Mwanzo 26
1 Basi njaa kubwa ikawa katika nchi hiyo, kuliko ile njaa iliyotangulia iliyotokea wakati wa Abrahamu. Isaki akamwendea Abimeleki mfalme wa Wafilisti huko Gerari.
There was a famine in the country—not the one that happened before in Abraham's time, but a later one. So Isaac moved to Gerar in the territory of Abimelech, king of the Philistines.
2 Bwana akamtokea Isaki, akamwambia, “Usiende Misri, bali ukae katika nchi nitakayokuambia.
The Lord appeared to Isaac and told him, “Don't go to Egypt—live in the country that I tell you to.
3 Kaa katika nchi hii kwa kitambo, mimi nitakuwa pamoja na wewe na nitakubariki. Kwa maana nitakupa wewe na uzao wako nchi hizi zote na nitatimiza kiapo nilichomwapia Abrahamu baba yako.
Stay here in this country. I will be with you and I will bless you, because I'm going to give you and your descendants all these lands. I will keep the solemn promise that I swore to Abraham your father.
4 Nitafanya wazao wako kuwa wengi kama nyota za angani, nami nitawapa nchi hizi zote na kutokana na uzao wako mataifa yote yatabarikiwa,
I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven and I will give them all these lands. All the nations of the earth will be blessed by your descendants,
5 kwa sababu Abrahamu alinitii mimi akatunza kanuni zangu na maagizo yangu, amri zangu pamoja na sheria zangu.”
because Abraham did what I told him, and kept my requirements, my commands, my regulations, and my laws.”
6 Hivyo Isaki akaishi huko Gerari.
So Isaac stayed in Gerar.
7 Watu wa mahali pale walipomuuliza habari za mke wake, akasema, “Huyu ni dada yangu,” kwa sababu aliogopa kusema, “Huyu ni mke wangu.” Alifikiri, “Watu wa mahali pale wataweza kumuua kwa sababu ya Rebeka, kwa kuwa alikuwa mzuri wa sura.”
When the men there asked him about his wife, he told them, “She's my sister,” because he was afraid. He said to himself, “If I say she's my wife, the men here will kill me to get Rebekah, because she's so beautiful.”
8 Wakati Isaki alipokuwa amekaa huko siku nyingi, Abimeleki mfalme wa Wafilisti akachungulia dirishani, akaona jinsi Isaki alivyomkumbatia Rebeka mke wake.
But later on, after he'd been there a while, Abimelech, king of the Philistines, happened to look out the window and saw Isaac lovingly fondling his wife Rebekah.
9 Abimeleki akamwita Isaki akamwambia, “Hakika huyu ni mke wako! Mbona uliniambia, ‘Huyu ni dada yangu?’” Isaki akamjibu, “Kwa sababu nilifikiri ningeweza kuuawa kwa sababu yake.”
Abimelech sent for Isaac and complained. “From what I saw she's clearly your wife!” he said. “Why on earth did you say, ‘She's my sister’?” “Because I thought I'd be killed because of her,” Isaac replied.
10 Ndipo Abimeleki akamjibu, “Ni nini hiki ulichotufanyia? Ingewezekana mtu yeyote akawa amekutana kimwili na mke wako, nawe ungeleta hatia juu yetu.”
“Why would you do this to us?” Abimelech asked. “One of the men here might have slept with your wife, and you would have made us all guilty!”
11 Hivyo Abimeleki akatoa amri kwa watu wote, akisema, “Yeyote atakayemnyanyasa mtu huyu au mkewe hakika atauawa.”
Abimelech issued orders to all the people, warning them, “Anyone who touches this man or his wife will be executed.”
12 Isaki akapanda mazao katika nchi hiyo, kwa mwaka huo huo, akavuna mara mia, kwa sababu Bwana alimbariki.
Isaac sowed grain that year, and the Lord blessed him with a harvest that was a hundred times what he planted.
13 Isaki akawa tajiri, mali zake zikaendelea kuongezeka mpaka akawa tajiri sana.
He became a rich man, and his wealth steadily increased until he was very rich.
14 Akawa na mifugo ya kondoo na ngʼombe, na watumishi wengi sana, kiasi kwamba Wafilisti wakamwonea wivu.
He owned many flocks of sheep and herds of cattle, as well as many slaves. He had so much that the Philistines became jealous of him.
15 Kwa hiyo visima vyote vilivyochimbwa na watumishi wakati wa Abrahamu baba yake, Wafilisti wakavifukia, wakavijaza udongo.
So the Philistines used dirt to block up all the wells his father Abraham's servants had dug.
16 Ndipo Abimeleki akamwambia Isaki, “Ondoka kwetu, kwa maana umetuzidi nguvu sana.”
Then Abimelech told Isaac, “You have to leave our country, because you've become much too powerful for us.”
17 Basi Isaki akatoka huko akajenga kambi katika Bonde la Gerari, akaishi huko.
So Isaac moved away and set up his tents in the Gerar Valley where he settled down.
