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.
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 Ne wabaawo omusajja ow’e Zola, ow’omu kika ky’Abadaani, erinnya lye Manowa, eyalina mukazi we nga mugumba.
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 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.
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 Laba nga tonywa envinnyo, newaakubadde ekitamiiza kyonna, wadde okulya ekintu kyonna ekitali kirongoofu.
[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 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.”
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 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.
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 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 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 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.”
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 Katonda n’awulira eddoboozi lya Manowa, malayika wa Katonda n’akomawo eri omukazi, n’amusanga mu nnimiro, naye nga Manowa bba tali naye.
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 Awo omukazi n’ayanguwa n’adduka n’ategeeza bba ng’agamba nti, “Laba omusajja eyandabikira olulala azze.”
So she quickly ran and said to her husband, “The man who appeared to me a few days ago has come back again!”
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.”
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 Manowa n’amubuuza nti, “Ebigambo byo bwe birituukirira, biragiro ki bye tuligoberera nga tukuza omulenzi?”
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 Malayika wa Mukama Katonda n’addamu Manowa nti, “Ebyo byonna bye nagamba mukazi wo ateekwa okubikola.
Yahweh replied, “Your wife must obey all the instructions I gave her.
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.”
[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 Awo Manowa n’agamba malayika wa Mukama Katonda nti, “Sigala wano naffe, tukuteekereteekere akabuzi akato.”
Then Manoah said, “Please stay here until we can kill and cook a young goat for you.”
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.
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 Awo Manowa n’abuuza malayika wa Mukama Katonda nti, “Erinnya lyo ggwe ani, ekigambo ky’oyogedde bwe kirituukirira tulyoke tukuseemu ekitiibwa?”
Then Manoah asked him, “What is your name? When what you have promised happens, we want to honor you.”
18 Malayika wa n’amuddamu nti, “Obuuliza ki erinnya lyange? Lisukka okutegeera.”
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 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.
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 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.
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 Malayika wa Mukama bw’ataddayo kweraga gye bali, Manowa ne mukazi we ne bategeera ng’abadde malayika wa Mukama Katonda.
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 Manowa n’agamba mukazi we nti, “Tugenda kufa kubanga tulabye Katonda.”
So he said, “Now we will die, because 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.”
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 Awo omukazi n’azaala omwana wabulenzi, n’amutuuma Samusooni. Omwana n’akula, Mukama Katonda n’amuwa omukisa.
When their son was born, they named him Samson. Yahweh blessed him as he grew up.
25 Omwoyo wa Mukama Katonda n’atandika okukolera mu Samusooni ng’ali mu Makanedani ekiri wakati w’e Zola ne Esutaoli.
And while he was in Mahaneh-Dan, which is between Zorah and Eshtaol [towns], Yahweh’s Spirit began to control him.
