Mwanzo 13
1 Hivyo Abramu akakwea kutoka Misri kwenda Negebu, yeye na mkewe na kila kitu alichokuwa nacho, pia Loti akaenda pamoja naye.
So Abram and Sarai left Egypt, and they took along all his possessions, and Lot went with them to the Negev [Desert].
2 Wakati huo Abramu alikuwa tajiri sana wa mifugo, fedha na dhahabu.
Abram was very rich. He owned a lot of livestock, silver and gold.
3 Kutoka Negebu, akapita mahali hadi mahali, hadi akafika Betheli, mahali hapo ambapo mwanzoni alipiga hema lake kati ya Betheli na Ai
They continued traveling from place to place from the Negev [Desert] toward Bethel [town] to the place between Bethel and Ai where they had previously set up their tents,
4 hapo ambapo alikuwa amejenga madhabahu ya kwanza. Huko Abramu akaliitia jina la Bwana.
and where Abram had made a stone altar and worshiped Yahweh.
5 Basi Loti, ambaye alikuwa anafuatana na Abramu, alikuwa pia na makundi ya mbuzi, kondoo, ngʼombe na mahema.
Lot, who was traveling with Abram, also had flocks of sheep and goats and herds of cattle, and tents.
6 Lakini nchi haikuwatosha kukaa pamoja kwa ajili ya wingi wa mali zao.
But they had so many animals that they could not all stay in the same area. There was not enough land to provide water and food for all their animals.
7 Ukazuka ugomvi kati ya wachunga mifugo wa Abramu na wale wa Loti. Wakati huo, Wakanaani na Waperizi ndio waliokuwa wenyeji wa nchi hiyo.
Furthermore, the descendants of Canaan and Perizzi were also living in that area, and the land really belonged to them. And the men who took care of Abram’s animals started quarreling with the men who took care of Lot’s animals.
8 Hivyo Abramu akamwambia Loti, “Pasiwe na ugomvi wowote kati yangu na wewe, wala kati ya wachungaji wangu na wako, kwa kuwa sisi ni ndugu.
So Abram said to Lot, “Since we are close relatives, it is not good for us two to quarrel, or for the men who take care of your animals to quarrel with the men who take care of my animals.
9 Je, nchi yote haiko mbele yako? Tutengane. Kama ukielekea kushoto, nitakwenda kulia; kama ukielekea kulia, mimi nitakwenda kushoto.”
There is plenty of land for both of us. So we should separate. You can choose whatever part you want [RHQ]. If you want the area over there, I will stay here. If you want the area here, I will go over there.”
10 Loti akatazama akaona lile bonde lote la Yordani kuwa lilikuwa na maji tele, kama bustani ya Bwana, kama nchi ya Misri, kuelekea Soari. (Hii ilikuwa kabla Bwana hajaharibu Sodoma na Gomora.)
Lot looked around toward Zoar [town], and saw that there was plenty of water all over the plain near the Jordan [River]. It was like the park/garden in Eden, and like the land in Egypt. [That was before Yahweh destroyed [the cities of] Sodom and Gomorrah which were on that plain.]
11 Hivyo Loti akajichagulia bonde lote la Yordani, akaelekea upande wa mashariki. Watu hao wawili wakatengana:
So Lot chose the land in the plain of the Jordan [River]. He left his uncle, Abram, and moved east.
12 Abramu akaishi katika nchi ya Kanaani, wakati Loti aliishi miongoni mwa miji ya lile bonde na kupiga mahema yake karibu na Sodoma.
Abram stayed in the Canaan area, and Lot started to live near the cities in the plain of the Jordan [River], and he set up his tents near Sodom [city].
13 Basi watu wa Sodoma walikuwa waovu, wakifanya sana dhambi dhidi ya Bwana.
[You need to know that] people who lived there were extremely wicked.
14 Baada ya Loti kuondoka Bwana akamwambia Abramu, “Ukiwa hapo ulipo, inua macho yako utazame kaskazini na kusini, mashariki na magharibi.
After Abram and Lot separated, Yahweh said to Abram, “Look around at this whole area where you are. Look north and south, look east and west.
15 Nchi yote unayoiona nitakupa wewe na uzao wako hata milele.
I will give to you and your descendants all the land that you see; I will give it to you forever.
16 Nitaufanya uzao wako uwe mwingi kama mavumbi ya nchi, hivyo kama kuna yeyote awezaye kuhesabu mavumbi, basi uzao wako utahesabika.
I will cause your descendants to be as numerous as particles of dust! [It will be easier] to count the particles of dust than it will be to count your descendants [HYP].
17 Ondoka, tembea katika marefu na mapana ya nchi, kwa maana ninakupa wewe.”
Walk through the land in every direction, because I am going to give it all to you.”
18 Basi Abramu akaondoa mahema yake, akaenda kuishi karibu na mialoni ya Mamre huko Hebroni, huko akamjengea Bwana madhabahu.
So Abram [and his men] took down their tents and moved to Hebron and started to live by the huge trees [at the town] Mamre. He placed a stone altar there to [make sacrifices to] Yahweh.
