< 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.””
Elisha replied to the king, “Listen to what Yahweh says: ‘He says that by this time tomorrow, at the marketplace here in Samaria, you will be able to buy (ten pounds/five kg.) of fine wheat or (20 pounds/ten kg.) of barley for [only] one piece of silver.’”
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.”
The king’s officer said to Elijah, “That cannot happen! Even if Yahweh himself would open the windows of the sky [and send grain down to us], that certainly could not [RHQ] happen!” Elisha replied, “[Because you said that, ] you [SYN] will see it happen, but you will not be able to eat any of the food!”
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?
That day there were four men who had (leprosy/a dreaded skin disease) who were sitting outside the gate of Samaria [city. They said to each other, “(Why should we] wait here until we die?/[It is ridiculous for us to] wait here until we die.) [RHQ]
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 go into the city, we will die there, because there is no food there. If we remain sitting here, we will die here. So let’s go to where the army of Syria has set up their tents. If they kill us, we will die. But if they allow us to remain alive, we will not die.”
5 Hivyo wakaamka asubuhi kabla giza halijaisha kwenda kwenye kambi ya Washami; Wakati walipofika sehemu ya mwanzo wa kambi, hapakuwa na mtu hapo.
So when it was getting dark, those four men went to the camp where the army of Syria had set up their tents. But when they reached the camp, they saw that there was no one there!
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.”
What had happened was that Yahweh had caused the army of Syria to hear something that sounded like a large army marching with chariots and horses. So they said to each other, “Listen! The king of Israel has hired the kings of Egypt and the Heth people-group [and their armies], and they have come to attack us!”
7 Hivyo wale maaskari wakaondoka kungali giza; waliacha mahema yao, punda zao, na kambi kama ilivyokuwa, na kukimbia kwa ajili ya maisha yao.
So they all ran away that evening and left their tents and their horses and donkeys there, because [they were afraid that] they would be killed [if they stayed there].
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.
When those four lepers came to the edge of the area where the soldiers of Syria had set up their tents, they went into one tent, [and saw all the things that had been left there]. So they ate and drank what was there, and they took the silver and the gold and clothes. Then they went [outside the tent] and hid those things. Then they entered another tent, and took things from there, and then went outside and hid them, also.
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.”
But then they said to each other, “We are not doing what is right. We have good news [to tell others] today. If we do not tell it to anyone now, and if we wait until morning to tell it, we will certainly be punished [by Yahweh]. So let’s go right now to the palace and tell it to the king’s officials!”
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.”
So they went to the guards at the city gates and called out to them, “We went to where the army of Syria had set up their tents, but we did not see or hear anyone there. Their horses and donkeys were still tied up, but their tents were all deserted/abandoned!”
11 Ndipo mabawabu wakatoa habari, ndipo wakaambiwa ndani ya nyumba ya mfalme.
The guards shouted the news, and some people [who heard it] went to the palace and reported it there.
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.”
[When] the king [heard it, he] got up out of his bed and said to his officials, “I will tell you what the army of Syria is planning to do. They know that we have no food here, so they have left their tents and are hiding in the fields. They think that we will leave the city [to find some food], and then they will capture us and capture 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 officials said, “Many of our Israeli people have already died [from (hunger/not having anything to eat]). If those of us who are still alive all stay here, we also will die anyway. So let’s send some men with five of our horses that are still alive to go and see [what has really happened].”
14 Hivyo wakachukua magari mawili ya farasi pamoja na farasi, na mfalme akawatuma baada ya jeshi la Washami, akisema, “Enendeni mkaone.”
So they chose some men and told them to go in a chariot and find out what had happened to the army of Syria.
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.
They went as far as the Jordan [River]. All along the road they saw clothes and equipment that the soldiers from Syria had thrown away while they were running away very quickly. So the men returned to the king and reported [what they had seen].
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.
Then many of the people of Samaria also went [out of the city and went] to where the army of Syria had previously set up their tents. They entered all the tents and took everything. [So there was now plenty of everything!] As a result people could buy ten pounds of fine wheat or 20 pounds of barley for only one piece of silver, which was what Yahweh had said would happen!
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.
The king of Israel had appointed the officer who was his assistant to supervise what was happening at the marketplace. But as he was standing near the gate, all the people [who were rushing outside the city] trampled on him, and he died, which was what Elisha had said would happen to him when Elisha previously went to talk to the king.
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.”
Elisha had told him that by the next day there would be plenty of food, with the result that anyone could buy ten pounds of fine wheat or 20 pounds of barley for only one piece of silver.
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.”
And the officer had answered, “That certainly cannot [RHQ] happen! Even if Yahweh himself would open the sky and send down some grain, that could not happen.” And Elisha had replied, “[Because you said that, ] you [SYN] will see it happen, but you will not be able to eat any of the food!”
20 Hivyo ndivyo haswa kilichompata, kwa kuwa watu wakamkanyaga kwenye lango, na kufa.
And that is what happened to him. The people [who were rushing out of] the city gate trampled on him, and he died.