< Mwanzo 11 >
1 Wakati huo dunia yote ilikuwa na lugha moja na msemo mmoja.
And the earth was of one tongue, and of the same speech.
2 Watu walipoelekea upande wa mashariki, wakafika kwenye tambarare katika nchi ya Shinari nao wakaishi huko.
And when they removed from the east, they found a plain in the land of Sennaar, and 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 neighbour: Come, let us make brick, and bake them with fire. And they had brick instead of stones, and slime 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, the top whereof may reach to heaven: and let us make our name famous before we be scattered abroad into all lands.
5 Lakini Bwana akashuka ili auone mji na mnara ambao wanadamu waliokuwa wanaujenga.
And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children 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, it is one people, and all have one tongue: and they have begun to do this, neither will they leave off from their designs, till they accomplish them in deed.
7 Njooni, tushuke tuvuruge lugha yao ili wasielewane wao kwa wao.”
Come ye, therefore, let us go down, and there confound their tongue, that they may not understand one another’s speech.
8 Hivyo Bwana akawatawanya kutoka mahali pale kwenda katika dunia yote, nao wakaacha kuujenga huo mji.
And so the Lord scattered them from that place into all 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 therefore the name thereof was called Babel, because there the language of the whole earth was confounded: and from thence the Lord scattered them abroad upon the face of all countries.
10 Hivi ndivyo vizazi vya Shemu. Miaka miwili baada ya gharika, Shemu alipokuwa na miaka 100, akamzaa Arfaksadi.
These are the generations of Sem: Sem was a hundred years old when he begot Arphaxad, two years after the flood.
11 Baada ya kumzaa Arfaksadi, Shemu aliishi miaka 500, akazaa watoto wengine wa kiume na wa kike.
And Sem lived after he begot Arphaxad, five hundred years, and begot sons and daughters.
12 Wakati Arfaksadi alipokuwa na miaka thelathini na mitano, akamzaa Shela.
And Arphaxad lived thirty-five years, and begot Sale.
13 Baada ya Arfaksadi kumzaa Shela, aliishi miaka 403, akazaa watoto wengine wa kiume na wa kike.
And Arphaxad lived after he begot Sale, three hundred and three years; and begot sons and daughters.
14 Shela alipokuwa na miaka thelathini, akamzaa Eberi.
Sale also lived thirty years, and begot Heber.
15 Shela baada ya kumzaa Eberi, aliishi miaka 403, akazaa watoto wengine wa kiume na wa kike.
And Sale lived after he begot Heber, four hundred and three years; and begot sons and daughters.
16 Eberi alipokuwa na miaka thelathini na minne, akamzaa Pelegi.
And Heber lived thirty-four years, and begot Phaleg.
17 Baada ya Eberi kumzaa Pelegi, aliishi miaka 430, akazaa watoto wengine wa kiume na wa kike.
And Heber lived after he begot Phaleg, four hundred and thirty years: and begot sons and daughters.
18 Pelegi alipokuwa na miaka thelathini, akamzaa Reu.
Phaleg also lived thirty years, and begot Reu.
19 Baada ya Pelegi kumzaa Reu, aliishi miaka 209, akazaa watoto wengine wa kiume na wa kike.
And Phaleg lived after he begot Reu, two hundred and nine years, and begot sons and daughters.
20 Reu alipokuwa na miaka thelathini na miwili, akamzaa Serugi.
And Reu lived thirty-two years, and begot Sarug.
21 Baada ya Reu kumzaa Serugi, aliishi miaka 207, akazaa watoto wengine wa kiume na wa kike.
And Reu lived after he begot Sarug, two hundred and seven years, and begot sons and daughters.
22 Serugi alipokuwa na miaka thelathini, akamzaa Nahori.
And Sarug lived thirty years, and begot Nachor.
23 Baada ya Serugi kumzaa Nahori, aliishi miaka 200, akazaa watoto wengine wa kiume na wa kike.
And Sarug lived after he begot Nachor, two hundred years: and begot sons and daughters.
24 Nahori alipokuwa na miaka ishirini na tisa, akamzaa Tera.
And Nachor lived nine and twenty years, and begot Thare.
25 Baada ya Nahori kumzaa Tera, aliishi miaka 119, akazaa watoto wengine wa kiume na wa kike.
And Nachor lived after he begot Thare, a hundred and nineteen years: and begot sons and daughters.
26 Tera alipokuwa na miaka sabini, akamzaa Abramu, Nahori na Harani.
And Thare lived seventy years, and begot Abram, and Nachor, and Aran.
27 Hawa ndio wazao wa Tera. Tera aliwazaa Abramu, Nahori na Harani. Harani akamzaa Loti.
And these are the generations of Thare: Thare begot Abram, Nachor, and Aran. And Aran begot Lot.
28 Tera alipokuwa bado hai, Harani akafa huko Uru ya Wakaldayo, nchi alimozaliwa.
And Aran died before Thare his father, in the land of his nativity in Ur of the Chaldees.
29 Abramu na Nahori walioa. Mke wa Abramu aliitwa Sarai, na mke wa Nahori aliitwa Milka; Milka na Iska walikuwa watoto wa Harani.
And Abram and Nachor married wives: the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai: and the name of Nachor’s wife, Melcha, the daughter of Aran, father of Melcha, and father of Jescha.
30 Sarai alikuwa tasa, hakuwa na watoto.
And 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 Thare took Abram, his son, and Lot the son of Aran, his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter in law, the wife of Abram his son, and brought them out of Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Chanaan: and they came as far as Haran, and dwelt there.
32 Tera alikufa huko Harani akiwa na miaka 205.
And the days of Thare were two hundred and five years, and he died in Haran.