1 Samweli 2
1 Kisha Hana akaomba na kusema: “Moyo wangu wamshangilia Bwana, katika Bwana pembe yangu imeinuliwa juu. Kinywa changu chajisifu juu ya adui zangu, kwa kuwa naufurahia wokovu wako.
My heart is established in the Lord, my horn is exalted in my God; my mouth is enlarged over my enemies, I have rejoiced in thy salvation.
2 “Hakuna yeyote aliye mtakatifu kama Bwana, hakuna mwingine zaidi yako; hakuna Mwamba kama Mungu wetu.
For there is none holy as the Lord, and there is none righteous as our God; there is none holy besides thee.
3 “Msiendelee kusema kwa kiburi hivyo wala msiache vinywa vyenu kunena kwa kiburi, kwa kuwa Bwana ndiye Mungu ajuaye, na kwa yeye matendo hupimwa.
Boast not, and utter not high things; let not high-sounding words come out of your mouth, for the Lord [is] a God of knowledge, and God prepares his own designs.
4 “Pinde za mashujaa zimevunjika, lakini wale wanaojikwaa wamevikwa nguvu.
The bow of the mighty has waxed feeble, and the weak have girded themselves with strength.
5 Wale waliokuwa na chakula tele wamejikodisha wenyewe ili kupata chakula, lakini wale waliokuwa na njaa hawana njaa tena. Mwanamke yule aliyekuwa tasa amezaa watoto saba, lakini yule ambaye alikuwa na wana wengi amedhoofika.
They that were full of bread are brought low; and the hungry have forsaken the land; for the barren has born seven, and she that abounded in children has waxed feeble.
The Lord kills and makes alive; he brings down to the grave, and brings up. (Sheol h7585)
7 Bwana humfanya mtu maskini naye hutajirisha, hushusha na hukweza.
The Lord makes poor, and makes rich; he brings low, and lifts up.
8 Humwinua maskini kutoka mavumbini na humwinua mhitaji kutoka lundo la majivu; huwaketisha pamoja na wakuu na kuwafanya warithi kiti cha enzi cha heshima. “Kwa kuwa misingi ya dunia ni ya Bwana; juu yake ameuweka ulimwengu.
He lifts up the poor from the earth, and raises the needy from the dunghill; to seat him with the princes of the people, and causing them to inherit the throne of glory:
9 Yeye atailinda miguu ya watakatifu wake, lakini waovu watanyamazishwa kwenye giza. “Si kwa nguvu mtu hushinda;
granting his petition to him that prays; and he blesses the years of the righteous, for by strength cannot man prevail.
10 wale wampingao Bwana wataharibiwa kabisa. Atapiga radi dhidi yao kutoka mbinguni; Bwana ataihukumu miisho ya dunia. “Atampa nguvu mfalme wake, na kuitukuza pembe ya mpakwa mafuta wake.”
The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.
11 Kisha Elikana akaenda nyumbani Rama, lakini mtoto akahudumu mbele za Bwana chini ya kuhani Eli.
and departed to Armathaim: and the child ministered in the presence of the Lord before Heli the priest.
12 Wana wa Eli walikuwa watu wabaya kabisa, hawakumheshimu Bwana.
And the sons of Heli the priest [were] evil sons, not knowing the Lord.
13 Basi ilikuwa desturi ya makuhani pamoja na watu kwamba kila mara yeyote anapotoa dhabihu na huku nyama ikiwa inachemshwa, mtumishi wa kuhani angalikuja na uma wenye meno matatu mkononi mwake.
And the priest's claim from every one of the people that sacrificed [was this: ] the servant of the priest came when the flesh was in seething, and a flesh-hook of three teeth [was] in his hand.
14 Angeutumbukiza huo uma kwenye sufuria au birika au sufuria kubwa au chungu, naye kuhani angalijichukulia mwenyewe chochote ambacho uma ungekileta. Hivi ndivyo walivyowatendea Waisraeli wote waliokuja Shilo.
And he struck it into the great caldron, or into the brazen vessel, or into the pot, and whatever came up with the flesh-hook, the priest took for himself: so they did to all Israel that came to sacrifice to the Lord in Selom.
15 Lakini hata kabla mafuta ya mnyama hayajachomwa, mtumishi wa kuhani angalikuja na kusema kwa mtu ambaye alikuwa akitoa dhabihu, “Mpe kuhani nyama akaoke, kwani hatapokea nyama iliyochemshwa kutoka kwako, ila iliyo mbichi tu.”
And before the fat was burnt for a sweet savour, the servant of the priest would come, and say to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest, and I will by no means take of thee sodden flesh out of the caldron.
16 Kama mtu akimwambia, “Mafuta ya mnyama na yachomwe kwanza, ndipo uchukue chochote unachotaka,” mtumishi angalijibu, “Hapana, nipe sasa, kama huwezi nitaichukua kwa nguvu.”
And [if] the man that sacrificed said, First let the fat be burned, as it is fit, and take for thyself of all things which thy soul desires: then he would say, Nay, for thou shalt give it me now; and if not I will take it by force.
17 Hii Dhambi ya hawa vijana ilikuwa kubwa sana machoni pa Bwana, kwa kuwa waliitendea dhabihu ya Bwana kwa dharau.
So the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for they set at nought the offering of the Lord.
18 Lakini Samweli alikuwa akihudumu mbele za Bwana, kijana akivaa kisibau cha kitani.
And Samuel ministered before the Lord, a child girt with a linen ephod.
19 Kila mwaka mama yake alimshonea joho dogo na kumchukulia wakati alipokwea pamoja na mumewe kutoa dhabihu ya mwaka.
And his mother made him a little doublet, and brought it to him from year to year, in her going up in company with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
20 Eli alikuwa akiwabariki Elikana na mkewe, akisema, “Bwana na akupe watoto kwa mwanamke huyu ili kuchukua nafasi ya yule aliyekuwa amemwomba na akamtoa kwa Bwana.” Kisha wakawa wanakwenda nyumbani.
And Heli blessed Helcana and his wife, saying The Lord recompense to thee seed of this woman, in return for the loan which thou hast lent to the Lord: and the man returned to his place.
21 Bwana akawa mwenye neema kwa Hana, naye akapata mimba akazaa wana watatu na binti wawili. Wakati huo, kijana Samweli akaendelea kukua mbele za Bwana.
And the Lord visited Anna, and she bore yet three sons, and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the Lord.
22 Basi Eli, ambaye alikuwa mzee sana, alisikia kuhusu kila kitu ambacho wanawe walikuwa wakiwafanyia Israeli wote na jinsi walivyokutana kimwili na wanawake waliohudumu kwenye ingilio la Hema la Kukutania.
And Heli [was] very old, and he heard what his sons did to the children of Israel.
23 Hivyo akawaambia, “Kwa nini mmefanya mambo kama haya? Nimesikia kutoka kwa watu wote juu ya haya matendo yenu maovu.
And he said to them, Why do ye according to this thing, which I hear from the mouth of all the people of the Lord?
24 Sivyo, wanangu, hii si habari nzuri ambayo ninasikia ikienea miongoni mwa watu wa Bwana.
Nay [my] sons, for the report which I hear [is] not good; do not so, for the reports which I hear [are] not good, so that the people do not serve God.
25 Kama mtu akifanya dhambi dhidi ya mtu mwenzake, mtu mwingine aweza kumwombea kwa Mungu, lakini kama mtu akimfanyia Mungu dhambi, ni nani atakayemwombea?” Hata hivyo wanawe hawakusikia maonyo ya baba yao, kwa sababu Bwana alitaka kuwaua.
If a man should at all sin against another, then shall they pray for him to the Lord; but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall intreat for him? But they hearkened not to the voice of their father, because the Lord would by all means destroy them.
26 Naye kijana Samweli akaendelea kukua katika kimo, akimpendeza Bwana na wanadamu.
And the child Samuel advanced, and was in favour with God and with men.
