< 2 Wafalme 3 >

1 Basi katika mwaka wa kumi na nane wa Yehoshefati mfalme wa Yuda, Yoramu mwana wa Ahabu alianza kutawala juu ta Israeli katika Samaria; alitawala miaka kumi na miwili.
Truly, Joram, the son of Ahab, reigned over Israel, in Samaria, in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah. And he reigned for twelve years.
2 Alifanya yaliyo maovo usoni kwa Yahwe, lakini si kama baba yake na mama yake; kwa kuwa aliiondoa ile nguzo ya mungu wa Baali ambayo baba yake aliitengeneza.
And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, but not as his father and mother did. For he took away the statues of Baal, which his father had made.
3 Hata hivyo alishikilia dhambi za Yeroboamu mwana wa Nebati, ambaye alisababisha Israeli kufanya dhambi; wala hakuziacha mbali nao.
Yet truly, he did adhere to the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin; neither did he withdraw from these.
4 Basi Mesha mfalme wa Moabu alifuga kondoo. Alikuwa akimpatia mfalme wa Israeli kondoo 100, 000 na manyoya ya kondoo dume 100, 000.
Now Mesha, the king of Moab, raised many sheep. And he repaid to the king of Israel one hundred thousand lambs, and one hundred thousand rams, with their fleece.
5 Ila baada ya Ahabu kufa, yule mfalme wa Moabu aliasi dhidi ya mfalme wa Israeli.
And when Ahab had died, he transgressed the pact that he had with the king of Israel.
6 Hivyo Mfalme Joramu alikaondoka Samaria katika muda huo kuwahamasisha Waisraeli wote kwa ajili ya vita.
Therefore, king Joram departed on that day from Samaria, and he took a count of all of Israel.
7 Akatuma mjumbe kwa Yehoshafati mfalme wa Yuda, akisema, “Mfalme wa Moabu ameasi dhidi yangu. Je mtakwenda pamoja nami kupigana dhidi ya Moabu?” Yehoshafati akajibu, “Nitaenda. Mimi ni kama wewe, watu wangu ni kama watu wako, farasi wangu ni kama farasi wako.”
And he sent to Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, saying: “The king of Moab has withdrawn from me. Come to battle with me against him.” And he responded: “I will go up. What is mine, is yours. My people are your people. And my horses are your horses.”
8 Ndipo akasema, “Tutawashambulia kwa njia gani?” Yehoshafati akajibu, “Kwa njia ya jangwa la Edemu.
And he said, “Along which way shall we ascend?” So he responded, “Along the desert of Idumea.”
9 Hivyo huyo mfalme wa Israeli, Yuda, na Edomu wakazunguka kwa mda wa siku saba. Hapakuwa na maji kwa ajili ya jeshi lao, wala kwa farasi au wanyama.
Therefore, the king of Israel, and the king of Judah, and the king of Idumea, traveled, and they went by a circuitous path for seven days. But there was no water for the army or for the beasts of burden which were following them.
10 Basi mfalme wa Israeli akasema, “Hii ni nini? Yahwe amewaita wafalme watatu ili kutekwa mikononi mwa Moabu?”
And the king of Israel said: “Alas, alas, alas! The Lord has gathered we three kings, so that he might deliver us into the hands of Moab.”
11 Lakini Yehoshafati akasema, “je hakuna nabii wa Yahwe, ambaye tunaweza kufanya shauri kuhusu Yahwe kupitia yeye?” Mtumishi mmoja wa wafalme wa Israeli akajibu na kusema, “Elisha mwana wa Shafati yuko hapa, ambaye alikuwa akimimina maji kwenye mikono ya Eliya.”
And Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not a prophet of the Lord here, so that we may appeal to the Lord through him?” And one of the servants of the king of Israel responded, “Elisha, the son of Shaphat, is here, who poured water upon the hands of Elijah.”
12 Yehoshafati akasema, “Neno la Yahwe liko pamoja nami.” Hivyo mfalme wa Israeli, Yehoshaphati, na mfalme wa Edomu wakashuka chini kwenda kwake.
And Jehoshaphat said, “The word of the Lord is with him.” And so, the king of Israel, with Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, and with the king of Idumea, descended to him.
13 Elisha akamwambia mfalme wa Israeli, “Nifanye nini kwa ajili yako? Nenda kwa manabii wa baba na mama yako.” Ndipo mfalme wa Israeli akamwambia, “Hapana, kwa sababu Yahwe amewaita hawa wafalme watatu pamoja ili kuruhusu jeshi la Moabu liwateke.”
Then Elisha said to the king of Israel: “What is there between you and me? Go to the prophets of your father and your mother.” And the king of Israel said to him, “Why has the Lord gathered these three kings, so that he might deliver them into the hands of Moab?”
14 Elisha akajibu, “Kama Yawhe wa majeshi aishivo, ambaye nimesimama mbele zake, hakika kama nisingemheshimu uwepo wa Yehoshafati mfalme wa Yeda, Nisingevuta usikivu kwako, au hata kukutazama.
