< 2 Wafalme 5 >
1 Basi Naamani, amri jeshi wa mfalme wa Shamu, alikuwa mtu mkubwa na mtu mwenye kuheshimiwa mbele ya bwana wake, kwa sababu kwa ajili yake Yahwe aliwapa ushindi Washami. Pia alikuwa hodari, mtu shujaa, lakini alikuwa anaukoma.
Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great and honorable man in his master's view, because by him Yahweh had given victory to Aram. He was also a strong, courageous man, but he was a leper.
2 Washami walikuwa wametoka kuongoza kikosi na kumchukua kijana mdogo wa kike kutoka nchi ya Israeli. Akamuhudumia mke wa Naamani.
The Arameans had gone out raiding in bands and had taken a little girl from the land of Israel. She served Naaman's wife.
3 Yule binti akamwambia bibi yake, “Natamani kwamba bwana wangu angelikuwa na nabii ambaye yupo Samaria! Halafu angelimponya bwana wangu ukoma wake.
The girl said to her mistress, “I wish that my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would heal my master of his leprosy.”
4 Hivyo Naamani akaingia na kumwambia mfalme kile ambacho yule binti kutoka nchi ya Israeli alichokuwa amekisechosema.
So Naaman went in and told the king what the little girl from the land of Israel had said.
5 Kisha mfalme wa Shamu akase, “Nenda sasa, na nitatuma barua kwa mfalme wa Israeli.” Naamani akaondoka na kuchukua talanta zake kumi za fedha, vipande elfu sita vya dhahabu, na nguo kumi za kubadilisha.
So the king of Aram said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” Naaman left and took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of clothes.
6 Pia alichukua barua ya kumpelekea mfalme wa Israeli inayosema, “Sasa wakati hii barua itakapoletwa kwako, utaona kwamba nimemtuma mtumishi wangu Naamani kwako, hivyo basi utamponya ukoma wake.”
He also took the letter to the king of Israel that said, “Now when this letter is brought to you, you will see that I have sent Naaman my servant to you, so that you may cure him of his leprosy.”
7 Wakati mfalme wa Israeli alipoisoma ile barua, alichana mavazi yake na kusema, “Je mimi ni Mungu, niue na nirudishe uhai, kwamba huyu mtu anataka nimponye mtu ukoma wake? Inaonekana anatafuta mashindano na mimi.”
When the king of Israel had read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man wants me to cure a man of his leprosy? It seems he is seeking to start an argument with me.”
8 Ikawa wakati Elisha mtu wa Mungu aliposikia kwamba mfalme wa Israeli alichana nguo zake, akatuma neno kwa mfalme akisema, “Kwa nini umechana nguo zako? Muache aje kwangu sasa, na atajua kwamba kuna nabii katika Israeli.”
So when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent word to the king saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.”
9 Basi Naamani akaja na farasi wake na mikokoteni yake ya kukokotwa na farasi na kusimama kwenye mlango wa nyumba ya Elisha.
So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariots and stood at the door of Elisha's house.
10 Elisha akamtumia mjumbe, akisema, “Nenda na ukazame mwenyewe katika Yordani mara saba, na ngozi ya mwili wako itajirudi; utakuwa msafi.”
Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and dip yourself into the Jordan seven times, and your flesh will be restored; you will be clean.”
11 Lakini Naamani alikasirika na kuondoka na kusema, “Tazama, Nilidhani bila shaka angekuja kwangu na kusimama na kuliita jina la Yahwe Mungu wake, na kupitisha mkono wake kwenye sehemu ya ugonjwa na kuponya ukoma wangu.
But Naaman was angry and went away and said, “Look, I thought he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of Yahweh his God, and wave his hand over the place and heal my leprosy.
12 Je sio Abana na Faepari, mito ya Damaskasi, bora kuliko maji yote ya Israeli?” Je siwezi kuoga ndani yao na kuwa safi?” Hivyo akageuka na kwenda kwa hasira.
Are not Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Can I not bathe in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.
13 Ndipo watumishi wa Naamani wakaja karibbu na kumwambia, “Baba yangu, kama yule nabii alikuamuru kufanya kitu kigumu, singelifanya? Je si zaidi basi, atakapokwambia rahisi, 'Zama mwenyewe na uwe safi?”
Then Naaman's servants came near and spoke to him, “My father, if the prophet had commanded you do some difficult thing, would you not have done it? How much rather then, when he says to you to simply, 'Dip yourself and be clean?'”
14 Ndipo akashuka chini na kuzama mwenyewe mara saba kwenye Yordani, akitii maelekezo ya mtu wa Mungu. Nyama ya mwili wake ikarudi tena kama nyama ya mwili ya mtoto mdogo, na alikuwa amepona.
Then he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, obeying the instructions of the man of God. His flesh was restored again like the flesh of a little child, and he was healed.
15 Naamani akarudi kwa yule mtu wa Mungu, yeye na watu wake wengine, na kuja na kusimama mbele yake. Akasema, “Tazama, sasa najua kwamba hakuna Mungu katika Dunia nzima isipokuwa katika Israeli. Kwa hiyo basi, chukua zawadi kutoka kwa mtumishi wako tafadhali.”
