< Waamuzi 14 >

1 Samsoni akateremkia Timna, akamwona mwanamke wa Kifilisti.
Samson went down to Timnah, and there he saw a woman, one of the daughters of the Philistines.
2 Alipopanda kutoka huko, akawaambia baba yake na mama yake, “Nimemwona mwanamke wa Kifilisti huko Timna; basi mnipe ili awe mke wangu.”
When he returned, he told his father and mother, “I saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines. Now get her for me to be my wife.”
3 Baba yake na mama yake wakamjibu, “Je, hakuna mwanamke miongoni mwa jamaa yako au miongoni mwa ndugu zako, hata ulazimike kwenda kujitwalia mwanamke kutoka kwa hawa Wafilisti wasiotahiriwa?” Lakini Samsoni akamwambia baba yake, “Nipatieni huyo kwa maana ndiye alinipendeza.”
His father and mother said to him, “Is there not a woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people? Are you going to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for when I look at her, she pleases me.”
4 (Baba yake na mama yake hawakujua kuwa jambo hili limetoka kwa Bwana, kwani alikuwa akitafuta sababu ya kukabiliana na Wafilisti; kwa kuwa wakati huo walikuwa wakiwatawala Waisraeli.)
But his father and his mother did not know that this matter came from Yahweh, for he desired to create a conflict with the Philistines (for at that time the Philistines were ruling Israel).
5 Samsoni akateremkia Timna pamoja na baba yake na mama yake. Walipofika kwenye mashamba ya mizabibu huko Timna, ghafula mwana simba akamjia akimngurumia.
Then Samson went down to Timnah with his father and his mother, and they came to the vineyards of Timnah. And, look, there one of the young lions came up and was roaring at him.
6 Roho wa Bwana akaja juu yake kwa nguvu, naye akampasua yule simba kwa mikono yake bila silaha yoyote kama vile mtu ampasuavyo mwana-mbuzi, wala hakumwambia baba yake wala mama yake aliyoyafanya.
Yahweh's Spirit suddenly came on him, and he tore the lion apart as easily as he would have torn apart a small goat, and he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.
7 Basi akateremka na kuongea na yule mwanamke, naye akampendeza Samsoni.
He went and spoke with the woman, and when he looked at her, she pleased Samson.
8 Baada ya muda aliporudi ili akamwoe, akatazama kando ili kuutazama mzoga wa yule simba, na tazama, kulikuwa na kundi la nyuki ndani ya ule mzoga wa simba na kulikuwa na asali;
A few days later when he returned to marry her, he turned aside to look for the carcass of the lion. And, look, there was a swarm of bees and honey in what was left of the lion's body.
9 akachukua asali mkononi mwake akaendelea huku akila. Alipowafikia baba yake na mama yake, akawapa ile asali nao wakala. Lakini hakuwaambia kuwa alitwaa asali kutoka kwenye mzoga wa simba.
He scraped up the honey in his hands and went on, eating as he went. When he came to his father and his mother, he gave some to them, and they ate. But he did not tell them he had taken the honey out of what was left of the lion's body.
10 Basi baba yake akateremka kumwona huyo mwanamke. Samsoni akafanya karamu huko, kama ilivyokuwa desturi ya vijana.
Samson's father went down to where the woman was, and Samson gave a feast there, for this was the custom of the young men.
11 Watu walipomwona, wakaleta vijana wenzake thelathini ili kuwa pamoja naye.
As soon as her relatives saw him, they brought him thirty of their friends to be with him.
12 Samsoni akawaambia, “Niwape kitendawili, mkiweza kunipa jibu katika muda wa siku hizi saba za karamu, nitawapa mavazi thelathini ya kitani na mavazi mengine mivao thelathini.
Samson said to them, “Let me now tell you a riddle. If one of you can find it out and tell me the answer during the seven days of the feast, I will give out thirty linen robes and thirty sets of clothes.
13 Lakini msipoweza kufumbua, ndipo ninyi mtanipa mavazi thelathini ya kitani na mavazi mengine mivao thelathini.” Wakamwambia, “Tuambie hicho kitendawili, hebu na tukisikie.”
But if you cannot tell me the answer, then you will give me thirty linen robes and thirty sets of clothes.” They said to him, “Tell us your riddle, so we may hear it.”
14 Akawaambia, “Ndani ya mlaji, kulitoka kitu cha kuliwa, ndani ya mwenye nguvu, kulitoka kitu kitamu.” Kwa muda wa siku tatu hawakuweza kutoa jibu.
He said to them, “Out of the eater was something to eat; out of the strong was something sweet.” But his guests could not find the answer in three days.
15 Siku ya saba, wakamwambia mkewe Samsoni, “Mbembeleze mumeo ili atueleze hicho kitendawili, la sivyo tutakuchoma moto wewe na wa nyumba ya baba yako. Je, mmetualika ili mpate kutunyangʼanya kile tulicho nacho?”
On the fourth day they said to Samson's wife, “Trick your husband so that he may tell us the answer to the riddle, or we will burn up you and your father's house. Did you invite us here in order to make us poor?”
16 Basi mke wa Samsoni akalia mbele yake na kumwambia, “Unanichukia! Hunipendi kabisa. Umewategea watu wangu kitendawili, lakini mimi hujaniambia jibu.” Samsoni akamwambia, “Wala sijamweleza baba yangu wala mama yangu, kwa nini nikufumbulie?”
Samson's wife started to weep in front of him; she said, “All you do is hate me! You do not love me. You have told a riddle to some of my people, but you have not told me the answer.” Samson said to her, “Look here, if I have not told my father or my mother, should I tell you?”
17 Mkewe akalia kwa muda wa zile siku zote saba za karamu. Hivyo siku ile ya saba Samsoni akamweleza, kwa kuwa aliendelea kumsisitiza sana. Naye akawaeleza watu wake kile kitendawili.
She cried during the seven days that their feast lasted. On the seventh day he told her the answer because she pressured him very much. She told the answer to the relatives of her people.
18 Siku ya saba kabla ya jua kutua, watu wa mji wakamwambia Samsoni, “Ni nini kitamu kama asali? Ni nini chenye nguvu kama simba?” Samsoni akawaambia, “Kama hamkulima na mtamba wangu, hamngeweza kufumbua kitendawili changu.”
Before the sun went down on the seventh day the men of the city said to him, “What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?” Samson said to them, “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have found the answer to my riddle.”
19 Ndipo Roho wa Bwana akamjia Samsoni kwa nguvu. Akateremka mpaka Ashkeloni, akawaua watu waume thelathini miongoni mwa watu wa mji, akatwaa mali zao na nguo zao, akawapa watu wale waliofumbua kile kitendawili. Akiwa na hasira, akakwea kurudi nyumbani kwa baba yake.
Then Yahweh's Spirit suddenly came on Samson with power. Samson went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of their men. He took their plunder, and he gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle. Burning with anger, he went up to his father's house.
20 Lakini huyo mke wa Samsoni akakabidhiwa kwa rafiki yake Samsoni ambaye alikuwa rafiki yake msaidizi siku ya arusi.
Samson's wife was given to his best friend.

< Waamuzi 14 >