Kutoka 17
1 Jamii yote ya Israeli ili safiri kutoka nyikani ya Sinu, wakifuata maelekezo ya Yahweh. Walieka kambi Refidimu, lakini hapakuwa na maji ya watu kunywa.
Obeying what Yahweh commanded, all the Israeli people moved from the Sin Desert. They/We traveled from one place to another. They/We camped at [a place named] Rephidim, but there was no water there for (the people/us) to drink.
2 Hivyo watu wakamlaumu Musa kwa hali yao na kusema, “Tupe maji ya kunywa.” Musa akasema, “Kwanini mnagombana na mimi? Kwanini mnajaribu Yahweh?”
So the people complained to Moses/me again, saying, “Give us water to drink!” Moses/I replied to them, “Why are you (criticizing/arguing with) me [RHQ]? And why are you trying to determine whether Yahweh [has the power to provide for you]?”
3 Watu walikuwa na kiu sana, na waka mlalamikia Musa. Wakasema, “Kwanini umetutoa Misri? Ili utuue sisi na watoto wetu na mifugo yetu kwa kiu?”
But the people were very thirsty, and they continued to complain to Moses/me. They were saying things like “Why did you bring us out of Egypt?”, and “Did you bring us here to cause us and our children and livestock to die (from thirst/because we had no water to drink) [RHQ]?”
4 Kisha Musa akamlilia Yahweh, “Nini ni fanya kwa hawa watu? Wako tayari ata kunipiga mawe.”
So Moses/I prayed earnestly to Yahweh. He/I said, “(How shall I deal with these people?/I do not know how to deal with these people!) [RHQ] They are almost ready to [kill me by throwing] stones at me!”
5 Yahweh akamwambia Musa, “Nenda mbele yao, na uchukuwe baadhi ya wazee wa Israeli. Chukuwa gongo ulilo piga nalo mto, na uende.
Yahweh replied to Moses/me, “Take some of the elders/leaders of the Israeli people with you and [tell the rest of] the people to follow you [to Sinai Mountain]. Take along the stick with which you struck the Nile [River].
6 Nitasimama mbele yako pale kwenye mwamba wa Horebu, na utaupiga mwamba. Maji yatatoka ya watu kunywa.” Kisha Musa akafanya hivyo mbele ya wazee wa Israeli.
Listen carefully: I will stand in front of you on top of a [large] rock at the foot of the mountain. Strike the rock with your stick. [When you do that], water for the people to drink will flow out of the rock.” [When they/we arrived at the mountain], Moses/I did that while the Israeli elders were watching, [and water flowed from the rock].
7 Aliita ile sehemu Massa na Meriba kwasababu ya malalamishi ya Waisraeli, na kwasababu walimjaribu Bwana kwa kusema, “Je Yahweh yupo miongoni mwetu au hapana?”
Moses/I gave that place two names [in the Hebrew language: ] Massah, [which means ‘testing’], and Meribah, [which means ‘complaining’]. He/I gave it the name Massah because the Israeli people were testing Yahweh, saying “Is Yahweh really among us [and able to help us], or not?”, and he/I gave it the name Meribah because they were [continually] complaining.
8 Kisha jeshi la watu wa Ameleki wakaja na kushambulia Israeli huko Refidimu.
Then the descendants of the Amalek people-group came and fought against the Israeli people at Rephidim.
9 Hivyo Musa akamwambia Yoshua, “Chagau wanaume kadha na uende nje. Pigana na Ameleki. Kesho nitasimama juu ya kilima na gongo la Mungu mkononi mwangu.”
Moses/I said to Joshua, [who was one of our army/Israeli leaders], “Choose some men to go out and fight against the Amalek people-group tomorrow. I will stand on the top of the hill, holding the stick that God told me to carry.”
10 Hivyo Yoshua akapigana na Ameleki kama Musa alivyo elekeza, wakati Musa, Aruni, na Huri walienda juu ya kilima.
So Joshua did what Moses/I told him to do. He took some men to fight against the Amalek people-group. [While they were fighting], Aaron, Hur, and Moses/I went up to the top of the hill [so that they/we could see the whole battle area].
11 Wakati Musa alipo kuwa ameshikilia mikono yake juu, Israeli ilikuwa yashinda; alipo acha mikono yake ipumzike, Ameleki alianza kushinda.
Whenever Moses/I lifted up his/my arms, the Israeli men started to win [the battle]. And whenever he/I lowered his/my arms, the Amalek people-group started to win.
12 Mikono ya Musa alipo kuwa mizito, Aruni na Huri walichukuwa jiwe na kuweka chini yake alikalie. Muda huo huo, Aruni na Huri walinyanyua mikono yake juu, mtu mmoja upande mmoja, na mtu mmoja upande mwingine. Hivyo mikono ya Musa ilishikiliwa tuli mpaka jua lilipo zama.
But his/my arms became tired. So Aaron and Hur [rolled] a [large] stone for Moses/me to sit on. [While he/I was sitting on it], those two held up his/my arms, [one on one side and the other on the other side]. In that way, they kept his/my arms lifted up, and his/my arms held steady until the sun went down.
13 Hivyo Yoshua akawashinda watu wa Ameleki kwa upanga.
So Joshua and the men with him completely defeated the Amalek people-group, using their swords [to fight against them].
14 Yahweh akamwambia Musa, “Andika haya kwenye kitabu na umsomee Yoshua, kwasababu nitaondoa kumbukumbu ya Ameleki kutoka chini ya mbingu.”
Then Yahweh said to Moses/me, “Write an account of this battle, and then read it to Joshua. [Also write that some day] I will completely get rid of the Amalek people-group.”
15 Kisha Musa akajenga madhabahu na kuiita “Yahweh ni bendera yangu.”
Then Moses/I built a [stone] altar there and named it ‘Yahweh is [like] my flag’.
16 Alisema, “Kwa kuwa mkono ulinyanyuliwa juu kuelekea kiti cha enzi cha Yahweh - kwamba Yahweh ata fanya vita na Ameleki vizazi na vizazi.”
He/I said, “Hold high Yahweh’s flag! Yahweh will continue to fight against the Amalek people-group (forever/in all future generations)!”
