Mwanzo 26

1 Basi njaa kubwa ikawa katika nchi hiyo, kuliko ile njaa iliyotangulia iliyotokea wakati wa Abrahamu. Isaki akamwendea Abimeleki mfalme wa Wafilisti huko Gerari.

Then, when a famine arose over the land, after that barrenness which had happened in the days of Abraham, Isaac went to Abimelech, king of the Palestinians, in Gerar.

2 Bwana akamtokea Isaki, akamwambia, “Usiende Misri, bali ukae katika nchi nitakayokuambia.

And the Lord appeared to him, and he said: “Do not descend into Egypt, but rest in the land that I will tell you,

3 Kaa katika nchi hii kwa kitambo, mimi nitakuwa pamoja na wewe na nitakubariki. Kwa maana nitakupa wewe na uzao wako nchi hizi zote na nitatimiza kiapo nilichomwapia Abrahamu baba yako.

and sojourn in it, and I will be with you, and I will bless you. For to you and to your offspring I will give all these regions, completing the oath that I promised to Abraham your father.

4 Nitafanya wazao wako kuwa wengi kama nyota za angani, nami nitawapa nchi hizi zote na kutokana na uzao wako mataifa yote yatabarikiwa,

And I will multiply your offspring like the stars of heaven. And I will give to your posterity all these regions. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth will be blessed,

5 kwa sababu Abrahamu alinitii mimi akatunza kanuni zangu na maagizo yangu, amri zangu pamoja na sheria zangu.”

because Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my precepts and commandments, and observed the ceremonies and the laws.”

6 Hivyo Isaki akaishi huko Gerari.

And so Isaac remained in Gerar.

7 Watu wa mahali pale walipomuuliza habari za mke wake, akasema, “Huyu ni dada yangu,” kwa sababu aliogopa kusema, “Huyu ni mke wangu.” Alifikiri, “Watu wa mahali pale wataweza kumuua kwa sababu ya Rebeka, kwa kuwa alikuwa mzuri wa sura.”

And when he was questioned by the men of that place about his wife, he answered, “She is my sister.” For he was afraid to confess her to be his mate, thinking that perhaps they would put him to death because of her beauty.

8 Wakati Isaki alipokuwa amekaa huko siku nyingi, Abimeleki mfalme wa Wafilisti akachungulia dirishani, akaona jinsi Isaki alivyomkumbatia Rebeka mke wake.

And when very many days had passed, and he had remained in the same place, Abimelech, king of the Palestinians, gazing through a window, saw him being playful with Rebekah, his wife.

9 Abimeleki akamwita Isaki akamwambia, “Hakika huyu ni mke wako! Mbona uliniambia, ‘Huyu ni dada yangu?’” Isaki akamjibu, “Kwa sababu nilifikiri ningeweza kuuawa kwa sababu yake.”

And summoning him, he said: “It is clear that she is your wife. Why did you falsely claim her to be your sister?” He answered, “I was afraid, lest I might die because of her.”

10 Ndipo Abimeleki akamjibu, “Ni nini hiki ulichotufanyia? Ingewezekana mtu yeyote akawa amekutana kimwili na mke wako, nawe ungeleta hatia juu yetu.”

And Abimelech said: “Why have you burdened us? Someone from the people could have lain with your wife, and you would have brought a great sin upon us.” And he instructed all the people, saying,

11 Hivyo Abimeleki akatoa amri kwa watu wote, akisema, “Yeyote atakayemnyanyasa mtu huyu au mkewe hakika atauawa.”

“Whoever will touch the wife of this man will die a death.”

12 Isaki akapanda mazao katika nchi hiyo, kwa mwaka huo huo, akavuna mara mia, kwa sababu Bwana alimbariki.

Then Isaac sowed in that land, and he found, in that same year, one hundredfold. And the Lord blessed him.

13 Isaki akawa tajiri, mali zake zikaendelea kuongezeka mpaka akawa tajiri sana.

And the man was enriched, and he continued prospering as well as increasing, until he became very great.

14 Akawa na mifugo ya kondoo na ngʼombe, na watumishi wengi sana, kiasi kwamba Wafilisti wakamwonea wivu.

Likewise, he had possessions of sheep and of herds, and a very large family. Because of this, the Palestinians envied him,

15 Kwa hiyo visima vyote vilivyochimbwa na watumishi wakati wa Abrahamu baba yake, Wafilisti wakavifukia, wakavijaza udongo.

so, at that time, they obstructed all the wells that the servants of his father Abraham had dug, filling them with soil.

16 Ndipo Abimeleki akamwambia Isaki, “Ondoka kwetu, kwa maana umetuzidi nguvu sana.”

It reached a point where Abimelech himself said to Isaac, “Move away from us, for you have become very much more powerful than we.”

17 Basi Isaki akatoka huko akajenga kambi katika Bonde la Gerari, akaishi huko.

And departing, he then went toward the torrent of Gerar, and he dwelt there.

