1 Wafalme 13
1 Kwa neno la Bwana, mtu wa Mungu alifika Betheli kutoka Yuda wakati Yeroboamu alipokuwa amesimama kando ya madhabahu ili kutoa sadaka.
Behold, a man of God came out of Judah by the LORD’s word to Bethel; and Jeroboam was standing by the altar to burn incense.
2 Akapiga kelele dhidi ya madhabahu kwa neno la Bwana: “Ee madhabahu, madhabahu! Hivi ndivyo asemavyo Bwana: ‘Mwana aitwaye Yosia atazaliwa katika nyumba ya Daudi. Juu yako atawatoa dhabihu makuhani wa mahali pa juu pa kuabudia miungu wale ambao wanatoa sadaka hapa sasa, nayo mifupa ya wanadamu itachomwa juu yako.’”
He cried against the altar by the LORD’s word, and said, “Altar! Altar! The LORD says: ‘Behold, a son will be born to David’s house, Josiah by name. On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and they will burn men’s bones on you.’”
3 Siku iyo hiyo, mtu wa Mungu akatoa ishara: “Hii ndiyo ishara Bwana aliyotangaza: Madhabahu haya yatapasuka na majivu yaliyo juu yake yatamwagika.”
He gave a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign which the LORD has spoken: Behold, the altar will be split apart, and the ashes that are on it will be poured out.”
4 Mfalme Yeroboamu aliposikia kile mtu wa Mungu alichosema, alipopiga kelele dhidi ya madhabahu huko Betheli, akanyoosha mkono wake kutoka madhabahuni na kusema, “Mkamate!” Lakini mkono aliokuwa ameunyoosha kumwelekea yule mtu ukasinyaa na kubaki hapo hapo, kiasi kwamba hakuweza kuurudisha.
When the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar in Bethel, Jeroboam put out his hand from the altar, saying, “Seize him!” His hand, which he put out against him, dried up, so that he could not draw it back again to himself.
5 Pia, madhabahu yalipasuka na majivu yakamwagika sawasawa na ishara iliyotolewa na mtu wa Mungu kwa neno la Bwana.
The altar was also split apart, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the LORD’s word.
6 Kisha mfalme akamwambia mtu wa Mungu, “Niombee kwa Bwana Mungu wako ili mkono wangu upate kupona.” Kwa hiyo mtu wa Mungu akamwombea kwa Bwana, nao mkono wa mfalme ukapona na kuwa kama ulivyokuwa hapo kwanza.
The king answered the man of God, “Now intercede for the favour of the LORD your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again.” The man of God interceded with the LORD, and the king’s hand was restored to him again, and became as it was before.
7 Mfalme akamwambia yule mtu wa Mungu, “Twende nyumbani kwangu upate chakula, nami nitakupa zawadi.”
The king said to the man of God, “Come home with me and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward.”
8 Lakini yule mtu wa Mungu akamjibu mfalme, “Hata kama ungenipa nusu ya mali zako, nisingekwenda pamoja na wewe, wala nisingekula mkate au kunywa maji hapa.
The man of God said to the king, “Even if you gave me half of your house, I would not go in with you, neither would I eat bread nor drink water in this place;
9 Kwa kuwa niliagizwa kwa neno la Bwana: ‘Kamwe usile mkate wala usinywe maji au kurudi kwa njia uliyojia.’”
for so was it commanded me by the LORD’s word, saying, ‘You shall eat no bread, drink no water, and don’t return by the way that you came.’”
10 Kwa hiyo akafuata njia nyingine na hakurudi kupitia njia ile ambayo alikuwa ameijia Betheli.
So he went another way, and didn’t return by the way that he came to Bethel.
11 Basi kulikuwepo na nabii fulani mzee aliyekuwa anaishi Betheli, ambaye wanawe walikuja kumwambia yote ambayo mtu wa Mungu alikuwa ameyafanya pale siku ile. Pia wakamwambia baba yao yale aliyomwambia mfalme.
Now an old prophet lived in Bethel, and one of his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel. They also told their father the words which he had spoken to the king.
12 Baba yao akawauliza, “Ameelekea njia gani?” Nao wanawe wakamwonyesha ile njia yule mtu wa Mungu kutoka Yuda aliyopita.
Their father said to them, “Which way did he go?” Now his sons had seen which way the man of God went, who came from Judah.
13 Hivyo akawaambia wanawe, “Nitandikieni punda.” Walipokwisha kumtandikia punda, akampanda
He said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled the donkey for him; and he rode on it.
14 na kumfuatilia yule mtu wa Mungu. Akamkuta ameketi chini ya mwaloni na akamuuliza, “Je, wewe ndiwe mtu wa Mungu kutoka Yuda?” Akamjibu, “Mimi ndiye.”
He went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak. He said to him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” He said, “I am.”
15 Basi nabii akamwambia, “Karibu nyumbani pamoja na mimi ule.”
Then he said to him, “Come home with me and eat bread.”
16 Yule mtu wa Mungu akasema, “Siwezi kurudi na kwenda nawe, wala siwezi kula mkate au kunywa maji pamoja nawe mahali hapa.
He said, “I may not return with you, nor go in with you. I will not eat bread or drink water with you in this place.
17 Nimeambiwa kwa neno la Bwana: ‘Kamwe usile mkate au kunywa maji huko au kurudia njia uliyojia.’”
For it was said to me by the LORD’s word, ‘You shall eat no bread or drink water there, and don’t turn again to go by the way that you came.’”
