Deuteronomy 9

1 Hear, O Israel: Today you are about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you, with large cities fortified to the heavens.

1 Sikiliza, ee Israeli. Sasa mnakaribia kuvuka Yordani mwingie na kuwafukuza mataifa makubwa na yenye nguvu kuliko ninyi pamoja na miji mikubwa yenye kuta zilizofika juu angani.

2 The people are strong and tall, the descendants of the Anakim. You know about them, and you have heard it said, “Who can stand up to the sons of Anak?”

2 Watu ni wenye nguvu na warefu, ni wana wa Waanaki! Mnafahamu habari zao na mmesikia inavyosemekana: “Ni nani awezaye kusimama dhidi ya Waanaki?”

3 But understand that today the LORD your God goes across ahead of you as a consuming fire; He will destroy them and subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate them swiftly, as the LORD has promised you.

3 Kuweni na hakika leo kwamba Bwana Mungu wenu ndiye atakayetangulia kuvuka mbele yenu kama moto uteketezao. Atawaangamiza; atawatiisha mbele yenu. Nanyi mtawafukuza na kuwaangamiza mara moja, kama Bwana alivyowaahidi.

4 When the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say in your heart, “Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land.” Rather, the LORD is driving out these nations before you because of their wickedness.

4 Baada ya Bwana Mungu wenu kuwafukuza mbele yenu, msiseme mioyoni mwenu, “Bwana ametuleta hapa kuimiliki nchi hii kwa sababu ya haki yetu.” La, ni kwa sababu ya uovu wa mataifa haya ndiyo Bwana anawafukuza mbele yenu.

5 It is not because of your righteousness or uprightness of heart that you are going in to possess their land, but it is because of their wickedness that the LORD your God is driving out these nations before you, to keep the promise He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

5 Si kwa sababu ya haki yenu wala uadilifu wenu kwamba mtaimiliki nchi yao; lakini kwa sababu ya uovu wa mataifa haya, Bwana Mungu wenu atawafukuza mbele yenu, ili kutimiza lile alilowaapia baba zenu Abrahamu, Isaki na Yakobo.

6 Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people.

6 Basi mjue, si kwa sababu ya haki yenu Bwana Mungu wenu anawapa nchi hii nzuri kuimiliki, kwa kuwa ninyi ni taifa lenye shingo ngumu.

7 Remember this, and never forget how you provoked the LORD your God in the wilderness. From the day you left the land of Egypt until you reached this place, you have been rebelling against the LORD.

7 Kumbukeni hili, kamwe msisahau jinsi mlivyomkasirisha Bwana Mungu wenu kwa hasira huko jangwani. Tangu siku mlipotoka Misri mpaka mlipofika hapa, mmekuwa waasi dhidi ya Bwana.

8 At Horeb you provoked the LORD, and He was angry enough to destroy you.

8 Kule Horebu mliamsha ghadhabu ya Bwana, kwa hiyo alikasirika vya kutosha hata akataka kuwaangamiza.

9 When I went up on the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant that the LORD made with you, I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights. I ate no bread and drank no water.

9 Nilipopanda mlimani kupokea mbao za mawe, mbao za Agano lile Bwana alilofanya nanyi, nilikaa mlimani siku arobaini usiku na mchana, sikula mkate wala sikunywa maji.

10 Then the LORD gave me the two stone tablets, inscribed by the finger of God with the exact words that the LORD spoke to you out of the fire on the mountain on the day of the assembly.

10 Bwana alinipa mbao mbili za mawe zilizoandikwa kwa kidole cha Mungu. Juu ya mbao hizo kulikuwepo amri zote ambazo Bwana aliwatangazia kule mlimani kwa njia ya moto, siku ya kusanyiko.

11 And at the end of forty days and forty nights, the LORD gave me the two stone tablets, the tablets of the covenant.

11 Mwisho wa siku arobaini usiku na mchana, Bwana alinipa mbao mbili za mawe, mbao za Agano.

12 And the LORD said to me, “Get up and go down from here at once, for your people, whom you brought out of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. How quickly they have turned aside from the way that I commanded them! They have made for themselves a molten image.”

12 Kisha Bwana akaniambia, “Shuka chini mara moja, kwa sababu watu wako ambao umewatoa katika nchi ya Misri wamepotoka. Wamegeukia mbali haraka kutoka lile nililowaagiza, wamejitengenezea sanamu ya kusubu.”

13 The LORD also said to me, “I have seen this people, and they are indeed a stiff-necked people.

13 Naye Bwana akaniambia, “Nimewaona watu hawa nao ni watu wenye shingo ngumu sana!

14 Leave Me alone, so that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven. Then I will make you into a nation mightier and greater than they are.”

14 Niache, ili nipate kuwaangamiza na kufuta jina lao kutoka chini ya mbingu. Nami nitakufanya kuwa taifa lenye nguvu zaidi na kuwa wengi kuliko wao.”

