< Balam 13 >

1 Awo abaana ba Isirayiri ne beeyongera okukola ebibi mu maaso ga Mukama. Mukama kyeyava abagabula mu mukono gw’Abafirisuuti okumala emyaka amakumi ana.
And again, the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. And he delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years.
2 Ne wabaawo omusajja ow’e Zola, ow’omu kika ky’Abadaani, erinnya lye Manowa, eyalina mukazi we nga mugumba.
Now there was a certain man from Zorah, and of the stock of Dan, whose name was Manoah, having a barren wife.
3 Malayika wa Mukama Katonda n’alabikira omukazi n’amugamba nti, “Laba, kaakano, oli mugumba era atazaalanga ku mwana, naye oliba olubuto n’ozaala omwana wabulenzi.
And an Angel of the Lord appeared to her, and he said: “You are barren and without children. But you shall conceive and bear a son.
4 Laba nga tonywa envinnyo, newaakubadde ekitamiiza kyonna, wadde okulya ekintu kyonna ekitali kirongoofu.
Therefore, take care that you do not drink wine or strong drink. Neither shall you eat anything unclean.
5 Kubanga, laba, oliba olubuto n’ozaala omwana wabulenzi, era tamwebwangako nviiri, kubanga omulenzi aliba Muwonge wa Katonda ng’akyali mu lubuto lwa nnyina, era yalitanula okulokola Isirayiri okuva mu mukono gw’Abafirisuuti.”
For you shall conceive and bear a son, whose head no razor shall touch. For he shall be a Nazirite of God, from his infancy and from his mother’s womb. And he shall begin to free Israel from the hand of the Philistines.”
6 Awo omukazi n’agenda n’ategeeza bba, ng’agamba nti, “Omusajja wa Katonda yandabikidde mu kifaananyi kya malayika wa Katonda, era natidde nnyo. Simubuuzizza gy’avudde, ate era naye tambulidde linnya lye.
And when she had gone to her husband, she said to him: “A man of God came to me, having the countenance of an Angel, exceedingly terrible. And when I had inquired of him, who he was, and where he was from, and what name he was called, he was not willing to tell me.
7 Wabula yaŋŋambye nti, ‘Laba oliba olubuto era olizaala omwana wabulenzi. Tonywanga envinnyo newaakubadde ekitamiiza kyonna, wadde okulya ekintu kyonna ekitali kirongoofu. Kubanga omulenzi aliba Muwonge eri Katonda ng’akyali mu lubuto lwa nnyina, era bw’atyo bw’aliba ennaku ez’obulamu bwe zonna.’”
But he responded: ‘Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. Take care that you do not drink wine or strong drink. And you shall not consume anything unclean. For the boy shall be a Nazirite of God from his infancy, from his mother’s womb, even until the day of his death.’”
8 Awo Manowa ne yeegayirira Mukama Katonda ng’agamba nti, “Ayi Mukama wange, omusajja wa Katonda gwe watutumidde, akomewo. Ajje atuyigirize kye tuteekwa okukolera omulenzi anaatuzaalirwa.”
And so Manoah prayed to the Lord, and he said, “I beg you Lord, that the man of God, whom you sent, may come again, and may teach us what we ought to do about the boy who is to be born.”
9 Katonda n’awulira eddoboozi lya Manowa, malayika wa Katonda n’akomawo eri omukazi, n’amusanga mu nnimiro, naye nga Manowa bba tali naye.
And the Lord heeded the prayer of Manoah, and the Angel of the Lord appeared again to his wife, sitting in a field. But her husband Manoah was not with her. And when she had seen the Angel,
10 Awo omukazi n’ayanguwa n’adduka n’ategeeza bba ng’agamba nti, “Laba omusajja eyandabikira olulala azze.”
she hurried and ran to her husband. And she reported to him, saying, “Behold, the man appeared to me, whom I had seen before.”
11 Manowa n’agolokoka n’agoberera mukazi we. Bwe yatuuka awali omusajja n’amugamba nti, “Ggwe musajja eyayogera eri mukazi wange?” Malayika n’amuddamu nti, “Ye nze.”
And he rose up and followed his wife. And going to the man, he said to him, “Are you the one who spoke to my wife?” And he responded, “I am.”
12 Manowa n’amubuuza nti, “Ebigambo byo bwe birituukirira, biragiro ki bye tuligoberera nga tukuza omulenzi?”
And Manoah said to him: “When will your word be fulfilled. What do you want the boy to do? Or from what should he keep himself?”
