Atiirĩrĩri 13
1 O rĩngĩ andũ a Isiraeli magĩĩka maũndũ mooru maitho-inĩ ma Jehova, na nĩ ũndũ wa ũguo Jehova akĩmaneana moko-inĩ ma Afilisti handũ ha mĩaka mĩrongo ĩna.
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.
2 Mũndũ ũmwe warĩ wa Zora, wetagwo Manoa kuuma mũhĩrĩga wa Adani, aarĩ na mũtumia warĩ thaata watũũrĩte atarĩ na mwana.
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.
3 Mũraika wa Jehova akĩmuumĩrĩra, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Ũrĩ thaata na ndũrĩ mwana, no nĩũkũgĩa nda ũciare kahĩĩ.
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.
4 Na rĩrĩ, wĩmenyerere ndũkananyue ndibei kana kĩndũ o gĩothe kĩgagatu, na ndũkanarĩe kĩndũ o gĩothe kĩrĩ thaahu,
[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.
5 tondũ wee nĩũkũgĩa nda na ũciare kahĩĩ. Gũtirĩ kanyũi gakaahũthĩrwo mũtwe-inĩ wake, nĩ ũndũ kahĩĩ kau gagaatuĩka Mũnaziri wamũrĩirwo Ngai kuuma gũciarwo, na nĩakambĩrĩria kũhonokia Isiraeli kuuma moko-inĩ ma Afilisti.”
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.”
6 Hĩndĩ ĩyo mũtumia ũcio agĩthiĩ kũrĩ mũthuuriwe, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Mũndũ wa Ngai nĩokire kũrĩ niĩ. Ekuonekaga ahaana ta mũraika wa Ngai wa gwĩtigĩrwo mũno. Ndinamũũria kũrĩa oimĩte, nake ndananjĩĩra rĩĩtwa rĩake.
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.
7 No nĩanjĩĩrire atĩrĩ, ‘Nĩũkũgĩa nda na ũciare kahĩĩ. Nĩ ũndũ wa ũguo, ndũkanyue ndibei kana kĩndũ kĩgagatu, o na ndũkarĩe kĩndũ o gĩothe kĩrĩ thaahu, tondũ kahĩĩ kau gagaakorwo karĩ Mũnaziri wa Ngai kuuma gũciarwo nginya mũthenya wako wa gũkua.’”
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.’”
8 Hĩndĩ ĩyo Manoa akĩhooya Jehova: “Mwathani nĩndagũthaitha, reke mũndũ ũcio wa Ngai ũgũtũmĩte kũrĩ ithuĩ oke rĩngĩ nĩguo atũrute ũrĩa tũkũrera kahĩĩ karĩa gagaaciarwo.”
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.”
9 Ngai akĩigua Manoa, na mũraika wa Ngai agĩũka rĩngĩ kũrĩ mũtumia rĩrĩa aarĩ mũgũnda-inĩ; no mũthuuriwe Manoa ndaarĩ hamwe nake.
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.
10 Nake mũtumia akĩhiũha gũthiĩ kwĩra mũthuuriwe, “Mũndũ ũrĩa wanyumĩrĩire mũthenya ũrĩa ũngĩ-rĩ, arĩ haha!”
So she quickly ran and said to her husband, “The man who appeared to me a few days ago has come back again!”
11 Manoa agĩũkĩra, akĩrũmĩrĩra mũtumia wake. Rĩrĩa aakinyire harĩ mũndũ ũcio-rĩ, akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “We nĩwe waririe na mũtumia wakwa?” Nake akiuga atĩrĩ, “Ĩĩ, nĩ niĩ.”
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.”
12 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Manoa akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa ciugo ciaku ikaahinga-rĩ, watho wa mũtũũrĩre wa kahĩĩ gaka na wĩra wako ũgaakorwo ũrĩ ũrĩkũ?”
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]?”