And Elisha said to him: “As the Lord of hosts lives, in whose sight I stand, if I was not humbled by the face of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, certainly I would neither have listened to you, nor have looked upon you.
15 Lakini sasa niletee mwanamuziki.” Ndipo alipokuja mpiga muziki alipocheza, mkono wa Yahwe ukaja juu ya Elisha.
But now, bring a musician to me.” And while the musician was playing, the hand of the Lord fell upon him, and he said:
16 Akasema, “'Yahwe asema hivi, 'Fanya hili bonde la mto mkavu lijae mahandaki.'
“Thus says the Lord: Make, in the channel of this torrent, pit after pit.
17 Kwa kuwa Yahwe asema hivi, 'Hutaona upepo, wala hamtaona mvua, bali hili bonde la mto litajaa maji, na mtakunywa, ninyi na mifugo yenu na wanyama wenu wote.'
For thus says the Lord: You shall not see wind or rain. And yet this channel shall be filled with water. And you shall drink, you and your families, and your beasts of burden.
18 Hiki ni kitu rahisi usoni mwa Yahwe. Pia atawapa ushindi juu ya hao Wamoabu.
And this is small in the sight of the Lord. So, in addition, he will also deliver Moab into your hands.
19 Mtaiteka kila ngome ya mji na kila mji mzuri, kukata kila mti mzuri, kusimamisha chemichemi zote za maji, na kuharibu kila sehemu nzuri ya nchi na miamba.”
And you shall strike every fortified town and every elect city. And you shall cut down every fruitful tree. And you shall obstruct all the sources of water. And you shall cover every excellent field with stones.”
20 Hivyo asubuhi karibia na mda wa kutoa sadaka ya kuteketeza, yakaja maji kutoka uelekeo wa Edomu; nchi ikajaa maji.
Then it happened that, in the morning, when the sacrifices were usually to be offered, behold, water was arriving along the way of Idumea, and the land was filled with water.
21 Ndipo wakati Wamoabu wote waliposikia kwamba wafalme wamekuja kupigana dhidi yao, walikusanyika pamoja, wote waliotakiwa kubeba silaha, na wakasimama mpakani.
Then all the Moabites, hearing that the kings had ascended so that they might fight against them, gathered all who had been girded with a belt around them, and they stood at the borders.
22 Walitembea asubuhi na mapema na jua likang'aa kwenye maji. Wakati Wamoabu walipoyaona yale maji yaliyowaelekea, yanaonekana mekundu kama damu.
And rising up in early morning, and when the sun was now rising before the waters, the Moabites saw the waters opposite them, which were red like blood.
23 Wakatamka kwa hasira, “Hii ni damu! Yamkini hao wafalme wameharibiwa, na wameuna wao kwa wao! Sasa basi, Moabu, ngoja tuende tukawateke nyara!”
And they said: “It is the blood of the sword! The kings have fought among themselves, and they have slain one another. Go now, Moab, to the spoils!”
24 Wakati walipokuja kwenye kambi ya Israeli, Waisraeli wakawashtukiza na kuwashambulia Wamoabi, ambao walikimbia mbele yao. Hilo jeshi la Israeli waliwakimbiza hao Wamoabu hadi kwao wakiwaua.
And they went into the camp of Israel. But Israel, rising up, struck Moab, and they fled before them. And since they had prevailed, they went and struck down Moab.
25 Waliiharibu miji, na kila aina ya amani ya nchi kila mtu alirusha jiwe mpaka ulipojaa. Walizuia kila chemichemi ya maji na kukata chini miti mizuri yote. Kir-haresethi tu ndiyo ilichwa na mawe yake. Lakini hao maaskari wakawashambulia na makombeo wakiwazunguka na kuishambulia.
And they destroyed the cities. And they filled up every excellent field, each one casting stones. And they obstructed all the sources of water. And they cut down all the fruitful trees, to such an extent that only brick walls remained. And the city was encircled by the slingers of stones. And a great part of it was struck down.
26 Ndipo Mfalme Mesha wa Moabu alipoona kwamba ameshindwa, alichukua watu hodari wa upanga mia saba pamoja naye kwenda kwa mfalme wa Edomu, lakini walishindwa.
And when the king of Moab had seen this, specifically, that the enemies had prevailed, he took with him seven hundred men who draw the sword, so that he might break through to the king of Idumea. But they were unable.
27 Ndipo akamchukua mtoto wake wa kwanza, ambaye angetawala baada ya yeye, na akamuudhi kwa kumtoa kama sadaka ya kuteketezwa juu ya ukuta. Hivyo, kulikuwa na hasira kubwa dhidi ya Israeli, na hao Waisraeli, na Jeshi la Israeli likamuacha mfalme Mesha na kurudi kwenye nchi yao.
And taking his firstborn son, who would have reigned in his place, he offered him as a holocaust upon the wall. And there was great indignation in Israel. And they promptly withdrew from him, and they turned back to their own land.

< 2 Wafalme 3 >