2 Kings 6
1 One day a group of prophets said to Elisha, “Look, this place where we meet together with you is very small.
Wana wa manabii wakamwambia Elisha, “Sehemu ambayo tunayoishi na wewe ni ndogo sana kwa ajili ya wote.
2 Allow us to go to the Jordan [River and cut down some trees to make] logs to build a new meeting place.” So Elisha said, “Okay, go.”
Tafadhali, tuache tuende Yordani, na umwache kila mtu akate mti hapo ambako tunaweza kuishi.” Elisha akajibu, “unaweza kwenda mbele.”
3 One of them said to Elisha, “Please come with us.” So Elisha replied, “Okay, I will go with you.”
Mmoja wao akasema, “Nenda na watumishi wako tafadhali.” Elisha akajibu, “Nitaenda.”
4 So they went together. When they reached the Jordan [River], they cut down some trees.
Kwa hiyo akaenda pamoja nao, na wakati walipokuja Yordani, wakaanza kukata miti.
5 But while one of them was cutting down a tree, suddenly the axe head [separated from the handle and] fell into the water. He cried out to Elisha, “O, Master, what shall I do? [The axe is not mine]; I borrowed it!”
Lakini mmoja wao alipokuwa akikata, kichwa cha shoka kikaangukia kwenye maji; akalia kwa sauti na kusema, “la hasha, bwana wangu, kilikuwa kimeazimwa!”
6 Elisha replied, “Where did it fall into the water?” After the man showed him the place, Elisha cut off a stick, and threw it into the water, and caused the iron axe head to float [on top of the water].
Basi mtu wa Mungu akasema, “kiliangukia wapi?” Yule mtu akamwonyesha Elisha ile sehemu. akakata fimbo, akarusha kwenye maji, na kufanya chuma kuelea.
7 Elisha said, “Take it out of the water.” So the man reached his hand down and picked up the axe head.
Elisha akasema, “Kichukue.” Basi yule mtu akafikisha mkono wake na kukinyakua.
8 Whenever the king of Syria [prepared to send his army to] fight against Israel, he first consulted his officers, and then told them where they should set up their tents.
Basi mfalme wa Shamu alikuwa akipigana vita dhidi ya Israel. Akafanya shauri na watumishi wake, akisema, “kambi yangu itakuwa sehemu flani na flani.”
9 But each time, Elisha would send a message to warn the king of Israel, [telling him where the army of Syria was planning to attack them, ] saying, “Be sure that your army does not go near that place, because the army of Syria has set up their tents there.”
Basi huyo mtu wa Mungu akamtuma kwa mfalme wa Israeli, akisema, “Kuwa makini usipite ile sehemu, kwa kuwa ndipo Washamu wanakoshukia hapo.”
10 So the king of Israel would send [messengers] to warn [the people who lived in] that place, and the people would remain on guard. That happened several times.
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 The king of Syria was very upset/disturbed/angry about that. So he summoned his army officers and said to them, “[Obviously] one of you is (betraying us/revealing our plans) to the king of Israel. Which one of you is doing it?”
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 One of his officers answered, “Your Majesty, it is not one of us. Elisha the prophet [knows what we plan to do, and he] tells the king of Israel everything. He even knows what you say in your own bedroom!”
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 The king of Syria replied, “Go and find out where he is, and I will send [some men there] to capture him.” Someone told him, “People say that he is in Dothan [town north of Samaria].”
Yule mfalme akajibu, “Nenda na uone Elisha alipo hivyo naweza kutuma watu na kumkamata.” Akaambiwa, “Tazama yuko Dothani.”
14 So the king sent a large group of soldiers [to Dothan] with horses and chariots. They arrived at night and surrounded the town.
Kwa hiyo yule mfalme akatuma farasi kwenda Donathi, magari ya farasi, na jeshi kubwa. Wakaja usiku na kuzunguka ule mji.
15 Early the next morning, Elisha’s servant got up and went outside the house. He saw the soldiers of Syria with their horses and chariots surrounding the town. So he went inside [the house and reported it to Elisha] and exclaimed, “O, sir! What are we going to 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 Elisha replied, “Do not be afraid! Those who will be helping us will be more than those who will be helping them!”
Elisha akajibu, “usiogope, wale walio na sisi ni zaidi kuliko wale walio nao.”
17 Then he prayed, “Yahweh, I request that you open my servant’s eyes in order that he can see [what is out there]!” So Yahweh enabled the servant to look out and see that surrounding the hill on which the town [was built] was a huge number of horses, and chariots made of fire!
