< Mwanzo 11 >
1 Wakati huo dunia yote ilikuwa na lugha moja na msemo mmoja.
Now the earth was of one language and of the same speech.
2 Watu walipoelekea upande wa mashariki, wakafika kwenye tambarare katika nchi ya Shinari nao wakaishi huko.
And when they were advancing from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt in it.
3 Wakasemezana wao kwa wao, “Njooni, tufyatue matofali na tuyachome vizuri kwa moto.” Walitumia matofali badala ya mawe, na lami kwa ajili ya kushikamanishia hayo matofali.
And each one said to his neighbor, “Come, let us make bricks, and bake them with fire.” And they had bricks instead of stones, and pitch instead of mortar.
4 Ndipo wakasema, “Njooni, tujijengee mji wenye mnara ambao utafika hadi mbinguni, ili tujipatie jina tusije tukatawanyika usoni pa dunia yote.”
And they said: “Come, let us make a city and a tower, so that its height may reach to heaven. And let us make our name famous before we are divided into all the lands.”
5 Lakini Bwana akashuka ili auone mji na mnara ambao wanadamu waliokuwa wanaujenga.
Then the Lord descended to see the city and the tower, which the sons of Adam were building.
6 Bwana akasema, “Ikiwa kama taifa moja wanaozungumza lugha moja wameanza kufanya hili, basi hakuna lolote watakalopanga kufanya ambalo halitawezekana kwao.
And he said: “Behold, the people are united, and all have one tongue. And since they have begun to do this, they will not desist from their plans, until they have completed their work.
7 Njooni, tushuke tuvuruge lugha yao ili wasielewane wao kwa wao.”
Therefore, come, let us descend, and in that place confound their tongue, so that they may not listen, each one to the voice of his neighbor.”
8 Hivyo Bwana akawatawanya kutoka mahali pale kwenda katika dunia yote, nao wakaacha kuujenga huo mji.
And so the Lord divided them from that place into all the lands, and they ceased to build the city.
9 Ndiyo maana pakaitwa Babeli, kwa sababu hapo ndipo Bwana alipoivuruga lugha ya dunia nzima. Kutoka hapo Bwana akawatawanya katika uso wa dunia yote.
And for this reason, its name was called ‘Babel,’ because in that place the language of the whole earth became confused. And from then on, the Lord scattered them across the face of every region.
10 Hivi ndivyo vizazi vya Shemu. Miaka miwili baada ya gharika, Shemu alipokuwa na miaka 100, akamzaa Arfaksadi.
These are the generations of Shem. Shem was one hundred years old when he conceived Arphaxad, two years after the great flood.
11 Baada ya kumzaa Arfaksadi, Shemu aliishi miaka 500, akazaa watoto wengine wa kiume na wa kike.
And after he conceived Arphaxad, Shem lived for five hundred years, and he conceived sons and daughters.
12 Wakati Arfaksadi alipokuwa na miaka thelathini na mitano, akamzaa Shela.
Next, Arphaxad lived for thirty-five years, and then he conceived Shelah.
13 Baada ya Arfaksadi kumzaa Shela, aliishi miaka 403, akazaa watoto wengine wa kiume na wa kike.
And after he conceived Shelah, Arphaxad lived for three hundred and three years, and he conceived sons and daughters.
14 Shela alipokuwa na miaka thelathini, akamzaa Eberi.
Likewise, Shelah lived for thirty years, and then he conceived Eber.
15 Shela baada ya kumzaa Eberi, aliishi miaka 403, akazaa watoto wengine wa kiume na wa kike.
And after he conceived Eber, Shelah lived for four hundred and three years, and he conceived sons and daughters.
16 Eberi alipokuwa na miaka thelathini na minne, akamzaa Pelegi.
Then Eber lived for thirty-four years, and he conceived Peleg.
17 Baada ya Eberi kumzaa Pelegi, aliishi miaka 430, akazaa watoto wengine wa kiume na wa kike.
And after he conceived Peleg, Eber lived for four hundred and thirty years, and he conceived sons and daughters.
18 Pelegi alipokuwa na miaka thelathini, akamzaa Reu.
Likewise, Peleg lived for thirty years, and then he conceived Reu.
19 Baada ya Pelegi kumzaa Reu, aliishi miaka 209, akazaa watoto wengine wa kiume na wa kike.
And after he conceived Reu, Peleg lived for two hundred and nine years, and he conceived sons and daughters.
20 Reu alipokuwa na miaka thelathini na miwili, akamzaa Serugi.
Then Reu lived for thirty-two years, and then he conceived Serug.
21 Baada ya Reu kumzaa Serugi, aliishi miaka 207, akazaa watoto wengine wa kiume na wa kike.
Likewise, after he conceived Serug, Reu lived for two hundred and seven years, and he conceived sons and daughters.
22 Serugi alipokuwa na miaka thelathini, akamzaa Nahori.
In truth, Serug lived for thirty years, and then he conceived Nahor.
23 Baada ya Serugi kumzaa Nahori, aliishi miaka 200, akazaa watoto wengine wa kiume na wa kike.
And after he conceived Nahor, Serug lived for two hundred years, and he conceived sons and daughters.
24 Nahori alipokuwa na miaka ishirini na tisa, akamzaa Tera.
And so Nahor lived for twenty-nine years, and then he conceived Terah.
25 Baada ya Nahori kumzaa Tera, aliishi miaka 119, akazaa watoto wengine wa kiume na wa kike.
And after he conceived Terah, Nahor lived for one hundred and nineteen years, and he conceived sons and daughters.
26 Tera alipokuwa na miaka sabini, akamzaa Abramu, Nahori na Harani.
And Terah lived for seventy years, and then he conceived Abram, and Nahor, and Haran.
27 Hawa ndio wazao wa Tera. Tera aliwazaa Abramu, Nahori na Harani. Harani akamzaa Loti.
And these are the generations of Terah. Terah conceived Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Next Haran conceived Lot.
28 Tera alipokuwa bado hai, Harani akafa huko Uru ya Wakaldayo, nchi alimozaliwa.
And Haran died before his father Terah, in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldeans.
29 Abramu na Nahori walioa. Mke wa Abramu aliitwa Sarai, na mke wa Nahori aliitwa Milka; Milka na Iska walikuwa watoto wa Harani.
Then Abram and Nahor took wives. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai. And the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah.
30 Sarai alikuwa tasa, hakuwa na watoto.
But Sarai was barren and had no children.
31 Tera akamchukua Abramu mwanawe, Loti mwana wa Harani mwanawe, na Sarai mkwewe, mke wa Abramu mwanawe, wakatoka kwa pamoja katika Uru ya Wakaldayo kwenda nchi ya Kanaani. Lakini walipofika Harani, wakaishi huko.
And so Terah took his son Abram, and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and he led them away from Ur of the Chaldeans, to go into the land of Canaan. And they approached as far as Haran, and they dwelt there.
32 Tera alikufa huko Harani akiwa na miaka 205.
And the days of Terah that passed were two hundred and five years, and then he died in Haran.