Waamuzi 3
1 Sasa Bwana aliyaacha mataifa haya yaijaribu Israeli, yaani kila mtu katika Israeli ambaye hakushiriki vita yoyote huko Kanaani.
These are the nations that the LORD left to test all the Israelites who had not known any of the wars in Canaan,
2 (Alifanya hivyo ili kuwafundisha vita kizazi kipya cha Waisraeli ambao hawakujua kabla).
if only to teach warfare to the subsequent generations of Israel, especially to those who had not known it formerly:
3 Haya ndio mataifa: wafalme watano kutoka kwa Wafilisti, Wakanaani wote, Wasidoni, na Wahivi waliokaa milima ya Lebanoni, kutoka Mlima Baali Hermoni hadi Hamathi.
the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived in the mountains of Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to Lebo-hamath.
4 Mataifa haya yaliachwa kama njia ambayo Bwana angeijaribu Israeli, kuthibitisha kama watazitii amri alizowapa babu zao kupitia Musa.
These nations were left to test the Israelites, to find out whether they would keep the commandments of the LORD, which He had given their fathers through Moses.
5 Basi wana wa Israeli wakakaa kati ya Wakanaani, na Wahiti, na Waamori, na Waperizi, na Wahivi, na Wayebusi.
Thus the Israelites continued to live among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
6 Waliwachukua binti zao kuwa wake zao, nao wakawapa wana wao binti zao, nao wakaitumikia miungu yao.
And they took the daughters of these people in marriage, gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.
7 Wana wa Israeli walifanya yaliyo mabaya machoni pa Bwana, wakamsahau Bwana, Mungu wao. Waliabudu Baali na Asherah.
So the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD; they forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs.
8 Basi, hasira ya Bwana ikawaka juu ya Israeli, naye akawauza mkononi mwa Kushan-rishathaimu mfalme wa Aram Naharaimu. Watu wa Israeli walitumikia Kushan Rishathaimu kwa miaka nane.
Then the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram-naharaim, and the Israelites served him eight years.
9 Watu wa Israeli walipomwomba Bwana, Bwana akamuinua mtu atakayewasaidia wana wa Israeli, na mtu atakayewaokoa: Othnieli mwana wa Kenazi (ndugu mdogo wa Kalebu).
But when the Israelites cried out to the LORD, He raised up Othniel son of Caleb’s younger brother Kenaz as a deliverer to save them.
10 Roho wa Bwana akamtia nguvu, naye akahukumu Israeli na akatoka kwenda vitani. Bwana akampa kuishinda Kush-rishataimu mfalme wa Aramu. Mkono wa Othnieli alishinda Kushan Rishathaimu.
The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he became Israel’s judge and went out to war. And the LORD delivered Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram into the hand of Othniel, who prevailed against him.
11 Nchi ilikuwa na amani kwa miaka arobaini. Ndipo Otinieli mwana wa Kenazi akafa.
So the land had rest for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.
12 Baada ya hayo, Waisraeli wakafanya yaliyo mabaya machoni pa Bwana; Bwana akampa Egloni mfalme wa Moabu nguvu, kuwashinda Waisraeli.
Once again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD. So He gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD.
13 Eglon alijiunga na wana wa Amoni na Waamaleki wakaenda na kuwashinda Israeli, na walichukua mji wa Mitende.
After enlisting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join forces with him, Eglon attacked and defeated Israel, taking possession of the City of Palms.
14 Watu wa Israeli walimtumikia Eglon mfalme wa Moabu kwa miaka kumi na nane.
The Israelites served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years.
15 Wana wa Israeli walipomwomba Bwana, Bwana akamwinua mtu aliyewasaidia, Ehudi mwana wa Gera, Mbenjamini, mtu shoto. Wana wa Israeli wakamtuma kwa Egloni, mfalme wa Moabu, kwa malipo yao ya kodi.
And again they cried out to the LORD, and He raised up Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed Benjamite, as their deliverer. So they sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab.
16 Ehudi akajifanyia upanga uliokuwa na makali kuwili, urefu wa dhiraa moja; aliufunga chini ya nguo zake juu ya mguu wake wa kulia.
Now Ehud had made for himself a double-edged sword a cubit long. He strapped it to his right thigh under his cloak
17 Akampa Egloni Mfalme wa Moabu malipo ya kodi. (Egloni alikuwa mtu mnene sana.)
and brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was an obese man.
18 Baada ya Ehudi kulipa malipo ya kodi, aliondoka na wale waliokuwa wameibeba.
After Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he ushered out those who had carried it.
