< Mwanzo 38 >

1 Wakati ule, Yuda akawaacha ndugu zake, akaenda kuishi na Hira Mwadulami.
About that time, Judah left his brothers and settled near a man named Hirah, an Adullamite.
2 Huko Yuda akakutana na binti wa Kikanaani aitwaye Shua, akamwoa na akakutana naye kimwili,
There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua, and he took her as a wife and slept with her.
3 akapata mimba, akamzaa mwana, ambaye alimwita Eri.
So she conceived and gave birth to a son, and Judah named him Er.
4 Akapata mimba tena, akamzaa mwana na kumwita Onani.
Again she conceived and gave birth to a son, and she named him Onan.
5 Akamzaa mwana mwingine tena, akamwita Shela. Huyu alimzalia mahali paitwapo Kezibu.
Then she gave birth to another son and named him Shelah; it was at Chezib that she gave birth to him.
6 Yuda akampatia Eri, mzaliwa wake wa kwanza, mke aitwaye Tamari.
Now Judah acquired a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.
7 Lakini Eri, mzaliwa wa kwanza wa Yuda, alikuwa mwovu machoni pa Bwana, kwa hiyo Bwana akamuua.
But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; so the LORD put him to death.
8 Kisha Yuda akamwambia Onani, “Kutana kimwili na mke wa ndugu yako, na utimize wajibu wako kwake kama mke wa ndugu yako, ili umpatie ndugu yako uzao.”
Then Judah said to Onan, “Sleep with your brother’s wife. Perform your duty as her brother-in-law and raise up offspring for your brother.”
9 Lakini Onani alijua kwamba uzao haungekuwa wake, kwa hiyo kila alipokutana kimwili na mke wa ndugu yake, alimwaga chini mbegu za kiume ili asimpatie ndugu yake uzao.
But Onan knew that the offspring would not belong to him; so whenever he would sleep with his brother’s wife, he would spill his seed on the ground so that he would not produce offspring for his brother.
10 Alichofanya kilikuwa kiovu machoni pa Bwana, hivyo, pia Bwana akamuua Onani.
What he did was wicked in the sight of the LORD, so He put Onan to death as well.
11 Kisha Yuda akamwambia Tamari mkwewe, “Ishi kama mjane nyumbani mwa baba yako mpaka mwanangu Shela atakapokua.” Kwa maana alifikiri, “Angeweza kufa pia kama ndugu zake.” Kwa hiyo Tamari alikwenda kuishi nyumbani kwa baba yake.
Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Live as a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up.” For he thought, “He may die too, like his brothers.” So Tamar went to live in her father’s house.
12 Baada ya muda mrefu mke wa Yuda binti wa Shua akafariki. Baada ya msiba, Yuda alikwenda Timna, kwa watu waliokuwa wakikata kondoo wake manyoya, naye alifuatana na rafiki yake Hira Mwadulami.
After a long time Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had finished mourning, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah.
13 Tamari alipoambiwa, “Baba mkwe wako yuko njiani kwenda Timna kukata kondoo wake manyoya,”
When Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep,”
14 alivua mavazi yake ya ujane, akajifunika kwa shela ili asifahamike, akaketi kwenye mlango wa Enaimu, ambao upo njiani kuelekea Timna. Akafanya hivyo kwa sababu aliona kwamba, ingawa Shela amekua, lakini alikuwa hajakabidhiwa kwake kuwa mkewe.
she removed her widow’s garments, covered her face with a veil to disguise herself, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah. For she saw that although Shelah had grown up, she had not been given to him as a wife.
15 Yuda alipomwona alifikiri ni kahaba, kwa sababu alikuwa amefunika uso wake.
When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute because she had covered her face.
16 Pasipo kutambua kwamba alikuwa mkwe wake, akamwendea kando ya njia na kumwambia, “Njoo sasa, nikutane na wewe kimwili.” Yule mkwewe akamuuliza, “Utanipa nini nikikutana nawe kimwili?”
Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her and said, “Come now, let me sleep with you.” “What will you give me for sleeping with you?” she inquired.
17 Akamwambia, “Nitakutumia mwana-mbuzi kutoka kundi langu.” Akamuuliza, “Utanipa kitu chochote kama amana mpaka utakapompeleka?”
