1 Samweli 6
1 Sanduku la Bwana lilipokuwa limekaa katika nchi ya Wafilisti kwa miezi saba,
Now the ark of the Lord was in the region of the Philistines for seven months.
2 Wafilisti waliwaita makuhani wa Dagoni na waaguzi, na kuwaambia, “Tutafanya nini na hili Sanduku la Bwana? Tuambieni jinsi tutakavyolirudisha mahali pake.”
And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying: “What shall we do with the ark of the Lord? Reveal to us in what manner we should send it back to its place.” And they said:
3 Wakajibu, “Kama mtalirudisha Sanduku la Mungu wa Israeli, msilirudishe mikono mitupu bali kwa vyovyote mpelekeeni sadaka ya hatia. Kisha mtaponywa, nanyi mtafahamu kwa nini mkono wake haujaondolewa kwenu.”
“If you send back the ark of the God of Israel, do not choose to release it empty. Instead, repay to him what you owe because of sin. And then you will be cured. And you will know why his hand did not withdraw from you.”
4 Wafilisti wakawauliza, “Ni sadaka gani ya hatia tutakayompelekea?” Wakajibu, “Majipu matano ya dhahabu na panya wa dhahabu watano, kulingana na idadi ya watawala wa Wafilisti, kwa sababu tauni iyo hiyo imewaua ninyi na watawala wenu.
And they said, “What is it that we ought to repay to him because of transgression?” And they responded:
5 Tengenezeni mifano ya majipu na ya panya wale wanaoharibu nchi yenu, nanyi mheshimuni Mungu wa Israeli. Labda ataondoa mkono wake kutoka kwenu na kwa miungu yenu na nchi yenu.
“In accord with the number of the provinces of the Philistines, you shall fashion five gold cysts and five gold mice. For the same plague has been upon all of you and your princes. And you shall fashion a likeness of your cysts and a likeness of the mice, which have destroyed the land. And so shall you give glory to the God of Israel, so that perhaps he may lift off his hand from you, and from your gods, and from your land.
6 Kwa nini ninyi mnafanya mioyo yenu migumu kama Wamisri na Farao walivyofanya? Je, alipowatendea kwa ukali, hawakuwaachia Waisraeli wakaenda zao?
Why have you hardened your hearts, just as Egypt and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? After he was struck, did he not then release them, and they went away?
7 “Sasa basi, wekeni gari jipya la kukokotwa pamoja na ngʼombe wawili ambao wamezaa lakini ambao kamwe hawajafungwa nira. Fungieni hao ngʼombe hilo gari, lakini ondoeni ndama wao na mwaweke zizini.
Now therefore, fashion and take a new cart, with two cows that have given birth, but on which no yoke has been imposed. And yoke them to the cart, but retain their calves at home.
8 Chukueni hilo Sanduku la Bwana na mliweke juu ya gari la kukokotwa, na ndani ya kasha kando yake wekeni hivyo vitu vya dhahabu mnavyompelekea Bwana kama sadaka ya hatia. Lipelekeni,
And you shall take the ark of the Lord, and you shall place it upon the cart, with the articles of gold that you have paid to him on behalf of transgression. You shall place these in a little box at its side. And release it, so that it may go.
9 lakini liangalieni kwa makini. Iwapo litakwenda katika nchi yake lenyewe, kuelekea Beth-Shemeshi, basi tutajua kwamba Bwana ndiye alileta haya maafa makubwa juu yetu. Lakini kama halikwenda, basi tutajua kwamba haukuwa mkono wa Bwana uliotupiga na kwamba iliyotokea kwetu ni ajali.”
And you shall watch. And if, indeed, it ascends by the way of his own parts, toward Beth-shemesh, then he has done this great evil to us. But if not, then we shall know that it is by no means his hand that has touched us, but instead it happened by chance.”
10 Basi wakafanya hivyo. Wakachukua ngʼombe wawili wa aina hiyo, wakawafungia hilo gari la kukokotwa, nao ndama wao wakawekwa zizini.
Therefore, they did it in this way. And taking two cows that were feeding calves, they yoked them to the cart, and they enclosed their calves at home.
11 Wakaliweka Sanduku la Bwana juu ya hilo gari la kukokotwa pamoja na lile kasha lenye ile mifano ya panya wa dhahabu na ya majipu ya dhahabu.
And they placed the ark of God upon the cart, with the little box that held the gold mice and the likenesses of the cysts.
