Mwanzo 38
1 Wakati ule, Yuda akawaacha ndugu zake, akaenda kuishi na Hira Mwadulami.
At that time, Judah left his older and younger brothers and went down from the hilly area and stayed with a man whose name was Hiram, who lived in Adullam [town].
2 Huko Yuda akakutana na binti wa Kikanaani aitwaye Shua, akamwoa na akakutana naye kimwili,
There he (met/became acquainted with) a woman who was the daughter of a man from Canaan named Shua. He married her. He had sex [EUP] with her,
3 akapata mimba, akamzaa mwana, ambaye alimwita Eri.
and she became pregnant and later gave birth to a son, whom he named Er.
4 Akapata mimba tena, akamzaa mwana na kumwita Onani.
Later she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son whom she named Onan.
5 Akamzaa mwana mwingine tena, akamwita Shela. Huyu alimzalia mahali paitwapo Kezibu.
Many years later, when Judah and his family went to live in Kezib [town], Judah’s wife gave birth to another son, whom she named Shelah.
6 Yuda akampatia Eri, mzaliwa wake wa kwanza, mke aitwaye Tamari.
When Judah’s oldest son Er [grew up], Judah got a wife for him, a woman named Tamar.
7 Lakini Eri, mzaliwa wa kwanza wa Yuda, alikuwa mwovu machoni pa Bwana, kwa hiyo Bwana akamuua.
But Er did something that Yahweh considered to be very wicked, so Yahweh caused him to die.
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, “Your older brother died without having any sons. So marry his widow and have sex [EUP] with her. That is what our customs require that you should do.”
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 if he did that, any children who would be born would not be considered to be his. So every time he had sex [EUP] with his brother’s widow, he spilled his semen on the ground, so that she would not get pregnant and produce children for his older brother.
10 Alichofanya kilikuwa kiovu machoni pa Bwana, hivyo, pia Bwana akamuua Onani.
Yahweh considered that what he did was wicked, so he caused him to die also.
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, “Return to your father’s house, but do not marry anyone else. When my youngest son Shelah grows up, [he can marry you].” But Judah [really did not want Shelah to marry her, because] he was afraid that then Shelah would die too, just as his older brothers had died. So Tamar [obeyed Judah and] went back to live in her father’s house again.
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.
Several years later, Judah’s wife, who was the daughter of Shua, died. When the time of mourning for her was finished, Judah decided to go up to Timnah, to the place where his (men were shearing his sheep/sheep were being sheared) His friend Hiram, from Adullam, went with him.
13 Tamari alipoambiwa, “Baba mkwe wako yuko njiani kwenda Timna kukata kondoo wake manyoya,”
Someone said to Tamar, “Your father-in-law is going to [the fields near the city of] Timnah to help the men who are shearing 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 realized that now Shelah was grown up, but Judah had not given her to him to be his wife. So] she took off her widow’s clothes, and covered her head with a veil, so that people would not (recognize her/know who she was). Then she sat down at the entrance to Enaim [town], which is on the road to Timnah.
15 Yuda alipomwona alifikiri ni kahaba, kwa sababu alikuwa amefunika uso wake.
When Judah came along and saw her, he thought that she was a prostitute, because she had covered her head [like prostitutes often did] (OR, [and sat where prostitutes often sat)].
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?”
Judah did not realize that she was his daughter-in-law. So he said to her, “Hey, let me have sex [EUP] with you!” She replied, “What will you give me for allowing you to have sex [EUP] with me?”
17 Akamwambia, “Nitakutumia mwana-mbuzi kutoka kundi langu.” Akamuuliza, “Utanipa kitu chochote kama amana mpaka utakapompeleka?”
He replied, “I will send you a young goat from my flock of goats.” She asked, “Will you give me something now for me to keep until you send the goat?”
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.
He replied, “What do you want me to give to you?” She replied, “Give me the ring that has your name on it that is tied by a cord around your neck, and give me the walking stick that you are holding in your hand.” So he gave them to her. Then he had sex [EUP] with her, and she became pregnant.
19 Tamari akaondoka, akavua shela yake akavaa tena nguo zake za ujane.
After she left, she took off the veil and put her widow’s clothes on 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.
Judah gave a young goat to his friend from Adullam, for him to take back to the woman, as he had promised. But his friend could not find the woman.
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.”
So he asked the men who lived there, “Where is the prostitute who was sitting by the road at Enaim?” They replied, “There has never been a prostitute here!”
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 he went back to Judah and said, “I did not find her. [Furthermore], the men who live in that town said, ‘There has never been a prostitute here.’”
23 Kisha Yuda akasema, “Mwache avichukue vitu hivyo, ama sivyo tutakuwa kichekesho. Hata hivyo, nilimpelekea mwana-mbuzi, lakini hukumkuta.”
Judah said, “She can keep the things that I gave to her. If we continued to search for her, people would ridicule us. I tried to send this young goat to her, but you could not find her to give it to 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, someone told Judah, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has become a prostitute and now she is pregnant!” Judah said, “Drag her outside of the city and kill her by burning her!”
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.”
But as they were taking her outside of the city, she gave the ring and walking stick to someone, and told him to take them to Judah, and say to him, “The man who owns these things is the one who caused me to become pregnant.” She also said to tell him, “Look at this ring, and the cord that is attached to it, and this walking stick. Whose are they?”
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.
When the man did that, Judah recognized the ring and the stick. He said, “She is more righteous than I am. I did not tell my son Shelah to marry her, as I promised that I would.” And Judah did not have sex [EUP] with her again.
27 Wakati ulipofika wa kujifungua, kukawa na wana mapacha tumboni mwake.
When it was time for her to give birth, [she was surprised that] there were twin boys 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.”
As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand. So the midwife fastened a scarlet thread around his wrist, saying, “This one came out first.”
29 Lakini alipourudisha mkono wake ndugu yake akaanza kutoka, naye akasema, “Hivi ndivyo ulivyotoka kwa nguvu!” Akaitwa Peresi.
But he pulled his hand back inside the womb, and his brother came out first. So she said, “So this is how you break your way out first!” So she named him Perez, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘breaking out].’
30 Kisha ndugu yake, aliyekuwa na uzi mwekundu mkononi, akatoka, naye akaitwa Zera.
Then his younger brother, the one who had the scarlet thread around his wrist, came out. And he was named Zerah, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘redness of dawn].’
