Mwanzo 12
1 Bwana akawa amemwambia Abramu, “Ondoka kutoka nchi yako, uache jamii yako na nyumba ya baba yako, uende hadi nchi nitakayokuonyesha.
Now the Lord said to Abram, Go out from your country and from your family and from your father's house, into the land to which I will be your guide:
2 “Mimi nitakufanya taifa kubwa na nitakubariki, Nitalikuza jina lako, nawe utakuwa baraka.
And I will make of you a great nation, blessing you and making your name great; and you will be a blessing:
3 Nitawabariki wale wanaokubariki, na yeyote akulaaniye nitamlaani; na kupitia kwako mataifa yote duniani yatabarikiwa.”
To them who are good to you will I give blessing, and on him who does you wrong will I put my curse: and you will become a name of blessing to all the families of the earth.
4 Hivyo Abramu akaondoka kama Bwana alivyokuwa amemwambia; naye Loti akaondoka pamoja naye. Wakati Abramu alipoitwa aondoke Harani, alikuwa na miaka sabini na mitano.
So Abram went as the Lord had said to him, and Lot went with him: Abram was seventy-five years old when he went away from Haran.
5 Abramu akamchukua Sarai mkewe pamoja na Loti mwana wa ndugu yake, mali zote walizokuwa nazo pamoja na watu aliokuwa amewapata huko Harani, wakasafiri mpaka nchi ya Kanaani, wakafika huko.
And Abram took Sarai, his wife, and Lot, his brother's son, and all their goods and the servants which they had got in Haran, and they went out to go to the land of Canaan.
6 Abramu akasafiri katika nchi hiyo akafika huko Shekemu, mahali penye mti wa mwaloni ulioko More. Wakati huo Wakanaani walikuwa wanaishi katika nchi hiyo.
And Abram went through the land till he came to Shechem, to the holy tree of Moreh. At that time, the Canaanites were still living in the land.
7 Bwana akamtokea Abramu, akamwambia, “Nitawapa uzao wako nchi hii.” Hivyo hapa akamjengea madhabahu Bwana aliyekuwa amemtokea.
And the Lord came to Abram, and said, I will give all this land to your seed; then Abram made an altar there to the Lord who had let himself be seen by him.
8 Kutoka huko Abramu akasafiri kuelekea kwenye vilima mashariki ya Betheli, naye akapiga hema huko, Betheli ikiwa upande wa magharibi na Ai upande wa mashariki. Huko alimjengea Bwana madhabahu na akaliitia jina la Bwana.
And moving on from there to the mountain on the east of Beth-el, he put up his tent, having Beth-el on the west and Ai on the east: and there he made an altar and gave worship to the name of the Lord.
9 Kisha Abramu akasafiri kuelekea upande wa Negebu.
And he went on, journeying still to the South.
10 Basi kulikuwako na njaa katika nchi, naye Abramu akashuka kwenda Misri kukaa huko kwa muda, kwa maana njaa ilikuwa kali.
And because there was little food to be had in that land, he went down into Egypt.
11 Alipokuwa karibu kuingia Misri, akamwambia Sarai mkewe, “Ninajua ya kwamba wewe ni mwanamke mzuri wa sura.
Now when he came near to Egypt, he said to Sarai, his wife, Truly, you are a fair woman and beautiful to the eye;
12 Wakati Wamisri watakapokuona, watasema, ‘Huyu ni mke wake.’ Ndipo wataniua, lakini wewe watakuacha hai.
And I am certain that when the men of Egypt see you, they will say, This is his wife: and they will put me to death and keep you.
13 Sema wewe ni dada yangu, ili nitendewe mema kwa ajili yako, na maisha yangu yatahifadhiwa kwa sababu yako.”
Say, then, that you are my sister, and so it will be well with me because of you, and my life will be kept safe on your account.
14 Abramu alipoingia Misri, Wamisri wakamwona Sarai kuwa ni mwanamke mzuri sana wa sura.
And so it was that when Abram came into Egypt, the men of Egypt, looking on the woman, saw that she was fair.
15 Maafisa wa Farao walipomwona, wakamsifia kwa Farao; ndipo Sarai akapelekwa kwa nyumba ya mfalme.
And Pharaoh's great men, having seen her, said words in praise of her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into Pharaoh's house.
16 Kwa ajili ya Sarai, Farao akamtendea Abramu mema, naye Abramu akapata kondoo, ngʼombe, punda, ngamia na watumishi wa kiume na wa kike.
And because of her, he was good to Abram, and he had sheep and oxen and asses, and men-servants and women-servants, and camels.
17 Lakini Bwana akamwadhibu Farao na nyumba yake kwa maradhi ya kufisha kwa sababu ya kumchukua Sarai, mke wa Abramu.
And the Lord sent great troubles on Pharaoh's house because of Sarai, Abram's wife.
18 Ndipo Farao akamwita Abramu, akamuuliza, “Umenifanyia nini? Kwa nini hukuniambia ni mke wako?
Then Pharaoh sent for Abram, and said, What have you done to me? why did you not say that she was your wife?
19 Kwa nini ulisema, ‘Yeye ni dada yangu,’ hata nikamchukua kuwa mke wangu? Sasa basi, mke wako huyu hapa. Mchukue uende zako!”
Why did you say that she was your sister? so that I took her for my wife: now, take your wife and go on your way.
20 Kisha Farao akawapa watu wake amri kuhusu Abramu, wakamsindikiza pamoja na mke wake na kila alichokuwa nacho.
And Pharaoh gave orders to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and all he had.
