< 2 Wafalme 7 >
1 Elisha akasema, “Sikiliza neno la Bwana. Hivi ndivyo asemavyo Bwana: Wakati kama huu kesho, kipimo kimoja cha unga mzuri kitauzwa kwa shekeli moja ya fedha, na vibaba viwili vya shayiri kwa shekeli moja ya fedha katika lango la Samaria.”
And Eliseus said: Hear ye the word of the Lord: Thus saith the Lord: Tomorrow about this time a bushel of fine hour shall be sold for a stater, and two bushels of barley for a stater, in the gate of Samaria.
2 Yule afisa ambaye mfalme alikuwa anauegemea mkono wake akamwambia yule mtu wa Mungu, “Tazama, hata kama Bwana atafungua madirisha ya mbinguni, je, jambo hili litawezekana?” Elisha akajibu, “Utaona kwa macho yako mwenyewe, lakini wewe hutakula chochote kati ya hivyo!”
Then one of the lords, upon whose hand the king leaned, answering the man of God, said: If the Lord should make flood-gates in heaven, can that possibly be which thou sayest? And he said: Thou shalt see it with thy eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.
3 Basi kulikuwepo na watu wanne wenye ukoma katika ingilio la lango la mji. Wakaambiana, “Kwa nini tukae hapa mpaka tufe?
Now there were four lepers, at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another: What mean we to stay here till we die?
4 Kama tukisema, ‘Tutaingia mjini,’ mjini kuna njaa, nasi tutakufa humo. Kama tukikaa hapa, tutakufa. Kwa hiyo twende kwenye kambi ya Waaramu na tujisalimishe. Kama wakituacha hai, tutaishi; kama wakituua, basi na tufe.”
If we will enter into the city, we shall die with the famine: and if we will remain here, we must also die: come, therefore, and let us run over to the camp of the Syrians. If they spare us, we shall live: but if they kill us, we shall but die.
5 Wakati wa giza la jioni, wakaondoka na kwenda kwenye kambi ya Waaramu. Walipofika mwanzo wa kambi, hapakuwa na mtu,
So they arose in the evening, to go to the Syrian camp, And when they were come to the first part of the camp of the Syrians, they found no man there.
6 kwa kuwa Bwana alilifanya jeshi la Waaramu lisikie sauti kama ya magari ya vita, farasi na jeshi kubwa, kiasi kwamba waliambiana, “Tazama, mfalme wa Israeli ameajiri mfalme wa Wahiti na mfalme wa Wamisri kuja kutushambulia sisi!”
For the Lord had made them hear, in the camp of Syria, the noise of chariots, and of horses, and of a very great army, and they said one to another: Behold the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hethites, and of the Egyptians, and they are come upon us.
7 Kwa hiyo wakaondoka na kukimbia wakati wa giza la jioni na kuacha mahema yao, farasi wao na punda wao. Wakakimbia kuokoa maisha yao na kuacha kila kitu ndani ya kambi kama kilivyokuwa.
Wherefore they arose, and fled away in the dark, and left their tents, and their horses and asses in the camp, and fled, desiring to save their lives.
8 Wale watu wenye ukoma walipofika mwanzoni mwa kambi, wakaingia kwenye mojawapo ya mahema. Wakala na kunywa, na kuchukua fedha, dhahabu na nguo, wakaenda kuvificha. Wakarudi na kuingia katika hema jingine, na kuchukua baadhi ya vitu kutoka ndani yake na kuvificha pia.
So when these lepers were come to the beginning of the camp, they went into one tent, and ate and drank: and they took from thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went, and hid it: and they came again, and went into another tent, and carried from thence in like manner, and hid it.
9 Kisha wakaambiana, “Hili tunalolifanya sio jema. Hii ni siku ya habari njema, nasi tunakaa kimya. Kama tukisubiri mpaka mapambazuko, maafa yatatupata. Twendeni mara moja tukatoe habari hizi katika jumba la mfalme.”
Then they said one to another: We do not well: for this is a day of good tidings. If we hold our peace, and do not tell it till the morning, we shall be charged with a crime: come, let us go and tell it in the king’s court.
10 Hivyo wakaenda mjini na kuwaita walinzi wa langoni, wakawaambia, “Tulikwenda katika kambi ya Waaramu lakini hapakuwepo na mtu huko, hata sauti ya mtu yeyote, ila farasi na punda waliofungwa na mahema yaliyoachwa kama yalivyokuwa.”