18 Ndipo Isaki akavichimbua tena vile visima vya maji ambavyo vilichimbwa siku zile za Abrahamu baba yake, ambavyo Wafilisti walivifukia baada ya kufa Abrahamu, akavipa majina yale yale ambayo baba yake alikuwa amevipa.
He unblocked the wells that had been dug in his father Abraham's time—the ones the Philistines had blocked after the death of Abraham. He gave them the same names his father had.
19 Watumishi wa Isaki wakachimba katika lile bonde wakagundua huko kisima chenye maji safi.
Isaac's servants also dug a new well in the valley and found spring water.
20 Lakini wachungaji wa Gerari wakagombana na wachungaji wa Isaki wakisema, “Maji haya ni yetu!” Ndipo akakiita kile kisima Eseki, kwa sababu waligombana naye.
But the herdsmen from Gerar argued with Isaac's herdsmen, claiming, “That's our water!” So Isaac named the well, “Argument,” because they argued with him.
21 Kisha wakachimba kisima kingine, lakini hata hicho pia wakakigombania, akakiita Sitna.
He had another well dug, and they argued over that one too. He named the well, “Opposition.”
22 Akaondoka huko, akachimba kisima kingine, wala hakuna yeyote aliyekigombania. Akakiita Rehobothi, akisema, “Sasa Bwana ametufanyia nafasi, nasi tutastawi katika nchi.”
So they moved on from there and he had another well dug. This time there was no argument so he named the well, “Freedom,” saying, “Now the Lord has given us freedom to expand and be successful in this land.”
23 Kutoka pale akaenda Beer-Sheba.
From there he moved on to Beersheba.
24 Usiku ule Bwana akamtokea, akamwambia, “Mimi ndimi Mungu wa Abrahamu baba yako. Usiogope, kwa maana mimi niko pamoja nawe, nitakubariki na kuongeza idadi ya wazao wako kwa ajili ya Abrahamu mtumishi wangu.”
That night the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Don't be afraid, for I am with you. I will bless you and give you many descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.”
25 Isaki akajenga madhabahu huko, akaliitia jina la Bwana. Akapiga hema lake huko, nao watumishi wake wakachimba kisima.
Isaac built an altar and worshiped the Lord. He also set up his tent, and his servants dug a well there.
26 Wakati huo, Abimeleki alikuwa amemjia kutoka Gerari, akifuatana na Ahuzathi mshauri wake, pamoja na Fikoli jemadari wa majeshi yake.
Sometime later Abimelech came from Gerar to see Isaac, along with Ahuzzath his advisor, and Phicol the commander of his army.
27 Isaki akawauliza, “Mbona mmekuja kwangu na ninyi mlinichukia na kunifukuza?”
“Why have you come to see me?” Isaac asked them. “Previously you hated me and told me to leave!”
28 Wakamjibu, “Tuliona wazi kuwa Bwana alikuwa pamoja nawe, kwa hiyo tukasema, ‘Inabidi kuwe na kiapo cha mapatano kati yetu, kati yetu na wewe. Na tufanye mkataba pamoja nawe
“Now we realize that the Lord is with you,” they replied. “So we agreed that we should make a sworn agreement with you.
29 kwamba hutatudhuru, kama jinsi nasi hatukuwanyanyasa bali tuliwatendea mema wakati wote na kuwaondoa kwetu kwa amani. Tena sasa umebarikiwa na Bwana.’”
You'll promise not to harm us in the same way we've never hurt you. You'll agree that we've always treated you well, and when we asked you to leave we did so kindly. Now look at how the Lord is blessing you!”
30 Basi Isaki akawaandalia karamu, nao wakala na kunywa.
So Isaac had a special meal prepared to celebrate the agreement. They ate and drank,
31 Kesho yake asubuhi na mapema, wakaapizana wao kwa wao. Kisha Isaki akawaruhusu waende zao, wakamwacha Isaki kwa amani.
and got up early in the morning and they each swore oaths to one other. Then Isaac sent them on their way, and they left in peace.
32 Siku hiyo watumishi wa Isaki wakaja wakampa habari kuhusu kisima walichokuwa wamekichimba, wakamwambia, “Tumepata maji!”
It was that very day when Isaac's servants who'd been digging a well came and told him, “We've found water!”
33 Naye akakiita Shiba, mpaka leo mji huo unaitwa Beer-Sheba.
So Isaac named the well, “Oath,” and that's why the name of the town is “Well of the Oath” (Beersheba) to this day.
34 Esau alipokuwa na umri wa miaka arobaini, akamwoa Yudithi binti Beeri Mhiti, kisha akamwoa Basemathi binti Eloni Mhiti.
When Esau was 40, he married Judith, daughter of Beeri the Hittite, as well as Basemath, daughter of Elon the Hittite.
35 Hawa walikuwa chanzo cha huzuni ya Isaki na Rebeka.
They caused Isaac and Rebekah a great deal of grief.
