< Mwanzo 38 >

1 Wakati ule, Yuda akawaacha ndugu zake, akaenda kuishi na Hira Mwadulami.
Now at that time, Judah went away from his brothers and became the friend of a man of Adullam named Hirah.
2 Huko Yuda akakutana na binti wa Kikanaani aitwaye Shua, akamwoa na akakutana naye kimwili,
And there he saw the daughter of a certain man of Canaan named Shua, and took her as his wife.
3 akapata mimba, akamzaa mwana, ambaye alimwita Eri.
And she gave birth to a son, and he gave him the name Er.
4 Akapata mimba tena, akamzaa mwana na kumwita Onani.
And again she gave birth to a son, and he gave him the name Onan.
5 Akamzaa mwana mwingine tena, akamwita Shela. Huyu alimzalia mahali paitwapo Kezibu.
Then she had another son, to whom she gave the name Shelah; she was at Chezib when the birth took place.
6 Yuda akampatia Eri, mzaliwa wake wa kwanza, mke aitwaye Tamari.
And Judah took a wife for his first son Er, and her name was Tamar.
7 Lakini Eri, mzaliwa wa kwanza wa Yuda, alikuwa mwovu machoni pa Bwana, kwa hiyo Bwana akamuua.
Now Er, Judah's first son, did evil in the eyes of the Lord, so that he put him to death.
8 Kisha Yuda akamwambia Onani, “Kutana kimwili na mke wa ndugu yako, na utimize wajibu wako kwake kama mke wa ndugu yako, ili umpatie ndugu yako uzao.”
Then Judah said to Onan, Go in to your brother's wife and do what it is right for a husband's brother to do; make her your wife and get offspring for your brother.
9 Lakini Onani alijua kwamba uzao haungekuwa wake, kwa hiyo kila alipokutana kimwili na mke wa ndugu yake, alimwaga chini mbegu za kiume ili asimpatie ndugu yake uzao.
But Onan, seeing that the offspring would not be his, went in to his brother's wife, but let his seed go on to the earth, so that he might not get offspring for his brother.
10 Alichofanya kilikuwa kiovu machoni pa Bwana, hivyo, pia Bwana akamuua Onani.
And what he did was evil in the eyes of the Lord, so that he put him to death, like his brother.
11 Kisha Yuda akamwambia Tamari mkwewe, “Ishi kama mjane nyumbani mwa baba yako mpaka mwanangu Shela atakapokua.” Kwa maana alifikiri, “Angeweza kufa pia kama ndugu zake.” Kwa hiyo Tamari alikwenda kuishi nyumbani kwa baba yake.
Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, Go back to your father's house and keep yourself as a widow till my son Shelah becomes a man: for he had in his mind the thought that death might come to him as it had come to his brothers. So Tamar went back to her father's house.
12 Baada ya muda mrefu mke wa Yuda binti wa Shua akafariki. Baada ya msiba, Yuda alikwenda Timna, kwa watu waliokuwa wakikata kondoo wake manyoya, naye alifuatana na rafiki yake Hira Mwadulami.
And after a time, Bath-shua, Judah's wife, came to her end; and after Judah was comforted for her loss, he went to Timnah, where they were cutting the wool of his sheep, and his friend Hirah of Adullam went with him.
13 Tamari alipoambiwa, “Baba mkwe wako yuko njiani kwenda Timna kukata kondoo wake manyoya,”
And when Tamar had news that her father-in-law was going up to Timnah to the wool-cutting,
14 alivua mavazi yake ya ujane, akajifunika kwa shela ili asifahamike, akaketi kwenye mlango wa Enaimu, ambao upo njiani kuelekea Timna. Akafanya hivyo kwa sababu aliona kwamba, ingawa Shela amekua, lakini alikuwa hajakabidhiwa kwake kuwa mkewe.
She took off her widow's clothing, and covering herself with her veil, she took her seat near Enaim on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was now a man, but she had not been made his wife.
15 Yuda alipomwona alifikiri ni kahaba, kwa sababu alikuwa amefunika uso wake.
When Judah saw her he took her to be a loose woman of the town, because her face was covered.
16 Pasipo kutambua kwamba alikuwa mkwe wake, akamwendea kando ya njia na kumwambia, “Njoo sasa, nikutane na wewe kimwili.” Yule mkwewe akamuuliza, “Utanipa nini nikikutana nawe kimwili?”
And turning to her by the roadside, he said to her, Let me come in to you; for he had no idea that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, What will you give me as my price?
17 Akamwambia, “Nitakutumia mwana-mbuzi kutoka kundi langu.” Akamuuliza, “Utanipa kitu chochote kama amana mpaka utakapompeleka?”
And he said, I will give you a young goat from the flock. And she said, What will you give me as a sign till you send it?
18 Akamuuliza, “Nikupe amana gani?” Akamjibu, “Pete yako na kamba yake pamoja na fimbo iliyo mkononi mwako.” Kwa hiyo akampa vitu hivyo kisha akakutana naye kimwili, naye akapata mimba yake.
And he said, What would you have? And she said, Your ring and its cord and the stick in your hand. So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she became with child by him.
19 Tamari akaondoka, akavua shela yake akavaa tena nguo zake za ujane.
Then she got up and went away and took off her veil and put on her widow's clothing.
20 Wakati ule ule, Yuda akamtuma rafiki yake Mwadulami apeleke yule mwana-mbuzi ili arudishiwe amana yake kutoka kwa yule mwanamke, lakini yule rafiki yake hakumkuta yule mwanamke.
Then Judah sent his friend Hirah with the young goat, to get back the things which he had given as a sign to the woman: but she was not there.
21 Akawauliza watu wanaoishi mahali pale, “Yuko wapi yule kahaba wa mahali pa kuabudia miungu aliyekuwa kando ya barabara hapa Enaimu?” Wakamjibu, “Hajawahi kuwepo mwanamke yeyote kahaba wa mahali pa kuabudia miungu hapa.”
And he put questions to the men of the place, saying, Where is the loose woman who was in Enaim by the wayside? And they said, There was no such woman there.
22 Kwa hiyo akamrudia Yuda na kumwambia, “Sikumpata. Zaidi ya hayo, watu wanaoishi mahali pale walisema ‘Hapakuwahi kuwepo mwanamke yeyote kahaba wa mahali pa kuabudia miungu hapa.’”
So he went back to Judah, and said, I have not seen her, and the men of the place say that there is no such woman there.
23 Kisha Yuda akasema, “Mwache avichukue vitu hivyo, ama sivyo tutakuwa kichekesho. Hata hivyo, nilimpelekea mwana-mbuzi, lakini hukumkuta.”
And Judah said, Let her keep the things, so that we may not be shamed; I sent the young goat, but you did not see the woman.
24 Baada ya miezi mitatu Yuda akaambiwa, “Tamari mkweo ana hatia ya kuwa kahaba, na matokeo yake ana mimba.” Yuda akasema, “Mtoeni nje na achomwe moto hadi afe!”
Now about three months after this, word came to Judah that Tamar, his daughter-in-law, had been acting like a loose woman and was with child. And Judah said, Take her out and let her be burned.
25 Alipokuwa akitolewa nje, akatuma ujumbe kwa baba mkwe wake kusema, “Nina mimba ya mtu mwenye vitu hivi.” Akaongeza kusema, “Angalia kama utatambua kwamba pete hii na kamba yake pamoja na fimbo hii ni vya nani.”
And while she was being taken out, she sent word to her father-in-law, saying, The man whose property these things are, is the father of my child: say then, whose are this ring and this cord and this stick?
26 Yuda akavitambua na kusema, “Yeye ana haki kuliko mimi, kwa kuwa sikumkabidhi kwa mwanangu Shela ili awe mkewe.” Tangu hapo hakukutana naye kimwili tena.
Then Judah said openly that they were his, and said, She is more upright than I am, for I did not give her to Shelah my son. And he had no more connection with her.
27 Wakati ulipofika wa kujifungua, kukawa na wana mapacha tumboni mwake.
And when the time came for her to give birth, it was clear that there were two children in her body.
28 Alipokuwa akijifungua, mmoja akatoa mkono wake nje, kwa hiyo mkunga akachukua uzi mwekundu na kuufunga mkononi mwa yule mtoto, akasema, “Huyu ametoka kwanza.”
And while she was in the act of giving birth, one of them put out his hand; and the woman who was with her put a red thread round his hand, saying, This one came out first.
29 Lakini alipourudisha mkono wake ndugu yake akaanza kutoka, naye akasema, “Hivi ndivyo ulivyotoka kwa nguvu!” Akaitwa Peresi.
But then he took his hand back again, and his brother came first to birth: and the woman said, What an opening you have made for yourself! So he was named Perez.
30 Kisha ndugu yake, aliyekuwa na uzi mwekundu mkononi, akatoka, naye akaitwa Zera.
And then his brother came out, with the red thread round his hand, and he was named Zerah.

< Mwanzo 38 >