2 Nyakati 7
1 Sasa Selemani alipokuwa amemaliza kuomba, moto ukaja kutoka mbinguni na kuiteketeza sadaka ya kuteketezwa na dhabihu, na utukufu wa Yahwe ukaijaza nyumba.
When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from the sky and burned all the offerings and sacrifices [that were on the altar], and the glorious radiance of Yahweh filled the temple.
2 Makuhani hawakuweza kuingia kwenye nyumba ya Yahwe, kwa sababu utukufu wake uliijaza nyumba yake.
The radiance [was extremely bright], with the result that the priests could not enter the temple of Yahweh.
3 Watu wote wa Israeli wakaangalia juu moto uliposhuka chini na utukufu wa Yahwe ulikuwa juu ya nyumba. Wakalala kwa nyuso zao juu ya sakafu ya mawe, wakaabudu, na kutoa shukrani kwa Yahwe. Wakasema, “Kwa maana yeye ni mwema, kwa maana agano lake la kifame ladumu milele.”
When all the Israeli people [who were there] saw the fire coming down and the glory of Yahweh above the temple, they prostrated themselves with their faces touching the ground. They worshiped and thanked Yahweh, singing, “Yahweh is always good to us; he faithfully loves us forever.”
4 Kwa hiyo mfalme na watu wote wakamtolea Yahwe sadaka Yahwe.
Then the king and all the people who were there dedicated the temple to Yahweh by offering more sacrifices to him. King Solomon gave 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep and goats to be sacrificed.
5 Mfalme Selemani akatoa sadaka ya ng'ombe ishirini na mbili elfu na kondoo 120, 000 na mbuzi. Kwa hiyo mfalme na watu wote wakaiweka wakifu nyumba ya Mungu.
6 Makuhani wakasimama, kila mmoja akasimama mahali pake pa kuhudumu; Walawi pia pamoja na vyombo vya muziki vya Yahwe, ambavyo mfalme Daudi alivitengeza kwa ajili ya kumpa shukrani Yahwe katika nyimbo, “Kwa maana uaminifu wa agano lake wadumu milele.” Makuhani wote wakapiga matarumbeta mbele yao, na Israeli wote wakasimama.
The priests stood in their positions, and the other descendants of Levi stood in their positions holding the musical instruments [to praise] Yahweh, instruments that King David had caused to be made for praising Yahweh and thanking him. [They sang], “He faithfully loves us forever.” Facing the other descendants of Levi the priests stood, blowing their trumpets, while all the Israeli people were standing [and listening].
7 Selemani akaitakasa sehemu ya katikati ya kiwanja cha mfalme mbele ya nyumba ya Yahwe. Humo akatoa sadaka za kuteketezwa na mafuta ya sadaka za amani, kwa sababu madhabahu ya shaba ambayo alikuwa ametengeza haikuweza kuzibeba sadaka, sadaka za nafaka, na za mafuta.
Solomon dedicated the middle part of the courtyard in front of the temple. Then he gave offerings to be completely burned there along with the fat of the animals to be sacrificed to maintain fellowship with Yahweh. The priests burned them there in the courtyard because in addition to those things there were offerings of grain, with the result that there was not enough space on the bronze altar to burn all those sacrifices.
8 Kwa hiyo Selemani akaitisha sikukuu wakati huo kwa siku saba, na Israeli wote pamaoja naye, kusanyiko kubwa, kutoka Lebo Hamathi mpaka kijito cha Misiri.
Solomon [and the other people] celebrated the Festival of Living in Temporary Shelters for seven days. There was a huge group of people who celebrated with him. Some of them came from [as far away as] Lebo-Hamath [in the far north] and the border of Egypt [in the far south].
9 Siku ya nane wakaitisha kusanyiko la makini, kwa maana kwa siku saba walishika kuwekwa wakfu kwa ile madhabahu.
On the eighth/next day they gathered again [to worship Yahweh]. They had celebrated the dedication of the altar for seven days and the Festival of Living in Temporary Shelters for seven days.
10 Katika siku ya ishini na tatu ya mwezi wa saba, Selemani akawatanya watu kwenda kwenye nyumba zao kwa furaha na mioyo ya shangwe kwa sababu ya wema aliokuwa ameuonesha Yahwe kwa Daudi, Selemani, Israeli, na watu wake.
Then on the next day Solomon sent them to their homes. They were very joyful because of all the good things that Yahweh had done for David and Solomon and for all his Israeli people.
