< 2 Wafalme 6 >

1 Wana wa manabii wakamwambia Elisha, “Tazama, mahali hapa tunapokutana nawe ni padogo sana kwetu.
And the sons of the prophets said to Eliseus: Behold the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us.
2 Twendeni Yordani, mahali ambapo kila mmoja wetu anaweza kupata nguzo moja, nasi tujenge huko mahali petu pa kuishi.” Naye akawaambia, “Nendeni.”
Let us go as far as the Jordan and take out of the wood every man a piece of timber, that we may build us there a place to dwell in. And he said: Go.
3 Kisha mmoja wao akasema, “Je, tafadhali, huwezi kufuatana na watumishi wako?” Elisha akajibu, “Nitakuja.”
And one of them said: But come thou also with thy servants. He answered: I will come.
4 Naye akaenda pamoja nao. Basi wakaenda Yordani, nao wakaanza kukata miti.
So he went with them. And when they were come to the Jordan they cut down wood.
5 Mmoja wao alipokuwa anakata mti, shoka lilitumbukia kwenye maji. Akalia, “Ee bwana wangu, shoka lilikuwa la kuazima!”
And it happened, as one was felling some timber, that the head of the axe fell into the water: and he cried out, and said: Alas, alas, alas, my lord, for this same was borrowed.
6 Mtu wa Mungu akauliza, “Je, liliangukia wapi?” Alipomwonyesha mahali penyewe, Elisha akakata kijiti na kukitupa mahali pale, nalo shoka likaelea.
And the man of God said: Where did it fall? and he shewed him the place. Then he cut off a piece of wood, and cast it in thither: and the iron swam.
7 Akasema, “Lichukue.” Kisha yule mtu akanyoosha mkono wake, akalichukua.
And he said: Take it up. And he put out his hand and took it.
8 Wakati huo mfalme wa Aramu alikuwa akipigana vita na Israeli. Baada ya kukubaliana na maafisa wake, akasema, “Nitapiga kambi yangu mahali fulani na fulani.”
And the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying: In such and such a place let us lay ambushes.
9 Mtu wa Mungu akatuma ujumbe kwa mfalme wa Israeli: “Jihadhari usije ukapita mahali pale, kwa sababu Waaramu wanashuka huko.”
And the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying: Beware that thou pass not to such a place: for the Syrians are there in ambush.
10 Kwa hiyo mfalme wa Israeli akatuma neno la tahadhari mahali pale alikokuwa ameelekezwa na mtu wa Mungu. Mara kwa mara Elisha alimwonya mfalme kwamba watu wawe macho kwenye maeneo kama hayo.
And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God had told him, and prevented him, and looked well to himself there not once nor twice.
11 Hili lilimfadhaisha sana mfalme wa Aramu. Akawaita maafisa wake, akawauliza, “Je, hamtaniambia ni nani miongoni mwenu aliye upande wa mfalme wa Israeli?”
And the heart of the king of Syria was troubled for this thing. And calling together his servants, he said: Why do you not tell me who it is that betrays me to the king of Israel?
12 Mmoja wa maafisa wake akasema, “Mfalme bwana wangu, hakuna hata mmoja wetu. Lakini Elisha, yule nabii aliye Israeli, humwambia mfalme wa Israeli hata yale maneno unayozungumza katika chumba chako cha kulala.”
And one of his servants said: No one, my lord O king: but Eliseus the prophet, that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel all the words, that thou speakest in thy privy chamber.
13 Mfalme akaagiza akisema, “Nendeni, mkatafute aliko, ili niweze kutuma watu kumkamata.” Taarifa ikarudi kwamba, “Yuko Dothani.”
And he said to them: Go, and see where he is: that I may send, and take him. And they told him, saying: Behold he is in Dothan.
14 Ndipo akatuma farasi na magari ya vita na jeshi lenye nguvu huko. Walikwenda usiku na kuuzunguka mji.
Therefore he sent thither horses and chariots, and the strength of an army: and they came by night, and beset the city.
15 Kesho yake asubuhi na mapema, mtumishi wa mtu wa Mungu alipoamka na kutoka nje, jeshi, pamoja na farasi na magari ya vita, likawa limeuzunguka mji. Mtumishi wake akasema, “Ole wetu, bwana wangu! Tutafanya nini?”
And the servant of the man of God rising early, went out, and saw an army round about the city, and horses and chariots: and he told him, saying: Alas, alas, alas, my lord, what shall we do?
16 Nabii akajibu, “Usiogope. Wale walio pamoja nasi ni wengi zaidi kuliko wale walio pamoja nao.”
But he answered: Fear not: for there are more with us than with them.
17 Kisha Elisha akaomba, “Ee Bwana, mfumbue macho huyu mtumishi ili apate kuona.” Ndipo Bwana akayafumbua macho ya yule mtumishi, naye akatazama na kuona vilima vimejaa farasi na magari ya moto, yamemzunguka Elisha pande zote.
And Eliseus prayed, and said: Lord, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the servant, and he saw: and behold the mountain was full of horses, and chariots of fire round about Eliseus.
18 Wakati adui waliposhuka kumwelekea, Elisha akamwomba Bwana: “Wapige watu hawa kwa upofu.” Basi Mungu akawapiga kwa upofu, kama Elisha alivyoomba.
And the enemies came down to him, but Eliseus prayed to the Lord, saying: Strike, I beseech thee, this people with blindness. And the Lord struck them with blindness, according to the word of Eliseus.
