< 1 Samuel 2 >
1 Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in Yahweh. My horn is exalted in Yahweh. My mouth boasts over my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation.
Kisha Hana akaomba na kusema: “Moyo wangu wamshangilia Bwana, katika Bwana pembe yangu imeinuliwa juu. Kinywa changu chajisifu juu ya adui zangu, kwa kuwa naufurahia wokovu wako.
2 There is no one holy like Yahweh, for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.
“Hakuna yeyote aliye mtakatifu kama Bwana, hakuna mwingine zaidi yako; hakuna Mwamba kama Mungu wetu.
3 Boast no more so very proudly; let no arrogance come out of your mouth. For Yahweh is a God of knowledge; by him actions are weighed.
“Msiendelee kusema kwa kiburi hivyo wala msiache vinywa vyenu kunena kwa kiburi, kwa kuwa Bwana ndiye Mungu ajuaye, na kwa yeye matendo hupimwa.
4 The bow of the mighty men are broken, but those who stumble put on strength like a belt.
“Pinde za mashujaa zimevunjika, lakini wale wanaojikwaa wamevikwa nguvu.
5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread; those who were hungry have stopped being hungry. Even the barren one gives birth to seven, but the woman who has many children languishes.
Wale waliokuwa na chakula tele wamejikodisha wenyewe ili kupata chakula, lakini wale waliokuwa na njaa hawana njaa tena. Mwanamke yule aliyekuwa tasa amezaa watoto saba, lakini yule ambaye alikuwa na wana wengi amedhoofika.
6 Yahweh kills and brings to life. He brings down to Sheol and raises up. (Sheol )
“Bwana huua na huleta uhai, hushusha chini mpaka kaburini na hufufua. (Sheol )
7 Yahweh makes some people poor and some rich. He humbles, but he also lifts up.
Bwana humfanya mtu maskini naye hutajirisha, hushusha na hukweza.
8 He raises up the poor out of the dust. He lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit the seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are Yahweh's and he has set the world upon them.
Humwinua maskini kutoka mavumbini na humwinua mhitaji kutoka lundo la majivu; huwaketisha pamoja na wakuu na kuwafanya warithi kiti cha enzi cha heshima. “Kwa kuwa misingi ya dunia ni ya Bwana; juu yake ameuweka ulimwengu.
9 He will guard the feet of his faithful people, but the wicked will be put to silence in darkness, for no one will prevail by strength.
Yeye atailinda miguu ya watakatifu wake, lakini waovu watanyamazishwa kwenye giza. “Si kwa nguvu mtu hushinda;
10 Those who oppose Yahweh will be broken to pieces; he will thunder against them from heaven. Yahweh will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
wale wampingao Bwana wataharibiwa kabisa. Atapiga radi dhidi yao kutoka mbinguni; Bwana ataihukumu miisho ya dunia. “Atampa nguvu mfalme wake, na kuitukuza pembe ya mpakwa mafuta wake.”
11 Then Elkanah went to Ramah, to his house. The child served Yahweh in the presence of Eli the priest.
Kisha Elikana akaenda nyumbani Rama, lakini mtoto akahudumu mbele za Bwana chini ya kuhani Eli.
12 Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know Yahweh.
Wana wa Eli walikuwa watu wabaya kabisa, hawakumheshimu Bwana.
13 The custom of the priests with the people was that when any man offered a sacrifice, the priest's servant would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand, while the meat was boiling.
Basi ilikuwa desturi ya makuhani pamoja na watu kwamba kila mara yeyote anapotoa dhabihu na huku nyama ikiwa inachemshwa, mtumishi wa kuhani angalikuja na uma wenye meno matatu mkononi mwake.
14 He would stick it into the pan, or kettle, or cauldron, or pot. All that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. They did this in Shiloh with all the Israelites that came there.
Angeutumbukiza huo uma kwenye sufuria au birika au sufuria kubwa au chungu, naye kuhani angalijichukulia mwenyewe chochote ambacho uma ungekileta. Hivi ndivyo walivyowatendea Waisraeli wote waliokuja Shilo.
15 Worse, before they burned the fat, the priest's servant came, and said to the man who was sacrificing, “Give meat to roast for the priest; for he will not accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.”
Lakini hata kabla mafuta ya mnyama hayajachomwa, mtumishi wa kuhani angalikuja na kusema kwa mtu ambaye alikuwa akitoa dhabihu, “Mpe kuhani nyama akaoke, kwani hatapokea nyama iliyochemshwa kutoka kwako, ila iliyo mbichi tu.”
16 If the man said to him, “They must burn the fat first, and then take as much as you want.” Then he would say, “No, you will give it me now; if not, I will take it by force.”
Kama mtu akimwambia, “Mafuta ya mnyama na yachomwe kwanza, ndipo uchukue chochote unachotaka,” mtumishi angalijibu, “Hapana, nipe sasa, kama huwezi nitaichukua kwa nguvu.”
17 The sin of these young men was very great before Yahweh, for they despised Yahweh's offering.
Hii Dhambi ya hawa vijana ilikuwa kubwa sana machoni pa Bwana, kwa kuwa waliitendea dhabihu ya Bwana kwa dharau.
18 But Samuel served Yahweh as a child clothed with a linen ephod.
Lakini Samweli alikuwa akihudumu mbele za Bwana, kijana akivaa kisibau cha kitani.
19 His mother would make him a little robe and bring it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
Kila mwaka mama yake alimshonea joho dogo na kumchukulia wakati alipokwea pamoja na mumewe kutoa dhabihu ya mwaka.
20 Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, “May Yahweh give you more children by this woman because of the request she made of Yahweh.” Then they would return to their own home.
