1 Samweli 6
1 Sanduku la Bwana lilipokuwa limekaa katika nchi ya Wafilisti kwa miezi saba,
Now the ark of God was in the land of the Philistines 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? tell us how we are to 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, send it not away empty, but render unto him what you owe for sin, and then you shall be healed: and you shall know why his hand departeth not 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.
They answered: What is it we ought to render unto him for sin? and they answered:
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.
According to the number of the provinces of the Philistines you shall make five golden emerods, and five golden mice: for the same plague hath been upon you all, and upon your lords. And you shall make the likeness of your emerods, and the likeness of the mice that have destroyed the land, and you shall give glory to the God of Israel: to see if he will take 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 do you harden your hearts, as Egypt and Pharao hardened their hearts? did not he, after he was struck, then let them go, and they departed?
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 take and make a new cart: and two kine that have calved, on which there hath come no yoke, tie to the cart, and shut up 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 lay it on the cart, and the vessels of gold, which you have paid him for sin, you shall put into a little box, at the side thereof: and send it away 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 look: and if it go up by the way of his own coasts towards Bethsames, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, we shall know that it is not his hand hath touched us, but it hath happened by chance.
10 Basi wakafanya hivyo. Wakachukua ngʼombe wawili wa aina hiyo, wakawafungia hilo gari la kukokotwa, nao ndama wao wakawekwa zizini.
They did therefore in this manner: and taking two kine, that had suckling calves, they yoked them to the cart, and shut up 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 laid the ark of God upon the cart, and the little box that had in it the golden mice and the likeness of the emerods.
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.
And the kine took the straight way that leadeth to Bethsames, and they went along the way, lowing as they went: and turned not aside neither to the right hand nor to the left: and the lords of the Philistines followed them as far as the borders of Bethsames.
13 Wakati huu watu wa Beth-Shemeshi walikuwa wakivuna ngano yao huko bondeni, walipoinua macho yao na kuona lile Sanduku, wakafurahi kuliona.
Now the Bethsamites were reaping wheat in the valley: and lifting up their eyes they saw the ark, and rejoiced to see 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 came into the field of Josue a Bethsamite, and stood there. And there was a great stone, and they cut in pieces the wood of the cart, and laid the kine upon it 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.
And the Levites took down the ark of God, and the little box that was at the side of it, wherein were the vessels of gold, and they put them upon the great stone. The men also of Bethsames offered holocausts and sacrificed victims 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 Accaron 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.
And these are the golden emerods, which the Philistines returned for sin to the Lord: For Azotus one, for Gaza one, for Ascalon one, for Geth one, for Accaron 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 the golden mice according to the number of the cities of the Philistines, of the five provinces, from the fenced city to the village that was without wall, and to the great Abel (the stone) whereon they set down the ark of the Lord, which was till that day in the field of Josue the Bethsamite.
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,
But he slew of the men of Bethsames, because they had seen the ark of the Lord: and he slew of the people seventy men, and fifty thousand of the common people. And the people lamented, because the Lord had smitten 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 Bethsames said: Who shall be able to stand before the Lord this holy God? and to whom shall he go up 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 Cariathiarim, saying: The Philistines have brought back the ark of the Lord, come ye down and fetch it up to you.
