< 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.
And she said, "My heart rejoices in the LORD. My strength rises up in my God. My mouth boasts over my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation.
2 “Hakuna yeyote aliye mtakatifu kama Bwana, hakuna mwingine zaidi yako; hakuna Mwamba kama Mungu wetu.
Truly, there is no one as holy as the LORD. Truly, there is no one besides you, nor is there any rock like our God.
3 “Msiendelee kusema kwa kiburi hivyo wala msiache vinywa vyenu kunena kwa kiburi, kwa kuwa Bwana ndiye Mungu ajuaye, na kwa yeye matendo hupimwa.
Do not speak boastfully or let arrogance come out of your mouth, for the LORD is a God of knowledge. By him actions are weighed.
4 “Pinde za mashujaa zimevunjika, lakini wale wanaojikwaa wamevikwa nguvu.
The bows of the mighty men are broken. Those who stumbled are armed 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.
Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread. Those who were hungry are satisfied. Even the barren has borne seven, and she who has many children languishes.
6 “Bwana huua na huleta uhai, hushusha chini mpaka kaburini na hufufua. (Sheol )
The LORD kills, and makes alive. He brings down to Sheol, and brings up. (Sheol )
7 Bwana humfanya mtu maskini naye hutajirisha, hushusha na hukweza.
The LORD makes poor, and makes rich. He brings low, he also 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 raises up the poor out of the dust. He lifts up the needy from the dunghill, To make them sit with princes, and inherit the throne of glory. For the pillars of the earth are the LORD's. He has set the world on them.
9 Yeye atailinda miguu ya watakatifu wake, lakini waovu watanyamazishwa kwenye giza. “Si kwa nguvu mtu hushinda;
He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked will be put to silence in darkness. For no man will prevail by strength.
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 LORD will shatter his adversaries. He will thunder against them in the sky. "The LORD will judge the farthest parts of the earth. He will give strength to 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 she went to Ramah, while the child served the LORD before Eli the priest.
12 Wana wa Eli walikuwa watu wabaya kabisa, hawakumheshimu Bwana.
Now the sons of Eli were worthless men; they did not know 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.
The custom of the priests with the people was that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was boiling, with a fork of three teeth 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 pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fork brought up the priest took therewith. So they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there.
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.”
Yes, before they burnt the fat, the priest's servant came, and said to the man who sacrificed, "Give meat to roast for the priest; for he will not accept boiled meat from you, but raw."
16 Kama mtu akimwambia, “Mafuta ya mnyama na yachomwe kwanza, ndipo uchukue chochote unachotaka,” mtumishi angalijibu, “Hapana, nipe sasa, kama huwezi nitaichukua kwa nguvu.”
If the man said to him, "Let the fat be burned first, and then take all of it which your soul desires"; then he would say, "No, but you shall give it to 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.
The sin of the young men was very great before the LORD; for they despised the offering of the LORD.
18 Lakini Samweli alikuwa akihudumu mbele za Bwana, kijana akivaa kisibau cha kitani.
But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, clothed with a linen ephod.
19 Kila mwaka mama yake alimshonea joho dogo na kumchukulia wakati alipokwea pamoja na mumewe kutoa dhabihu ya mwaka.
Moreover his mother made him a little robe, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up 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 Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and said, "May the LORD repay you with offspring by this woman for the gift which she made to the LORD." And the man returned to his home.
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.
The LORD visited Hannah, and she bore more children, three sons and two daughters. 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.
Now Eli was very old; and he heard what his sons did to the children of Israel (and how that they lay with the women who served at the door of the Tent of Meeting).
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 you do such things as these that I hear being said of you from the mouth of the people of the LORD?
24 Sivyo, wanangu, hii si habari nzuri ambayo ninasikia ikienea miongoni mwa watu wa Bwana.
No, my sons, do not do this. For it is not a good report that I hear the people of the LORD spreading.
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 one man sins against another, he shall appeal to the LORD; but if a man sins against the LORD, who shall entreat for him?" But, they did not listen to the voice of their father, because the LORD intended to kill them.
26 Naye kijana Samweli akaendelea kukua katika kimo, akimpendeza Bwana na wanadamu.
The child Samuel grew on, and increased in favor both with the LORD, and also 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?
A man of God came to Eli, and said, "Thus says the LORD, I plainly revealed myself to the house of your father, when they were slaves in Egypt to the house of Pharaoh.
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 him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod. And I gave to the house of your father all the offerings by fire of the children of Israel as 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?’
Then why do you look at my sacrifice and my offering with a selfish eye, and honor your sons more than me in letting them eat from the first part of every offering 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 the LORD, the God of Israel, says, 'I said indeed that your house, and the house of your father, should walk before me forever.' But now the LORD says, 'Be it far from me; for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed.
31 Wakati unakuja nitakapozipunguza nguvu zenu na nguvu ya nyumba ya baba yenu, ili pasiwepo mtu katika mbari yenu atakayeishi kuuona uzee
Look, the days come, that I will cut off your descendants, and the descendants of your father's house, that there shall not be an old man in your house.
32 nanyi mtaona huzuni katika makao yangu. Ingawa Israeli watafanyiwa mema, katika mbari yenu kamwe hapatakuwepo mtu atakayeishi hadi kuwa mzee.
And you will see distress in the dwelling place, in all that he does good with Israel. And there will not be an old man in your house all the days.
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 the man of yours I do not cut off from my altar will be to cause his eyes to fail and to grieve his soul, and all the increase of your house will die by the sword of men.
34 “‘Kile kitakachotokea kwa wanao wawili, Hofni na Finehasi, kitakuwa ishara kwako. Wote wawili watakufa katika siku moja.
"'This shall be the sign to you, that shall come on your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: 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.
I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind. I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before my anointed forever.
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.”’”
It shall happen, that everyone who is left in your house shall come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and shall say, "Please put me into one of the priests' offices, that I may eat a morsel of bread."'"