Judges 13
1 Again the Israeli people did things that Yahweh said were very evil. So Yahweh enabled the people of Philistia to conquer them. They ruled over the Israelis for 40 years.
Waisraeli wakafanya maovu tena mbele za Bwana. Hivyo Bwana akawatia mikononi mwa Wafilisti kwa muda wa miaka arobaini.
2 There was a man named Manoah from the descendants of Dan who lived in Zorah [town]. His wife was unable to become pregnant, so they had no children.
Basi palikuwa na mtu mmoja wa Sora, aliyeitwa Manoa, wa kabila la Wadani, naye alikuwa na mke ambaye alikuwa tasa na hakuwa na mtoto.
3 One day, Yahweh appeared to Manoah’s wife in the form of an angel, and said to her, “Even though you have not been able to give birth to any children until now, you will soon become pregnant and give birth to a son.
Malaika wa Bwana akamtokea huyo mwanamke na kumwambia, “Wewe ni tasa na huna mtoto, lakini utachukua mimba na utamzaa mtoto mwanaume.
4 [From now until he is born], you must not drink any wine or other alcoholic/fermented drink, and you must not eat any food that will make you unacceptable to God.
Lakini ujihadhari sana usinywe mvinyo wala kileo kingine chochote, wala usile kitu chochote kilicho najisi,
5 After you give birth to your son, you must never allow his hair to be cut. He must be dedicated to God from the day he is born until the day he dies. He is the one who will rescue [many of] the Israeli people from the people of Philistia.”
kwa kuwa utachukua mimba na utamzaa mtoto mwanaume. Wembe usipite kichwani pake, kwa kuwa huyo mwana atakuwa Mnadhiri wa Mungu, aliyewekwa wakfu kwa ajili ya Mungu tangu tumboni mwa mama yake, naye ataanza kuwaokoa Waisraeli kutoka mikononi mwa Wafilisti.”
6 The woman ran and told her husband, “A prophet came to me. He looked awesome, like an angel from God. I did not ask where he came from, and he did not tell me his name.
Ndipo huyo mwanamke akamwendea mumewe na kumweleza kuwa, “Mtu wa Mungu alinijia. Kule kuonekana kwake kulikuwa kama kwa malaika wa Mungu, wa kutisha sana. Sikumuuliza alikotoka wala hakuniambia jina lake.
7 But he told me, ‘You will become pregnant and give birth to a son. Until then, you must not drink any wine or any alcoholic/fermented drink, and you must not eat any food that would make you unacceptable to God. Your son must be dedicated to God from the day he is born until the day he dies.’”
Lakini aliniambia, ‘Utachukua mimba na utazaa mtoto mwanaume. Basi sasa, usinywe mvinyo wala kileo kingine chochote wala usile kitu kilicho najisi, kwa kuwa huyo mtoto atakuwa Mnadhiri wa Mungu tangu tumboni mwa mama yake mpaka kufa kwake.’”
8 Then Manoah prayed to Yahweh, saying, “O Yahweh, I plead with you, allow that prophet whom you sent to us to come again, and teach us how we should raise the boy who will be born to us.”
Ndipo Manoa akamwomba Bwana, akasema: “Ee Bwana, nakusihi, huyo mtu wa Mungu uliyemtuma kwetu aje tena ili atufundishe jinsi ya kumlea huyo mwana atakayezaliwa.”
9 God did what Manoah asked, and Yahweh again appeared to his wife in the form of an angel, while she was out in the field. But again her husband Manoah was not with her.
Mungu akamsikia Manoa, naye malaika wa Mungu akamjia tena huyo mwanamke alipokuwa shambani, lakini mumewe Manoa hakuwepo.
10 So she quickly ran and said to her husband, “The man who appeared to me a few days ago has come back again!”
Basi yule mwanamke akaenda haraka na kumwambia mumewe, “Tazama mtu yule aliyenitokea siku ile yupo hapa!”
11 Manoah ran back with his wife, and asked, “Are you the man who talked with my wife a few days ago?” He replied, “Yes, I am.”
Manoa akainuka akaandamana na mkewe. Alipomfikia yule mtu akamuuliza, “Je, wewe ndiye yule uliyesema na mke wangu?” Akasema, “Mimi ndiye.”
12 Manoah asked him, “When what you promised occurs [and my wife gives birth to a son], what rules must he obey, and what work will he do [when he grows up]?”
Basi Manoa akamuuliza, “Wakati maneno yako yatakapotimia, masharti ya maisha ya mtoto huyu yatakuwa nini na kazi yake itakuwa ni nini?”
13 Yahweh replied, “Your wife must obey all the instructions I gave her.
Malaika wa Bwana akamjibu, “Mke wako hana budi kufanya yale yote niliyomwambia.
14 [Before the baby is born], she must not eat grapes, or drink wine or any other alcoholic/fermented drink, or eat anything that would make her unacceptable to God.”
Kamwe asile kitu chochote kitakachotoka katika mzabibu, wala asinywe mvinyo wa aina yoyote wala kileo chochote wala asile kitu chochote kilicho najisi. Hana budi kufanya kila kitu nilichomwagiza.”
15 Then Manoah said, “Please stay here until we can kill and cook a young goat for you.”
Manoa akamjibu yule malaika wa Bwana, “Twakuomba usubiri kwanza ili tuweze kuandaa mwana-mbuzi kwa ajili yako.”
16 Yahweh replied, “I will stay here, but I will not eat anything. However, you may kill an animal and sacrifice it as a burned offering to Yahweh.” (Manoah did not realize that the [man he thought was an] angel was really Yahweh.)
Malaika wa Bwana akamjibu, “Hata kama utanizuia, sitakula chochote kwako. Lakini ukitaka kuandaa sadaka ya kuteketezwa, mtolee Bwana hiyo sadaka.” (Kwa kuwa Manoa hakujua kuwa alikuwa malaika wa Bwana.)
17 Then Manoah asked him, “What is your name? When what you have promised happens, we want to honor you.”
Ndipo Manoa akamuuliza yule malaika wa Bwana, “Jina lako ni nani, ili kwamba tuweze kukupa heshima hapo hayo uliyonena yatakapotimia?”
18 Yahweh replied, “(Why do you ask me my name?/You should not ask me my name.) [RHQ] It is (wonderful/it cannot be understood).”
Akamjibu, “Kwa nini unauliza Jina langu? Ni Jina la ajabu.”
19 Then Manoah killed a young goat and burned it on a rock, along with a grain offering, as a sacrifice to Yahweh. And Yahweh did an amazing thing while Manoah and his wife watched.
Ndipo Manoa akamchukua mwana-mbuzi, pamoja na sadaka ya unga, naye akamtolea Bwana dhabihu hapo juu ya mwamba. Naye yule malaika wa Bwana akafanya jambo la ajabu wakati Manoa na mkewe wakiwa wanaangalia:
20 Flames from the altar blazed up toward the sky, and Yahweh ascended in the flames. When Manoah and his wife saw that, they prostrated themselves on the ground.
Mwali wa moto kutoka hapo madhabahuni ulipowaka kuelekea mbinguni, malaika wa Bwana akapaa ndani ya huo mwali. Manoa na mkewe, kwa kuona jambo hili, wakaanguka chini kifudifudi.
21 Although Yahweh did not appear in the form of an angel to Manoah and his wife again, Manoah realized that the [man they thought was an] angel was really Yahweh.
Malaika wa Bwana hakumtokea tena Manoa na mkewe. Ndipo Manoa akatambua kuwa huyo alikuwa malaika wa Bwana.
22 So he said, “Now we will die, because we have seen God!”
Manoa akamwambia mkewe, “Hakika tutakufa, kwa kuwa tumemwona Mungu.”
23 But his wife said, “No, we will not die, because if Yahweh intended to kill us, he would not have accepted the burned offering and the grain offering. And he would not have appeared to us and told us the wonderful thing that would happen to us, and he would not have performed this miracle.”
Lakini mkewe akamwambia, “Ikiwa Bwana alikuwa amekusudia kutuua, asingelipokea sadaka ya kuteketezwa na sadaka ya unga kutoka mikononi mwetu, wala asingelituonyesha mambo haya yote wala kututangazia mambo kama haya wakati huu.”
24 When their son was born, they named him Samson. Yahweh blessed him as he grew up.
Yule mwanamke akazaa mtoto wa kiume akamwita jina lake Samsoni. Kijana akakua, naye Bwana akambariki.
25 And while he was in Mahaneh-Dan, which is between Zorah and Eshtaol [towns], Yahweh’s Spirit began to control him.
Roho wa Bwana akaanza kumsukuma wakati alipokuwa huko Mahane-Dani, kati ya Sora na Eshtaoli.