27 Basi mtu wa Mungu akaja kwa Eli na kumwambia, “Hivi ndivyo asemavyo Bwana: ‘Je, sikujifunua waziwazi kwa nyumba ya baba yako wakati walikuwa huko Misri chini ya Farao?
And a man of God came to Heli, and said, Thus says the Lord, I plainly revealed myself to the house of thy father, when they were servants in Egypt to the house of Pharao.
28 Nilimchagua baba yako kati ya makabila yote ya Israeli kuwa kuhani wangu, kukwea kwenye madhabahu yangu, kufukiza uvumba na kuvaa kisibau mbele yangu. Pia niliwapa nyumba ya baba yako sadaka zote zilizotolewa kwa moto na Waisraeli.
And I chose the house of thy father out of all the tribes of Israel to minister to me in the priest's office, to go up to my altar, and to burn incense, and to wear an ephod. And I gave to the house of thy father all the offerings by fire of the children of Israel for food.
29 Kwa nini unadharau dhabihu zangu na sadaka zile nilizoziamuru kwa ajili ya makao yangu? Kwa nini unawaheshimu wanao kuliko mimi kwa kujinenepesha wenyewe kwa kula sehemu zilizo bora za kila sadaka zinazotolewa na watu wangu wa Israeli?’
And wherefore hast thou looked upon my incense-offering and my meat-offering with a shameless eye, and hast honoured thy sons above me, so that they should bless themselves with the first-fruits of every sacrifice of Israel before me?
30 “Kwa hiyo, Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli asema: ‘Niliahidi kuwa nyumba yako na nyumba ya baba yako wangehudumu mbele zangu milele.’ Lakini sasa Bwana anasema: ‘Jambo hili na liwe mbali nami! Wale wanaoniheshimu nitawaheshimu, wale wanaonidharau mimi watadharauliwa.
Therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel, I said, Thy house and the house of thy father shall pass before me for ever: but now the Lord says, That be far from me; for I will only honour them that honour me, and he that sets me at nought shall be despised.
31 Wakati unakuja nitakapozipunguza nguvu zenu na nguvu ya nyumba ya baba yenu, ili pasiwepo mtu katika mbari yenu atakayeishi kuuona uzee
Behold, the days come when I will destroy thy seed and the seed of thy father's house.
32 nanyi mtaona huzuni katika makao yangu. Ingawa Israeli watafanyiwa mema, katika mbari yenu kamwe hapatakuwepo mtu atakayeishi hadi kuwa mzee.
And thou shalt not have an old man in my house for ever.
33 Kila mmoja wenu ambaye sitamkatilia mbali kutoka madhabahuni pangu atabakizwa tu kupofusha macho yenu kwa machozi na kuihuzunisha mioyo yenu, nao wazao wenu wote watakufa watakapokuwa wamefikia umri wa kustawi.
And [if] I do not destroy a man of thine from my altar, [it shall be] that his eyes may fail and his soul may perish; and every one that remains in thy house shall fall by the sword of men.
34 “‘Kile kitakachotokea kwa wanao wawili, Hofni na Finehasi, kitakuwa ishara kwako. Wote wawili watakufa katika siku moja.
And this which shall come upon thy two sons Ophni and Phinees shall be a sign to thee; in one day they shall both die.
35 Mimi mwenyewe nitajiinulia kuhani mwaminifu, ambaye atafanya sawasawa na kile kilichoko moyoni mwangu na akilini mwangu. Nitaifanya nyumba yake kuwa imara, naye atahudumu mbele ya mpakwa mafuta wangu daima.
And I will raise up to myself a faithful priest, who shall do all that is in my heart and in my soul; and I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before my Christ for ever.
36 Kisha kila mmoja aliyeachwa katika mbari yenu atakuja na kusujudu mbele yake kwa ajili ya kipande cha fedha na ganda la mkate akisema, “Niteue katika baadhi ya ofisi ya ukuhani ili niweze kupata chakula.”’”
And it shall come to pass that he that survives in thy house, shall come to do obeisance before him for a little piece of silver, saying, Put me into one of thy priest's offices to eat bread.
