< Exodus 17 >
1 Obeying what Yahweh commanded, all the Israeli people moved from the Sin Desert. They/We traveled from one place to another. They/We camped at [a place named] Rephidim, but there was no water there for (the people/us) to drink.
Jumuiya yote ya Israeli ikaondoka kutoka Jangwa la Sini, ikisafiri kutoka sehemu moja hadi nyingine kama Bwana alivyoagiza. Wakapiga kambi huko Refidimu, lakini hapakuwa na maji ya watu kunywa.
2 So the people complained to Moses/me again, saying, “Give us water to drink!” Moses/I replied to them, “Why are you (criticizing/arguing with) me [RHQ]? And why are you trying to determine whether Yahweh [has the power to provide for you]?”
Kwa hiyo wakagombana na Mose wakisema, “Tupe maji ya kunywa.” Mose akajibu, “Mbona mnagombana nami? Kwa nini mnamjaribu Bwana?”
3 But the people were very thirsty, and they continued to complain to Moses/me. They were saying things like “Why did you bring us out of Egypt?”, and “Did you bring us here to cause us and our children and livestock to die (from thirst/because we had no water to drink) [RHQ]?”
Lakini watu walikuwa na kiu huko, wakanungʼunika dhidi ya Mose, wakisema, “Kwa nini ulitutoa kule Misri, ukatuleta hapa utuue kwa kiu sisi, watoto wetu na mifugo yetu?”
4 So Moses/I prayed earnestly to Yahweh. He/I said, “(How shall I deal with these people?/I do not know how to deal with these people!) [RHQ] They are almost ready to [kill me by throwing] stones at me!”
Kisha Mose akamlilia Bwana, akasema, “Niwafanyie nini watu hawa? Sasa wanakaribia kunipiga kwa mawe.”
5 Yahweh replied to Moses/me, “Take some of the elders/leaders of the Israeli people with you and [tell the rest of] the people to follow you [to Sinai Mountain]. Take along the stick with which you struck the Nile [River].
Bwana akamjibu Mose, “Pita mbele ya watu. Wachukue pamoja nawe baadhi ya wazee wa Israeli, ichukue mkononi mwako ile fimbo uliyopiga nayo Mto Naili, nawe uende.
6 Listen carefully: I will stand in front of you on top of a [large] rock at the foot of the mountain. Strike the rock with your stick. [When you do that], water for the people to drink will flow out of the rock.” [When they/we arrived at the mountain], Moses/I did that while the Israeli elders were watching, [and water flowed from the rock].
Huko nitasimama mbele yako karibu na mwamba wa Horebu. Uupige mwamba na maji yatatoka ndani yake kwa ajili ya watu kunywa.” Kwa hiyo Mose akafanya haya mbele ya wazee wa Israeli.
7 Moses/I gave that place two names [in the Hebrew language: ] Massah, [which means ‘testing’], and Meribah, [which means ‘complaining’]. He/I gave it the name Massah because the Israeli people were testing Yahweh, saying “Is Yahweh really among us [and able to help us], or not?”, and he/I gave it the name Meribah because they were [continually] complaining.
Naye akapaita mahali pale Masa, na Meriba kwa sababu Waisraeli waligombana na kumjaribu Bwana wakisema, “Je, Bwana yu pamoja nasi au la?”
8 Then the descendants of the Amalek people-group came and fought against the Israeli people at Rephidim.
Waamaleki wakaja na kuwashambulia Waisraeli huko Refidimu.
9 Moses/I said to Joshua, [who was one of our army/Israeli leaders], “Choose some men to go out and fight against the Amalek people-group tomorrow. I will stand on the top of the hill, holding the stick that God told me to carry.”
Mose akamwambia Yoshua, “Chagua baadhi ya watu wetu na uende kupigana na Waamaleki. Kesho nitasimama juu ya kilima nikiwa na fimbo ya Mungu mkononi mwangu.”
10 So Joshua did what Moses/I told him to do. He took some men to fight against the Amalek people-group. [While they were fighting], Aaron, Hur, and Moses/I went up to the top of the hill [so that they/we could see the whole battle area].
Kwa hiyo Yoshua akapigana na Waamaleki kama Mose alivyomwagiza, nao Mose, Aroni na Huri wakapanda juu ya kilima.
11 Whenever Moses/I lifted up his/my arms, the Israeli men started to win [the battle]. And whenever he/I lowered his/my arms, the Amalek people-group started to win.
Ikawa wakati wote Mose alipokuwa amenyanyua mikono yake, Waisraeli walikuwa wakishinda, lakini kila aliposhusha mikono yake Waamaleki walishinda.
12 But his/my arms became tired. So Aaron and Hur [rolled] a [large] stone for Moses/me to sit on. [While he/I was sitting on it], those two held up his/my arms, [one on one side and the other on the other side]. In that way, they kept his/my arms lifted up, and his/my arms held steady until the sun went down.
Mikono ya Mose ilipochoka, wakachukua jiwe na kumpa alikalie. Aroni na Huri wakaishikilia juu mikono ya Mose, mmoja upande huu na mwingine upande huu. Wakaitegemeza mikono yake ikabaki thabiti mpaka jua lilipozama.
13 So Joshua and the men with him completely defeated the Amalek people-group, using their swords [to fight against them].
Kwa hiyo Yoshua akalishinda jeshi la Waamaleki kwa upanga.
14 Then Yahweh said to Moses/me, “Write an account of this battle, and then read it to Joshua. [Also write that some day] I will completely get rid of the Amalek people-group.”
Kisha Bwana akamwambia Mose, “Andika mambo haya katika kitabu ili yakumbukwe, na uhakikishe kwamba Yoshua amesikia, kwa sababu nitafuta kabisa kumbukumbu la Amaleki chini ya mbingu.”
15 Then Moses/I built a [stone] altar there and named it ‘Yahweh is [like] my flag’.
Mose akajenga madhabahu na kuiita Yehova Nisi.
16 He/I said, “Hold high Yahweh’s flag! Yahweh will continue to fight against the Amalek people-group (forever/in all future generations)!”
Mose akasema, “Kwa maana mikono iliinuliwa mpaka kwenye kiti cha enzi cha Bwana. Bwana atakuwa na vita dhidi ya Waamaleki kutoka kizazi hata kizazi.”