2 Kings 6

1 Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Please take note that the place where we meet with you is too small for us.

1 Wana wa manabii wakamwambia Elisha, “Tazama, mahali hapa tunapokutana nawe ni padogo sana kwetu.

2 Please let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a log so we can build ourselves a place to live there.” “Go,” said Elisha.

2 Twendeni Yordani, mahali ambapo kila mmoja wetu anaweza kupata nguzo moja, nasi tujenge huko mahali petu pa kuishi.” Naye akawaambia, “Nendeni.”

3 Then one of them said, “Please come with your servants.” “I will come,” he replied.

3 Kisha mmoja wao akasema, “Je, tafadhali, huwezi kufuatana na watumishi wako?” Elisha akajibu, “Nitakuja.”

4 So Elisha went with them, and when they came to the Jordan, they began to cut down some trees.

4 Naye akaenda pamoja nao. Basi wakaenda Yordani, nao wakaanza kukata miti.

5 As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axe head fell into the water. “Oh, my master,” he cried out, “it was borrowed!”

5 Mmoja wao alipokuwa anakata mti, shoka lilitumbukia kwenye maji. Akalia, “Ee bwana wangu, shoka lilikuwa la kuazima!”

6 “Where did it fall?” asked the man of God. And when he showed him the place, the man of God cut a stick, threw it there, and made the iron float.

6 Mtu wa Mungu akauliza, “Je, liliangukia wapi?” Alipomwonyesha mahali penyewe, Elisha akakata kijiti na kukitupa mahali pale, nalo shoka likaelea.

7 “Lift it out,” he said, and the man reached out his hand and took it.

7 Akasema, “Lichukue.” Kisha yule mtu akanyoosha mkono wake, akalichukua.

8 Now the king of Aram was at war against Israel. After consulting with his servants, he said, “My camp will be in such and such a place.”

8 Wakati huo mfalme wa Aramu alikuwa akipigana vita na Israeli. Baada ya kukubaliana na maafisa wake, akasema, “Nitapiga kambi yangu mahali fulani na fulani.”

9 Then the man of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Be careful not to pass by this place, for the Arameans are going down there.”

9 Mtu wa Mungu akatuma ujumbe kwa mfalme wa Israeli: “Jihadhari usije ukapita mahali pale, kwa sababu Waaramu wanashuka huko.”

10 So the king of Israel sent word to the place the man of God had pointed out. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.

10 Kwa hiyo mfalme wa Israeli akatuma neno la tahadhari mahali pale alikokuwa ameelekezwa na mtu wa Mungu. Mara kwa mara Elisha alimwonya mfalme kwamba watu wawe macho kwenye maeneo kama hayo.

11 For this reason the king of Aram became enraged and called his servants to demand of them, “Tell me, which one of us is on the side of the king of Israel?”

11 Hili lilimfadhaisha sana mfalme wa Aramu. Akawaita maafisa wake, akawauliza, “Je, hamtaniambia ni nani miongoni mwenu aliye upande wa mfalme wa Israeli?”

12 But one of his servants replied, “No one, my lord the king. For Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.”

12 Mmoja wa maafisa wake akasema, “Mfalme bwana wangu, hakuna hata mmoja wetu. Lakini Elisha, yule nabii aliye Israeli, humwambia mfalme wa Israeli hata yale maneno unayozungumza katika chumba chako cha kulala.”

13 So the king said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send men to capture him.” On receiving the report, “Elisha is in Dothan,”

13 Mfalme akaagiza akisema, “Nendeni, mkatafute aliko, ili niweze kutuma watu kumkamata.” Taarifa ikarudi kwamba, “Yuko Dothani.”

14 the king of Aram sent horses, chariots, and a great army. They went there by night and surrounded the city.

14 Ndipo akatuma farasi na magari ya vita na jeshi lenye nguvu huko. Walikwenda usiku na kuuzunguka mji.

15 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early in the morning, behold, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. So he asked Elisha, “Oh, my master, what are we to do?”

15 Kesho yake asubuhi na mapema, mtumishi wa mtu wa Mungu alipoamka na kutoka nje, jeshi, pamoja na farasi na magari ya vita, likawa limeuzunguka mji. Mtumishi wake akasema, “Ole wetu, bwana wangu! Tutafanya nini?”

16 “Do not be afraid,” Elisha answered, “for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

16 Nabii akajibu, “Usiogope. Wale walio pamoja nasi ni wengi zaidi kuliko wale walio pamoja nao.”

17 Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw that the hills were full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

17 Kisha Elisha akaomba, “Ee Bwana, mfumbue macho huyu mtumishi ili apate kuona.” Ndipo Bwana akayafumbua macho ya yule mtumishi, naye akatazama na kuona vilima vimejaa farasi na magari ya moto, yamemzunguka Elisha pande zote.

18 As the Arameans came down against him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, “Please strike these people with blindness.” So He struck them with blindness, according to the word of Elisha.

18 Wakati adui waliposhuka kumwelekea, Elisha akamwomba Bwana: “Wapige watu hawa kwa upofu.” Basi Mungu akawapiga kwa upofu, kama Elisha alivyoomba.

