1 Samweli 6
1 Basi sanduku la BWANA lilikaa katika nchi ya Wafilisti kwa miezi saba.
And the ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months.
2 Ndipo Wafilisti wakawaita makuhani na waganga; wakawaambia, “Tulifanyie nini sanduku la BWANA? Twambieni jinsi ambavyo tunapaswa kulirudisha sanduku katika nchi yake.”
And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do to the ark of the LORD? tell us with what we shall send it to its place.
3 Makuhani na waganga wakasema, “Kama mtalirudisha sanduku la Mungu wa Israeli, msilipeleke bila zawadi; kwa namna yoyote ile mpelekeeni sadakaa ya hatia. Hapo ndipo mtapona, na mtajua ni kwanini mkono wake hadi sasa haujaondoka juu yenu.”
And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but in any wise return him a trespass-offering: then ye will be healed, and it will be known to you why his hand is not removed from you.
4 Ndipo wakawauliza, “Sadaka ya hatia itakuwa nini kwamba tunampelekea?” Wakawajibu, “Majipu matano ya dhahabu na panya watano wa dhahabu, Idadi hiyo ya watano ni sawa na idadi ya viongozi wa Wafilisti. Kwa sababu tauni ya aina moja iliwashambulia ninyi na viongozi wenu.
Then said they, What [shall be] the trespass-offering which we shall return to him? They answered, Five golden emerods, and five golden mice, [according to] the number of the lords of the Philistines: for one plague [was] on you all, and on your lords.
5 Kwa hiyo, nilazima mtengeneze mifano ya majipu yenu, na mifano ya panya wenu ambayo huiharibu nchi, na mpeni utukufu Mungu wa Israeli. Labda ataondoa mkono wake kutoka juu yenu, kutoka juu ya miungu yenu, na kutoka juu ya nchi yenu.
Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and images of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory to the God of Israel: it may be he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.
6 Kwanini mfanye mioyo yenu kwa migumu, kama vile Wamisri na Farao walifanya mioyo yao kuwa migumu? Hicho ni kipindi ambacho Mungu wa Israeli aliwashughilikia sana; Je, Wamisri hawakuwaachilia watu, na wakaondoka?
Why then do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed?
7 Basi sasa, andaeni mkokoteni mpya pamoja na ng'ombe wawili wake wanaonyonyesha, ambao hawajawahi kufungwa nira. Wafungeni ng'ombe hao kwenye mkokoteni, lakini warudisheni wale ndama wao nyumbani.
Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch-cows on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the cows to the cart, and bring their calves home from them:
8 Kisha lichukueni sanduku la BWANA na kuliweka ndani ya mkokoteni. Wekeni ndani ya kasha yale maumbo ya dhahabu mnayompelekea ambyo ni sadaka ya hatia kando yake. Ndipo mlipeleke lipate kuondoka.
And take the ark of the LORD, and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold which ye return to him [for] a trespass-offering, in a coffer by its side; and send it away, that it may go.
9 Kisha muwe makini; kama litapanda kwenda kwa njia hadi nchini mwake hadi Beth Shemeshi, basi mjue kuwa BWANA ndiye aliyetenda pigo hili kubwa. Lakini kama halitakwenda, ndipo tutajua kwamba siyo mkono wake uliotupatia mateso; badala yake tutajua kuwa yaliyotupata ilikuwa ni kwa bahati mbaya tu.
And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Beth-shemesh, [then] he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know, that [it is] not his hand [that] smote us; it [was] a chance [that] happened to us.
10 Watu hao wakafanya kama walivyoambiwa, walichukuwa ng'ombe wawili wanaonyonyesha, wakawafunga kwenye mkokoteni, na kuwabakiza ndama wao nyumbani.
And the men did so; and took two milch cows, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home:
11 Wakaliweka sanduku la BWANA juu ya mkokoteni, pamoja na lile kasha lililobeba panya wa dhahabu na yale maumbo ya majipu yao.
And they laid the ark of the LORD upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their emerods.
