Kutoka 16

1 Watu wakaendelea na safari kutoka Elimu, na jamii yote ya Waisraeli ikaja nyikani mwa Sinu, iliyopo katikati ya Elimu na Sinai, siku ya kumi na tano ya mwezi wa pili walipo toka Misri.

The whole Israelite community left Elim and went to the Desert of Sin, between Elim and Sinai. This was on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left the land of Egypt.

2 Jamii yote ya Waisraeli wali walalamikia Musa na Aruni nyikani.

There in the desert they complained to Moses and Aaron.

3 Waisraeli waliwaambia, “Kama tu tungekufa kwa mkono wa Yahweh nchi ya Misri tulipo kuwa tumeketi kwenye vyombo vya nyama na tulikuwa tunakula mkate kwa tele. Maana umetuleta nyikani uuwe jamii zetu zote kwa njaa.”

“The Lord should've killed us back in Egypt!” the Israelites told them. “At least there we could sit down beside stewpots of meat and eat bread until we were full. But you had to bring all of us out here in the desert to starve us all to death!”

4 Kisha Yahweh akamwambia Musa, “Nitakunyeshea mvua ya mkate. Watu wataenda na kukusanya kiasi cha siku kila siku ili niwajaribu kama wataendelea kushika sheria yangu au hapana.

The Lord told Moses, “Just watch! I'm going to rain down bread from heaven for you! Each day the people are to go out and collect enough for that day. I'm going to test them by this to find out whether they'll follow my instructions or not.

5 Itakuja kuwa siku ya sita, kwamba watakusanya mara mbili zaidi ya wanavyo kusanyaga, na watapika wanacholeta.”

On the sixth day they are to collect twice as much as usual and prepare it.”

6 Kisha Musa na Aruni wakawaambia watu wote wa Israeli, “Jioni mtajua kuwa ni Yahweh aliye waleta kutoka nchi ya Misri.

So Moses and Aaron explained to all the Israelites, “This evening you will have the proof that it was the Lord who led you out of Egypt,

7 Asubui utaona utukufu wa Yahweh, kwa maana anasikia mna mlalamikia. Sisi ni nani hadi mtulalamikie?”

and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord displayed as he responds to the complaints he's heard you making against him. For why should you be complaining to us? We're nobodies!”

8 Musa pia akasema, “Utajua hili pale Yahweh atakapo kupa nyama jioni na mkate asubui kwa tele - kwa kuwa amesikia malalamishi mnayo tamka dhidi yake. Nani ni Aruni na mimi? Malalamishi yenu sio dhidi yetu; ni dhidi ya Yahweh.”

Then Moses continued, “The Lord is going to give you meat to eat this evening and as much bread as you want in the morning, for he has heard your complaints against him. Why are you complaining to us nobodies? Your complaints aren't directed against us, but against the Lord.”

9 Musa akamwambia Aruni, “Sema kwa jamii yote ya watu wa Israeli, 'Njoo karibu ya Yahweh, kwa kuwa amesikia malalamishi yenu.'”

Then Moses said to Aaron, “Tell the whole Israelite community, ‘Present yourselves before the Lord, because he has heard your complaints.’”

10 Ikawa, Aruni alipo sema na jamii yote ya watu wa Israeli, wakaangalia kuelekea nyikani, na, tazama, utukufu wa Yahweh ukatokea kwenye wingu.

While Aaron was still speaking to all the Israelites, they looked toward the desert and saw the glory of the Lord appear in a cloud.

11 Kisha Yahweh akasema na Musa na kumwambia,

The Lord told Moses,

12 “Nimesikia malalamishi ya watu wa Israeli. Sema nao na useme, 'Jioni utakula nyama, na asubui utashiba mkate. Kisha utajua mimi ni Yahweh Mungu wako.'”

“I have heard the complaints of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘In the evening you will eat meat, and in the morning you will have as much bread as you want. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’”

13 Ikaja kuwa kwamba jioni kware wakaja juu na kufunika kambi. Asubui umande ulitanda kambini.

That evening quail flew in and landed, filling the camp. In the morning dew covered the ground all around the camp.

14 Umande ulipo kwisha, pale juu ya ardhi ya nyikani kulikuwa na kama barafu iliyo ganda kwenye ardhi.

Once the dew had gone, there was something thin and flaky on the desert, looking like frost crystals on the ground.

15 Watu wa Israeli walipo ona, walisema mmoja kwa mwenzake, “Hii ni nini?” Hawakujua ilikuwa ni nini. Musa akawaambia, “Ni mkate Yahweh aliyo wapa mle.

When the Israelites saw it, they asked each another, “What is it?” because they had no idea what it was. So Moses explained to them, “It's the bread the Lord has provided for you to eat.

16 Hii ni amri Yahweh aliyotoa: 'Lazima ukusanye, kila mmoja wenu, kiasi unacho itaji kula, lita mbili kwa kila mtu. Hivi ndivyo utakavyo kusanya: Kusanya cha kutosha kula cha kila mtu anaye ishi hemani mwako.'”

This is what the Lord has ordered you to do: ‘All of you shall collect as much as is needed. Take an omer for each person in your tent.’”

17 Watu wa Israeli wakafanya hivyo. Baadhi wakakusanya zaidi, baadhi wakakusanya kidogo.

So the Israelites did as they were told. Some collected more, while others collected less.

