1 Samwiri 6
1 Awo essanduuko ya Mukama bwe yali yakamala emyezi musanvu mu nsi y’Abafirisuuti,
When the ark of the LORD had been in the land of the Philistines seven months,
2 Abafirisuuti ne batumya bakabona n’abafumu, ne bababuuza nti, “Tukolere ki essanduuko ya Mukama? Mututegeeze bwe tuba tugizzaayo mu kifo kyayo.”
the Philistines summoned the priests and diviners, saying, “What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us how to send it back to its place.”
3 Ne baddamu nti, “Bwe muba muzzaayo essanduuko ya katonda wa Isirayiri, temugiweereza awatali kirabo, naye mufuba okumuweereza ekiweebwayo olw’omusango. Olwo nno lwe munaawona, era munaabikulirwa kyeyavudde ababonereza.”
They replied, “If you return the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it away empty, but by all means return it to Him with a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and you will understand why His hand has not been lifted from you.”
4 Abafirisuuti ne babuuza nti, “Kiki kye tunamuweereza okuba ekiweebwayo olw’omusango?” Ne babaddamu nti, “Ebibumbe eby’ebizimba ebya zaabu bitaano n’ebibumbe eby’emmese eza zaabu bitaano, ng’omuwendo gwa bakulembeze b’Abafirisuuti bwe guli. “Mwabonerezebwa mu ngeri y’emu ng’abakulembeze bammwe n’ensi yammwe.
“What guilt offering should we send back to Him?” asked the Philistines. “Five gold tumors and five gold rats,” they said, “according to the number of rulers of the Philistines, since the same plague has struck both you and your rulers.
5 Noolwekyo mukole ebibumbe eby’ebizimba n’eby’emmese ebireetedde ensi okusaanawo, muwe Katonda wa Isirayiri ekitiibwa; oboolyawo anaabasonyiwa, ne balubaale bammwe n’ensi yammwe.
Make images of your tumors and of the rats that are ravaging the land. Give glory to the God of Israel, and perhaps He will lift His hand from you and your gods and your land.
6 Lwaki mukakanyaza emitima gyammwe ng’Abamisiri ne Falaawo bwe baakola? Bwe yabamala amaanyi, tebakkiriza Bayisirayiri kugenda era ne bagenda?
Why harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened theirs? When He afflicted them, did they not send the people on their way as they departed?
7 “Kale nno, muteeketeeke ekigaali ekipya, n’ente bbiri ezaakazaala, ezitateekebwangako kikoligo, muzisibe ku kigaali, naye ennyana zaazo muziziggyeeko.
Now, therefore, prepare one new cart with two milk cows that have never been yoked. Hitch the cows to the cart, but take their calves away and pen them up.
8 Muddire essanduuko ya Mukama mugiteeke ku kigaali, ate muddire n’ekisanduuko mwe munaateeka ebintu ebya zaabu olw’ekiweebwayo olw’ekibi, mukiteeke ku mabbali g’essanduuko ya Mukama. Mugisindike, egende yokka.
Take the ark of the LORD, set it on the cart, and in a chest beside it put the gold objects you are sending Him as a guilt offering. Then send the ark on its way,
9 Naye mugitunuulire; bw’eneekwata ekkubo erigenda ewaabayo mu nsi yaayo, e Besusemesi, olwo nga Mukama ye yatuleeseeko ekibonoobono kino ekinene. Naye bwe kitaabe bwe kityo, olwo tunaategeera ng’omukono gwe si gwe gutubaddeko, kyatutuukako butuusi.”
but keep watching it. If it goes up the road to its homeland, toward Beth-shemesh, it is the LORD who has brought on us this great disaster. But if it does not, then we will know that it was not His hand that punished us and that it happened by chance.”
10 Ne bakola bwe batyo. Ne baddira ente bbiri ezaakazaala, ne baziggyako ennyana zaazo ne bazisiba ku kigaali.
So the men did as instructed. They took two milk cows, hitched them to the cart, and penned up their calves.
11 Ne bateeka essanduuko ya Mukama ku kigaali n’ekisanduuko ekyalimu emmese eza zaabu n’ebibumbe eby’ebizimba okugiriraana.
Then they put the ark of the LORD on the cart, along with the chest containing the gold rats and the images of the tumors.
12 Ente ne zigenda butereevu mu kkubo erigenda e Besusemesi, nga zigenda zikaaba, ne zitakyama ku mukono ogwa ddyo newaakubadde ogwa kkono. Abakulembeze b’Abafirisuuti ne bazigoberera okutuukira ddala ku nsalo ey’e Besusemesi.
And the cows headed straight up the road toward Beth-shemesh, staying on that one highway and lowing as they went, never straying to the right or to the left. The rulers of the Philistines followed behind them to the border of Beth-shemesh.
13 Ebiro ebyo byali bya makungula era Ababesusemesi baali bakungula eŋŋaano yaabwe mu kiwonvu. Bwe balengera essanduuko ne basanyuka okugiraba.
Now the people of Beth-shemesh were harvesting wheat in the valley, and when they looked up and saw the ark, they were overjoyed at the sight.
14 Ekigaali ne kituukira mu nnimiro ya Yoswa ow’e Besusemesi ne kiyimirira omwo okumpi n’awali ejjinja eddene. Abantu ne bayasa embaawo ez’ekigaali, ente ne baziwaayo ng’ekiweebwayo ekyokebwa eri Mukama.
The cart came to the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh and stopped there near a large rock. The people chopped up the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the LORD.
15 Abaleevi ne batwala essanduuko ya Mukama, n’ekisanduuko ekyalimu ebibumbe ebya zaabu, ne babiteeka ku jjinja eddene. Awo ku lunaku olwo abantu b’e Besusemesi ne bawaayo ebiweebwayo ebyokebwa ne ssaddaaka eri Mukama.
And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD and the chest containing the gold objects, and they placed them on the large rock. That day the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices to the LORD.
16 Abakulembeze abataano ab’Abafirisuuti olwalaba ebyo, ne baddayo mu Ekuloni ku lunaku olwo.
And when the five rulers of the Philistines saw this, they returned to Ekron that same day.
17 Ebibumbe eby’ebizimba ebya zaabu Abafirisuuti bye baaweereza ng’ekiweebwayo olw’omusango eri Mukama byali: ekimu kya Asudodi, n’ekirala kya Gaza, n’ekirala kya Asukulooni, n’ekirala kya Gaasi, n’ekirala kya Ekuloni;
As a guilt offering to the LORD, the Philistines had sent back one gold tumor for each city: Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron.
18 era n’ebibumbe eby’emmese eza zaabu bwe byali, ng’ebibuga byonna eby’Abafirisuuti ebyali eby’Abakungu abataano, ate nga bibuga ebiriko enkomera n’ebyalo byabyo. Ejjinja eddene kwe baateeka essanduuko ya Mukama mu nnimiro ya Yoswa ow’e Besusemesi, ne libeera kijjukizo n’okutuusa leero.
The number of gold rats also corresponded to the number of Philistine cities belonging to the five rulers—the fortified cities and their outlying villages. And the large rock on which they placed the ark of the LORD stands to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh.
19 Naye nsanvu ku basajja ab’e Besusemesi ne bafa kubanga balingiza mu ssanduuko ya Mukama. Abantu ne banakuwala nnyo olw’ekibonerezo ekinene Mukama kye yabawa,
But God struck down some of the people of Beth-shemesh because they looked inside the ark of the LORD. He struck down seventy men, and the people mourned because the LORD had struck them with a great slaughter.
20 era abantu b’e Besusemesi ne beebuuza nti, “Ani ayinza okuyimirira mu maaso ga Mukama, Katonda ono omutukuvu? Essanduuko ya Mukama tugiweereze ani?”
The men of Beth-shemesh asked, “Who can stand in the presence of the LORD, this holy God? To whom should the ark go up from here?”
21 Ne batuma ababaka eri abatuuze b’e Kiriyasuyalimu n’obubaka nti, “Abafirisuuti bakomezzaawo essanduuko ya Mukama. Muserengete, mujje mugiddukire mugitwale ewammwe.”
So they sent messengers to the people of Kiriath-jearim, saying, “The Philistines have returned the ark of the LORD. Come down and take it up with you.”