19 Hata hivyo Ehudi mwenyewe, alipofikia mahali ambapo sanamu za kuchonga zilitengenezwa karibu na Gilgali, akageuka na kurudi, akasema, 'Nina ujumbe wa siri kwako, mfalme wangu.' Eglon akasema, 'Nyamazeni kimya!' Kwa hiyo wote waliomtumikia wakatoka kwenye chumba.
But upon reaching the idols near Gilgal, he himself turned back and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” “Silence,” said the king, and all his attendants left him.
20 Ehudi akaja kwake. Mfalme alikuwa amekaa peke yake, peke yake katika chumba cha juu cha baridi. Ehudi akasema, 'Nina ujumbe kutoka kwa Mungu kwa ajili yeko.' Mfalme akasimama kutoka katika kiti chake.
Then Ehud approached him while he was sitting alone in the coolness of his upper room. “I have a word from God for you,” Ehud said, and the king rose from his seat.
21 Ehudi akanyoosha mkono wake wa kushoto na akachukua upanga kutoka mguu wake wa kulia, na akautia ndani ya mwili wa mfalme.
And Ehud reached with his left hand, pulled the sword from his right thigh, and plunged it into Eglon’s belly.
22 Na kipini cha upanga kikaingia ndani yake baada ya upanga, nao ukatokea nyuma yake, na mafuta yakashikamana juu ya upanga, kwa kuwa Ehudi hakuutoa upanga nje ya mwili wake.
Even the handle sank in after the blade, and Eglon’s fat closed in over it, so that Ehud did not withdraw the sword from his belly. And Eglon’s bowels emptied.
23 Kisha Ehudi akatoka kwenye ukumbi na akafunga milango ya chumba cha juu nyuma yake na akawafungia.
Then Ehud went out through the porch, closing and locking the doors of the upper room behind him.
24 Baada ya Ehudi kuondoka, watumishi wa mfalme wakaja; wakaona milango ya chumba cha juu imefungwa, kwa hiyo wakafikiri, 'Hakika atakuwa anajitoa mwenyewe katika hali ya baridi ya chumba cha juu.'
After Ehud was gone, Eglon’s servants came in and found the doors of the upper room locked. “He must be relieving himself in the cool room,” they said.
25 Walizidi kuwa na wasiwasi hata walipoanza kuhisi kuwa walikuwa wakipuuza wajibu wao wakati mfalme bado hakufungua milango ya chumba cha juu. Kwa hiyo walichukua ufunguo wakawafungua, tazama bwana wao, ameanguka chini, amekufa.
So they waited until they became worried and saw that he had still not opened the doors of the upper room. Then they took the key and opened the doors—and there was their lord lying dead on the floor.
26 Wakati watumishi wakisubiri, wakijiuliza nini wanapaswa kufanya, Ehudi alikimbia na kupita mahali ambako kulikuwa na sanamu za kuchonga, na hivyo akakimbia kwenda Seira.
Ehud, however, had escaped while the servants waited. He passed by the idols and escaped to Seirah.
27 Alipofika, alipiga tarumbeta katika nchi ya mlima wa Efraimu. Kisha wana wa Israeli wakashuka pamoja naye kutoka milimani, naye akawaongoza.
On arriving in Seirah, he blew the ram’s horn throughout the hill country of Ephraim. The Israelites came down with him from the hills, and he became their leader.
28 Akawaambia, Nifuate, kwa kuwa Bwana atawashinda adui zenu, Wamoabu. Wakamfuata, wakakamata vivuko vya Bonde la Yordani, toka kwa Wamoabi, wala hawakuruhusu mtu yeyote kuvuka mto.
“Follow me,” he told them, “for the LORD has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” So they followed him down and seized the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross over.
29 Wakati huo waliwaua watu elfu kumi wa Moabu, na wote walikuwa watu wenye nguvu na wenye uwezo. Hakuna aliyekimbia.
At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all robust and valiant men. Not one of them escaped.
30 Kwa hiyo siku hiyo Moabu ilishindwa na nguvu ya Israeli. Na nchi ilikuwa na amani kwa miaka thelathini.
So Moab was subdued under the hand of Israel that day, and the land had rest for eighty years.
31 Baada ya Ehudi, mwamuzi aliyefuata alikuwa Shamgari mwana wa Anathi ambaye aliwaua Wafilisti 600 kwa konzo la ng'ombe. Pia aliwaokoa Israeli kutoka kwenye hatari.
After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath. And he too saved Israel, striking down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad.