13 Mũraika wa Jehova agĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Mũtumia waku no nginya eeke ũrĩa wothe ndĩmwĩrĩte.
Yahweh replied, “Your wife must obey all the instructions I gave her.
14 Ndakarĩe kĩndũ o gĩothe kiumĩte mũthabibũ-inĩ, kana anyue ndibei o yothe, kana kĩndũ kĩngĩ gĩa kũnyua kĩgagatu kana arĩe kĩndũ o gĩothe kĩrĩ thaahu. No nginya eeke maũndũ mothe marĩa niĩ ndĩmwathĩte.”
[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.”
15 Manoa akĩĩra mũraika wa Jehova atĩrĩ, “No twende ũikare nginya tũgũthĩnjĩre koori.”
Then Manoah said, “Please stay here until we can kill and cook a young goat for you.”
16 Mũraika wa Jehova agĩcookia atĩrĩ, “O na wangiria thiĩ, ndikũrĩa irio ciaku. No wahaarĩria igongona rĩa njino-rĩ, rĩu rĩrutĩre Jehova.” (Manoa ndaigana gũkũũrana atĩ ũcio aarĩ mũraika wa Jehova.)
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.)
17 Nake Manoa agĩtuĩria ũhoro kuuma kũrĩ mũraika wa Jehova akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Wee wĩtagwo atĩa, nĩguo tũgaagũtĩĩa hĩndĩ ĩrĩa kiugo gĩaku gĩgaatuĩka kĩa ma?”
Then Manoah asked him, “What is your name? When what you have promised happens, we want to honor you.”
18 Nake agĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Nĩ kĩĩ gĩgũtũma ũnjũũrie rĩĩtwa rĩakwa? Ndũngĩhota kũrĩmenya, nĩ rĩa magegania.”
Yahweh replied, “(Why do you ask me my name?/You should not ask me my name.) [RHQ] It is (wonderful/it cannot be understood).”
19 Hĩndĩ ĩyo Manoa akĩoya koori hamwe na mũtu wa igongona, agĩcirutĩra Jehova igũrũ rĩa ihiga. Nake Jehova agĩĩka ũndũ wa magegania o Manoa na mũtumia wake meroreire:
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.
20 O rũrĩrĩmbĩ rũkĩrĩrĩmbũkaga kuuma kĩgongona-inĩ rũrorete igũrũ-rĩ, mũraika wa Jehova akĩambatĩra rũrĩrĩmbĩ-inĩ rũu. Nake Manoa na mũtumia wake mona ũguo, makĩĩgũithia magĩturumithia mothiũ mao thĩ.
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.
21 Rĩrĩa mũraika ũcio wa Jehova aagire gũcooka kwĩyonithania kũrĩ Manoa na mũtumia wake, Manoa akĩmenya atĩ ũcio aarĩ mũraika wa Jehova.
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.
22 Akĩĩra mũtumia wake atĩrĩ, “Ithuĩ rĩu no tũgũkua, tondũ nĩtuonete Ngai!”
So he said, “Now we will die, because we have seen God!”
23 No mũtumia wake akĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “Korwo Jehova nĩegũtuĩte gũtũũraga-rĩ, ndangĩtĩkĩrire igongona rĩa njino na igongona rĩa mũtu kuuma moko-inĩ maitũ, o na kana atuonie maũndũ maya mothe kana gũtwĩra ũguo aatwĩra rĩu.”
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.”
24 Mũtumia ũcio agĩciara kahĩĩ na agĩgatua Samusoni. Gagĩkũra, nake Jehova agĩkarathima,
When their son was born, they named him Samson. Yahweh blessed him as he grew up.
25 nake Roho wa Jehova akĩambĩrĩria gũkaarahũra o hĩndĩ ĩyo kaarĩ kũu Mahane-Dani, gatagatĩ ga Zora na Eshitaoli.
And while he was in Mahaneh-Dan, which is between Zorah and Eshtaol [towns], Yahweh’s Spirit began to control him.
