< 2 Wafalme 7 >
1 Elisha akasema, “Sikiliza neno la Yahwe. Hivi ndivyo Yahwe asemavyo: “Kesho mda kama huu kipimo cha unga mzuri kitauzwa kwa shekeli, na vipimo viwili vya shayiri kwa shekeli, kwenye lango la Samaria.””
Then Elisha said: “Listen to the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord: Tomorrow, at this time, one measure of fine wheat flour will be one silver coin, and two measures of barley will be one silver coin, at the gate of Samaria.”
2 Basi yule nahodha ambaye alikuwa akitegemea mkono wake amemjibu mtu wa Mungu, na kusema, “Ona, hata kama Yahwe ataweka madirisha mbinguni, je jambo hili linawezekana?” Elisha akajibu, “Ona, utaona ikitokea kwa macho yako mwenyewe, lakini hutakula chochote katika hilo.”
And one of the leaders, upon whose hand the king leaned, responding to the man of God, said, “Even if the Lord will open the floodgates of heaven, how can what you say possibly be?” And he said, “You will see it with your own eyes, and you will not eat from it.”
3 Basi, kulikuwa na watu wanne wenye ukoma upande wa nje wa lango la mji. Wakaambizana kila mmoja, “Kwa nini tukae hapa hadi hapo tutakapokufa?
Now there were four lepers beside the entrance of the gate. And they said one to another: “Should we choose to stay here until we die?
4 Kama tukisema kwamba tutaenda kwenye ule mji, maana mjini kuna njaa, na tutakufa hapo. Lakini kama tukiendelea kukaa hapa, bado tutakufa. Sawa, njoni, twendeni kwenye lile jeshi la Washami. Kama wakitupa uhai, tutakuwa hai, na kama wakituua, tutakufa tu.”
If we choose to enter the city, we will die from the famine. And if we remain here, we also will die. Therefore, come and let us flee over to the camp of the Syrians. If they spare us, we will live. But if they choose to kill us, we will die anyway.”
5 Hivyo wakaamka asubuhi kabla giza halijaisha kwenda kwenye kambi ya Washami; Wakati walipofika sehemu ya mwanzo wa kambi, hapakuwa na mtu hapo.
Therefore, they rose up in the evening, so that they might go to the camp of the Syrians. And when they had arrived at the beginning of the camp of the Syrians, they found no one in that place.
6 Kwa kuwa Bwana alikuwa ameunda jeshi la Washami kusikia sauti ya magari ya farasi, na sauti za farasi-sauti za jeshi jingine kubwa, ndipo wakaambizana kila mmoja wao, “Yule mfalme wa Israeli amekodisha wafalme wa Wahiti na Wamisri waje wapigane dhidi yetu.”
For indeed, the Lord had caused them to hear, in the camp of Syria, the sound of chariots and horses, and a very numerous army. And they said one to another: “Behold, the king of Israel has paid wages to the kings of the Hittites and of the Egyptians against us. And they will overwhelm us.”
7 Hivyo wale maaskari wakaondoka kungali giza; waliacha mahema yao, punda zao, na kambi kama ilivyokuwa, na kukimbia kwa ajili ya maisha yao.
Therefore, they rose up and fled away in the dark. And they left behind their tents and horses and donkeys in the camp. And they fled, desiring to save so much as their own lives.
8 Wakati wale watu wenye ukoma walipokuja sehemu ya mwisho wa kambi, wakaenda kwenye hema moja na kula na kunywa, na kubeba fedha na dhahabu na nguo, na kwenda na kuzificha. Wakarudi na kuingia kwenye hema nyingine na kubeba kutoka pale pia, na kwenda kuvificha.
And so, when these lepers had arrived at the beginning of the camp, they entered one tent, and they ate and drank. And they took from there silver, and gold, and clothing. And they went away and hid it. And they returned again to another tent, and similarly, carrying away from there, they hid it.
9 Basi, wakaambizana kila mmoja, “Hatufanyi sahihi. Siku hii ni siku ya habari njema, lakini tunanyamaza kimya kuhusu hili. Kama tukisubiri mpaka kutakapopambazuka, adhabu itakuwa juu yetu. Basi, njoni, twendeni na kuwaambia nyumba ya mfalme.”
Then they said one to another: “We are not doing the right thing. For this is a day of good news. If we remain silent and refuse to report it until morning, we will be charged with a crime. Come, let us go and report it in the court of the king.”
