2 Wafalme 3
1 Yehoramu mwana wa Ahabu akawa mfalme wa Israeli katika Samaria mwaka wa kumi na nane wa utawala wa Yehoshafati mfalme wa Yuda, naye akatawala kwa miaka kumi na miwili.
Joram, son of Ahab, became king of Israel in the eighteenth year of the reign of King Jehoshaphat of Judah. He reigned in Samaria for twelve years.
2 Akafanya maovu machoni pa Bwana, lakini sio kama baba yake na mama yake walivyokuwa wamefanya. Akaondoa nguzo ya ibada ya Baali ambayo baba yake alikuwa ameitengeneza.
He did evil in the Lord's sight, but not like his father and mother had done, for he got rid of the stone image of Baal that his father had made.
3 Hata hivyo akashikamana na dhambi za Yeroboamu mwana wa Nebati, ambazo alisababisha Israeli kuzitenda, wala hakuziacha.
However, he still held on to the sins that Jeroboam, son of Nebat, had made Israel commit—he did not give them up.
4 Basi Mesha mfalme wa Moabu akafuga kondoo, naye akawa ampatie mfalme wa Israeli wana-kondoo 100,000 pamoja na sufu ya kondoo dume 100,000.
Mesha, king of Moab, was a sheep breeder. He used to provide a tribute to the king of Israel of one hundred thousand lambs and the wool of one hundred thousand rams.
5 Lakini baada ya Ahabu kufa, mfalme wa Moabu aliasi dhidi ya mfalme wa Israeli.
But after Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.
6 Kwa hiyo wakati ule Mfalme Yehoramu akaondoka kutoka Samaria na kukusanya Israeli yote tayari kwenda vitani.
Immediately King Joram called up the whole Israelite army and left Samaria.
7 Akapeleka pia ujumbe ufuatao kwa Yehoshafati mfalme wa Yuda: “Mfalme wa Moabu ameasi dhidi yangu. Je, utakwenda pamoja nami kupigana dhidi ya Moabu?” Akajibu, “Nitakwenda pamoja nawe. Mimi ni kama wewe, watu wangu ni kama watu wako, farasi wangu ni kama farasi wako.”
On his way he sent a message to Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, saying, “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you join me in an attack on Moab?” Jehoshaphat replied, “Yes, I will join you. You and I are as one, my men and your men are as one, and my horses and your horses are as one.”
8 Akauliza, “Je, tutashambulia kupitia njia gani?” Akajibu, “Kupitia Jangwa la Edomu.”
Then he asked, “Which way shall we go?” “We'll take the road through the desert of Edom,” he replied.
9 Hivyo mfalme wa Israeli akaondoka akiwa pamoja na mfalme wa Yuda na mfalme wa Edomu. Baada ya kuzunguka kwa siku saba, jeshi likawa limeishiwa maji kwa matumizi yao na kwa ajili ya wanyama waliokuwa nao.
So the king of Israel, the king of Judah, and the king of Edom set off. Having followed an indirect route for seven days, they ran out of water for their army and for their animals.
10 Mfalme wa Israeli akamaka, “Nini! Je, Bwana ametuita sisi wafalme watatu ili tu kututia mikononi mwa Moabu?”
“What are we doing?” complained the king of Israel. “The Lord has brought us three kings here to hand us over to the Moabites!”
11 Lakini Yehoshafati akauliza, “Je, hayuko nabii wa Bwana hapa, ili tuweze kumuuliza Bwana kupitia kwake?” Afisa mmoja wa mfalme wa Israeli akajibu, “Elisha mwana wa Shafati yuko hapa. Ndiye alikuwa akimimina maji juu ya mikono ya Eliya.”
But Jehoshaphat asked, “Isn't there a prophet of the Lord here with us? Let us consult the Lord through him.” One of the king of Israel's officers answered, “Elisha, son of Shaphat, is here. He was Elijah's assistant.”
12 Yehoshafati akasema, “Neno la Bwana liko pamoja naye.” Kwa hiyo mfalme wa Israeli na Yehoshafati pamoja na mfalme wa Edomu wakamwendea.
Jehoshaphat agreed, “The Lord communicates by him.” So the king of Israel, Jehoshaphat, and the king of Edom went to see him.
13 Elisha akamwambia mfalme wa Israeli, “Nina nini mimi nawe? Nenda kwa manabii wa baba yako na manabii wa mama yako.” Mfalme wa Israeli akajibu, “La hasha, kwa sababu ni Bwana ambaye ametuita pamoja sisi wafalme watatu ili atutie mikononi mwa Moabu.”
Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What have I got to do with you? Go to your own prophets, those of your father and your mother.” But the king of Israel said to him, “No—because it's the Lord who has brought these three kings here to hand them over to the Moabites!”
