1 Samweli 7
1 Watu wa Kiriath Yearimu walikuja, wakalichukua sanduku la BWANA, wakalileta ndani ya nyumba ya Abinadabu mlimani iliyokuwa kilimani. Wakamteua Eleazari, mwanawe, kulitunza sanduku la BWANA.
[When] the men of Kiriath-Jearim [received that message, they] came to Beth-Shemesh and took the sacred chest of Yahweh. They took it to the house of Abinadab, which was on a hillside. They appointed Abinadab’s son Eleazar to take care of the chest.
2 Tangu siku ambayo sanduku lilikaa huko Kiiriath Yearimu, ulipita muda mrefu, miaka ishirini. Nyumba yote ya Israeli iliomboleza na ikaazimu kumrudia BWANA.
The sacred chest stayed in Kiriath-Jearim for a long time—a total of 20 years. During that time all the people of Israel mourned [because it seemed that] Yahweh [had abandoned them] (OR, [and then they asked] Yahweh [to help them]).
3 Samweli akawaambia watu wote wa Israeli, “Kama mtamrudia BWANA kwa moyo wenu wote, mkaiondoa miungu migeni na Ashtorethi kutoka katikati yenu, igeuzeni mioyo yenu kwa BWANA, na mwabuduni yeye peke yake, ndipo atawaokoa kutoka mkono wa Wafilisti.”
Then Samuel said to all the Israeli people, “If you truly [IDM] want to act like Yahweh’s people should, you must get rid of your statues of [the goddess] Astarte and the idols/statues of all the other foreign gods. You must decide to serve/worship only Yahweh. If you do that, he will rescue you from [the power of] [MTY] the Philistia people.”
4 Ndipo watu wa Israeli wakamuondoa Baali na Ashtorethi, na wakamwabudu BWANA peke yake.
So the Israelis got rid of all their statues of the gods Baal and Astarte, and they worshiped only Yahweh.
5 Ndipo Samweli akasema, “Waleteni Israeli wote hadi Mizpa, nami nitamwomba BWANA kwa ajili yenu.”
Then Samuel told them, “All you Israeli people must gather with me at Mizpah. Then I will pray to Yahweh for you.”
6 Wakakusanyika Mispa, wakateka maji na kuyamwaga chini mbele za BWANA. Siku hiyo walifunga na kusema, “Tumemfanyia BWANA dhambi.” Hapo Mispa ndipo Samweli aliwaamu na kuwaongoza watu wa Iraeli. -8
So they gathered at Mizpah, which was the town where Samuel previously was the leader of the Israeli people. They had a big ceremony there. They drew water [from a well], and poured the water on the ground while Yahweh watched. [To show that they were sorry for having worshiped idols], they did not eat any food on that day, and they confessed that they had sinned against Yahweh.
7 Basi Wafilisti waliposikiakwamba Waisraeli wamekusanyika hapo Mispa, viongozi wa Wafilisti waliwashambulia Israeli. Waisraeli waliposikia hivyo, waliwaogopa Wafilisti.
When the kings of the Philistia area heard that the Israeli people had gathered at Mizpah, they led their armies there to attack the Israelis. When the Israelis found out that the Philistia army was approaching them, they became very afraid.
8 Ndipo Waisraeli wakamwambia Samweli, “Usiache kumwomba BWANA Mungu wetu kwa ajili yetu, ili atuokoe kutoka mkono wa Wafilisti.”
They told Samuel, “Pray to Yahweh to rescue us from the Philistia army [MTY], and do not stop pleading!”
9 Samweli alimchukua kondoo mchanga nakumtoa sadaka ya kuteketezwa kikamilifu kwa BWANA. Ndipo Samweli akamlilia BWANA kwa ajili ya Israeli, na BWANA akamjibu.
So Samuel took a very young lamb [and killed it] and offered it to Yahweh to be a sacrifice that was completely burned [on the altar]. Then he prayed and pleaded that Yahweh [would help] the Israelis, and Yahweh did help them.
10 Hata Samweli alipokuwa akitoa sadaka ya kuteketezwa, Wafilisti wakasogea karibu kuwashambulia Israeli; lakini BWANA alipiga kwa nguromo ya sauti kubwa siku hiyo dhidi ya Wafilisti na kuwatia kiwewe, na wakashindwa mbele ya Israeli.
While Samuel was burning the offering, the Philistia army came near to attack the Israelis. But Yahweh caused it to thunder very loudly. The soldiers of the Philistia army became very frightened, and then they (became confused/did not know what to do). So the Israelis were able to defeat them.
11 Waisraeli wakaondoka Mispa, wakawafuatia Wafilisti na kuwaua hadi kufika chini ya Beth kari.
The Israeli men ran out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistia soldiers almost to Beth-Car [town], and killed many Philistia soldiers while they were trying to run away.
12 KIsha Samweli akachukua jiwe akalisimamisha kati ya Mispa na Sheni. Akaliita hilo jiwe Ebeneza, akisema, “Hata sasa BWANA ametusaidia.”
After that happened, Samuel took a large stone and set it up between Mizpah and Jeshanah [towns]. He named the stone ‘Ebenezer’, [which means ‘stone of help’], because he said “Yahweh has helped us until the present time.”
13 Kwa hiyo, Wafilisti walishindwa na hawakuingia katika mipaka ya Israeli. Mkono wa BWANA uliwalemea Wafilisti siku zote za Samweli.
So the Philistia people were defeated, and for a long time they did not enter the Israeli land [to attack them] again. During the time that Samuel was alive, Yahweh powerfully protected [MTY] [the Israeli people] from [being attacked by] the Philistia army.
14 Miji ambayo Wafilisti waliitwaa kutoka kwa Israeli ilirudishwa, kutokea Ekroni hadi Gathi; Israeli ikarudisha tena sehemu za nchi zake kutoka kwa Wafilisti. Ndipo ikawa amani kati ya Israeli na Waamori.
The Israeli army was able to capture again the Israeli villages between Ekron and Gath that the Philistia army had captured before. The Israelis were also able to take again the other areas around those cities that the Philistia army had taken [from the Israelis] previously. And there was peace between the Israelis and the Amor people-group.
15 Samweli akawa mwamuzi wa Israeli siku zote za maisha yake.
Samuel continued to be the leader of the Israeli people until he died.
16 Kila mwaka alienda Betheli kwa kuzunguka, akienda Gilgali, na huko Mispa.
As long as he was alive, every year he traveled back and forth between Bethel and Gilgal and Mizpah [cities]. In those cities he listened to disputes between people and made decisions about them.
17 Kisha angerudi Rama, kwa sababu mji wake ulikuwa huko; na huko pia aliwaamua Waisiraeli. Hata huko Rama, pia alimjengea BWANA madhabahu.
After he listened to disputes and made decisions in each of those towns, he returned to his home at Ramah, and he would listen to people’s disputes there, also, [and make decisions about them]. And he built an altar at Ramah [to offer sacrifices] to Yahweh.