“I will send you a young goat from my flock,” Judah answered. But she replied, “Only if you leave me something as a pledge until you send it.”
18 Akamuuliza, “Nikupe amana gani?” Akamjibu, “Pete yako na kamba yake pamoja na fimbo iliyo mkononi mwako.” Kwa hiyo akampa vitu hivyo kisha akakutana naye kimwili, naye akapata mimba yake.
“What pledge should I give you?” he asked. She answered, “Your seal and your cord, and the staff in your hand.” So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him.
19 Tamari akaondoka, akavua shela yake akavaa tena nguo zake za ujane.
Then Tamar got up and departed. And she removed her veil and put on her widow’s garments again.
20 Wakati ule ule, Yuda akamtuma rafiki yake Mwadulami apeleke yule mwana-mbuzi ili arudishiwe amana yake kutoka kwa yule mwanamke, lakini yule rafiki yake hakumkuta yule mwanamke.
Now when Judah sent his friend Hirah the Adullamite with the young goat to collect the items he had left with the woman, he could not find her.
21 Akawauliza watu wanaoishi mahali pale, “Yuko wapi yule kahaba wa mahali pa kuabudia miungu aliyekuwa kando ya barabara hapa Enaimu?” Wakamjibu, “Hajawahi kuwepo mwanamke yeyote kahaba wa mahali pa kuabudia miungu hapa.”
He asked the men of that place, “Where is the shrine prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?” “No shrine prostitute has been here,” they answered.
22 Kwa hiyo akamrudia Yuda na kumwambia, “Sikumpata. Zaidi ya hayo, watu wanaoishi mahali pale walisema ‘Hapakuwahi kuwepo mwanamke yeyote kahaba wa mahali pa kuabudia miungu hapa.’”
So Hirah returned to Judah and said, “I could not find her, and furthermore, the men of that place said, ‘No shrine prostitute has been here.’”
23 Kisha Yuda akasema, “Mwache avichukue vitu hivyo, ama sivyo tutakuwa kichekesho. Hata hivyo, nilimpelekea mwana-mbuzi, lakini hukumkuta.”
“Let her keep the items,” Judah replied. “Otherwise we will become a laughingstock. After all, I did send her this young goat, but you could not find her.”
24 Baada ya miezi mitatu Yuda akaambiwa, “Tamari mkweo ana hatia ya kuwa kahaba, na matokeo yake ana mimba.” Yuda akasema, “Mtoeni nje na achomwe moto hadi afe!”
About three months later, Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has prostituted herself, and now she is pregnant.” “Bring her out!” Judah replied. “Let her be burned to death!”
25 Alipokuwa akitolewa nje, akatuma ujumbe kwa baba mkwe wake kusema, “Nina mimba ya mtu mwenye vitu hivi.” Akaongeza kusema, “Angalia kama utatambua kwamba pete hii na kamba yake pamoja na fimbo hii ni vya nani.”
As she was being brought out, Tamar sent a message to her father-in-law: “I am pregnant by the man to whom these items belong.” And she added, “Please examine them. Whose seal and cord and staff are these?”
26 Yuda akavitambua na kusema, “Yeye ana haki kuliko mimi, kwa kuwa sikumkabidhi kwa mwanangu Shela ili awe mkewe.” Tangu hapo hakukutana naye kimwili tena.
Judah recognized the items and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not have relations with her again.
27 Wakati ulipofika wa kujifungua, kukawa na wana mapacha tumboni mwake.
When the time came for Tamar to give birth, there were twins in her womb.
28 Alipokuwa akijifungua, mmoja akatoa mkono wake nje, kwa hiyo mkunga akachukua uzi mwekundu na kuufunga mkononi mwa yule mtoto, akasema, “Huyu ametoka kwanza.”
And as she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it around his wrist. “This one came out first,” she announced.
29 Lakini alipourudisha mkono wake ndugu yake akaanza kutoka, naye akasema, “Hivi ndivyo ulivyotoka kwa nguvu!” Akaitwa Peresi.
But when he pulled his hand back and his brother came out, she said, “You have broken out first!” So he was named Perez.
30 Kisha ndugu yake, aliyekuwa na uzi mwekundu mkononi, akatoka, naye akaitwa Zera.
Then his brother came out with the scarlet thread around his wrist, and he was named Zerah.

< Mwanzo 38 >