1 Samweli 4
1 Nalo neno la Samweli likaja kwa Israeli yote. Basi Waisraeli walitoka kwenda kupigana dhidi ya Wafilisti. Waisraeli wakapiga kambi huko Ebenezeri, nao Wafilisti wakapiga kambi huko Afeki.
And Samuel told to all the people of Israel the messages that God gave him. At that time the Israeli army went to fight against the army of the Philistine people. The Israeli army set up their tents at Ebenezer, and the Philistine army set up their tents at Aphek.
2 Wafilisti wakapanga safu za majeshi yao kupambana na Israeli, wakati vita vilipoenea, Israeli wakashindwa na Wafilisti, ambao waliwaua askari wa Israeli wapatao 4,000 kwenye uwanja wa vita.
The Philistine army attacked the Israeli army, and as the battle continued, the Philistines defeated the Israelis and killed about 4,000 of their soldiers.
3 Askari waliporudi kambini, wazee wa Israeli wakawauliza, “Kwa nini Bwana ameruhusu leo tushindwe mbele ya Wafilisti? Tuleteni Sanduku la Agano la Bwana kutoka Shilo, ili lipate kwenda pamoja nasi, na kutuokoa kutoka mikono ya adui zetu.”
When the remaining Israeli soldiers returned to their camp, the Israeli elders/leaders said, “Why did Yahweh allow the Philistine army to defeat us today? We should bring the chest that contains the Ten Commandments here from Shiloh, in order that Yahweh will go with us [when we go to the battle again, and] in order that our enemies will not defeat us again!”
4 Hivyo wakawatuma watu huko Shilo, nao wakalichukua Sanduku la Agano la Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, aliyekaa kwenye kiti chake cha enzi kati ya makerubi. Nao wale wana wawili wa Eli, Hofni na Finehasi, walikuwako huko pamoja na Sanduku la Agano la Mungu.
So the soldiers did that. They sent some men to Shiloh, and those men brought back the chest that contained the Ten Commandments. [They thought that if they did that, Yahweh would help them. They believed that] Yahweh sat on a throne between the statues of winged creatures [that were on top of] the chest that Yahweh Almighty [had given them]. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, went with them.
5 Wakati Sanduku la Agano la Bwana lilikuja kambini, Waisraeli wote wakapiga kelele kwa sauti kuu hata ardhi ikatikisika.
When the Israeli people saw [the men bringing] the box into their camp, they were so happy that they shouted loudly. They shouted so loudly that they made the ground shake!
6 Wafilisti waliposikia makelele wakauliza, “Ni nini makelele haya yote katika kambi ya Waebrania?” Walipofahamu kuwa Sanduku la Bwana limekuja kambini,
The Philistines asked, “What are the people in the Hebrew camp shouting about?” Someone told them that they were shouting because the chest that contained the Ten Commandments of Yahweh had been brought to them.
7 Wafilisti wakaogopa, wakasema, “Mungu amekuja kambini, ole wetu. Halijatokea jambo kama hili tangu hapo.
Then the Philistines became very afraid. They said, “One of the Israelis’ gods has come into their camp [to help them] We are in big trouble now! Nothing like this has happened to us before!
8 Ole wetu! Ni nani atakayetuokoa kutoka mikononi mwa miungu hii yenye nguvu? Ni miungu ile iliyowapiga Wamisri kwa mapigo ya aina zote huko jangwani.
(Who can/Can anyone) save us from their powerful gods [RHQ]? They are the gods who struck the people of Egypt with many plagues [before the Israelis left Egypt and traveled] through the desert.
9 Tuweni hodari, enyi Wafilisti! Tuweni wanaume, la sivyo mtakuwa watumwa wa Waebrania, kama wao walivyokuwa kwenu. Kuweni wanaume, mpigane!”
You Philistine men, be courageous! Fight very hard! If you do not do that, [they will defeat us, and then] you will become their slaves, just like they have been our slaves previously!”
10 Basi Wafilisti wakapigana, nao Waisraeli wakashindwa na kila mtu akakimbilia hemani mwake. Mauaji yalikuwa makubwa sana, Israeli wakapoteza askari 30,000 waendao kwa miguu.
So the Philistine men fought very hard, and they defeated the Israelis. They killed 30,000 Israeli soldiers, and the other Israeli soldiers fled and ran away to their tents.
