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.
Then Hannah prayed, saying, “I rejoice in [what] you, [, have done]. I am strong [MET] because I belong to you. I (laugh at/ridicule) my enemies, because you, Yahweh have rescued me [from being taunted by them].
2 “Hakuna yeyote aliye mtakatifu kama Bwana, hakuna mwingine zaidi yako; hakuna Mwamba kama Mungu wetu.
There is no one who is holy like you, Yahweh. There is no other god like you. There is no one like you, our God, who can protect us [as though you were putting us beneath] a huge rock [where we can hide from danger].
3 “Msiendelee kusema kwa kiburi hivyo wala msiache vinywa vyenu kunena kwa kiburi, kwa kuwa Bwana ndiye Mungu ajuaye, na kwa yeye matendo hupimwa.
[You people who oppose God], stop boasting! Yahweh is a God who knows [everything], and he will evaluate/judge everyone’s actions. So don’t speak so arrogantly!
4 “Pinde za mashujaa zimevunjika, lakini wale wanaojikwaa wamevikwa nguvu.
Yahweh, you break the bows/weapons of mighty soldiers, and you give strength to those who stumble [because of being weak].
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.
Many people who previously had plenty to eat, now have to work for other people [to earn money] to buy food, but many who were always hungry are not hungry any more. The woman who did not have any children before, now has given birth to many/seven children, and the woman who had many children before, now is very lonely [because they have all died].
Yahweh, you cause some people to die, and you restore some people who are almost dead. For some people, [it seems that they will soon] go to where the dead people are, but you cause them to become healthy again. (Sheol h7585)
7 Bwana humfanya mtu maskini naye hutajirisha, hushusha na hukweza.
Yahweh, you cause some people to be poor and you cause some people to be rich, you humble some people and you honor some people.
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.
[Sometimes] you lift poor people up so that they are no longer [despondent, sitting in the dust, ] or sitting on heaps of ashes; you cause them to sit next to princes; you cause them to sit on chairs/thrones where people who are highly honored sit. Yahweh, you are the one who laid the foundations of the earth, and you have set the whole world on those foundations.
9 Yeye atailinda miguu ya watakatifu wake, lakini waovu watanyamazishwa kwenye giza. “Si kwa nguvu mtu hushinda;
You will protect your loyal/faithful people [SYN], but you will cause the wicked to die [EUP] and descend to the dark [place where dead people are]. We do not defeat [our enemies] by our own 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.”
Yahweh, you will break into pieces those who oppose you. You will cause thunder in the sky to show that you (oppose/are angry with) them. Yahweh, you will judge [people everywhere, even those who live in] the most remote places on the earth. You will give strength to the king whom you will appoint, and give him great power [over his enemies].”
11 Kisha Elikana akaenda nyumbani Rama, lakini mtoto akahudumu mbele za Bwana chini ya kuhani Eli.
Then Elkanah [and his family] returned to Ramah, but Samuel, the little boy, stayed to help Eli the priest serve Yahweh.
12 Wana wa Eli walikuwa watu wabaya kabisa, hawakumheshimu Bwana.
Eli’s two [, who were also priests, ] were very wicked. They did not revere (OR, respect/obey) Yahweh.
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.
While the people were boiling the meat from their sacrifices [in the huge pot at the temple], one of Eli’s sons, [would send his servant to come with a large three-pronged fork 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.
[He] would stick the fork into [the meat in] the pot, and whatever meat fastened onto the fork, he would take [and give it] to the priest who sent him. Eli’s sons did this to all the Israeli people who came to Shiloh [to offer sacrifices].
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.”
Furthermore, before the fat [on the meat] was [cut off and] and burned [as a sacrifice to Yahweh], the servant of the priest would [sometimes] come to the man who was making the sacrifice and say to him, “Give me some meat [now to take] to the priest for him to roast! He wants raw meat; he does not want boiled meat.”
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 the servant, “Let the priests [cut off and] burn the fat first; then you can take what you want,” the servant would reply, “No, give it to me now; if you do not give it to me, I will take it forcefully!”
17 Hii Dhambi ya hawa vijana ilikuwa kubwa sana machoni pa Bwana, kwa kuwa waliitendea dhabihu ya Bwana kwa dharau.
Yahweh considered that the young [sons of Eli] were committing a very great sin, because they were treating very disrespectfully the offerings that were being given to Yahweh.
18 Lakini Samweli alikuwa akihudumu mbele za Bwana, kijana akivaa kisibau cha kitani.
As for Samuel, who was still a very young boy, he continued to do work for Yahweh, wearing a little sacred linen vest [like the Supreme Priest wore].
19 Kila mwaka mama yake alimshonea joho dogo na kumchukulia wakati alipokwea pamoja na mumewe kutoa dhabihu ya mwaka.
Each year his mother made a [new] little robe for him and took it to him when she went up [to Shiloh] with her husband to offer a 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.
Then Eli would [ask God to] bless Elkanah and his wife, and he would say to Elkanah, “I hope/desire that Yahweh will enable your wife to give birth to other children, to take the place of the one whom she dedicated to Yahweh.” Then Elkanah and his family would return 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.
And Yahweh was very kind to Hannah, and enabled her to give birth to three [other] sons and two daughters. Their son Samuel grew up while he was doing work for Yahweh [in the Sacred Tent].
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.
Eli became very old. He often heard about all the [evil] things that his sons were doing to the Israeli people. He heard that they [sometimes] (slept with/had sex with) the women who worked at the entrance to the tent where [God] spoke to [his people].
23 Hivyo akawaambia, “Kwa nini mmefanya mambo kama haya? Nimesikia kutoka kwa watu wote juu ya haya matendo yenu maovu.
He said to them, “(It is terrible that you do such things!/Why do you do such things?) [RHQ] Many people keep telling me about the evil things that you do.
24 Sivyo, wanangu, hii si habari nzuri ambayo ninasikia ikienea miongoni mwa watu wa Bwana.
My sons, stop it! The reports [about you] that the people who belong to Yahweh tell others are terrible [EUP]!
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 person sins against another person, God can (intercede/act as a referee) between them. But if someone sins against Yahweh, no one can [RHQ] (intercede/act as a referee) between them!” But Eli’s sons would not listen to what their father said. This was because Yahweh had decided [that someone should] them.
26 Naye kijana Samweli akaendelea kukua katika kimo, akimpendeza Bwana na wanadamu.
The boy Samuel continued to grow up, and the things that he did pleased Yahweh and the people.
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?
One day, a prophet came to Eli and told him, “This is what Yahweh has told me: ‘When your ancestors were slaves of the king of Egypt, I appeared to Aaron.
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.
From all the tribes of the Israeli people, I chose him [and his male descendants] to be priests for me. I appointed them to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear a sacred apron [as they worked] for me. And I declared that they could take [and eat some of the meat] that the Israeli people burned [on the altar].
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?’
So why do you show disrespect for the sacrifices and offerings that I commanded [the people to bring] to me [RHQ]? You are honoring your sons more than you are honoring me, by allowing them to get fat from eating the best parts of all the sacrifices that the Israeli people bring to 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, this is what Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship], declares: ‘I definitely promised that Aaron and his descendants would continue to serve [IDM] me forever.’ But now I declare this: ‘It will not continue like that! I will honor those who honor me, but I will despise those who despise me.
31 Wakati unakuja nitakapozipunguza nguvu zenu na nguvu ya nyumba ya baba yenu, ili pasiwepo mtu katika mbari yenu atakayeishi kuuona uzee
Listen carefully! There will soon be a time when I will cause all the strong [young men] in your family to die. The result will be that no men in your family will [live long enough to] become old men.
32 nanyi mtaona huzuni katika makao yangu. Ingawa Israeli watafanyiwa mema, katika mbari yenu kamwe hapatakuwepo mtu atakayeishi hadi kuwa mzee.
You will be distressed and envious as you see the blessings that I will give to [the other people in] Israel. And [I repeat that] no men in your family will ever live long enough to become old men.
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.
There is one of your descendants whom I will spare, and not prevent him from serving me as a priest. But he will become blind, and then he will always be sad and grieving. But all your other descendants will die violently.
34 “‘Kile kitakachotokea kwa wanao wawili, Hofni na Finehasi, kitakuwa ishara kwako. Wote wawili watakufa katika siku moja.
And your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will both die on the same day. And that will prove to you [that all that I have said will come true/happen].
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.
‘have chosen another man to be my priest. He is one who will serve me faithfully: He will do everything I want [DOU] him to do. And I will enable him to have many descendants [IDM] who will be priests and will always serve me by helping the king whom I will choose.
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.”’”
All of your descendants who remain alive will have to go to that priest and ask him to give them money and food, and they will each have to say, “Please allow me to help the other priests, in order that I may [earn some money to] buy some food.”’”
