Mwanzo 38
1 Ikawa wakati ule Yuda akawaacha ndugu zake na kukaa na Mwadulami fulani, jina lake Hira.
Around this time, Judah left his brothers and set up his tents at Adullam, near to a local man named Hirah.
2 Pale akakutana na binti Mkanaani jina lake Shua. Akamwoa na kulala naye.
There Judah happened to see the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua and married her. He slept with her,
3 Akawa mjamzito na kuzaa mwana. Akaitwa Eri.
and she became pregnant and had a son he named Er.
4 Akawa mjamzito tena na kuzaa mwana tena. Akamwita jina lake Onani.
She became pregnant again and had a son she named Onan.
5 Akazaa mwana mwingine akamwita jina lake Shela. Alikuwa huko Kezibu alipomzaa.
Then she had another son she named Shelah who was born in Kezib.
6 Yuda akaona mke kwa ajili ya Eri, mzaliwa wake wa kwanza. Jina lake Tamari.
Much later, Judah arranged for Er, his firstborn son, to marry a woman named Tamar.
7 Eri, mzaliwa wa kwanza wa Yuda, alikuwa mwovu mbele za Yahwe. Yahwe akamwua.
But Er did what was evil in the Lord's sight, so the Lord put him to death.
8 Yuda akamwambia Onani, “Lala na mke wa nduguyo. Fanya wajibu wa shemeji kwake, na umwinulie nduguyo mwana.”
Judah told Onan, “Go and sleep with your brother's wife to fulfill the requirements of a brother-in-law to have children on behalf of your brother.”
9 Onani alijua kwamba mtoto asingekuwa wake. Pindi alipolala na mke wa kaka yake, alimwaga mbegu juu ya ardhi ili kwamba asimpatie nduguye mtoto.
Onan realized that any children he had wouldn't be his own, so whenever he slept with his brother's wife he made sure she wouldn't become pregnant by withdrawing and spilling his semen on the ground. In this way he prevented any children being born on behalf of his brother.
10 Alilolifanya lilikuwa ovu mbele za Yahwe. Yahwe akamwua pia.
But what he did was evil in the Lord's sight, so he also put Onan to death.
11 Kisha Yuda akamwambia Tamari, mkwewe, “Ukakae mjane katika nyumb aya baba yako hadi Shela, mwanangu, atakapokuwa.” Kwani aliogopa, “Asije akafa pia, kama nduguze.” Tamari akaondoka na kuishi katika nyumba ya babaye.
Then Judah told his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Go to your father's house and live there as a widow until my son Shelah grows up.” For he thought, “Maybe he'll die too, just like his brothers.” So Tamar went and stayed in her father's house.
12 Baada ya muda mrefu, binti Shua, mkewe Yuda, alikufa. Yuda akafarijika na kwenda kwa wakatao kondoo wake manyoya huko Timna, yeye na rafiki yake, Hira Mwadulami.
A long time later Judah's wife, the daughter of Shua, died. After Judah had finished the time of mourning, he went to visit his sheepshearers at Timnah with his friend Hirah from Adullam.
13 Tamari akaambiwa, “Tazama, mkweo anakwenda Timna kukata kondoo wake manyoya.”
Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going to Timnah to shear his sheep.”
14 Akavua mavazi yake ya ujane na akajifunika kwa ushungi. Akakaa katika lango la Enaimu, lililoko kando ya njia iendayo Timna. Kwa maana aliona kwamba Shela amekua lakini akupewe kuwa mke wake.
So she took off her widow's clothes and covered herself with a veil, disguising herself. She sat down beside the entrance to Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah. She had realized that even though Shelah had now grown up, nothing had been done about her marrying him.
15 Yuda alipomwona alidhani ni kahaba kwa maana alikuwa amefunika uso wake.
Judah saw her and thought she must be a prostitute because she had veiled her face.
16 Akamwendea kando ya njia na kusema, “Njoo, tafadhari uniruhusu kulala nawe” - kwani hakujua kwamba alikuwa ni mkwewe - naye akasema, “Utanipa nini ili ulale nami?
He went over to her at the side of the road and said, “I want to sleep with you.” He didn't know she was his daughter-in-law. “What will you give me if I let you sleep with me?” she asked.
