Hebrews 11
1 Now faith is being sure of the things hoped for and certain of things that are not seen.
Basi imani ni kuwa na hakika ya mambo yatarajiwayo, na udhahiri wa mambo yasiyoonekana.
2 For because of this the ancestors were approved for their faith.
Maana baba zetu wa kale walipongezwa kwa haya.
3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by God's command, so that what is visible was not made out of things that were visible. (aiōn g165)
Kwa imani tunafahamu kwamba ulimwengu uliumbwa kwa neno la Mungu, vitu vyote vinavyoonekana havikuumbwa kutoka kwa vitu vinavyoonekana. (aiōn g165)
4 It was by faith that Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he was attested to be righteous, and God spoke well of him because of his offerings, and by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.
Kwa imani Abeli alimtolea Mungu dhabihu bora zaidi kuliko Kaini. Kwa imani alishuhudiwa kuwa mwenye haki, Mungu mwenyewe akazishuhudia sadaka zake. Kwa imani bado ananena ingawa amekufa.
5 It was by faith that Enoch was taken up so that he did not see death. “He was not found, because God took him.” For before he was taken up, it was testified that he had pleased God.
Kwa imani Enoki alitwaliwa kutoka maisha haya, kiasi kwamba hakuonja mauti. Hakuonekana, kwa sababu Mungu alikuwa amemchukua. Kwa kuwa kabla hajatwaliwa alikuwa ameshuhudiwa kuwa ni mtu aliyempendeza Mungu.
6 Now without faith it is impossible to please him. For it is necessary that anyone coming to God must believe that he exists and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him.
Lakini pasipo imani haiwezekani kumpendeza Mungu, kwa maana yeyote anayemjia Mungu lazima aamini kwamba yeye yuko na ya kuwa huwapa thawabu wale wamtafutao kwa bidii.
7 It was by faith that Noah, having been given a divine message about things not yet seen, with godly reverence built a ship to save his household. By doing this, he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that is according to faith.
Kwa imani, Noa alipoonywa na Mungu kuhusu mambo ambayo hayajaonekana bado, kwa kumcha Mungu alitengeneza safina ili kuokoa jamaa yake. Kwa imani yake aliuhukumu ulimwengu na akawa mrithi wa haki ipatikanayo kwa imani.
8 It was by faith that Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and went out to the place that he was to receive as an inheritance. He went out, not knowing where he was going.
Kwa imani Abrahamu, alipoitwa aende mahali ambapo Mungu angempa baadaye kuwa urithi, alitii na akaenda, ingawa hakujua anakokwenda.
9 It was by faith that he lived in the land of promise as a foreigner. He lived in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise.
Kwa imani alifanya maskani yake katika nchi ya ahadi kama mgeni katika nchi ya kigeni; aliishi katika mahema, kama Isaki na Yakobo walivyofanya, waliokuwa pia warithi pamoja naye wa ahadi ile ile.
10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
Kwa maana alikuwa akiutazamia mji wenye misingi ya kudumu ambao mwenye kuubuni na kuujenga ni Mungu.
11 It was by faith, even though Sarah herself was barren, that Abraham received ability to father a child. This happened even though he was too old, since he considered as faithful the one who had given the promise.
Kwa imani Abrahamu, ingawa alikuwa mzee wa umri, naye Sara mwenyewe aliyekuwa tasa, alipokea uwezo wa kuwa baba kwa sababu alimhesabu Mungu aliyemwahidi kuwa mwaminifu na kwamba angetimiza ahadi yake.
12 Therefore, from this one man—and he was almost dead—were born descendants as many as the stars in the sky and as countless as sand by the seashore.
Hivyo kutokana na huyu huyu ambaye alikuwa sawa na mfu, wakazaliwa wazao wengi kama nyota za mbinguni na kama mchanga wa pwani usiohesabika.
13 It was in faith that all these died without receiving the promises. Instead, after seeing and greeting them from far off, they admitted that they were foreigners and exiles on earth.
Watu hawa wote wakafa katika imani bila kuzipokea zile ahadi, lakini waliziona kwa mbali na kuzishangilia. Nao walikubali kwamba walikuwa wageni na wasiokuwa na maskani hapa duniani.
14 For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.
Watu wasemao mambo kama haya, wanaonyesha wazi kwamba wanatafuta nchi yao wenyewe.
15 If they had been thinking of the country from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return.
Kwa kweli kama wangekuwa wanafikiri kuhusu nchi waliyoiacha, wangalipata nafasi ya kurudi huko.
16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, since he has prepared a city for them.
Lakini badala yake walitamani nchi iliyo bora zaidi, yaani nchi ya mbinguni. Kwa hiyo Mungu haoni aibu kuitwa Mungu wao, kwa kuwa amekwisha kuandaa mji kwa ajili yao.
17 It was by faith that Abraham, when he was tested, offered Isaac. It was his only son whom he offered, he who had received the promises.
Kwa imani Abrahamu, alipojaribiwa na Mungu, alimtoa Isaki kuwa dhabihu. Yeye aliyekuwa amezipokea ahadi za Mungu alikuwa tayari kumtoa mwanawe, aliyekuwa mwanawe pekee awe dhabihu.
18 It was Abraham to whom it had been said, “It is through Isaac that your descendants will be named.”
Ingawa Mungu alikuwa amemwambia Abrahamu, “Uzao wako utahesabiwa kupitia kwa Isaki,”
19 Abraham reasoned that God was able to raise up Isaac from the dead, and figuratively speaking, it was from them that he received him back.
Abrahamu alihesabu kuwa Mungu angaliweza kumfufua Isaki kutoka kwa wafu. Na kwa kusema kwa mfano, alimpata tena Isaki kutoka kwa wafu.
20 It was also by faith about things to come that Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau.
Kwa imani Isaki alimbariki Yakobo na Esau kuhusu maisha yao ya baadaye.
21 It was by faith that Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons. Jacob worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.
Kwa imani Yakobo alipokuwa anakufa, alimbariki kila mmoja wa mtoto wa Yosefu, akamwabudu Mungu akiwa ameegemea juu ya kichwa cha fimbo yake.
22 It was by faith that Joseph, when his end was near, spoke of the departure of the children of Israel from Egypt and instructed them about his bones.
Kwa imani, Yosefu alipokaribia mwisho wa maisha yake, alinena habari za kutoka kwa wana wa Israeli huko Misri na akatoa maagizo kuhusu mifupa yake.
23 It was by faith that Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents because they saw he was a beautiful child. They were not afraid of the king's command.
Kwa imani, wazazi wa Mose walimficha kwa miezi mitatu baada ya kuzaliwa, kwa sababu waliona kuwa si mtoto wa kawaida, wala hawakuiogopa amri ya mfalme.
24 It was by faith that Moses, after he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter.
Kwa imani, Mose alipokuwa mtu mzima, alikataa kuitwa mwana wa binti Farao.
25 Instead, he chose to suffer with the people of God, rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a while.
Akachagua kupata mateso pamoja na watu wa Mungu kuliko kujifurahisha kwa anasa za dhambi kwa kitambo kidogo tu.
26 He reasoned that the disgrace of following Christ was greater riches than Egypt's treasures. For he was fixing his eyes on his reward.
Aliona kushutumiwa kwa ajili ya Kristo ni utajiri mkubwa zaidi kuliko hazina za Misri, maana alikuwa anatazamia kupata thawabu baadaye.
27 It was by faith that Moses left Egypt. He did not fear the king's anger, for he endured as if he were seeing the one who is invisible.
Kwa imani Mose aliondoka Misri bila kuogopa ghadhabu ya mfalme. Alivumilia kwa sababu alimwona yeye asiyeonekana kwa macho.
28 It was by faith that he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn should not touch the Israelites' firstborn sons.
Kwa imani akaadhimisha Pasaka na kunyunyiza damu, ili yule mwenye kuwaangamiza wazaliwa wa kwanza asiwaguse wazaliwa wa Israeli.
29 It was by faith that they passed through the Sea of Reeds as if over dry land. When the Egyptians tried to do this, they were swallowed up.
Kwa imani, watu walivuka Bahari ya Shamu kama vile juu ya nchi kavu; lakini Wamisri walipojaribu kufanya hivyo, walitoswa ndani ya maji.
30 It was by faith that Jericho's walls fell down, after they had been circled around for seven days.
Kwa imani kuta za Yeriko zilianguka, baada ya watu kuzizunguka kwa siku saba.
31 It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute did not die with those who were disobedient, because she had received the spies in peace.
Kwa imani, Rahabu, yule kahaba, hakuangamizwa pamoja na wale waliomwasi Mungu, kwa kuwa aliwakaribisha wale wapelelezi.
32 What more can I say? For the time will fail me if I tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and about the prophets.
Basi niseme nini zaidi? Sina wakati wa kusema habari za Gideoni, Baraka, Samsoni, Yeftha, Daudi, Samweli na manabii,
33 It was through faith that they conquered kingdoms, worked justice, and received promises. They stopped the mouths of lions,
ambao kwa imani walishinda milki za wafalme, walitekeleza haki, na wakapokea ahadi za Mungu; walifunga vinywa vya simba,
34 extinguished the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were healed of illnesses, became mighty in battle, and defeated foreign armies.
wakazima makali ya miali ya moto, na wakaepuka kuuawa kwa upanga; udhaifu wao uligeuka kuwa nguvu; pia walikuwa hodari vitani na kuyafukuza majeshi ya wageni.
35 Women received back their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, not accepting release, so that they might experience a better resurrection.
Wanawake walipokea watu wao waliokuwa wamekufa, wakafufuliwa. Lakini wengine waliteswa, nao wakakataa kufunguliwa, ili wapate ufufuo ulio bora zaidi.
36 Others had testing in mocking and whippings, and even chains and imprisonment.
Wengine walidhihakiwa na kupigwa, hata walifungwa minyororo na kutiwa gerezani.
37 They were stoned. They were sawn in two. They were killed with the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins. They were destitute, oppressed, mistreated.
Walipigwa kwa mawe; walipasuliwa vipande viwili kwa msumeno; waliuawa kwa upanga. Walizungukazunguka wakiwa wamevaa ngozi za kondoo na mbuzi, wakiwa maskini, wakiteswa na kutendwa mabaya,
38 The world was not worthy of them. They were always wandering about in the deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.
watu ambao ulimwengu haukustahili kuwa nao. Walizunguka majangwani na milimani, katika mapango na katika mahandaki ardhini.
39 Although all these people were approved by God because of their faith, they did not receive the promise.
Hawa wote walishuhudiwa vyema kwa sababu ya imani yao, lakini hakuna hata mmoja wao aliyepokea yale yaliyoahidiwa.
40 God planned something better for us, so that without us, they would not be made perfect.
Kwa kuwa Mungu alikuwa ametangulia kutuwekea kitu kilicho bora zaidi ili wao wasikamilishwe pasipo sisi.
A Dove is Sent Forth from the Ark