19 Elisha akawaambia, “Hii sio njia yenyewe, na huu sio huo mji. Nifuateni mimi, nami nitawapeleka kwa huyo mtu mnayemtafuta.” Naye akawapeleka Samaria.
And Eliseus said to them: This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will shew you the man whom you seek. So he led them into Samaria.
20 Baada ya kuingia mjini, Elisha akasema, “Bwana, yafungue macho ya watu hawa ili wapate kuona.” Ndipo Bwana akayafungua macho yao, na walipotazama, kumbe hapo ndipo walipojikuta, ndani ya Samaria.
And when they were come into Samaria, Eliseus said: Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw themselves to be in the midst of Samaria.
21 Wakati mfalme wa Israeli alipowaona, akamuuliza Elisha, “Je, baba yangu, niwaue?”
And the king of Israel said to Eliseus, when he saw them: My father, shall I kill them?
22 Naye akajibu, “Usiwaue. Je, utawaua watu uliowateka kwa upanga wako mwenyewe na upinde wako? Wape chakula na maji ili wapate kula na kunywa, na kisha wamrudie bwana wao.”
And he said: Thou shalt not kill them: for thou didst not take them with thy sword, or thy bow, that thou mayst kill them: but set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.
23 Basi akawaandalia karamu kubwa, na baada ya kula na kunywa, akawaaga nao wakarudi kwa bwana wao. Hivyo, vikosi kutoka Aramu vikakoma kuvamia nchi ya Israeli.
And a great provision of meats was set before them, and they ate and drank, and he let them go, and they went away to their master, and the robbers of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.
24 Baada ya kitambo kidogo, Ben-Hadadi mfalme wa Aramu akaandaa jeshi lake lote akapanda kwenda kuihusuru Samaria.
And it came to pass after these things, that Benadad king of Syria gathered together all his army, and went up, and besieged Samaria.
25 Kukawa na njaa kuu katika mji. Samaria ilizingirwa kwa muda mrefu, kiasi kwamba kichwa cha punda kiliuzwa kwa shekeli themanini za fedha, na robo ya kibaba cha mavi ya njiwa kiliuzwa kwa shekeli tano za fedha.
And there was a great famine in Samaria: and so long did the siege continue, till the head of an ass was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cabe of pigeon’s dung, for five pieces of silver.
26 Wakati mfalme wa Israeli alipokuwa anapita juu ya ukuta, mwanamke mmoja akamlilia, “Bwana wangu mfalme, nisaidie!”
And as the king of Israel was passing by the wall, a certain woman cried out to him, saying: Save me, my lord O king.
27 Mfalme akajibu, “Ikiwa Bwana hakusaidii, nitakutolea wapi msaada? Je, ni kutoka kwenye sakafu ya kupuria? Au kwenye shinikizo la divai?”
And he said: If the Lord doth not save thee, how can I save thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress? And the king said to her: What aileth thee? And she answered:
28 Kisha akamuuliza, “Kwani kuna nini?” Yule mwanamke akamjibu, “Huyu mwanamke aliniambia, ‘Mtoe mwanao ili tupate kumla leo, na kesho tutamla mwanangu.’
This woman said to me: Give thy son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.
29 Basi tukampika mwanangu na kumla. Siku iliyofuata nikamwambia, ‘Mtoe mwanao ili tupate kumla.’ Lakini akawa amemficha.”
So we boiled my son, and ate him. And I said to her on the next day: Give thy son that we may eat him. And she hath hid her son.
30 Wakati mfalme aliposikia maneno ya yule mwanamke, alirarua mavazi yake. Naye alipoendelea kutembea ukutani, watu wakamtazama, na ndani ya mavazi yake alikuwa amevaa nguo ya gunia mwilini mwake.
When the king heard this, he rent his garments, and passed by upon the wall. And all the people saw the haircloth which he wore within next to his flesh.
31 Akasema, “Mungu na anitendee hivyo na kuzidi, ikiwa kichwa cha Elisha mwana wa Shafati kitabaki juu ya mabega yake leo!”
And the king said: May God do so and so to me, and may he add more, if the head of Eliseus the son of Saphat shall stand on him this day.
32 Wakati huu, Elisha alikuwa ameketi ndani ya nyumba yake, akiwa pamoja na wazee. Mfalme akatuma mjumbe kumtangulia, lakini kabla hajafika, Elisha akawaambia wale wazee, “Hammwoni huyu muuaji jinsi anavyotuma mtu kukata kichwa changu? Tazama, wakati mjumbe huyo atakapofika, fungeni mlango na mzuieni asiingie. Je, vishindo vya nyayo za bwana wake haviko nyuma yake?”
But Eliseus sat in his house, and the ancients sat with him. So he sent a man before: and before that messenger came, he said to the ancients: Do you know that this son of a murderer hath sent to cut off my head? Look then, when the messenger shall come, shut the door, and suffer him not to come in: for behold the sound of his master’s feet is behind him.
33 Alipokuwa angali bado anazungumza nao, mjumbe akamfikia. Naye mfalme akasema, “Maafa haya yanatoka kwa Bwana. Kwa nini niendelee kumngoja Bwana zaidi?”
While he was yet speaking to them, the messenger appeared who was coming to him. And he said: Behold, so great an evil is from the Lord: what shall I look for more from the Lord?

< 2 Wafalme 6 >