Waamuzi 3
1 Sasa Bwana aliyaacha mataifa haya yaijaribu Israeli, yaani kila mtu katika Israeli ambaye hakushiriki vita yoyote huko Kanaani.
The following are the nations the Lord left and used to test all those Israelites who had not known what it was like to be part of any of the wars in Canaan.
2 (Alifanya hivyo ili kuwafundisha vita kizazi kipya cha Waisraeli ambao hawakujua kabla).
(He did so to teach warfare to the later generations of Israel, particularly to those who had not previously experienced it.)
3 Haya ndio mataifa: wafalme watano kutoka kwa Wafilisti, Wakanaani wote, Wasidoni, na Wahivi waliokaa milima ya Lebanoni, kutoka Mlima Baali Hermoni hadi Hamathi.
They are: the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living 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.
They were left there be to a test for the Israelites, to find out whether the Israelites would keep the Lord's commandments which he had given their forefathers through Moses.
5 Basi wana wa Israeli wakakaa kati ya Wakanaani, na Wahiti, na Waamori, na Waperizi, na Wahivi, na Wayebusi.
They lived 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.
The Israelites intermarried with them, marrying their daughters, giving their own daughters to their sons, and worshiped their gods.
7 Wana wa Israeli walifanya yaliyo mabaya machoni pa Bwana, wakamsahau Bwana, Mungu wao. Waliabudu Baali na Asherah.
The Israelites did what was evil in the Lord's sight. They ignored the Lord their God and worshiped the images of Baals and 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.
The Lord became angry with Israel, so he sold them to Cushan-Rishathaim, king of Aram Naharaim. The Israelites were subject to Cushan-Rishathaim for 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 to help them, he provided someone to rescue them, Othniel, son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, and he saved 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 on him, and he became Israel's judge. He went to war with Cushan-Rishathaim, king of Aram, and the Lord handed the king over to Othniel, who was victorious.
11 Nchi ilikuwa na amani kwa miaka arobaini. Ndipo Otinieli mwana wa Kenazi akafa.
As a result, the country was a peace 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.
But once again the Israelites did what was evil in the Lord's sight, and because they did this the Lord gave power to Eglon, king of Moab, to conquer Israel.
13 Eglon alijiunga na wana wa Amoni na Waamaleki wakaenda na kuwashinda Israeli, na walichukua mji wa Mitende.
Eglon had the Ammonites and the Amalekite join him, and then 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 were subject to Eglon, king of Moab, for 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.
Again the Israelites cried out to the Lord to help them, and he provided someone to rescue them, Ehud, son of Gera the Benjamite, a left-handed man. The Israelites sent him to pay the 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.
Ehud had made for himself a cubit long double-edged sword, and he strapped it to his right thigh under his clothes.
17 Akampa Egloni Mfalme wa Moabu malipo ya kodi. (Egloni alikuwa mtu mnene sana.)
He came and presented the tribute to Eglon, king of Moab, who was a very fat man.
18 Baada ya Ehudi kulipa malipo ya kodi, aliondoka na wale waliokuwa wameibeba.
Then after delivering the tribute he sent home those who had helped carry 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 when he reached the stone idols near Gilgal, he turned back. He went to see Eglon, and told him, “Your Majesty, I have a secret message for you.” The king told his attendants, “Silence!” and they all left.
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.
Ehud then went over to where Eglon was sitting alone in his cool upstairs room, and told him, “I have a message from God for you.” As the king got up 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.
Ehud grabbed his sword with his left hand from his right thigh and drove 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.
The handle went in with the blade and the fat closed over it. So Ehud didn't pull the sword out, and the king defecated.
23 Kisha Ehudi akatoka kwenye ukumbi na akafunga milango ya chumba cha juu nyuma yake na akawafungia.
Then Ehud closed and locked the doors, and escaped through the toilet.
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 he had left, the servants came and saw that the doors of the room were locked. “He must be using the toilet,” they concluded.
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 couldn't stand it any more, and since he still hadn't opened the doors of the room, they went and found the key and opened the doors. 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.
While the servants delayed acting, Ehud escaped, passing the stone idols and on to Seirah.
27 Alipofika, alipiga tarumbeta katika nchi ya mlima wa Efraimu. Kisha wana wa Israeli wakashuka pamoja naye kutoka milimani, naye akawaongoza.
When he got there, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites joined him. They went down from the hills, with Ehud leading them.
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.
He told them, “Follow me, for the Lord has handed Moab, your enemy, over to you.” So they followed him down and took control of the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab. They didn't let anyone cross.
29 Wakati huo waliwaua watu elfu kumi wa Moabu, na wote walikuwa watu wenye nguvu na wenye uwezo. Hakuna aliyekimbia.
Then they attacked the Moabites and killed around 10,000 of their best and strongest fighting men. Not a single one escaped.
30 Kwa hiyo siku hiyo Moabu ilishindwa na nguvu ya Israeli. Na nchi ilikuwa na amani kwa miaka thelathini.
Moab was conquered that day and made subject to Israel, and the country was at peace 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 was Shamgar, son of Anath, who killed six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He also rescued Israel.