Naaman returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came and stood before him. He said, “Look, now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel. So therefore, please take a gift from your servant.”
16 Lakini Elisha akajibu, “Kama Yahwe aishivyo, ambaye nimesimama mbele yake, sintopokea chochote.”Naamani akamsihi Elisha apokee zawadi, lakini alikataa.
But Elisha replied, “As Yahweh lives, before whom I stand, I will receive nothing.” Naaman urged Elisha to take a gift, but he refused.
17 Hivyo Naamani akasema, “Kama sivyo, nakuomba ache apewe mtumishi wako pale mzigo wa baghala mbili za aridhi, kwa kuwa kuanzia sasa, mtumishi wako hatotoa tena sadaka ya kuteketezwa wala dhabihu kwa mungu yeyote isipokuwa Yahwe.
So Naaman said, “If not, then I ask you to let there be given to your servant two mule loads of earth, for from now on, your servant will offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice to any god but Yahweh.
18 Katika jambo hili moja Yahwe anaweza kumsamehe mtumishi wako, hii ni, wakati mfalme wangu atakapoenda kwenye nyumba ya Rimoni kuabudu pale, na kujifunza kwenye mikono yangu na kumuinamia mwenyewe kwenye nyumba ya Rimoni, Yahwe aweze kumsamehe mtumishi wako katika hili jambo.”
In this one thing may Yahweh pardon your servant, that is, when my king goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, may Yahweh pardon your servant in this matter.”
19 Elisha akamwambia, “Nenda kwa amani.” Hivyo Naamani akaondoka.
Elisha said to him, “Go in peace.” So Naaman left.
20 Alikuwa amesafiri lakini umbali mfupi, wakati Gehazi mtumishi wa Elisha mtumishi wa Mungu alisema mwenyewe, “Tazama, bwana wangu amemuandaa huyu Naamani Mshami kwa kuacha kupokea zawadi kutoka kwenye mikono yake ambazo alizileta. Kama Yahwe aishivyo, Nitakimbia nikimfuata na kupokea kitu kutoka kwake.
He had traveled only a short distance, when Gehazi the servant of Elisha the man of God said to himself, “Look, my master has spared this Naaman the Aramean by not receiving from his hands gifts that he brought. As Yahweh lives, I will run after him and receive something from him.”
21 Hivyo Gehazi akamfuata Naamani. Wakati Naamani alipomuona mtu mmoja anakimbia akimfuata, aliruka chini kutoka kwenye gari yake kuonana naye na kusema, “Je kila kitu kiko sawa?”
So Gehazi followed after Naaman. When Naaman saw someone running after him, he jumped down from his chariot to meet him and said, “Is everything alright?”
22 Gehazi akasema, “kila kitu kiko sawa. Bwana wangu amenituma, akisema, 'Tazama, sasa wamekuja kwangu kutoka nchi ya mlima ya Efraimu vijana wawili wa watoto wa manabii. Tafadhali, wapatie talanta ya fedha na nguo mbili za kubadilisha.”
Gehazi said, “Everything is alright. My master has sent me, saying, 'See, now there have come to me from the hill country of Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothes.'”
23 Naamani akajibu, “Ninafuraha kubwa kukupatia talanta mbili.” Naamani akamsihi Gehazi na kujaribu talanta mbili za fedha kwenye mifuko miwili ya kubebea, pamoja na nguo mbili za kubadilisha, na kutandaza kwa wafanyakazi wake wawili, ambao walikuwa wamebebea ile mifuko miwili ya fedha mbele ya Gehazi.
Naaman replied, “I am very happy to give you two talents.” Naaman urged Gehazi and tied two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of clothes, and laid them on two of his servants, who carried the bags of silver before Gehazi.
24 Wakati Gehazi alipokuja kwenye ule mlima, alichukua ile mifuko ya fedha kutoka kwenye mikono yao na kuificha kwenye nyumba; akawatuma wale watu, na wakaondoka.
When Gehazi came to the hill, he took the bags of silver from their hands and hid them in the house; he sent the men away, and they left.
25 Wakati Gehazi alipoingia na kusimama mbele ya bwana wake, Elisha akamwambia, “Umetokea wapi, Gehazi?” Akajibu, “Mtumishi wako hakwenda mahali.”
When Gehazi went in and stood before his master, Elisha said to him, “Where have you come from, Gehazi?” He answered, “Your servant went nowhere.”
26 Elisha akamwambia Gehazi, “Je roho yangu haikuwa na wewe wakati yule mtu alipoyarudisha magari yake ya farasi ili kukutana na wewe? Je uu ni mda wa kupokea pesa na nguo, mashamba ya mzaituni na mizabibu, na kondoo na Ng'ombe, na watumishi wakiume na watumishi wakike?
Elisha said to Gehazi, “Was not my spirit with you when the man turned his chariot to meet you? Is this a time to accept money and clothes, olive orchards and vineyards, sheep and oxen, and male servants and female servants?
27 Basi ukoma wa Naamani utakuwa kwenye uzao wako daima.” Basi Gehazi akatoka kwenye uwepo wake, mwenye ukoma kama theluji.
So the leprosy of Naaman will be on you and your descendants forever.” So Gehazi went out from his presence, a leper as white as snow.