Eli alikuwa akiwabariki Elikana na mkewe, akisema, “Bwana na akupe watoto kwa mwanamke huyu ili kuchukua nafasi ya yule aliyekuwa amemwomba na akamtoa kwa Bwana.” Kisha wakawa wanakwenda nyumbani.
21 Yahweh again helped Hannah, and again she became pregnant. She bore three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the child Samuel grew before Yahweh.
Bwana akawa mwenye neema kwa Hana, naye akapata mimba akazaa wana watatu na binti wawili. Wakati huo, kijana Samweli akaendelea kukua mbele za Bwana.
22 Now Eli was very old; he heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
Basi Eli, ambaye alikuwa mzee sana, alisikia kuhusu kila kitu ambacho wanawe walikuwa wakiwafanyia Israeli wote na jinsi walivyokutana kimwili na wanawake waliohudumu kwenye ingilio la Hema la Kukutania.
23 He said to them, “Why do you such things? For I hear of your evil actions from all these people.”
Hivyo akawaambia, “Kwa nini mmefanya mambo kama haya? Nimesikia kutoka kwa watu wote juu ya haya matendo yenu maovu.
24 No, my sons; for it is not a good report that I hear. You make Yahweh's people disobey.
Sivyo, wanangu, hii si habari nzuri ambayo ninasikia ikienea miongoni mwa watu wa Bwana.
25 “If one man sins against another, God will judge him; but if a man sins against Yahweh, who will speak for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, because Yahweh intended to kill them.
Kama mtu akifanya dhambi dhidi ya mtu mwenzake, mtu mwingine aweza kumwombea kwa Mungu, lakini kama mtu akimfanyia Mungu dhambi, ni nani atakayemwombea?” Hata hivyo wanawe hawakusikia maonyo ya baba yao, kwa sababu Bwana alitaka kuwaua.
26 The child Samuel grew up, and increased in favor with Yahweh and also with men.
Naye kijana Samweli akaendelea kukua katika kimo, akimpendeza Bwana na wanadamu.
27 Now a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “Yahweh says, 'Did I not reveal myself to the house of your ancestor, when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh's house?
Basi mtu wa Mungu akaja kwa Eli na kumwambia, “Hivi ndivyo asemavyo Bwana: ‘Je, sikujifunua waziwazi kwa nyumba ya baba yako wakati walikuwa huko Misri chini ya Farao?
28 I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, and to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me. I gave to the house of your ancestor all the offerings of the people of Israel made with fire.
Nilimchagua baba yako kati ya makabila yote ya Israeli kuwa kuhani wangu, kukwea kwenye madhabahu yangu, kufukiza uvumba na kuvaa kisibau mbele yangu. Pia niliwapa nyumba ya baba yako sadaka zote zilizotolewa kwa moto na Waisraeli.
29 Why, then, do you scorn my sacrifices and offerings that I required in the place where I live? Why do you honor your sons above me by making yourselves fat with the best of every offering of my people Israel?'
Kwa nini unadharau dhabihu zangu na sadaka zile nilizoziamuru kwa ajili ya makao yangu? Kwa nini unawaheshimu wanao kuliko mimi kwa kujinenepesha wenyewe kwa kula sehemu zilizo bora za kila sadaka zinazotolewa na watu wangu wa Israeli?’
30 For Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, 'I promised that your house, and the house of your ancestor, should walk before me forever.' But now Yahweh says, 'Far be it from me to do this, for I will honor those who honor me, but those who despise me will be lightly esteemed.
“Kwa hiyo, Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli asema: ‘Niliahidi kuwa nyumba yako na nyumba ya baba yako wangehudumu mbele zangu milele.’ Lakini sasa Bwana anasema: ‘Jambo hili na liwe mbali nami! Wale wanaoniheshimu nitawaheshimu, wale wanaonidharau mimi watadharauliwa.
31 See, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father's house, so that there will no longer be any old man in your house.
Wakati unakuja nitakapozipunguza nguvu zenu na nguvu ya nyumba ya baba yenu, ili pasiwepo mtu katika mbari yenu atakayeishi kuuona uzee
32 You will see distress in the place where I live. Although good will be given to Israel, there will no longer be any old man in your house.
nanyi mtaona huzuni katika makao yangu. Ingawa Israeli watafanyiwa mema, katika mbari yenu kamwe hapatakuwepo mtu atakayeishi hadi kuwa mzee.
33 Any one of you that I do not cut off from my altar, I will cause your eyes to fail, and I will cause grief for your life. All the men born in your family will die.
Kila mmoja wenu ambaye sitamkatilia mbali kutoka madhabahuni pangu atabakizwa tu kupofusha macho yenu kwa machozi na kuihuzunisha mioyo yenu, nao wazao wenu wote watakufa watakapokuwa wamefikia umri wa kustawi.
34 This will be the sign for you that will come on your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: They will both die on the same day.
“‘Kile kitakachotokea kwa wanao wawili, Hofni na Finehasi, kitakuwa ishara kwako. Wote wawili watakufa katika siku moja.
35 I will raise up for myself a faithful priest who will do what is in my heart and in my soul. I will build him a sure house; and he will walk before my anointed king forever.
Mimi mwenyewe nitajiinulia kuhani mwaminifu, ambaye atafanya sawasawa na kile kilichoko moyoni mwangu na akilini mwangu. Nitaifanya nyumba yake kuwa imara, naye atahudumu mbele ya mpakwa mafuta wangu daima.
36 Everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him, asking for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and will say, “Please assign me to one of the priests' positions so I can eat a piece of bread.”'”
Kisha kila mmoja aliyeachwa katika mbari yenu atakuja na kusujudu mbele yake kwa ajili ya kipande cha fedha na ganda la mkate akisema, “Niteue katika baadhi ya ofisi ya ukuhani ili niweze kupata chakula.”’”