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 When the army of Syria prepared to attack Elisha, he prayed again, saying, “Yahweh, cause all these soldiers to become blind!” Yahweh answered his prayer and caused them to be unable to see clearly.
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 Then Elisha went to them and said, “You are not on the right road; this is not the city that you are searching for. I will take you to the man whom you are searching for.” But he led them to Samaria, [the capital of Israel]!
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 As soon as they entered Samaria, Elisha prayed again, saying, “Yahweh, now enable these soldiers to see correctly again!” So Yahweh enabled them to see correctly, and they were surprised to see that they were inside Samaria [city].
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 When the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, “Sir, shall I [tell my soldiers to] kill them? Shall we kill all of them?”
Yule mfalme wa Israeli akamwambia Elisha, wakati alipowaona, “Baba yangu, niwaue? Niwaue?”
22 Elisha replied, “No, you must not kill them. If your army captured many of your enemies in a battle, you would certainly not [RHQ] kill them. Give these men something to eat and drink, and then allow them to return to their king.”
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 So the king of Israel did that. He told his servants to provide a big feast for them. And when they had eaten and drunk plenty, he sent them away. They returned to the king of Syria [and told him what had happened]. So for a while after that, soldiers from Syria stopped raiding/attacking towns in 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 But some time later, Ben-Hadad, the king of Syria, assembled his entire army, and they went to Samaria and surrounded the city [for a long time].
Baadaye baada ya huyu Ben Hadadi mfalme wa Shamu kukusanya majeshi yake yote na kuiteka Samaria na kuizingira.
25 Because of that, after a while there was hardly any food left inside the city, with the result that eventually a donkey’s head, [which was usually worthless, ] cost eighty pieces of silver, and (one cup/0.3 liter) of dove’s dung cost 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 One day when the king of Israel was walking on top of the city wall, a woman cried out to him, “Your Majesty, help me!”
Wakati mfalme wa Israeli alipokuwa akipita karibu na ukuta, mwanamke mmoka akamlilia akisema, “Nisaidie, bwana wangu, mfalme.”
27 He replied, “If Yahweh will not help you, I certainly cannot [RHQ] help you. I certainly [RHQ] do not have any wheat or wine!
Akasema, “Kama Yahwe hawezi kukusaidia, je nitakusaidiaje? je kuna kitu chochote kinakuja kutoka sehemu ya kupuria nafaka au shinikizoni?”
28 What is your problem?” She replied, “Several days ago, that woman [over there] said to me, ‘[Because we have nothing left to eat, ] let’s kill your son today, in order that we can eat his flesh. Then tomorrow we can [kill] my son [and] eat his flesh.’
Mfalme akaendelea, “Nini kinakusumbua?” Akajibu, “Huyu mwanamke ameniambia, 'Mtoe mtoto wako ili tuweze kumla leo, na tutamla wakwangu kesho.”
29 So we [killed my son and cut his body up and] boiled his flesh and ate it. The next day, I said to her, ‘Now give your son to me, in order that we can [kill him and cook his flesh and] eat it.’ But she has hidden 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 what the woman said, he tore his robe [to show that he was very distressed]. The people who were standing close to the wall were able to see that the king was wearing rough cloth underneath his robe [because he was very distressed].
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 The king exclaimed, “I wish/hope that God will strike me dead if I do not cut off the head of Elisha today, [because he is the one who has caused these terrible things to happen to us]!”
Kisha akasema, “Mungu afanye hivyo kwangu, na zaidi pia, kama kichwa cha Elisha mwana wa Shafati kitabaki juu yake leo.”
32 So the king sent an officer to get Elisha. Before the officer arrived, Elisha was sitting in his house with some Israeli elders who were talking with him. Elisha said to them, “That murderer, [the king of Israel, ] is sending someone here to kill me. Listen: When he arrives, shut the door and do not allow him to come in. And the king will be coming right behind that officer!”
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 And while he was still speaking, the king and the officer arrived. The king said, “It is Yahweh who has caused us to have all this trouble/suffering. (Why should I wait any longer [RHQ] for him to do something [to help us]?/It is useless for me to wait any longer for him [to help us]!)”
Wakati alipokuwa bado akiongea pamoja nao, kumbe, yule mjumbe alishuka kwake. Mfalme akasema, “Kumbe, masumbuko haya yatoka kwa Yahwe. Kwa nini nimsubiri Yahwe tena?”
