamtolea Bwana dhabihu hapo juu ya mwamba. Naye yule malaika wa Bwana akafanya jambo la ajabu wakati Manoa na mkewe wakiwa wanaangalia:
20 And it came to pass, when the flame went up from off the altar toward heaven, that the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar; and Manoach and his wife looked on, and they fell on their faces to the ground.
Mwali wa moto kutoka hapo madhabahuni ulipowaka kuelekea mbinguni, malaika wa Bwana akapaa ndani ya huo mwali. Manoa na mkewe, kwa kuona jambo hili, wakaanguka chini kifudifudi.
21 And the angel of the Lord was no longer visible to Manoach and to his wife: then knew Manoach that he was an angel of the Lord.
Malaika wa Bwana hakumtokea tena Manoa na mkewe. Ndipo Manoa akatambua kuwa huyo alikuwa malaika wa Bwana.
22 And Manoach said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because a divine being have we seen.
Manoa akamwambia mkewe, “Hakika tutakufa, kwa kuwa tumemwona Mungu.”
23 But his wife said unto him, If the Lord were pleased to kill us, he would not have received from our hand a burnt-offering and a meat-offering, nor would he have let us see all these things, and at this time he would not have let us hear [such a thing] as this.
Lakini mkewe akamwambia, “Ikiwa Bwana alikuwa amekusudia kutuua, asingelipokea sadaka ya kuteketezwa na sadaka ya unga kutoka mikononi mwetu, wala asingelituonyesha mambo haya yote wala kututangazia mambo kama haya wakati huu.”
24 And the woman bore a son, and called his name Samson; and the child grew up, and the Lord blessed him.
Yule mwanamke akazaa mtoto wa kiume akamwita jina lake Samsoni. Kijana akakua, naye Bwana akambariki.
25 And the Spirit of the Lord began to move him in Machaneh-dan between Zor'ah and Eshtaol.
Roho wa Bwana akaanza kumsukuma wakati alipokuwa huko Mahane-Dani, kati ya Sora na Eshtaoli.