18 Yule nabii mzee akajibu, “Mimi pia ni nabii, kama wewe. Naye malaika alisema nami kwa neno la Bwana: ‘Mrudishe aje katika nyumba yako ili apate kula mkate na kunywa maji.’” (Lakini alikuwa akimwambia uongo.)
He said to him, “I also am a prophet as you are; and an angel spoke to me by the LORD’s word, saying, ‘Bring him back with you into your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.’” He lied to him.
19 Hivyo mtu wa Mungu akarudi pamoja naye na akala na kunywa katika nyumba yake.
So he went back with him, ate bread in his house, and drank water.
20 Wakati walipokuwa wameketi mezani, neno la Bwana likamjia yule nabii mzee aliyemrudisha huyo mtu wa Mungu.
As they sat at the table, the LORD’s word came to the prophet who brought him back;
21 Akampazia sauti yule mtu wa Mungu aliyekuwa ametoka Yuda, “Hivi ndivyo asemavyo Bwana: ‘Umeasi neno la Bwana na hukushika amri uliyopewa na Bwana Mungu wako,
and he cried out to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, “The LORD says, ‘Because you have been disobedient to the LORD’s word, and have not kept the commandment which the LORD your God commanded you,
22 bali ulirudi na ukala mkate na kunywa maji mahali ambapo alikuambia usile wala usinywe. Kwa hiyo maiti yako haitazikwa katika kaburi la baba zako.’”
but came back, and have eaten bread and drank water in the place of which he said to you, “Eat no bread, and drink no water,” your body will not come to the tomb of your fathers.’”
23 Wakati huyo mtu wa Mungu alipomaliza kula na kunywa, nabii aliyekuwa amemrudisha akamtandikia punda wake.
After he had eaten bread and after he drank, he saddled the donkey for the prophet whom he had brought back.
24 Alipokuwa akienda akakutana na simba njiani, akamuua na maiti yake ikabwagwa barabarani, yule punda wake na simba wakiwa wamesimama karibu yake.
When he had gone, a lion met him by the way and killed him. His body was thrown on the path, and the donkey stood by it. The lion also stood by the body.
25 Baadhi ya watu waliopita pale waliona maiti imebwagwa pale chini, simba akiwa amesimama kando ya maiti, wakaenda na kutoa habari katika mji ambao nabii mzee aliishi.
Behold, men passed by and saw the body thrown on the path, and the lion standing by the body; and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet lived.
26 Yule nabii aliyekuwa amemrudisha kutoka safari yake aliposikia habari hii akasema, “Ni yule mtu wa Mungu ambaye aliasi neno la Bwana. Bwana amemtoa kwa simba, ambaye amemrarua na kumuua, sawasawa na neno la Bwana lilivyokuwa limemwonya.”
When the prophet who brought him back from the way heard of it, he said, “It is the man of God who was disobedient to the LORD’s word. Therefore the LORD has delivered him to the lion, which has mauled him and slain him, according to the LORD’s word which he spoke to him.”
27 Nabii akawaambia wanawe, “Nitandikieni punda,” nao wakafanya hivyo.
He said to his sons, saying, “Saddle the donkey for me,” and they saddled it.
28 Kisha akatoka akaenda akakuta maiti imebwagwa chini barabarani, punda na simba wakiwa wamesimama kando yake. Simba hakuwa amekula ile maiti wala kumrarua punda.
He went and found his body thrown on the path, and the donkey and the lion standing by the body. The lion had not eaten the body nor mauled the donkey.
29 Basi yule nabii mzee akachukua maiti ya mtu wa Mungu, akailaza juu ya punda na akairudisha katika mji wake, ili amwombolezee na kumzika.
The prophet took up the body of the man of God, and laid it on the donkey, and brought it back. He came to the city of the old prophet to mourn, and to bury him.
30 Kisha akailaza ile maiti katika kaburi lake huyo nabii mzee, nao wakaomboleza juu yake na kusema, “Ee ndugu yangu!”
He laid his body in his own grave; and they mourned over him, saying, “Alas, my brother!”
31 Baada ya kumzika, akawaambia wanawe, “Wakati nitakapokufa, mnizike kwenye kaburi alimozikwa huyu mtu wa Mungu; lazeni mifupa yangu kando ya mifupa yake.
After he had buried him, he spoke to his sons, saying, “When I am dead, bury me in the tomb in which the man of God is buried. Lay my bones beside his bones.
32 Kwa maana ujumbe alioutangaza kwa neno la Bwana dhidi ya madhabahu huko Betheli na dhidi ya madhabahu yote katika mahali pa juu pa kuabudia miungu katika miji ya Samaria, hakika yatatokea kweli.”
For the saying which he cried by the LORD’s word against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, will surely happen.”
33 Hata baada ya haya, Yeroboamu hakubadili njia zake mbaya, lakini mara nyingine tena akaweka makuhani kwa ajili ya mahali pa juu pa kuabudia miungu kutoka watu wa aina zote. Yeyote aliyetaka kuwa kuhani alimweka wakfu kwa ajili ya mahali pa juu pa kuabudia miungu.
After this thing, Jeroboam didn’t turn from his evil way, but again made priests of the high places from amongst all the people. Whoever wanted to, he consecrated him, that there might be priests of the high places.
34 Hii ilikuwa ndiyo dhambi ya nyumba ya Yeroboamu ambayo iliisababishia kuanguka na kuangamia kwake hadi kutoweka kwenye uso wa dunia.
This thing became sin to the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off and to destroy it from off the surface of the earth.