11 Sanduku la Mungu likatekwa, na hao wana wawili wa Eli, Hofni na Finehasi, wakauawa.
The Philistines captured the sacred chest, and they killed Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas.
12 Siku ile ile mtu mmoja wa kabila la Benyamini akakimbia kutoka kwenye uwanja wa vita na kwenda Shilo, nguo zake zikiwa zimeraruka na akiwa na mavumbi kichwani mwake.
On that same day, one man of the tribe [descended from] Benjamin tore his clothes and threw dirt on his head [to show that he was very sad]. He ran from the place where the armies were fighting, and he arrived at Shiloh late [that afternoon].
13 Alipofika, Eli alikuwa ameketi juu ya kiti chake kando ya barabara akiangalia, kwa sababu moyo wake ulikuwa na hofu kwa ajili ya Sanduku la Mungu. Mtu yule alipoingia mjini na kueleza kilichokuwa kimetokea, mji wote ukalia.
Eli was waiting beside the road. [He wanted to hear news about the battle, and] he was also very anxious to know if anything bad had happened to God’s sacred chest. When the messenger arrived and told people what had happened, everyone in the town started to cry loudly.
14 Eli akasikia kelele za kilio, naye akauliza, “Ni nini maana ya makelele haya?” Yule mtu akafanya haraka kwenda kwa Eli,
Eli asked, “Why are they making all that noise?” The messenger ran over to Eli and told him the news.
15 wakati huu Eli alikuwa na miaka tisini na minane nayo macho yake yalikuwa yamepofuka na hakuweza kuona.
At that time, Eli was 98 years old, and he was blind.
16 Akamwambia Eli, “Mimi nimetoka vitani sasa hivi, nimekimbia kutoka huko leo hii.” Eli akamuuliza, “Je, mwanangu, ni nini kimetokea huko?”
The messenger said to Eli, “I have just come from where the armies were fighting. I left there earlier today.” Eli asked, “What happened?”
17 Yule mtu aliyeleta habari akajibu, “Israeli amekimbia mbele ya Wafilisti, nalo jeshi limepata hasara kubwa. Pia wana wako wawili, Hofni na Finehasi, wamekufa, na Sanduku la Mungu limetekwa.”
The man replied, “The Philistines defeated our Israeli army. They killed thousands of our soldiers, and the others ran away. The Philistines killed your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas. They also captured God’s sacred chest.”
18 Mara alipotaja Sanduku la Mungu, Eli alianguka kutoka kwenye kiti chake kwa nyuma kando ya lango. Shingo yake ikavunjika naye akafa, kwa kuwa alikuwa mzee tena mzito. Alikuwa amewaongoza Israeli kwa miaka arobaini.
Eli was very old, and he was very fat; and when he heard what had happened to the sacred chest, he fell backward from his chair beside the town gate. His neck was broken and he died. He had led the Israeli people for 40 years before he died.
19 Mkwewe, mke wa Finehasi, alikuwa mjamzito na karibu wakati wa kujifungua. Aliposikia habari kwamba Sanduku la Mungu limetekwa na ya kuwa baba mkwe wake na mumewe wamekufa, akapata utungu naye akajifungua lakini akazidiwa na utungu.
The wife/widow of Eli’s son Phinehas was pregnant, and it was almost time for her to give birth to her baby. When she heard that God’s sacred chest had been captured and that her husband and her father-in-law were dead, her labor pains suddenly began. She quickly gave birth to a boy.
20 Alipokuwa akifa, wanawake waliokuwa wanamhudumia wakamwambia, “Usikate tamaa, umemzaa mwana.” Lakini hakujibu wala kuweka maanani.
The women who were helping her tried to encourage her by saying to her, “You have given birth to a son!” But she did not pay any attention [DOU] to what they said.
21 Alimwita yule mtoto Ikabodi, akisema, “Utukufu umeondoka katika Israeli,” kwa sababu ya kutekwa kwa Sanduku la Mungu na vifo vya baba mkwe na mumewe.
She named the boy Ichabod, which means ‘no glory’, because she said, “[God’s] glory has departed from Israel.” She said that because God’s sacred chest had been captured and because her husband and her father-in-law had died.
22 Akasema, “Utukufu umeondoka katika Israeli, kwa kuwa Sanduku la Mungu limetekwa.”
She said, “[God’s] glory has left Israel, because God’s sacred chest has been captured!” And then she died.
