Waamuzi 13
1 Waisraeli wakafanya maovu tena mbele za Bwana. Hivyo Bwana akawatia mikononi mwa Wafilisti kwa muda wa miaka arobaini.
The people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and he gave them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.
2 Basi palikuwa na mtu mmoja wa Sora, aliyeitwa Manoa, wa kabila la Wadani, naye alikuwa na mke ambaye alikuwa tasa na hakuwa na mtoto.
There was a man from Zorah, of the clan of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. His wife was not able to become pregnant and so she had not given birth.
3 Malaika wa Bwana akamtokea huyo mwanamke na kumwambia, “Wewe ni tasa na huna mtoto, lakini utachukua mimba na utamzaa mtoto mwanaume.
The angel of Yahweh appeared to the woman and said to her, “See now, you have been unable to become pregnant, and you have not given birth, but you will become pregnant and you will give birth to a son.
4 Lakini ujihadhari sana usinywe mvinyo wala kileo kingine chochote, wala usile kitu chochote kilicho najisi,
Now be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, and do not eat anything unclean.
5 kwa kuwa utachukua mimba na utamzaa mtoto mwanaume. Wembe usipite kichwani pake, kwa kuwa huyo mwana atakuwa Mnadhiri wa Mungu, aliyewekwa wakfu kwa ajili ya Mungu tangu tumboni mwa mama yake, naye ataanza kuwaokoa Waisraeli kutoka mikononi mwa Wafilisti.”
Look, you will become pregnant and give birth to a son. No razor will be used upon his head, for the child will be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he will begin to deliver Israel from the hand of the Philistines.”
6 Ndipo huyo mwanamke akamwendea mumewe na kumweleza kuwa, “Mtu wa Mungu alinijia. Kule kuonekana kwake kulikuwa kama kwa malaika wa Mungu, wa kutisha sana. Sikumuuliza alikotoka wala hakuniambia jina lake.
Then the woman came and told her husband, “A man of God came to me, and his appearance was like that of an angel of God, very terrible. I did not ask him where he came from, and he did not tell me his name.
7 Lakini aliniambia, ‘Utachukua mimba na utazaa mtoto mwanaume. Basi sasa, usinywe mvinyo wala kileo kingine chochote wala usile kitu kilicho najisi, kwa kuwa huyo mtoto atakuwa Mnadhiri wa Mungu tangu tumboni mwa mama yake mpaka kufa kwake.’”
He said to me, 'Look! You will become pregnant, and you will give birth to a son. So then drink no wine or strong drink, and do not eat any food that the law declares to be unclean, because the child will be a Nazirite to God from the time he is in your womb until the day of his death.'”
8 Ndipo Manoa akamwomba Bwana, akasema: “Ee Bwana, nakusihi, huyo mtu wa Mungu uliyemtuma kwetu aje tena ili atufundishe jinsi ya kumlea huyo mwana atakayezaliwa.”
Then Manoah prayed to Yahweh and said, “Oh, Lord, please let the man of God you sent come again to us so that he may teach us what we are to do for the child who soon will be born.”
9 Mungu akamsikia Manoa, naye malaika wa Mungu akamjia tena huyo mwanamke alipokuwa shambani, lakini mumewe Manoa hakuwepo.
God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God came to the woman again when she was sitting in the field. But Manoah her husband was not with her.
10 Basi yule mwanamke akaenda haraka na kumwambia mumewe, “Tazama mtu yule aliyenitokea siku ile yupo hapa!”
So the woman ran quickly and told her husband, “Look! The man has appeared to me—the one who came to me the other day!”
11 Manoa akainuka akaandamana na mkewe. Alipomfikia yule mtu akamuuliza, “Je, wewe ndiye yule uliyesema na mke wangu?” Akasema, “Mimi ndiye.”
Manoah got up and followed his wife. When he came to the man, he said, “Are you the man who spoke with my wife?” The man said, “I am.”
12 Basi Manoa akamuuliza, “Wakati maneno yako yatakapotimia, masharti ya maisha ya mtoto huyu yatakuwa nini na kazi yake itakuwa ni nini?”
