< Judges 3 >
1 Now, these, are the nations which Yahweh left, that he might, by them, put Israel to the proof, —all who had not known any of the wars of Canaan;
Sasa Bwana aliyaacha mataifa haya yaijaribu Israeli, yaani kila mtu katika Israeli ambaye hakushiriki vita yoyote huko Kanaani.
2 that the generations of the sons of Israel might certainly get to know, by being taught to make war, —such, at least, as aforetime knew nothing thereof: —
(Alifanya hivyo ili kuwafundisha vita kizazi kipya cha Waisraeli ambao hawakujua kabla).
3 five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Zidonians, and the Hivites dwelling in Mount Lebanon, —from Mount Baal-hermon as far as the entering in of Hamath.
Haya ndio mataifa: wafalme watano kutoka kwa Wafilisti, Wakanaani wote, Wasidoni, na Wahivi waliokaa milima ya Lebanoni, kutoka Mlima Baali Hermoni hadi Hamathi.
4 So then [these] were [left], that, by them, he might put Israel to the proof, —to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of Yahweh which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.
Mataifa haya yaliachwa kama njia ambayo Bwana angeijaribu Israeli, kuthibitisha kama watazitii amri alizowapa babu zao kupitia Musa.
5 And thus, the sons of Israel, dwelt in the midst of the Canaanites, —the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites;
Basi wana wa Israeli wakakaa kati ya Wakanaani, na Wahiti, na Waamori, na Waperizi, na Wahivi, na Wayebusi.
6 and took their daughters to be their wives, their own daughters moreover, gave they unto their sons, and they served their gods.
Waliwachukua binti zao kuwa wake zao, nao wakawapa wana wao binti zao, nao wakaitumikia miungu yao.
7 Thus did the sons of Israel the thing that was wicked in the sight of Yahweh, and forgat Yahweh their God, —and served the Baals and the Asherahs.
Wana wa Israeli walifanya yaliyo mabaya machoni pa Bwana, wakamsahau Bwana, Mungu wao. Waliabudu Baali na Asherah.
8 Then kindled the anger of Yahweh upon Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushan-rishathaim, king of Mesopotamia, —and the sons of Israel served Chushan-rishathaim, eight years.
Basi, hasira ya Bwana ikawaka juu ya Israeli, naye akawauza mkononi mwa Kushan-rishathaimu mfalme wa Aram Naharaimu. Watu wa Israeli walitumikia Kushan Rishathaimu kwa miaka nane.
9 And the sons of Israel made outcry unto Yahweh, so Yahweh raised up a saviour unto the sons of Israel, who saved them, —even Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.
Watu wa Israeli walipomwomba Bwana, Bwana akamuinua mtu atakayewasaidia wana wa Israeli, na mtu atakayewaokoa: Othnieli mwana wa Kenazi (ndugu mdogo wa Kalebu).
10 And the Spirit of Yahweh came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war, and Yahweh delivered into his hand, Chushan-rishathaim, king of Syria, —and his hand prevailed over Chushan-rishathaim.
Roho wa Bwana akamtia nguvu, naye akahukumu Israeli na akatoka kwenda vitani. Bwana akampa kuishinda Kush-rishataimu mfalme wa Aramu. Mkono wa Othnieli alishinda Kushan Rishathaimu.
11 And the land had rest forty years, —and Othniel son of Kenaz, died.
Nchi ilikuwa na amani kwa miaka arobaini. Ndipo Otinieli mwana wa Kenazi akafa.
12 And the sons of Israel again did the thing that was wicked, in the sight of Yahweh, —and Yahweh emboldened Eglon, king of Moab, against Israel, because they did the thing that was wicked in the sight of Yahweh;
Baada ya hayo, Waisraeli wakafanya yaliyo mabaya machoni pa Bwana; Bwana akampa Egloni mfalme wa Moabu nguvu, kuwashinda Waisraeli.
13 and he gathered unto him, the sons of Ammon, and Amalek, —and came and smote Israel, and took possession of the city of palm-trees.
Eglon alijiunga na wana wa Amoni na Waamaleki wakaenda na kuwashinda Israeli, na walichukua mji wa Mitende.
14 So the sons of Israel served Eglon king of Moab, eighteen years.
Watu wa Israeli walimtumikia Eglon mfalme wa Moabu kwa miaka kumi na nane.
15 And the sons of Israel made outcry unto Yahweh, and Yahweh raised up unto them a saviour, Ehud son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man left-handed, —and the sons of Israel sent, by his hand, a present, unto Eglon king of Moab.
Wana wa Israeli walipomwomba Bwana, Bwana akamwinua mtu aliyewasaidia, Ehudi mwana wa Gera, Mbenjamini, mtu shoto. Wana wa Israeli wakamtuma kwa Egloni, mfalme wa Moabu, kwa malipo yao ya kodi.
16 So Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length, —and girded it under his raiment, upon his right thigh.
Ehudi akajifanyia upanga uliokuwa na makali kuwili, urefu wa dhiraa moja; aliufunga chini ya nguo zake juu ya mguu wake wa kulia.