12 Kisha hao ngʼombe wakaenda moja kwa moja kuelekea Beth-Shemeshi, wakishuka bila kugeuka kuume au kushoto, huku wakilia njia yote. Watawala wa Wafilisti waliwafuata hao ngʼombe hadi mpakani mwa Beth-Shemeshi.
But the cows went directly along the way that leads to Beth-shemesh. And they advanced only in one direction, lowing as they went. And they did not turn aside, neither to the right, nor to the left. Moreover, the princes of the Philistines followed them, as far as the borders of Beth-shemesh.
13 Wakati huu watu wa Beth-Shemeshi walikuwa wakivuna ngano yao huko bondeni, walipoinua macho yao na kuona lile Sanduku, wakafurahi kuliona.
Now the Beth-shemeshites were harvesting wheat in the valley. And lifting up their eyes, they saw the ark, and they were glad when they had seen it.
14 Lile gari la kukokotwa lilikuja mpaka kwenye shamba la Yoshua wa Beth-Shemeshi, nalo likasimama kando ya mwamba mkubwa. Watu wakapasua mbao za lile gari la kukokotwa na kutoa dhabihu wale ngʼombe kama sadaka ya kuteketezwa kwa Bwana.
And the cart went into the field of Joshua, a Beth-shemeshite, and it stood still there. Now in that place was a great stone, and so they cut up the wood of the cart, and they placed the cows upon it as a holocaust to the Lord.
15 Walawi walilishusha Sanduku la Bwana, pamoja na lile kasha lililokuwa na vile vitu vya dhahabu na kuviweka juu ya ule mwamba mkubwa. Siku ile watu wa Beth-Shemeshi wakatoa sadaka za kuteketezwa na dhabihu kwa Bwana.
But the Levites took down the ark of God, and the little box that was at its side, in which were the articles of gold, and they placed them upon the great stone. Then the men of Beth-shemesh offered holocausts and immolated victims, on that day, to the Lord.
16 Wale watawala watano wa Wafilisti waliona haya yote, nao wakarudi siku ile ile mpaka Ekroni.
And the five princes of the Philistines saw, and they returned to Ekron on the same day.
17 Haya ndiyo yale majipu ya dhahabu Wafilisti waliyotuma kama sadaka ya hatia kwa Bwana, moja kwa ajili ya Ashdodi, moja kwa Gaza, moja kwa Ashkeloni, moja kwa Gathi, na moja kwa Ekroni.
Now these are the gold cysts, which the Philistines repaid to the Lord for transgression: for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ashkelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one.
18 Nayo hesabu ya wale panya wa dhahabu ilikuwa kulingana na idadi ya miji ya Wafilisti ya watawala watano wa Wafilisti: miji yao iliyozungukwa na maboma, pamoja na vijiji vya miji hiyo. Ule mwamba mkubwa, ambao juu yake waliliweka lile Sanduku la Bwana, ni ushahidi hadi leo katika shamba la Yoshua wa Beth-Shemeshi.
And there were gold mice, according to the number of the cities of the Philistines, of the five provinces, from the fortified city to the village that was without a wall, and even to the great stone upon which they placed the ark of the Lord, which was, at last in that day, in the field of Joshua, the Beth-shemeshite.
19 Lakini Mungu aliwapiga baadhi ya watu wa Beth-Shemeshi, akiwaua watu sabini miongoni mwao kwa sababu walichungulia ndani ya Sanduku la Bwana. Watu wakaomboleza kwa sababu ya pigo zito kutoka kwa Bwana,
Then he struck down some of the men of Beth-shemesh, because they had seen the ark of the Lord. And he struck down some of the people: seventy men, and fifty thousand of the common people. And the people lamented, because the Lord had struck the people with a great slaughter.
20 nao watu wa Beth-Shemeshi wakauliza, “Ni nani awezaye kusimama mbele za Bwana, huyu Mungu aliye mtakatifu? Sanduku litapanda kwenda kwa nani kutoka hapa?”
And the men of Beth-shemesh said: “Who will be able to stand in the sight of the Lord, this holy God? And who will ascend to him from us?”
21 Kisha wakatuma wajumbe kwa watu wa Kiriath-Yearimu, wakisema, “Wafilisti wamerudisha Sanduku la Bwana. Shukeni na mlipandishe huko kwenu.”
And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying: “The Philistines have returned the ark of the Lord. Descend and lead it back to you.”