14 Elisha akasema, “Hakika, kama Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote aishivyo ambaye ninamtumikia, kama si kuheshimu Yehoshafati mfalme wa Yuda, nisingekutazama wala hata kukutupia jicho.
Elisha replied, “As the Lord Almighty lives, the one I serve, if I didn't respect the fact that Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, is here, I wouldn't even look in your direction or acknowledge you.
15 Lakini sasa, nileteeni mpiga kinubi.” Mpiga kinubi alipokuwa akipiga, mkono wa Bwana ukaja juu ya Elisha,
Now bring me a musician.” While the musician played, the Lord's power came upon Elisha,
16 naye akasema, “Hivi ndivyo asemavyo Bwana, ‘Chimbeni bonde hili lijae mahandaki.’
and he announced, “This is what the Lord says: This valley will be filled with pools of water. For the Lord says:
17 Kwa kuwa hivi ndivyo asemavyo Bwana: Hamtaona upepo wala mvua, lakini bonde hili litajaa maji, nanyi pamoja na ngʼombe wenu na wanyama wenu wengine mtakunywa.
You won't see any wind, you won't see any rain, but even so this valley will be filled with water. You will drink, and your cattle, and your animals.
18 Hili ni jambo rahisi machoni pa Bwana. Pia ataitia Moabu mikononi mwenu.
The Lord views this as something trivial to do; and he will also make you victorious over the Moabites.
19 Mtaushinda kila mji wenye ngome na kila mji mkubwa. Mtakata kila mti ulio mzuri, mtaziba chemchemi zote, na kuharibu kila shamba zuri kwa mawe.”
You will conquer every fortified town, and every important town. You will chop down every good tree, block up every spring, and spoil every good field by throwing stones on them.”
20 Kesho yake asubuhi, karibu na wakati wa kutoa dhabihu ya asubuhi, tazama, maji yakawa yanatiririka kutoka upande wa Edomu! Nayo nchi ikajaa maji.
The next day, around the time of the morning sacrifice, water suddenly flowed from the direction of Edom, filling the whole countryside with water.
21 Basi Wamoabu wote walikuwa wamesikia kuwa wale wafalme wamekuja kupigana dhidi yao. Hivyo kila mtu, kijana na mzee, ambaye angeweza kushika silaha akaitwa na kuwekwa mpakani.
All the Moabites had heard that the kings had come to attack them. So everyone who could wear a sword, young and old, was called up and went to guard the border.
22 Walipoamka asubuhi na mapema, jua likawa linamulika juu ya maji. Wamoabu waliokuwa upande wa pili wakaona maji ni mekundu, kama damu.
But the next morning when they got up the sun was shining on the water, and to the Moabites on the other side it looked blood red.
23 Wamoabu wakasema, “Ile ni damu! Lazima hao wafalme wamepigana na kuchinjana wao kwa wao. Sasa Moabu, twendeni tukateke nyara!”
“This is blood!” they said. “The kings and their armies must have attacked and killed each other! Moabites, let's grab the plunder!”
24 Lakini Wamoabu walipofika kwenye kambi ya Israeli, Waisraeli wakainuka na kuwapiga mpaka wakakimbia. Nao Waisraeli wakaivamia nchi na kuwachinja Wamoabu.
But when the Moabites arrived at the Israelite camp, the Israelites ran out and attacked them, and they ran away from them. So the Israelites invaded their country and killed the Moabites.
25 Wakaiharibu miji, kila mtu akatupa jiwe juu ya kila shamba zuri mpaka likafunikwa. Wakaziba chemchemi zote na kukata kila mti mzuri. Kir-Haresethi peke yake ndio uliobaki na mawe yake yakiwa mahali pake. Lakini hata hivyo watu waliokuwa na makombeo wakauzunguka na kuushambulia vilevile.
They destroyed the towns, and each soldier threw stones on every good field until it was covered. They blocked up every spring and chopped down every good tree. Only Kir-haraseth still had its walls, but soldiers using slingshots surrounded it and attacked it as well.
26 Mfalme wa Moabu alipoona kuwa vita vimekuwa vikali dhidi yake, akachukua watu 700 wenye panga ili kuingia kwa mfalme wa Edomu, lakini wakashindwa.
When the king of Moab realized he'd lost the battle, he led seven hundred swordsmen in an attempt to break through and attack the king of Edom, but they weren't able to do so.
27 Ndipo akamchukua mwanawe mzaliwa wake wa kwanza, ambaye angekuwa mfalme baada yake, akamtoa kama dhabihu ya kuteketezwa juu ya ukuta wa mji. Ghadhabu ikawa kubwa dhidi ya Israeli; wakajiondoa kwake na kurudi katika nchi yao wenyewe.
So the king of Moab took his firstborn son, who was meant to succeed him, and sacrificed him as a burnt offering on the town wall. Great anger came upon the Israelites, so they left and went back to their own country.
