Mwanzo 38
1 Ikawa wakati ule Yuda akawaacha ndugu zake na kukaa na Mwadulami fulani, jina lake Hira.
At that time, Judah left his older and younger brothers and went down from the hilly area and stayed with a man whose name was Hiram, who lived in Adullam [town].
2 Pale akakutana na binti Mkanaani jina lake Shua. Akamwoa na kulala naye.
There he (met/became acquainted with) a woman who was the daughter of a man from Canaan named Shua. He married her. He had sex [EUP] with her,
3 Akawa mjamzito na kuzaa mwana. Akaitwa Eri.
and she became pregnant and later gave birth to a son, whom he named Er.
4 Akawa mjamzito tena na kuzaa mwana tena. Akamwita jina lake Onani.
Later she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son whom she named Onan.
5 Akazaa mwana mwingine akamwita jina lake Shela. Alikuwa huko Kezibu alipomzaa.
Many years later, when Judah and his family went to live in Kezib [town], Judah’s wife gave birth to another son, whom she named Shelah.
6 Yuda akaona mke kwa ajili ya Eri, mzaliwa wake wa kwanza. Jina lake Tamari.
When Judah’s oldest son Er [grew up], Judah got a wife for him, a woman named Tamar.
7 Eri, mzaliwa wa kwanza wa Yuda, alikuwa mwovu mbele za Yahwe. Yahwe akamwua.
But Er did something that Yahweh considered to be very wicked, so Yahweh caused him to die.
8 Yuda akamwambia Onani, “Lala na mke wa nduguyo. Fanya wajibu wa shemeji kwake, na umwinulie nduguyo mwana.”
Then Judah said to Onan, “Your older brother died without having any sons. So marry his widow and have sex [EUP] with her. That is what our customs require that you should do.”
9 Onani alijua kwamba mtoto asingekuwa wake. Pindi alipolala na mke wa kaka yake, alimwaga mbegu juu ya ardhi ili kwamba asimpatie nduguye mtoto.
But Onan knew if he did that, any children who would be born would not be considered to be his. So every time he had sex [EUP] with his brother’s widow, he spilled his semen on the ground, so that she would not get pregnant and produce children for his older brother.
10 Alilolifanya lilikuwa ovu mbele za Yahwe. Yahwe akamwua pia.
Yahweh considered that what he did was wicked, so he caused him to die also.
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 said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Return to your father’s house, but do not marry anyone else. When my youngest son Shelah grows up, [he can marry you].” But Judah [really did not want Shelah to marry her, because] he was afraid that then Shelah would die too, just as his older brothers had died. So Tamar [obeyed Judah and] went back to live in her father’s house again.
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.
Several years later, Judah’s wife, who was the daughter of Shua, died. When the time of mourning for her was finished, Judah decided to go up to Timnah, to the place where his (men were shearing his sheep/sheep were being sheared) His friend Hiram, from Adullam, went with him.
13 Tamari akaambiwa, “Tazama, mkweo anakwenda Timna kukata kondoo wake manyoya.”
Someone said to Tamar, “Your father-in-law is going to [the fields near the city of] Timnah to help the men who are shearing 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.
[She realized that now Shelah was grown up, but Judah had not given her to him to be his wife. So] she took off her widow’s clothes, and covered her head with a veil, so that people would not (recognize her/know who she was). Then she sat down at the entrance to Enaim [town], which is on the road to Timnah.
15 Yuda alipomwona alidhani ni kahaba kwa maana alikuwa amefunika uso wake.
When Judah came along and saw her, he thought that she was a prostitute, because she had covered her head [like prostitutes often did] (OR, [and sat where prostitutes often sat)].
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?
Judah did not realize that she was his daughter-in-law. So he said to her, “Hey, let me have sex [EUP] with you!” She replied, “What will you give me for allowing you to have sex [EUP] with me?”
17 Akasema, “Nitakuletea mwana mbuzu wa kundi.” Akasema, “Je utanipa rehani hata utakapo leta?”
He replied, “I will send you a young goat from my flock of goats.” She asked, “Will you give me something now for me to keep until you send the goat?”
18 Akasema, “Nikupe rehani gani?” Naye akasema, “Mhuri wako na mshipi, na fimbo iliyo mkononi mwako.” Akampa na kulala naye. Akawa mjamzito.
He replied, “What do you want me to give to you?” She replied, “Give me the ring that has your name on it that is tied by a cord around your neck, and give me the walking stick that you are holding in your hand.” So he gave them to her. Then he had sex [EUP] with her, and she became pregnant.
19 Akaamka na kuondoka. Akavua ushungi wake na kuvaa vazi la ujane wake.
After she left, she took off the veil and put her widow’s clothes on again.
20 Yuda akatuma mwana mbuzi kutoka kundini kwa mkono wa rafiki yake Mwadulami ili aichukue rehani kutoka katika mkono wa mwanamke, lakini hakumwona.
Judah gave a young goat to his friend from Adullam, for him to take back to the woman, as he had promised. But his friend could not find the woman.
21 Kisha Mwadulami akauliza watu wa sehemu hiyo,”Yupo wapi kahaba aliyekuwa Enaimu kando ya njia?” Wakasema, hapajawai tokea kahaba hapa.”
So he asked the men who lived there, “Where is the prostitute who was sitting by the road at Enaim?” They replied, “There has never been a prostitute here!”
22 Akarudi kwa Yuda na kusema, “Sikumwona. Pia watu wa eneo hilo wamesema, 'Hajawai kuwapo kahaba hapa.”
So he went back to Judah and said, “I did not find her. [Furthermore], the men who live in that town said, ‘There has never been a prostitute here.’”
23 Yuda akasema, “Mwache akae na vitu, tusije tukaaibika. Hakika, nimemletea mwanambuzi, lakini hukumwona.”
Judah said, “She can keep the things that I gave to her. If we continued to search for her, people would ridicule us. I tried to send this young goat to her, but you could not find her to give it to 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.”
About three months later, someone told Judah, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has become a prostitute and now she is pregnant!” Judah said, “Drag her outside of the city and kill her by burning her!”
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.”
But as they were taking her outside of the city, she gave the ring and walking stick to someone, and told him to take them to Judah, and say to him, “The man who owns these things is the one who caused me to become pregnant.” She also said to tell him, “Look at this ring, and the cord that is attached to it, and this walking stick. Whose are they?”
26 Yuda akavitambua na kusema, “Yeye ni mwenye haki kuliko mimi, kwani sikumpa Shela, mwanangu awe mme wake.” Hakulala naye tena.
When the man did that, Judah recognized the ring and the stick. He said, “She is more righteous than I am. I did not tell my son Shelah to marry her, as I promised that I would.” And Judah did not have sex [EUP] with her again.
27 Muda wake wa kujifungua ukafika, tazama, mapacha walikuwa tumboni mwake.
When it was time for her to give birth, [she was surprised that] there were twin boys in her womb.
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.”
As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand. So the midwife fastened a scarlet thread around his wrist, saying, “This one came out first.”
29 Ikawa aliporudisha mkono wake, tazama, ndugu yake akatoka kwanza. Mkunga akasema, “Umetokaje” Na akaitwa Peresi.
But he pulled his hand back inside the womb, and his brother came out first. So she said, “So this is how you break your way out first!” So she named him Perez, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘breaking out].’
30 Kisha ndugu yake akatoka, akiwa na utepe wa zambarau juu ya mkono wake, naye akaitwa Zera.
Then his younger brother, the one who had the scarlet thread around his wrist, came out. And he was named Zerah, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘redness of dawn].’
