Mwanzo 12
1 Bwana akawa amemwambia Abramu, “Ondoka kutoka nchi yako, uache jamii yako na nyumba ya baba yako, uende hadi nchi nitakayokuonyesha.
Then Yahweh said to Abram, “Leave this country where you are now living. Leave your father’s clan and his family. Go to a land that I will show you.
2 “Mimi nitakufanya taifa kubwa na nitakubariki, Nitalikuza jina lako, nawe utakuwa baraka.
I will cause your descendants to become a large nation. I will bless you and cause you to become (famous/highly esteemed). What I do for you will be a blessing to others.
3 Nitawabariki wale wanaokubariki, na yeyote akulaaniye nitamlaani; na kupitia kwako mataifa yote duniani yatabarikiwa.”
I will bless those who (bless/ask God to do good things for) you, and I will (curse/ask God to punish) those who do evil things to you. And because of what you do, groups of people all over the earth will receive blessings (OR, people will wish that God will bless others as much as he has blessed you).”
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 left Haran [town], as Yahweh told him to do. Abram was 75 years old when he left there along with his wife, Sarai, and his nephew, Lot.
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.
Abram also took along all the possessions and slaves that they had accumulated/acquired in Haran [town], and they left there and went to Canaan land.
6 Abramu akasafiri katika nchi hiyo akafika huko Shekemu, mahali penye mti wa mwaloni ulioko More. Wakati huo Wakanaani walikuwa wanaishi katika nchi hiyo.
In Canaan they traveled as far as Shechem [town] and camped by a huge tree called the tree of Moreh. The Canaan people-group were still living in that land.
7 Bwana akamtokea Abramu, akamwambia, “Nitawapa uzao wako nchi hii.” Hivyo hapa akamjengea madhabahu Bwana aliyekuwa amemtokea.
Then Yahweh appeared to Abram and said to him, “I will give this land to your descendants.” Then Abram built a stone altar to offer a sacrifice to Yahweh because Yahweh had appeared to 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.
From Shechem, Abram and his family traveled to the hills that were east of Bethel [town]. Bethel [town] was to the west of where they set up their tent, and Ai [town] was further to the east. There he built another stone altar and offered a sacrifice and worshiped Yahweh there.
9 Kisha Abramu akasafiri kuelekea upande wa Negebu.
Then they left there and started traveling south to the Negev [Desert].
10 Basi kulikuwako na njaa katika nchi, naye Abramu akashuka kwenda Misri kukaa huko kwa muda, kwa maana njaa ilikuwa kali.
There was (a famine/very little food to eat) in Canaan, so they went south to live in Egypt for a while.
11 Alipokuwa karibu kuingia Misri, akamwambia Sarai mkewe, “Ninajua ya kwamba wewe ni mwanamke mzuri wa sura.
Just as they were about to enter Egypt, Abram said to his wife Sarai, “Listen, I know that you are a very beautiful woman.
12 Wakati Wamisri watakapokuona, watasema, ‘Huyu ni mke wake.’ Ndipo wataniua, lakini wewe watakuacha hai.
When the people in Egypt see you, they will say, ‘This woman is his wife!’ and they will kill me in order to get you, but they will not kill you.
13 Sema wewe ni dada yangu, ili nitendewe mema kwa ajili yako, na maisha yangu yatahifadhiwa kwa sababu yako.”
So I ask you to tell them that you are my sister, so that because of you telling them that, they will (spare my life/not kill me).”
14 Abramu alipoingia Misri, Wamisri wakamwona Sarai kuwa ni mwanamke mzuri sana wa sura.
And as soon as they arrived in Egypt, the people in Egypt saw that his wife was indeed very beautiful.
15 Maafisa wa Farao walipomwona, wakamsifia kwa Farao; ndipo Sarai akapelekwa kwa nyumba ya mfalme.
When the king’s officials saw her, they told the king how beautiful she was. And they took her to the king’s palace.
16 Kwa ajili ya Sarai, Farao akamtendea Abramu mema, naye Abramu akapata kondoo, ngʼombe, punda, ngamia na watumishi wa kiume na wa kike.
The king treated Abram kindly because of Sarai, and he gave Abram many sheep and cattle and donkeys and male and female slaves and camels.
17 Lakini Bwana akamwadhibu Farao na nyumba yake kwa maradhi ya kufisha kwa sababu ya kumchukua Sarai, mke wa Abramu.
But because the king had taken Sarai, Abram’s wife, Yahweh caused the king and the others in his household to be inflicted with terrible diseases.
18 Ndipo Farao akamwita Abramu, akamuuliza, “Umenifanyia nini? Kwa nini hukuniambia ni mke wako?
When the king realized why that was happening, he summoned Abram and said to him, “Why did you do this to me? Why did you not tell me 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 lie, saying she is your sister, with the result that I took her to be my wife? You should not have done that! So now take your wife, leave here and go!”
20 Kisha Farao akawapa watu wake amri kuhusu Abramu, wakamsindikiza pamoja na mke wake na kila alichokuwa nacho.
Then the king told his officials/servants to take Abram and his wife and all his possessions out of Egypt.
