< Judges 3 >
1 Now these are the nations that the Lord left, to prove by them the Israelites, namely, all those who had not experienced all the wars of Canaan;
Haya ndiyo mataifa Bwana aliyoyaacha ili kuwajaribu Waisraeli wote ambao hawakujua vita vyovyote vya Kanaani
2 Only in order that the future generations of the children of Israel might obtain knowledge, to teach them war; but only such as before had learned nothing thereof;
(alifanya hivi ili tu kuwafundisha wazao wa Waisraeli ambao hawakuwa wamejua vita hapo awali):
3 Namely, the five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Zidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt on mount Lebanon, from mount Ba'al-chermon unto the entrance of Chamath.
wafalme watano wa Wafilisti, Wakanaani wote, Wasidoni, Wahivi waishio katika milima ya Lebanoni kuanzia Mlima wa Baal-Hermoni hadi Lebo-Hamathi.
4 And they were left to prove by them the Israelites, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the Lord, which he had commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.
Waliachwa ili kuwajaribu Waisraeli kuona kama wangetii amri za Bwana, alizokuwa amewapa baba zao kwa mkono wa Mose.
5 And the children of Israel dwelt in the midst of the Canaanites, the Hittites, and the Emorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites;
Waisraeli wakaishi miongoni mwa Wakanaani, Wahiti, Waamori, Waperizi, Wahivi na Wayebusi.
6 And they took their daughters to themselves for wives, and their daughters they gave to their sons; and they served their gods.
Wakawaoa binti zao, nao wakawatoa binti zao waolewe na wana wa hayo mataifa, na kuitumikia miungu yao.
7 And the children of Israel did [thus] the evil in the eyes of the Lord, and forgot the Lord their God, and served the Be'alim and the groves.
Waisraeli wakafanya maovu machoni pa Bwana, wakamsahau Bwana Mungu wao na kutumikia Mabaali na Maashera.
8 Wherefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-rish'athayim the king of Mesopotamia; and the children of Israel served Cushan-rish'athayim eight years.
Hasira ya Bwana ikawaka dhidi ya Israeli, hivyo akawauza na kuwatia mikononi mwa Kushan-Rishathaimu mfalme wa Aramu-Naharaimu ambaye Israeli walikuwa chini yake wakimtumikia kwa muda wa miaka minane.
9 And the children of Israel cried then unto the Lord, and the Lord raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, namely, 'Othniel the son of Kenaz, the younger brother of Caleb.
Waisraeli walipomlilia Bwana, yeye akawainulia mwokozi, Othnieli mwana wa Kenazi, ndugu mdogo wa Kalebu, ambaye aliwaokoa.
10 And the spirit of the Lord came over him, and he judged Israel, and went out to battle: and the Lord delivered Cushan-rish'athayim the king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed over Cushan-rish'athayim.
Roho wa Bwana akaja juu yake, hivyo akawa mwamuzi wa Israeli, akaenda vitani. Bwana akamtia Kushan-Rishathaimu mfalme wa Aramu mikononi mwa Othnieli, naye akamshinda.
11 And the land had rest forty years; and then died 'Othniel the son of Kenaz.
Hivyo nchi ikawa na amani kwa muda wa miaka arobaini, mpaka Othnieli mwana wa Kenazi alipofariki.
12 And the children of Israel did again the evil in the eyes of the Lord; and the Lord strengthened 'Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done the evil in the eyes of the Lord.
Waisraeli wakafanya maovu mbele za Bwana tena, kwa kuwa walifanya maovu hayo Bwana akamtia nguvu Egloni mfalme wa Moabu dhidi ya Israeli.
13 And he gathered unto him the children of 'Ammon and 'Amalek, and they went and smote Israel, and took possession of the city of palm-trees.
Egloni akawataka Waamoni na Waamaleki waungane naye, akaja kuishambulia Israeli, nao wakatwaa Mji wa Mitende
14 And the children of Israel served 'Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.
Waisraeli wakawa chini ya Egloni mfalme wa Moabu kwa muda wa miaka kumi na minane.
15 But the children of Israel cried then unto the Lord; and the Lord raised up unto them a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera a Benjamite, a man who was lamed in his right hand; and the children of Israel sent by him a present unto 'Eglon the king of Moab.
Waisraeli wakamlilia tena Bwana, naye akawapa mwokozi: Ehudi, mtu wa shoto, mwana wa Gera, Mbenyamini. Waisraeli wakatuma kwa Egloni mfalme wa Moabu ushuru kwa mkono wa Ehudi.
16 But Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he girded it under his garments upon his right thigh.
Basi Ehudi alikuwa ametengeneza upanga wenye ukatao kuwili, urefu wake ni kama dhiraa moja, akaufunga upanga huo ndani ya nguo yake kwenye paja lake la mkono wa kuume.