18 Ndipo Isaki akavichimbua tena vile visima vya maji ambavyo vilichimbwa siku zile za Abrahamu baba yake, ambavyo Wafilisti walivifukia baada ya kufa Abrahamu, akavipa majina yale yale ambayo baba yake alikuwa amevipa.

Again, he dug up other wells, which the servants of his father Abraham had dug, and which, after his death, the Philistines had formerly obstructed. And he called them by the same names that his father had called them before.

19 Watumishi wa Isaki wakachimba katika lile bonde wakagundua huko kisima chenye maji safi.

And they dug in the torrent, and they found living water.

20 Lakini wachungaji wa Gerari wakagombana na wachungaji wa Isaki wakisema, “Maji haya ni yetu!” Ndipo akakiita kile kisima Eseki, kwa sababu waligombana naye.

But in that place also the shepherds of Gerar argued against the shepherds of Isaac, by saying, “It is our water.” For this reason, he called the name of the well, because of what had happened, ‘Calumny.’

21 Kisha wakachimba kisima kingine, lakini hata hicho pia wakakigombania, akakiita Sitna.

Then they dug up yet another one. And over that one also they fought, and he called it, ‘Enmity.’

22 Akaondoka huko, akachimba kisima kingine, wala hakuna yeyote aliyekigombania. Akakiita Rehobothi, akisema, “Sasa Bwana ametufanyia nafasi, nasi tutastawi katika nchi.”

Advancing from there, he dug another well, over which they did not contend. And so he called its name, ‘Latitude,’ saying, “Now the Lord has expanded us and caused us to increase across the land.”

23 Kutoka pale akaenda Beer-Sheba.

Then he ascended from that place into Beersheba,

24 Usiku ule Bwana akamtokea, akamwambia, “Mimi ndimi Mungu wa Abrahamu baba yako. Usiogope, kwa maana mimi niko pamoja nawe, nitakubariki na kuongeza idadi ya wazao wako kwa ajili ya Abrahamu mtumishi wangu.”

where the Lord appeared to him on the same night, saying: “I am the God of Abraham your father. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bless you, and I will multiply your offspring because of my servant Abraham.”

25 Isaki akajenga madhabahu huko, akaliitia jina la Bwana. Akapiga hema lake huko, nao watumishi wake wakachimba kisima.

And so he built an altar there. And he invoked the name of the Lord, and he stretched out his tent. And he instructed his servants to dig a well.

26 Wakati huo, Abimeleki alikuwa amemjia kutoka Gerari, akifuatana na Ahuzathi mshauri wake, pamoja na Fikoli jemadari wa majeshi yake.

When Abimelech, and Ahuzzath, his friend, and Phicol, the leader of the military, had arrived from Gerar to that place,

27 Isaki akawauliza, “Mbona mmekuja kwangu na ninyi mlinichukia na kunifukuza?”

Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me, a man whom you hate, and whom you have expelled from among you?”

28 Wakamjibu, “Tuliona wazi kuwa Bwana alikuwa pamoja nawe, kwa hiyo tukasema, ‘Inabidi kuwe na kiapo cha mapatano kati yetu, kati yetu na wewe. Na tufanye mkataba pamoja nawe

And they responded: “We saw that the Lord is with you, and therefore we said: Let there be an oath between us, and let us initiate a pact,

29 kwamba hutatudhuru, kama jinsi nasi hatukuwanyanyasa bali tuliwatendea mema wakati wote na kuwaondoa kwetu kwa amani. Tena sasa umebarikiwa na Bwana.’”

so that you may not do us any kind of harm, just as we have touched nothing of yours, and have not caused any injury to you, but with peace we released you, augmented by the blessing of the Lord.”

30 Basi Isaki akawaandalia karamu, nao wakala na kunywa.

Therefore, he made them a feast, and after the food and drink,

31 Kesho yake asubuhi na mapema, wakaapizana wao kwa wao. Kisha Isaki akawaruhusu waende zao, wakamwacha Isaki kwa amani.

arising in the morning, they swore to one another. And Isaac sent them away peacefully to their own place.

32 Siku hiyo watumishi wa Isaki wakaja wakampa habari kuhusu kisima walichokuwa wamekichimba, wakamwambia, “Tumepata maji!”

Then, behold, on the same day the servants of Isaac came, reporting to him about a well which they had dug, and saying: “We have found water.”

33 Naye akakiita Shiba, mpaka leo mji huo unaitwa Beer-Sheba.

Therefore, he called it, ‘Abundance.’ And the name of the city was established as ‘Beersheba,’ even to the present day.

34 Esau alipokuwa na umri wa miaka arobaini, akamwoa Yudithi binti Beeri Mhiti, kisha akamwoa Basemathi binti Eloni Mhiti.

In truth, at forty years of age, Esau took wives: Judith, the daughter of Beeri, the Hittite, and Basemath, the daughter of Elon, of the same place.

35 Hawa walikuwa chanzo cha huzuni ya Isaki na Rebeka.

And they both offended the mind of Isaac and Rebekah.