19 And Elisha told them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will take you to the man you are seeking.” And he led them to Samaria.

19 Elisha akawaambia, “Hii sio njia yenyewe, na huu sio huo mji. Nifuateni mimi, nami nitawapeleka kwa huyo mtu mnayemtafuta.” Naye akawapeleka Samaria.

20 When they had entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O LORD, open the eyes of these men that they may see.” Then the LORD opened their eyes, and they looked around and discovered that they were in Samaria.

20 Baada ya kuingia mjini, Elisha akasema, “Bwana, yafungue macho ya watu hawa ili wapate kuona.” Ndipo Bwana akayafungua macho yao, na walipotazama, kumbe hapo ndipo walipojikuta, ndani ya Samaria.

21 And when the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, “My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?”

21 Wakati mfalme wa Israeli alipowaona, akamuuliza Elisha, “Je, baba yangu, niwaue?”

22 “Do not kill them,” he replied. “Would you kill those you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them, that they may eat and drink and then return to their master.”

22 Naye akajibu, “Usiwaue. Je, utawaua watu uliowateka kwa upanga wako mwenyewe na upinde wako? Wape chakula na maji ili wapate kula na kunywa, na kisha wamrudie bwana wao.”

23 So the king prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. And the Aramean raiders did not come into the land of Israel again.

23 Basi akawaandalia karamu kubwa, na baada ya kula na kunywa, akawaaga nao wakarudi kwa bwana wao. Hivyo, vikosi kutoka Aramu vikakoma kuvamia nchi ya Israeli.

24 Some time later, Ben-hadad king of Aram assembled his entire army and marched up to besiege Samaria.

24 Baada ya kitambo kidogo, Ben-Hadadi mfalme wa Aramu akaandaa jeshi lake lote akapanda kwenda kuihusuru Samaria.

25 So there was a great famine in Samaria. Indeed, they besieged the city so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a quarter cab of dove’s dung sold for five shekels of silver.

25 Kukawa na njaa kuu katika mji. Samaria ilizingirwa kwa muda mrefu, kiasi kwamba kichwa cha punda kiliuzwa kwa shekeli themanini za fedha, na robo ya kibaba cha mavi ya njiwa kiliuzwa kwa shekeli tano za fedha.

26 As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, “Help me, my lord the king!”

26 Wakati mfalme wa Israeli alipokuwa anapita juu ya ukuta, mwanamke mmoja akamlilia, “Bwana wangu mfalme, nisaidie!”

27 He answered, “If the LORD does not help you, where can I find help for you? From the threshing floor or the winepress?”

27 Mfalme akajibu, “Ikiwa Bwana hakusaidii, nitakutolea wapi msaada? Je, ni kutoka kwenye sakafu ya kupuria? Au kwenye shinikizo la divai?”

28 Then the king asked her, “What is the matter?” And she answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give up your son, that we may eat him, and tomorrow we will eat my son.’

28 Kisha akamuuliza, “Kwani kuna nini?” Yule mwanamke akamjibu, “Huyu mwanamke aliniambia, ‘Mtoe mwanao ili tupate kumla leo, na kesho tutamla mwanangu.’

29 So we boiled my son and ate him, and the next day I said to her, ‘Give up your son, that we may eat him.’ But she had hidden her son.”

29 Basi tukampika mwanangu na kumla. Siku iliyofuata nikamwambia, ‘Mtoe mwanao ili tupate kumla.’ Lakini akawa amemficha.”

30 When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes. And as he passed by on the wall, the people saw the sackcloth under his clothes next to his skin.

30 Wakati mfalme aliposikia maneno ya yule mwanamke, alirarua mavazi yake. Naye alipoendelea kutembea ukutani, watu wakamtazama, na ndani ya mavazi yake alikuwa amevaa nguo ya gunia mwilini mwake.

31 He announced, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders through this day!”

31 Akasema, “Mungu na anitendee hivyo na kuzidi, ikiwa kichwa cha Elisha mwana wa Shafati kitabaki juu ya mabega yake leo!”

32 Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. The king sent a messenger ahead, but before he arrived, Elisha said to the elders, “Do you see how this murderer has sent someone to cut off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door to keep him out. Is not the sound of his master’s footsteps behind him?”

32 Wakati huu, Elisha alikuwa ameketi ndani ya nyumba yake, akiwa pamoja na wazee. Mfalme akatuma mjumbe kumtangulia, lakini kabla hajafika, Elisha akawaambia wale wazee, “Hammwoni huyu muuaji jinsi anavyotuma mtu kukata kichwa changu? Tazama, wakati mjumbe huyo atakapofika, fungeni mlango na mzuieni asiingie. Je, vishindo vya nyayo za bwana wake haviko nyuma yake?”

33 While Elisha was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him. And the king said, “This calamity is from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?”

33 Alipokuwa angali bado anazungumza nao, mjumbe akamfikia. Naye mfalme akasema, “Maafa haya yanatoka kwa Bwana. Kwa nini niendelee kumngoja Bwana zaidi?”