Hebrews 11
1 Now faith is [the] substance of things hoped for, [the] proof of matters not being seen,
Kuwa na imani ni kuwa na hakika ya mambo tunayotumainia; kusadiki kabisa mambo tusiyoyaona.
2 for by this, the elders were well-attested.
Maana wazee wa kale walipata kibali cha Mungu kwa sababu ya imani yao.
3 By faith we understand the ages to have been prepared by a saying of God, in regard to the things seen having not come out of things appearing. (aiōn g165)
Kwa imani sisi tunafahamu kwamba ulimwengu uliumbwa kwa neno la Mungu; vitu vinavyoonekana kutoka vitu visivyoonekana. (aiōn g165)
4 By faith Abel offered a better sacrifice to God than Cain, through which he was testified to be righteous, God testifying of his gifts, and through it, he being dead, yet speaks.
Kwa imani Abeli alimtolea Mungu dhabihu iliyokuwa bora zaidi kuliko ile ya Kaini. Kwa imani yake alikubaliwa na Mungu kuwa mwadilifu; Mungu mwenyewe alizikubali sadaka zake. Kwa imani yake ingawa amekufa, bado ananena.
5 By faith Enoch was translated—not to see death, and was not found, because God translated him; for before his translation he had been testified to—that he had pleased God well,
Kwa imani Henoki alichukuliwa na Mungu, asipate kufa. Hakuonekana tena kwa sababu Mungu alikuwa amemchukua. Maandiko yasema kwamba kabla ya kuchukuliwa kwake, yeye alikuwa amempendeza Mungu.
6 and apart from faith it is impossible to please [Him], for it is required of him who is coming to God to believe that He exists and [that] He becomes a rewarder to those seeking Him.
Basi, pasipo imani haiwezekani kumpendeza Mungu. Kwa maana kila mtu anayemwendea Mungu ni lazima aamini kwamba Mungu yuko, na kwamba huwatuza wale wanaomtafuta.
7 By faith Noah, having been divinely warned concerning the things not yet seen, having feared, prepared an ark to the salvation of his house, through which he condemned the world, and he became heir of the righteousness according to faith.
Kwa imani Noa alionywa na Mungu juu ya mambo ya baadaye ambayo hakuweza kuyaona bado. Alimtii Mungu, akajenga ile safina ambamo aliokolewa yeye pamoja na jamaa yake. Kutokana na hayo ulimwengu ulihukumiwa, naye Noa akapokea uadilifu unaotokana na imani.
8 By faith Abraham, being called, obeyed, to go forth into the place that he was about to receive for an inheritance, and he went forth, not knowing to where he goes.
Kwa imani Abrahamu alimtii Mungu alipoitwa aende katika nchi ambayo Mungu angempa iwe yake. Ingawa hakujua alikokuwa anakwenda, Abrahamu alihama.
9 By faith he sojourned in the land of the promise as a strange country, having dwelt in dwelling places with Isaac and Jacob, fellow-heirs of the same promise,
Kwa imani aliishi kama mgeni katika nchi aliyoahidiwa na Mungu. Aliishi huko katika hema kama walivyoishi Isaka na Yakobo, ambao pia walishiriki ahadi ileile.
10 for he was looking for the city having the foundations, whose craftsman and constructor [is] God.
Maana Abrahamu alikuwa akingojea mji wenye misingi imara, mji ambao Mungu mwenyewe ndiye fundi aliyeubuni na kuujenga.
11 And by faith Sarah, herself barren, received power to conceive seed even after the time of life, seeing she judged Him who promised faithful;
Kwa imani hata Sara aliamini kwamba Mungu hutimiza ahadi zake, kwa hiyo akajaliwa kuchukua mimba ingawaje alikuwa amepita umri.
12 for this reason, also, from one—and that of one who had become dead—were begotten as the stars of the sky in multitude, and innumerable as the sand that [is] by the seashore.