So Manoah said, “Now may your words come true. What will be the rules for the child, and what will be his work?”
13 Malaika wa Bwana akamjibu, “Mke wako hana budi kufanya yale yote niliyomwambia.
The angel of Yahweh said to Manoah, “She must carefully do everything that I said to her.
14 Kamwe asile kitu chochote kitakachotoka katika mzabibu, wala asinywe mvinyo wa aina yoyote wala kileo chochote wala asile kitu chochote kilicho najisi. Hana budi kufanya kila kitu nilichomwagiza.”
She may not eat anything that comes from the vines, and do not let her drink wine or strong drink or eat anything unclean. She must obey everything I have commanded her to do.”
15 Manoa akamjibu yule malaika wa Bwana, “Twakuomba usubiri kwanza ili tuweze kuandaa mwana-mbuzi kwa ajili yako.”
Manoah said to the angel of Yahweh, “Please stay for a while, to give us time to prepare a young goat for you.”
16 Malaika wa Bwana akamjibu, “Hata kama utanizuia, sitakula chochote kwako. Lakini ukitaka kuandaa sadaka ya kuteketezwa, mtolee Bwana hiyo sadaka.” (Kwa kuwa Manoa hakujua kuwa alikuwa malaika wa Bwana.)
The angel of Yahweh said to Manoah, “Even if I stay, I will not eat your food. But if you prepare a burnt offering, offer it to Yahweh.” (Manoah did not know that he was the angel of Yahweh.)
17 Ndipo Manoa akamuuliza yule malaika wa Bwana, “Jina lako ni nani, ili kwamba tuweze kukupa heshima hapo hayo uliyonena yatakapotimia?”
Manoah said to the angel of Yahweh, “What is your name, so we may honor you when your words come true?”
18 Akamjibu, “Kwa nini unauliza Jina langu? Ni Jina la ajabu.”
The angel of Yahweh said to him, “Why do you ask my name? It is wonderful!”
19 Ndipo Manoa akamchukua mwana-mbuzi, pamoja na sadaka ya unga, naye akamtolea Bwana dhabihu hapo juu ya mwamba. Naye yule malaika wa Bwana akafanya jambo la ajabu wakati Manoa na mkewe wakiwa wanaangalia:
So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering and offered them on the rock to Yahweh. He did something marvelous while Manoah and his wife were watching.
20 Mwali wa moto kutoka hapo madhabahuni ulipowaka kuelekea mbinguni, malaika wa Bwana akapaa ndani ya huo mwali. Manoa na mkewe, kwa kuona jambo hili, wakaanguka chini kifudifudi.
When the flame went up from the altar toward the sky, the angel of Yahweh went up in the flame of the altar. Manoah and his wife saw this and lay facedown on the ground.
21 Malaika wa Bwana hakumtokea tena Manoa na mkewe. Ndipo Manoa akatambua kuwa huyo alikuwa malaika wa Bwana.
The angel of Yahweh did not appear again to Manoah or his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of Yahweh.
22 Manoa akamwambia mkewe, “Hakika tutakufa, kwa kuwa tumemwona Mungu.”
Manoah said to his wife, “We are sure to die, because we have seen God!”
23 Lakini mkewe akamwambia, “Ikiwa Bwana alikuwa amekusudia kutuua, asingelipokea sadaka ya kuteketezwa na sadaka ya unga kutoka mikononi mwetu, wala asingelituonyesha mambo haya yote wala kututangazia mambo kama haya wakati huu.”
But his wife said to him, “If Yahweh wanted to kill us, he would not have received the burnt offering and the grain offering we gave him. He would not have shown us all these things, nor at this time would he have let us hear such things.”
24 Yule mwanamke akazaa mtoto wa kiume akamwita jina lake Samsoni. Kijana akakua, naye Bwana akambariki.
Later the woman gave birth to a son, and called his name Samson. The child grew up and Yahweh blessed him.
25 Roho wa Bwana akaanza kumsukuma wakati alipokuwa huko Mahane-Dani, kati ya Sora na Eshtaoli.
Yahweh's Spirit began to stir him in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.