13 Malayika wa Mukama Katonda n’addamu Manowa nti, “Ebyo byonna bye nagamba mukazi wo ateekwa okubikola.
And the Angel of the Lord said to Manoah: “Concerning all the things about which I have spoken to your wife, she herself should abstain.
14 Mukazi wo tateekwa kulya kibala ekiva mu zabbibu, newaakubadde okunywa envinnyo, newaakubadde okunywa ekitamiiza, wadde okulya ekintu kyonna ekitali kirongoofu. Ateekwa okukola buli kintu kye namulagira.”
And let her eat nothing from the vine. She may not drink wine or strong drink. She may consume nothing unclean. And let her observe and keep what I have instructed to her.”
15 Awo Manowa n’agamba malayika wa Mukama Katonda nti, “Sigala wano naffe, tukuteekereteekere akabuzi akato.”
And Manoah said to the Angel of the Lord, “I beg you to agree to my petition, and to let us prepare a kid from the goats.”
16 Malayika wa Mukama Katonda n’agamba Manowa nti, “Ne bwe nnaasigala nammwe, sijja kulya ku mmere yammwe. Wabula bwe munaateekateeka ekiweebwayo ekyokebwa, mukiweeyo eri Mukama.” Mu kiseera ekyo Manowa teyamanya nga gwe yali ayogera naye yali malayika wa Mukama.
And the Angel answered him: “Even if you compel me, I will not eat from your bread. But if you are willing to offer a holocaust, offer it to the Lord.” And Manoah did not know that he was an Angel of the Lord.
17 Awo Manowa n’abuuza malayika wa Mukama Katonda nti, “Erinnya lyo ggwe ani, ekigambo ky’oyogedde bwe kirituukirira tulyoke tukuseemu ekitiibwa?”
And he said to him, “What is your name, so that, if your word is fulfilled, we may honor you?”
18 Malayika wa n’amuddamu nti, “Obuuliza ki erinnya lyange? Lisukka okutegeera.”
And he answered him, “Why do you ask my name, which is a wonder?”
19 Awo Manowa n’addira akabuzi akato, n’ekiweebwayo eky’empeke, n’abiwaayo nga ssaddaaka ku lwazi eri Mukama Katonda. Mukama n’akola eky’ekyewuunyo nga Manowa ne mukazi we balaba.
And so, Manoah took a kid from the goats, and libations, and he placed them upon a rock, as an offering to the Lord, who accomplishes wonders. Then he and his wife watched.
20 Omuliro bwe gwava mu Kyoto okugenda eri eggulu, malayika wa Mukama Katonda n’akkira mu muliro gw’ekyoto. Manowa ne mukazi we bwe baamulaba, ne bagwa wansi ne bavuunama ng’obwenyi bwabwe butuukira ddala ku ttaka.
And when the flame of the altar ascended to heaven, the Angel of the Lord ascended in the flame. And when Manoah and his wife had seen this, they fell prone on the ground.
21 Malayika wa Mukama bw’ataddayo kweraga gye bali, Manowa ne mukazi we ne bategeera ng’abadde malayika wa Mukama Katonda.
And the Angel of the Lord no longer appeared to them. And immediately, Manoah understood him to be an Angel of the Lord.
22 Manowa n’agamba mukazi we nti, “Tugenda kufa kubanga tulabye Katonda.”
And he said to his wife, “We shall certainly die, since we have seen God.”
23 Naye mukazi we n’amugamba nti, “Singa Mukama Katonda yabadde wa kututta, teyandisiimye kiweebwayo ekyokebwa n’ekiweebwayo eky’empeke okuva gye tuli, newaakubadde okutulaga ebintu bino byonna, wadde okututegeeza kino.”
And his wife answered him, “If the Lord wished to kill us, he would not have accepted the holocaust and the libations from our hands. He would not have revealed all these things to us, nor would he have told us the things that are in the future.”
24 Awo omukazi n’azaala omwana wabulenzi, n’amutuuma Samusooni. Omwana n’akula, Mukama Katonda n’amuwa omukisa.
And so she bore a son, and she called his name Samson. And the boy grew up, and the Lord blessed him.
25 Omwoyo wa Mukama Katonda n’atandika okukolera mu Samusooni ng’ali mu Makanedani ekiri wakati w’e Zola ne Esutaoli.
And the Spirit of the Lord began to be with him in the camp of Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

< Balam 13 >