Kwa hiyo, kutoka katika mtu huyo mmoja, Abrahamu, ambaye alikuwa kama amekufa, walitokea watu wengi wasiohesabika kama vile nyota za mbinguni na mchanga wa pwani.
13 All these died in faith, having not received the promises, but having seen them from afar, and having been persuaded, and having greeted [them], and having confessed that they are strangers and sojourners on the earth,
Watu hawa wote walikufa wakiwa na imani. Walikufa kabla ya kupokea mambo ambayo Mungu alikuwa ameahidi, lakini kwa mbali waliyaona, wakashangilia, na kukiri wazi kwamba wao walikuwa wageni na wakimbizi duniani.
14 for those saying such things make apparent that they seek a country;
Watu wanaosema mambo kama hayo, huonyesha wazi kwamba wanaitafuta nchi yao wenyewe.
15 and if, indeed, they had been mindful of that from which they came forth, they might have had an opportunity to return,
Kama wangalikuwa wanaifikiria nchi walikotoka zamani, wangalipata nafasi ya kurudi huko.
16 but now they long for better, that is, heavenly, for this reason God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for He prepared a city for them.
Lakini sasa wanataka nchi iliyo bora zaidi, yaani nchi ya mbinguni. Ndiyo maana Mungu haoni haya wakimwita yeye Mungu wao, kwa sababu yeye mwenyewe amekwisha watayarishia mji.
17 By faith Abraham has offered up Isaac, being tried, even the [one] having received the promises offered up his only begotten,
Kwa imani, Abrahamu alimtoa mwanae Isaka sadaka wakati Mungu alipomjaribu. Huyo Abrahamu ndiye aliyekuwa amepokea ahadi ya Mungu, lakini, hata hivyo, alikubali kumtoa dhabihu mwanae wa pekee,
18 of whom it was said, “In Isaac will your Seed be called,”
ingawa Mungu alikuwa amemwambia: “Wazawa wako watatokana na Isaka.”
19 reckoning that God is even able to raise up out of the dead, from where also in a figurative sense he received [him].
Abrahamu aliamini kwamba Mungu anaweza kuwafufua wafu: na kwa namna fulani kweli Abrahamu alimpata tena mwanae kutoka wafu.
20 By faith, concerning coming things, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau.
Kwa imani Isaka aliwabariki Yakobo na Esau, wapate baraka zitakazokuja baadaye.
21 By faith Jacob, dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and worshiped on the top of his staff.
Kwa imani Yakobo alipokuwa karibu kufa, aliwabariki kila mmoja wa wana wa Yosefu, akamwabudu Mungu akiegemea ile fimbo yake.
22 By faith Joseph, dying, made mention concerning the outgoing of the sons of Israel, and gave command concerning his bones.
Kwa imani Yosefu alipokuwa karibu kufa, alinena juu ya kutoka kwa Waisraeli katika nchi ya Misri, na pia akawaachia maagizo kuhusu mifupa yake.
23 By faith Moses, having been born, was hid three months by his parents, because they saw the child beautiful, and were not afraid of the decree of the king.
Kwa imani wazazi wa Mose walimficha huyo mtoto kwa muda wa miezi mitatu baada ya kuzaliwa kwake. Walimwona kuwa ni mtoto mzuri, wala hawakuiogopa amri ya mfalme.
24 By faith Moses, having become great, refused to be called a son of the daughter of Pharaoh,
Kwa imani Mose alipokuwa mtu mzima, alikataa kuitwa mwana wa binti Farao.
25 having chosen rather to be afflicted with the people of God, than to have sin’s pleasure for a season,
Aliona ni afadhali kuteseka pamoja na watu wa Mungu kuliko kufurahia raha ya dhambi kwa kitambo kidogo.
26 having reckoned the reproach of the Christ greater wealth than the treasures in Egypt, for he looked to the repayment of reward.
Alitambua kwamba kuteseka kwa ajili ya Masiha kuna faida kubwa zaidi kuliko utajiri wote wa nchi ya Misri, maana alikuwa anatazamia tuzo la baadaye.
27 By faith he left Egypt behind, having not been afraid of the wrath of the king, for as seeing the Invisible One—he endured.
Kwa imani Mose alihama kutoka nchi ya Misri bila kuogopa hasira ya mfalme; na wala hakurudi nyuma, kwani alikuwa kama mtu aliyemwona yule Mungu asiyeonekana.
28 By faith he kept the Passover, and the sprinkling of the blood, so that He who is destroying the firstborn might not touch them.
Kwa imani aliadhimisha siku ya Pasaka, akaamuru damu inyunyizwe juu ya milango, ili yule Malaika Mwangamizi asiwaue wazaliwa wa kwanza wa Israeli.
29 By faith they passed through the Red Sea as through dry land, which having made an attempt [to cross], the Egyptians were swallowed up.
Kwa imani watu wa Israeli walivuka bahari ya Shamu, kana kwamba ilikuwa nchi kavu; lakini Wamisri walipojaribu kufanya hivyo walikufa maji.
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, having been surrounded for seven days.
Kwa imani kuta za mji wa Yeriko zilianguka watu wa Israeli walipokwisha zunguka kwa muda wa siku saba.
31 By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who disbelieved, having received the spies with peace.
Kwa imani Rahabu aliyekuwa malaya hakuangamia pamoja na wale waliomwasi Mungu, kwa sababu aliwakaribisha wale wapelelezi.
32 And what yet will I say? For the time will fail me recounting about Gideon, also Barak, and Samson, and Jephthah, also David, and Samuel, and the prophets,
Basi, niseme nini zaidi? Wakati hauniruhusu kueleza juu ya Gedeoni, Baraki, Samsoni, Yeftha, Daudi, Samweli na manabii.
33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped mouths of lions,
Kwa imani hawa wote walipigana vita na wafalme, wakashinda. Walitenda mambo adili, wakapokea yale aliyoahidi Mungu. Walifunga vinywa vya simba,
34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the mouth of the sword, were made powerful out of weakness, became strong in battle, caused armies of the foreigners to give way;
Walizima mioto mikali, waliepuka kuuawa kwa upanga. Walikuwa dhaifu lakini walipata nguvu. Walikuwa hodari katika vita wakashinda majeshi ya kigeni.
35 women received their dead by a resurrection, and others were tortured, not accepting the redemption, that they might receive a better resurrection,
Na, wanawake walioamini walirudishiwa wafu wao wakiwa wamefufuliwa. Baadhi yao walikataa kufunguliwa, wakateswa mpaka kufa ili wapate kufufuliwa na kuingia katika maisha bora zaidi.
36 and others received trial of mockings and scourgings, and yet of bonds and imprisonment;
Wengine walidhihakiwa na kupigwa mijeledi, na wengine walifungwa minyororo na kutupwa gerezani.
37 they were stoned, they were sawn apart, they were tried; they died in the killing of the sword; they went around in sheepskins, in goatskins—being destitute, afflicted, injuriously treated,
Walipigwa mawe, walipasuliwa vipandevipande, waliuawa kwa upanga. Walizungukazunguka wakiwa wamevaa ngozi za kondoo na ngozi za mbuzi, walikuwa watu maskini, walioteswa na kudhulumiwa.
38 of whom the world was not worthy; wandering in deserts, and mountains, and caves, and the holes of the earth;
Ulimwengu haukustahili kuwa na watu hao. Walitangatanga jangwani na mlimani, wakaishi katika mashimo na mapango ya ardhi.
39 and all these, having been testified to through faith, did not receive the promise,
Watu hawa wote walionekana kuwa mashujaa kwa sababu ya imani yao. Hata hivyo, hawakupokea yale ambayo Mungu aliwaahidia,
40 God, having provided something better for us, that apart from us they might not be made perfect.
maana Mungu alikuwa ameazimia mpango ulio bora zaidi kwa ajili yetu; yaani wao wangeufikia ukamilifu wakiwa pamoja nasi.