15 So I went back down the mountain while it was blazing with fire, with the two tablets of the covenant in my hands.

15 Kwa hiyo niligeuka na kuteremka kutoka mlimani kwani mlima ulikuwa ukiwaka moto. Pia vibao vile viwili vya Agano vilikuwa mikononi mwangu.

16 And I saw how you had sinned against the LORD your God; you had made for yourselves a molten calf. You had turned aside quickly from the way that the LORD had commanded you.

16 Nilipotazama, niliona kuwa mmefanya dhambi dhidi ya Bwana Mungu wenu; mmejifanyia sanamu ya kusubu katika umbo la ndama. Mmegeuka upesi kutoka njia ile Bwana aliyowaagiza.

17 So I took the two tablets and threw them out of my hands, shattering them before your eyes.

17 Kwa hiyo nilichukua vibao vile viwili nikavitupa na kuvipasua vipande vipande mbele ya macho yenu.

18 Then I fell down before the LORD for forty days and forty nights, as I had done the first time. I did not eat bread or drink water because of all the sin you had committed in doing what was evil in the sight of the LORD and provoking Him to anger.

18 Ndipo tena nikasujudu mbele za Bwana kwa siku arobaini usiku na mchana. Sikula mkate wala sikunywa maji, kwa sababu ya dhambi yote mliyoifanya, mkifanya lile lililo ovu mbele za Bwana na kumkasirisha.

19 For I was afraid of the anger and wrath that the LORD had directed against you, enough to destroy you. But the LORD listened to me this time as well.

19 Niliogopa hasira na ghadhabu ya Bwana, kwa kuwa aliwakasirikia vya kutosha na kutaka kuwaangamiza. Lakini Bwana alinisikiliza tena.

20 The LORD was angry enough with Aaron to destroy him, but at that time I also prayed for Aaron.

20 Bali yeye alimkasirikia Aroni kiasi cha kutaka kumwangamiza, nami wakati huo nilimwombea Aroni pia.

21 And I took that sinful thing, the calf you had made, and burned it in the fire. Then I crushed it and ground it to powder as fine as dust, and I cast it into the stream that came down from the mountain.

21 Kisha nikachukua ile sanamu ya ndama mliyoitengeneza na kuichoma kwenye moto. Nikaiponda na kuisaga ikawa unga laini kama vumbi, nikatupa lile vumbi kwenye kijito kilichotiririka toka mlimani.

22 You continued to provoke the LORD at Taberah, at Massah, and at Kibroth-hattaavah.

22 Pia mlimkasirisha Bwana huko Tabera, Masa na Kibroth-Hataava.

23 And when the LORD sent you out from Kadesh-barnea, He said, “Go up and possess the land that I have given you.” But you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God. You neither believed Him nor obeyed Him.

23 Vilevile wakati Bwana alipowatuma kutoka Kadesh-Barnea, alisema, “Kweeni, mkaimiliki nchi ambayo nimewapa.” Lakini mliasi dhidi ya agizo la Bwana Mungu wenu. Hamkumtegemea wala kumtii.

24 You have been rebelling against the LORD since the day I came to know you.

24 Mmekuwa waasi dhidi ya Bwana tangu nilipowajua ninyi.

25 So I fell down before the LORD for forty days and forty nights, because the LORD had said He would destroy you.

25 Nilianguka kifudifudi mbele za Bwana kwa zile siku arobaini usiku na mchana kwa sababu Bwana alikuwa amesema angewaangamiza ninyi.

26 And I prayed to the LORD and said, “O Lord GOD, do not destroy Your people, Your inheritance, whom You redeemed through Your greatness and brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand.

26 Nilimwomba Bwana na kusema, “Ee Bwana Mwenyezi, usiangamize watu wako, urithi wako mwenyewe ule ulioukomboa kwa uweza wako mkuu na kuwatoa katika nchi ya Misri kwa mkono wenye nguvu.

27 Remember Your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Overlook the stubbornness of this people and the wickedness of their sin.

27 Wakumbuke watumishi wako Abrahamu, Isaki na Yakobo. Usiangalie ukaidi wa watu hawa, uovu wao wala dhambi yao.

28 Otherwise, those in the land from which You brought us out will say, ‘Because the LORD was not able to bring them into the land He had promised them, and because He hated them, He has brought them out to kill them in the wilderness.’

28 Watu wa nchi ile uliyotutoa sisi wasije wakasema, ‘Ni kwa sababu Bwana hakuweza kuwachukua mpaka nchi aliyokuwa amewaahidia, kwa sababu aliwachukia, akawaleta ili aje kuwaua jangwani.’

29 But they are Your people, Your inheritance, whom You brought out by Your great power and outstretched arm.”

29 Bali wao ni watu wako, urithi wako ule ulioutoa Misri kwa uweza wako mkuu na kwa mkono wako ulionyooka.”