17 Akasema, “Nitakuletea mwana mbuzu wa kundi.” Akasema, “Je utanipa rehani hata utakapo leta?”
“I'll send you a young goat from my flock,” he replied. “What guarantee will you give me to make sure you'll send it?” she asked.
18 Akasema, “Nikupe rehani gani?” Naye akasema, “Mhuri wako na mshipi, na fimbo iliyo mkononi mwako.” Akampa na kulala naye. Akawa mjamzito.
“What guarantee do I have to give you?” he asked. “Your signet seal and its cord, and your walking stick that you're holding,” she replied. He handed them over to her. He slept with her and she became pregnant.
19 Akaamka na kuondoka. Akavua ushungi wake na kuvaa vazi la ujane wake.
She left, went home, took off her veil, and put on her widow's clothes.
20 Yuda akatuma mwana mbuzi kutoka kundini kwa mkono wa rafiki yake Mwadulami ili aichukue rehani kutoka katika mkono wa mwanamke, lakini hakumwona.
Judah sent his friend Hirah from Adullam with a young goat to get back his belongings he'd left as a guarantee from the woman, but he couldn't find her.
21 Kisha Mwadulami akauliza watu wa sehemu hiyo,”Yupo wapi kahaba aliyekuwa Enaimu kando ya njia?” Wakasema, hapajawai tokea kahaba hapa.”
Hirah asked the men there, “Where's the cult prostitute that sits by the entrance road to Enaim?” “There's no cult prostitute here,” they answered.
22 Akarudi kwa Yuda na kusema, “Sikumwona. Pia watu wa eneo hilo wamesema, 'Hajawai kuwapo kahaba hapa.”
Hirah went back to Judah and told him, “I couldn't find her, and the men there said, ‘There's no cult prostitute here.’”
23 Yuda akasema, “Mwache akae na vitu, tusije tukaaibika. Hakika, nimemletea mwanambuzi, lakini hukumwona.”
“Let her keep what I gave her,” Judah replied. “We'll look ridiculous to people if we go on searching. In any case I did try to send her the young goat as promised but you couldn't find her.”
24 Ikawa baada ya miezi mitatu Yuda akaambiwa, “Tamari mkweo amefanya ukahaba, na kwa hakika, yeye ni mjamzito.” Yuda akasema, “Mleteni hapa ili achomwe.”
Then about three months later Judah was told, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has had sex like a prostitute and now as a result she's pregnant!” “Bring her out and burn her to death!” Judah ordered.
25 Alipoletwa nje, alipeleka ujumbe kwa mkwewe, “Mimi ni mjamzito kwa mtu mwenye vitu hivi.” Akasema, “Tambua tafadhari, mhuri huu na mshipi na fimbo ni vya nani.”
As she was brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law, saying, “I'm pregnant by the man who owns these things.” Then she added, “Please look carefully at this signet seal and its cord and walking stick. Who do they belong to?”
26 Yuda akavitambua na kusema, “Yeye ni mwenye haki kuliko mimi, kwani sikumpa Shela, mwanangu awe mme wake.” Hakulala naye tena.
Judah recognized them right away and said, “She has honored the law more than I have, because I didn't give her in marriage to my son Shelah.” He didn't sleep with Tamar again.
27 Muda wake wa kujifungua ukafika, tazama, mapacha walikuwa tumboni mwake.
When the time came for Tamar to give birth, she was found to be carrying twins.
28 Ikawa alipokuwa akijifungua mmoja akatoa mkono nje, na mkunga akachukua kitambaa cha rangi ya zambarau na kukifunga katika mkono wake na kusema, “Huyu ametoka wa kwanza.”
One baby put out his hand, and the midwife tied a scarlet thread around on his wrist and said, “This one came out first.”
29 Ikawa aliporudisha mkono wake, tazama, ndugu yake akatoka kwanza. Mkunga akasema, “Umetokaje” Na akaitwa Peresi.
But then he pulled back his hand and his brother was born, she said, “How did you burst out?” So he was named Perez.
30 Kisha ndugu yake akatoka, akiwa na utepe wa zambarau juu ya mkono wake, naye akaitwa Zera.
Then his brother with the scarlet thread on his wrist was born. He was named Zerah.