17 And he brought the present near unto 'Eglon the king of Moab; now 'Eglon was a very fat man.
Akamkabidhi ushuru Egloni mfalme wa Moabu, ambaye alikuwa mtu mnene sana.
18 And it came to pass when he had made an end to offer the present, that he sent away the people who had borne the present.
Baada ya Ehudi kumkabidhi ule ushuru, wale watu waliokuwa wameubeba huo ushuru aliwaruhusu waende zao.
19 But he himself returned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret word unto thee, O King. And he said, Keep silence. And thereupon went out from his presence all that stood by him.
Yeye mwenyewe akafuatana nao hadi kwenye sanamu ya kuchora kwenye mawe karibu na Gilgali, ndipo yeye akarudi, akafika kwa Egloni na kusema, “Ee Mfalme, ninao ujumbe wa siri kwa ajili yako.” Mfalme akasema, “Nyamazeni kimya!” Nao wale waliomhudumia wote wakamwacha, wakatoka nje.
20 And Ehud came in unto him; and he was sitting in the summer upper chamber, which was for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a word of God unto thee. And he arose out of his chair.
Ndipo Ehudi akamsogelea alipokuwa ameketi peke yake kwenye chumba cha juu cha jumba lake la kifalme la majira ya kiangazi, na kusema, “Ninao ujumbe kutoka kwa Mungu kwa ajili yako.” Mfalme alipokuwa anainuka kutoka kwenye kiti chake,
21 And Ehud stretched forth his left hand, and took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his body.
Ehudi akaunyoosha mkono wake wa kushoto na kuufuta ule upanga aliokuwa ameufunga kwenye paja lake la kulia, akamdunga Mfalme Egloni tumboni mwake.
22 And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade; for he did not draw the sword out of his body, and it passed into the fundament.
Hata mpini nao ukazama tumboni pamoja na upanga wenyewe, nao upanga ukatokea mgongoni mwake. Ehudi hakuuchomoa huo upanga, nayo mafuta yakashikamana juu ya upanga.
23 And Ehud went forth into the ante-room, and shut the doors of the upper chamber after him, and locked them.
Ehudi akatoka nje barazani; akamfungia milango ya chumba cha juu na kuifunga kwa funguo.
24 He was just gone out, when his servants came; and they saw, behold, the doors of the upper chamber were locked; and they said, Surely he covereth his feet in the summer chamber.
Baada ya kuondoka, watumishi wakaja na kukuta milango ya chumba cha juu imefungwa kwa funguo. Wakasema, “Bila shaka amejipumzisha kwenye chumba cha ndani cha nyumba yake ya majira ya kiangazi.”
25 And they tarried till they were ashamed; and behold, he opened not the doors of the upper chamber; wherefore they took the key and opened them: and, behold, their lord was lying dead on the floor.
Wakangoja hata wakawa na fadhaa, basi wakati hakufungua milango ya chumba, wakachukua funguo na kuifungua. Tazama wakaona bwana wao amelala sakafuni, amekufa.
26 And Ehud had escaped while they were tarrying, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Se'irah.
Walipokuwa wangali wanangoja, Ehudi akatoroka, akapita hapo kwenye sanamu ya kuchora kwenye mawe na kukimbilia Seira.
27 And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew the cornet on the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mountain, and he before them.
Alipofika huko, akapiga tarumbeta katika nchi ya vilima ya Efraimu, nao Waisraeli wakateremka pamoja naye kutoka vilimani, yeye akiwa anawaongoza.
28 And he said unto them, Pursue after me; for the Lord hath delivered your enemies, the Moabites, into your hand. And they went down after him, and seized on the fords of the Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.
Akawaagiza, “Nifuateni, kwa kuwa Bwana amewatia Moabu, adui zenu, mikononi mwenu.” Kwa hiyo wakateremka wakamfuata, wakavishika vivuko vya Yordani kuelekea Moabu, wala hawakuacha mtu yeyote kuvuka.
29 And they smote of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valor; and there escaped not a man.
Wakati huo wakawaua Wamoabu watu waume wapatao 10,000 ambao wote walikuwa wenye nguvu na mashujaa; hakuna mtu yeyote aliyetoroka.
30 And Moab was humbled that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest eighty years.
Siku ile Moabu wakashindwa na Israeli, nayo nchi ikawa na amani kwa miaka themanini.
31 And after him was Shamgar the son of 'Anath, who smote of the philistines six hundred men with an ox-goad; and he also delivered Israel.
Baada ya Ehudi akaja Shamgari mwana wa Anathi, aliyewapiga Wafilisti 600 kwa fimbo iliyochongoka ya kuongozea ngʼombe. Naye pia akawaokoa Waisraeli.