17 So he offered the present unto Eglon, king of Moab, —now, Eglon, was an exceedingly fat man.
Akampa Egloni Mfalme wa Moabu malipo ya kodi. (Egloni alikuwa mtu mnene sana.)
18 And so it was, when he had made an end of offering the present, that he sent away the people who had been bearing the present;
Baada ya Ehudi kulipa malipo ya kodi, aliondoka na wale waliokuwa wameibeba.
19 but, he himself, turned back from the images that were by Gilgal, and said, A secret word, have I, unto thee, O king! And he said—Silence! Thereupon went out from his presence all who had been standing near him.
Hata hivyo Ehudi mwenyewe, alipofikia mahali ambapo sanamu za kuchonga zilitengenezwa karibu na Gilgali, akageuka na kurudi, akasema, 'Nina ujumbe wa siri kwako, mfalme wangu.' Eglon akasema, 'Nyamazeni kimya!' Kwa hiyo wote waliomtumikia wakatoka kwenye chumba.
20 And, Ehud, came in unto him, he, having been sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself, alone, and Ehud said, A divine word, have I, unto thee. So he arose from off his seat.
Ehudi akaja kwake. Mfalme alikuwa amekaa peke yake, peke yake katika chumba cha juu cha baridi. Ehudi akasema, 'Nina ujumbe kutoka kwa Mungu kwa ajili yeko.' Mfalme akasimama kutoka katika kiti chake.
21 And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the sword from off his right thigh, —and thrust it into his body;
Ehudi akanyoosha mkono wake wa kushoto na akachukua upanga kutoka mguu wake wa kulia, na akautia ndani ya mwili wa mfalme.
22 and, the handle also, went in after the blade, and the flesh closed upon the blade, for he withdrew not the sword out of his body, —and he came out into the ante-chamber.
Na kipini cha upanga kikaingia ndani yake baada ya upanga, nao ukatokea nyuma yake, na mafuta yakashikamana juu ya upanga, kwa kuwa Ehudi hakuutoa upanga nje ya mwili wake.
23 And, when Ehud came out into the porch, he closed the doors of the parlour upon him, and bolted them.
Kisha Ehudi akatoka kwenye ukumbi na akafunga milango ya chumba cha juu nyuma yake na akawafungia.
24 When, he, had come out, his servants, went in, and looked, and lo! the doors of the parlour were bolted, —so they said, Surely he covereth his feet, in the summer chamber.
Baada ya Ehudi kuondoka, watumishi wa mfalme wakaja; wakaona milango ya chumba cha juu imefungwa, kwa hiyo wakafikiri, 'Hakika atakuwa anajitoa mwenyewe katika hali ya baridi ya chumba cha juu.'
25 But, though they tarried a long time, yet lo! he opened not the doors of the parlour, —so they took the key, and opened [them], when lo! their lord, fallen to the ground dead.
Walizidi kuwa na wasiwasi hata walipoanza kuhisi kuwa walikuwa wakipuuza wajibu wao wakati mfalme bado hakufungua milango ya chumba cha juu. Kwa hiyo walichukua ufunguo wakawafungua, tazama bwana wao, ameanguka chini, amekufa.
26 But, Ehud, escaped while they delayed, —yea, he, passed the images, and escaped into Seirah.
Wakati watumishi wakisubiri, wakijiuliza nini wanapaswa kufanya, Ehudi alikimbia na kupita mahali ambako kulikuwa na sanamu za kuchonga, na hivyo akakimbia kwenda Seira.
27 And so it was, when he came, that he blew with a horn, throughout the hill country of Ephraim, —and the sons of Israel came down with him, out of the hill country, he, being before them.
Alipofika, alipiga tarumbeta katika nchi ya mlima wa Efraimu. Kisha wana wa Israeli wakashuka pamoja naye kutoka milimani, naye akawaongoza.
28 And he said unto them—Come down after me, for Yahweh hath delivered your enemies, the Moabites, into your hand. So they came down after him, and captured the fords of the Jordan, towards Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.
Akawaambia, Nifuate, kwa kuwa Bwana atawashinda adui zenu, Wamoabu. Wakamfuata, wakakamata vivuko vya Bonde la Yordani, toka kwa Wamoabi, wala hawakuruhusu mtu yeyote kuvuka mto.
29 And they smote of Moab, at that time, about ten thousand men, every one a mighty man, and every one a man of valour, —and, there escaped not a man.
Wakati huo waliwaua watu elfu kumi wa Moabu, na wote walikuwa watu wenye nguvu na wenye uwezo. Hakuna aliyekimbia.
30 And Moab was subdued on that day, under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest eighty years, and Ehud judged them until his death.
Kwa hiyo siku hiyo Moabu ilishindwa na nguvu ya Israeli. Na nchi ilikuwa na amani kwa miaka thelathini.
31 And, after him, was Shamgar, son of Anath, who smote of the Philistines, six hundred men, with an ox-goad, —and, he also, saved Israel.
Baada ya Ehudi, mwamuzi aliyefuata alikuwa Shamgari mwana wa Anathi ambaye aliwaua Wafilisti 600 kwa konzo la ng'ombe. Pia aliwaokoa Israeli kutoka kwenye hatari.