11 Hivyo Selemani akaimaliza nyumba ya Yahwe na nyumba yake mwenyewe. Kila kitu kilichokuja katika moyo wa Selemani kwa ajili ya kukitengeneza katika nyumba ya mfalme na katika nyumba yake mwenyewe, alikitimiza kwa mafanikio.
Solomon’s [workers] finished building the temple and Solomon’s palace. And Solomon finished doing everything else that he had planned to do.
12 Yahwe akamtokea Selemani usiku na kusema kwake, “Nimesikia maombi yako, na nimeichagua sehemu hii kwa ajili yangu mwenyewe kama nyumba ya dhabihu.
Then Yahweh appeared to him one night [in a dream] and said to him, “I have heard your prayer, and I have chosen this temple to be the place where my people will offer sacrifices to me.
13 Kama nitazifunga mbingu ili kwamba kusiwepo mvua, au kama nitaamuru nzige waimeze nchi, au kama nitatuma magonjwa kati kati ya watu wangu,
“When I prevent any rain from falling, or when I command locusts to eat all the crops, or when I send a plague among my people,
14 kisha watu wangu, ambao wameitwa kwa jina langu, watajinyenyekeza, kuomba, kuutafuta uso wangu, na kuziacha njia zao mbaya, nitasikia kutoka mbinguni, kuwasamehe dhambi zao, na kuiponya nchi yao.
if the people who belong to me humble themselves and pray, and request me to help them, and if they turn away from their sinful behavior, then I will hear from heaven. I will forgive them for having sinned and I will cause them to prosper again.
15 Sasa macho yangu yatakuwa wazi na masikio yangu yatasikiliza maombi yanayofanywa katika sehemu hii.
I [SYN] will see them and I [SYN] will hear them when they pray to me in this place.
16 Kwa maana sasa nimeichagua na kauitakasa nyumba hii ili kwamba jina langu lipate kuwa humo milele. Masikio yangu na moyo wangu vitakuwako kila siku.
I have chosen and have (set apart/dedicated) this temple in order that people may worship [MTY] me there forever. I will always watch over [MTY] it and protect [IDM] it.
17 Kwako wewe, kama utatembe mbele zangu kama baba yako Daudi alivyotembea, ukitii yote nilyokuamuru na kuzishika sheria zangu na maagizo yangu,
“And as for you, if you obey me as David your father did, and if you do all that I command you to do, and obey all my laws and decrees,
18 basi nitakithibitisha kiti cha enzi cha ufalme wako, kama nilivyosema katika agano na Daudi baba yako, niliposema, 'Mzaliwa wako hatashindwa kamwe kuwa mtawala katika Israeli.'
I will make sure that your descendants will always be kings, which is what I promised to David your father, saying, ‘Some of your descendants will always be the kings of Israel.’
19 Lakin ukigeuka, na kuzisahau sheria zangu na amri amabzo nimeweka mbele yenu, na kama utaenda kuabudu miungu wengine na kuwasujudia,
“But if you Israelis turn away from me and disobey the decrees and commands that I have given to you, and you start to worship other gods,
20 basi nitawang'oa kutoka kwenye nchi yangu amabayo nimewapa. Nyumba hii ambayo nimeitakasa kwa ajili ya jina langu, nitaitupilia mbali kutoka mbele zangu, na nitaifanya kuwa methali na utani miongini mwa watu wote.
I will cause you to be expelled from this land that I have given to you, and I will abandon this temple that I have set apart to be the place where people should worship me. I will cause it to be despised and ridiculed by people of all nations.
21 Ingawa hekalu hili hili zuri sana kwa sasa, kila mtu apitaye karibu yake atashangazwa na ataguna. Watauliza, 'Kwa nini Yahwe ameifanyia hivi nchi hii na nyumba hii',
Although this temple is now greatly respected, when that happens, all the people who pass by will be appalled, and they will say, ‘Why has Yahweh done terrible things like this to this country and to this temple?’
22 wengine watajibu, 'Kwa sababu walimsahau Yahwe, Mungu wao, ambaye alikuwa amewatoa babu zao nje ya nchi ya Misiri, na wakashikamana na miungu wengine na kuwainamia chini na kuwaabudu. Hii ndiyo maana Yahwe ameleta majanga haya yote juu yao”
And others will reply, ‘It happened because they rejected Yahweh, the God to whom their ancestors belonged, the one who brought their ancestors out of Egypt, and they have been worshiping other gods and trying to please them. And that is why Yahweh has caused them to experience all these disasters.’”