10 Kwa hiyo wakaenda na kuwaita mabawabu wa mji. Wakawaambia, wakisema, “Tumeenda kambi ya Washami, lakini hapakuwa na mtu pale, hakuna sauti ya mtu yeyote, lakini kulikuwa na farasi wamefungwa, na punda wamefungwa, na zile hema kama zilivyokuwa.”
And when they had arrived at the gate of the city, they explained to them, saying: “We went into the camp of the Syrians, and we found no one in that place, except horses and donkeys tied, and the tents still standing.”
11 Ndipo mabawabu wakatoa habari, ndipo wakaambiwa ndani ya nyumba ya mfalme.
Therefore, the gatekeepers went and reported it in the palace of the king.
12 Basi yule mfalme akainuka usiku nakusema kwa watumishi wake, “Nitawaambia sasa kile ambacho Washami walichotufanyia. Wanajua kwamba tunanjaa, hivyo wameondoka kwenye kambi kwenda kujificha kwenye mashamba. Wanasema, 'Wakati watakapotoka mjini, tutawakamata wakiwa hai, na kuingia mjini.”
And he rose up in the night, and he said to his servants: “I tell you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we are suffering from famine, and therefore they have gone out from the camp, and they lie hidden in the fields, saying: ‘When they will have gone out from the city, we will capture them alive, and then we will be able to enter the city.’”
13 Mmoja wa wale watumishi wa mfalme akajibu na kusema, “Nakuomba, ngoja baadhi ya watu wachukue farasi watano wale waliosalia, ambao wamebaki kwenye mji. Wako kama mkutano wote wa Israeli waliobaki-wengi wamekufa; ngoja tuwatume na tuone.”
But one of his servants responded: “Let us take the five horses that remain in the city (for there were no more amid the entire multitude of Israel, since the rest had been consumed), and sending, we will be able to explore.”
14 Hivyo wakachukua magari mawili ya farasi pamoja na farasi, na mfalme akawatuma baada ya jeshi la Washami, akisema, “Enendeni mkaone.”
Therefore, they brought two horses. And the king sent them into the camp of the Syrians, saying, “Go, and see.”
15 Wakawafuata kwenda Yordani, na barabara zote zilikuwa zimejaa na vifaa ambavyo Washami walivitupa wapate kukimbia haraka. Kwa hiyo wale wajumbe wakarudi na kumwambia mfalme.
And they went away after them, as far as the Jordan. But behold, the entire way was filled with clothing and vessels, which the Syrians had thrown aside when they were disturbed. And the messengers returned and told the king.
16 Wale watu wakatoka nje na wakaziteka nyara zile kambi za Washami. Hivyo kipimo cha unga mzuri uliuzwa kwa shekeli moja, na vipimo viwili vya shayiri kwa shekeli moja, kama vile ambavyo neno la Yahwe lilivyosema.
And the people, going out, pillaged the camp of the Syrians. And one measure of fine wheat flour went for one silver coin, and two measures of barley went for one silver coin, in accord with the word of the Lord.
17 Naye mfalme alimwagiza yule nahodha ambaye alitegemea mkono wake kuwa mkuu wa lango, na watu wakamkanyaga chini langoni. Alikufa kama mtu wa Mungu alivyosema, ambaye ameongea wakati yule mfalme alipomshukia.
Then the king stationed that leader, on whose hand he leaned, at the gate. And the crowd trampled him at the entrance of the gate. And he died, in accord with what the man of God had said when the king had descended to him.
18 Basi ikatokea kama yule mtu wa Mungu alivyosema kwa mfalme akisema, “Mda kama huu kwenye lango la Samaria, vipimo viwili vya shayiri vitapatikana kwa shekeli, na kipimo cha unga mzuri kwa shekeli.”
And this happened in accord with the word of the man of God, which he had spoken to the king, when he said: “Two measures of barley will be one silver coin, and one measure of fine wheat flour will be one silver coin, at this same time tomorrow, at the gate of Samaria.”
19 Yule nahodha alimjibu yule mtu wa Mungu na kusema, “Tazama, hata kama Yahwe angefanya madirisha mbinguni, je hiki kitu kingeweza kutokea” Elisha akasema, “Tazama, utaona kikitokea kwa macho yako mwenyewe, lakini hutakula chochote katika hicho.”
Then that leader had responded to the man of God, and he had said, “Even if the Lord will open the floodgates of heaven, how can what you say possibly happen?” And he said to him, “You will see it with your own eyes, and you will not eat from it.”
20 Hivyo ndivyo haswa kilichompata, kwa kuwa watu wakamkanyaga kwenye lango, na kufa.
Therefore, it happened to him just as it had been predicted. For the people trampled him at the gate, and he died.