18 Walipo pima kwa kipimo cha lita, hao walio kusanya zaidi hawakuwa na kilicho salia, na hao walio kusanya kidogo hawakuwa na pungufu. Kila mmoja alikusanya cha kutosha kukidhi maitaji yake.

But when they measured it out in omers, those who had collected a lot didn't have any left over, while those who had only collected a little still had enough. Each person collected gathered as much as they needed to eat.

19 Kisha Musa akawaambia, “Hakuna ata mmoja kubakiza hadi asubui.”

Then Moses said to them, “No one is to leave any of it until the morning.”

20 Walakini, hawakumsikiliza Musa. Baadhi yao waliacha baadhi hadi asubui, lakini ilizalisha wadudu na kuwa batili. Kisha Musa akawa na hasira juu yao.

But some didn't listen to Moses. They did leave some of it until the morning, and it was full of maggots and smelled bad. Moses became angry with them.

21 Walikusanya asubui kwa asubui. Kila mtu alikusanya cha kutosha kula kwa hiyo siku. Jua lilipo kuwa kali, ili yayuka.

So each morning everyone collected as much as they needed, and when the sun became hot, it melted away to nothing.

22 siku ya sita walikusanya mkate mara mbili zaidi, lita mbili kwa kila mtu. Viongozi wote wa jamii walikuja na kumwambia hili kwa Musa.

However, on the sixth day, they collected twice as much of this food, two omers for each person. All the Israelite leaders came and told Moses what they had done.

23 Aliwaambia, “Hili ndilo Yahweh alililo lisema: 'Kesho ni mapumziko ya kujiliwaza, sabato takatifu kwa utukufu wa Yahweh. Oka kile unataka kuoka, na chemsha kile unataka kuchemsha. Vyote vitakavyo baki, jihifadhie hadi asubui.”'

Moses replied, “These are the Lord's instructions: ‘Tomorrow is a special day of rest, a holy Sabbath to honor the Lord. So bake what you want, and boil what you want. Then put to one side what's left and keep it until morning.’”

24 Hivyo wakaeka pembeni hadi asubui, kama Musa alivyo elekeza. Haikuharibika, wala haikuwa na mdudu yeyote.

So they kept it until morning as Moses had ordered, and it didn't smell bad or have any maggots.

25 Musa alisema, “Kula hicho cha kula leo, kwa kuwa leo ni siku iliyo tengwa ya kumtukuza Yahweh. Leo hamtaikuta mashambani.

Moses told them, “Eat it today, because today is a Sabbath to honor the Lord. Today you won't find anything out there.

26 Mtaikusanya ndani ya siku sita, lakini siku ya saba ni Sabato. Siku ya Sabato hakuta kuwa na manna.”

You can go out collecting for six days, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, it won't be there.”

27 Ilikuja kuwa siku ya saba ambapo baadhi ya watu walienda kukusanya manna, lakini hawakukuta

However, on the seventh day some people still went out collecting, but they did not find anything.

28 Kisha Yahweh akamwambia Musa, Kwa muda gani utaendelea kukataa kushika amri zangu na sheria zangu?

The Lord told Moses, “How long are you going to refuse to obey my commands and instructions?

29 Tazama, Yahweh amekupa Sabato. Hivyo siku ya sita anakupa mkate wa siku mbili. Kila mmoja wenu lazima akae kwenye sehemu yake; hakuna hata mmoja wa kutoka sehemu yake siku ya saba.”

You need to understand that the Lord has given you the Sabbath, so on the sixth day he will provide you with food for two days. On the seventh day, everyone has to stay where they are—no one needs to go out.”

30 Hivyo watu watapumzika siku ya saba.

So the people did no work on the seventh day.

31 Watu wa Israeli walikiita chakula kile “manna.” Ilikuwa ni nyeupe kama mbegu ya mgiligani, na ladha yake kama maandazi yaliyo pikwa na asali.

The Israelites called the food manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers with honey.

32 Musa akasema, “Hili ndilo Yahweh alilo amuru: 'Acha lita mbili ya manna ihifadhiwe kwa ajili vizazi vya watu wako ili kwamba uzao wako uone mkate niliyo kulisha nyikani, baada ya kukutoa kutoka nchi ya Misri.

Moses said, “This is what the Lord has ordered: ‘Keep an omer of manna as a reminder for future generations, so that they can see the food I used to feed you in the desert when I led you out of Egypt.’”

33 Musa akamwambia Aruni, “Chukuwa jagi na uweke lita mbili za manna ndani yake. Hifadhi kwa Yahweh i dumu vizazi vyote vya watu.”

So Moses told Aaron, “Take a jar and put an omer of manna in it. Then place it before the Lord to be kept as a reminder for future generations.”

34 Kama Yahweh alivyo muamuru Musa, Aruni akahifadhi pembeni mwa mawe yaliyo kuwa na amri za agano.

Aaron did so and placed the jar in front of the Testimony, to be preserved just as the Lord had ordered Moses.

35 Watu wa Israeli walikula manna miaka arobaini mpaka walipo kuja nchi yenye watu. Walikula mpaka walipo fika kwenye mipaka ya nchi ya Kanani.

The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to the land where they would settle down—they ate manna until they arrived at the border of Canaan.

36 Lita mbili ni makumi ya efa.

(An omer is a tenth of an ephah.)