12 Hao ng'ombe waliondoka moja kwa moja kuelekea Beth Shemeshi. Walikwenda kwa kuifuata nija moja kuu, wakiteremka walipokuwa wakienda, na hwakugeuka upande wa kushoto au kulia. Viongozi wa Wafilisti walifuata kwa nyuma hadi mpaka wa Beth Shemeshi.
And the cows took the straight way to the way of Beth-shemesh, [and] went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside [to] the right hand or [to] the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them to the border of Beth-shemesh.
13 Nao watu wa Beth Shemeshi walikuwa wakivuna ngano yao katika bonde. Waliponyanyua macho yao juu na kuliona sanduku, wakafurahi.
And [they of] Beth-shemesh [were] reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see [it].
14 Huo mkokoteni ulifikia ndani ya shamba la Yoshua wa Beth Shemeshi na ukasimama hapo. Kulikuapo jiwe kubwa mahali hapo, wakatayarisha kuni kutokana na mkokoteni huo, na wakawatoa ng'ombe hao kama sadaka ya kuteketezwa kwa ajili ya BWANA.
And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Beth-shemite, and stood there, where [there was] a great stone: and they cleaved the wood of the cart, and offered the cows a burnt-offering to the LORD.
15 Walawi walilitelemsha sanduku la BWANA chini pamoja na kasha lake lililoyatunza yale maumbo ya dhahabu, wakaweka vitu hivyo juu ya hilo jiwe kubwa. Watu wa Beth Shemeshi walitoa sadaka za kuteketezwa na kutoa dhabihu kwa BWANA siku iyo hiyo.
And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD, and the coffer that [was] with it, in which [were] the jewels of gold, and put [them] on the great stone: and the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt-offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day to the LORD.
16 Hao viongozi watano wa Wafilisti walipoona hayo, walirejea Ekroni siku iyo hiyo.
And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen [it], they returned to Ekron the same day.
17 Haya ndiyo majipu ya dhahabu ambayo Wafilisti walirudisha kama sadaka ya hatia kwa BWANA: moja kwa ajili ya Ashdodi, moja kwa Gaza, moja kwa Ashkeloni, moja kwa Gathi, na moja kwa Ekroni.
And these [are] the golden emerods which the Philistines returned [for] a trespass-offering to the LORD; for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one;
18 Idadi ya wale panya wa dhahabu ilikuwa sawa na ile ya idadi ya miji yote ya Wafilisti inayomilikiwa na viongozi watano, kwa miji iliyojengewa maboma na vijiji vya mashambani. Lile jiwe kubwa, ambalo kando yake waliweka sanduku la BWANA, lipo kama ushuhuda hadi leo katika shamba la Yoshua Mbeth- Shemeshi.
And the golden mice, [according to] the number of all the cities of the Philistines [belonging] to the five lords, [both] of fortified cities, and of country villages, even to the great [stone of] Abel, on which they set down the ark of the LORD: [which stone remaineth] to this day in the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite.
19 BWANA akawashambulia baadhi ya watu wa Bethi Shemeshi kwa sababu walichungulia ndani ya sanduku lake. Aliwaua watu sabini. Watu wakaomboleza, kwa sababu BWANA aliwapa watu pigo kubwa mno.
And he smote the men of Beth-shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and seventy men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten [many] of the people with a great slaughter.
20 Watu wa Bethi Shemeshi wakasema, “Ni nani mwenye uwezo wa kushindana na BWANA, huyu Mungu mtakatifu? Na atampandia nani akitoka kwetu.”” Je, ni nani awezaye kusimama mbele ya BWANA, huyu Mungu mtakatifu? Na ni kwa nani ambako sanduku litaenda likitoka hapa.”
And the men of Beth-shemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us?
21 Wakawatuma wajumbe kwenda kwa wenyeji wa Kiriath Yearimu, wakisema, “Wafilisti wamelirudisha sanduku la BWANA; teremkeni na mkalipeleke kwenu.”
And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjath-jearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the LORD; come ye down, [and] bring it up to you.