So they came to the gate of the city, and told them, saying: We went to the camp of the Syrians, and we found no man there, but horses, and asses tied, and the tents standing.
11 Walinzi wa langoni wakatangaza habari ile kwa sauti kuu, na taarifa hii ikatolewa ndani ya jumba la mfalme.
Then the guards of the gate went, and told it within the king’s palace.
12 Mfalme akaamka usiku na kuwaambia maafisa wake, “Nitawaambia kile Waaramu walichotufanyia. Wanajua kwamba tuna njaa, hivyo wameacha kambi yao ili kujificha mashambani, wakifikiri, ‘Kwa hakika watatoka nje ya mji, nasi tutawakamata wakiwa hai na kuingia ndani ya mji.’”
And he arose in the night and said to his servants: I tell you what the Syrians have done to us: They know that we suffer great famine, and therefore they are gone out of the camp, and lie hid in the fields, saying: When they come out of the city we shall take them alive, and then we may get into the city.
13 Mmoja wa maafisa wake akajibu, “Waamuru watu wachache wakawachukue farasi watano kati ya wale waliobaki katika mji. Hatima yao itakuwa kama ya Waisraeli wote walio hapa. Watakuwa tu kama Waisraeli hawa ambao wanangoja kifo. Hivyo tuwatumeni wajue kumetendeka nini.”
And one of his servants answered: Let us take the five horses that are remaining in the city (because there are no more in the whole multitude of Israel, for the rest are consumed, ) and let us send and see.
14 Ndipo wakachagua magari mawili ya vita pamoja na farasi wake, naye mfalme akawatuma wafuatilie jeshi la Waaramu. Akawaamuru waendeshaji akisema, “Nendeni mkaone ni nini kilichotokea.”
They brought therefore two horses, and the king sent into the camp of the Syrians, saying: Go, and see.
15 Wakawafuatia hadi Yordani, nao wakakuta barabara yote ikiwa imetapakaa nguo na vyombo vya Waaramu walivyokuwa wamevitupa walipokuwa wanatoroka. Basi wale wajumbe wakarudi na kutoa taarifa kwa mfalme.
And they went after them as far as the Jordan: and behold all the way was full of garments, and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their fright, and the messengers returned and told the king.
16 Kisha watu wakatoka na kuteka nyara kambi ya Waaramu. Kwa hiyo kipimo cha unga mzuri kikauzwa kwa shekeli, na vipimo viwili vya shayiri kwa shekeli, kama vile Bwana alivyokuwa amesema.
And the people going out pillaged the camp of the Syrians: and a bushel of fine flour was sold for a stater, and two bushels of barley for a stater, according to the word of the Lord.
17 Basi mfalme alikuwa amemweka yule afisa ambaye mfalme alikuwa anauegemea mkono wake awe msimamizi wa lango. Nao watu wakamkanyaga walipoingia langoni, naye akafa, kama vile mtu wa Mungu alivyokuwa ametangulia kusema wakati mfalme alipofika nyumbani kwake.
And the king appointed that lord on whose hand he leaned, to stand at the gate: and the people trod upon him in the entrance of the gate; and he died, as the man of God had said, when the king came down to him.
18 Ikatokea kama vile mtu wa Mungu alivyokuwa amemwambia mfalme: “Wakati kama huu kesho, kipimo kimoja cha unga mzuri kitauzwa kwa shekeli moja ya fedha, na vibaba viwili vya shayiri kwa shekeli moja ya fedha katika lango la Samaria.”
And it came to pass according to the word of the man of God, which he spoke to the king, when he said: Two bushels of barley shall be for a stater, and a bushel of fine flour for a stater, at this very time tomorrow in the gate of Samaria.
19 Yule afisa alikuwa amemwambia yule mtu wa Mungu, “Tazama, hata kama Bwana atafungua madirisha ya mbinguni, je, jambo hili litawezekana?” Naye yule mtu wa Mungu alikuwa amemjibu, “Utaona kwa macho yako mwenyewe, lakini wewe hutakula chochote kati ya hivyo!”
When that lord answered the man of God, and said: Although the Lord should make flood-gates in heaven, could this come to pass which thou sayest? And he said to him: Thou shalt see with thy eyes, and shalt not eat thereof.
20 Ndivyo hasa ilivyotokea kwake, kwa kuwa watu walimkanyaga langoni, naye akafa.
And so it fell out to him as it was foretold, and the people trod upon him in the gate, and he died.