1
Basi haya ndiyo mataifa ambao Bwana aliwaacha, ili awajaribu Israeli kwa hao, yaani, awajaribu hao wote ambao hawakuvijua vita vyote vya Kanaani;
These are the nations that the LORD left to test all the Israelites who had not known any of the wars in Canaan,
2
ili kwamba vizazi vya wana wa Israeli wapate kujua ili kuwafundisha vita, hasa wao ambao hawakujua vita kabla ya wakati ule;
if only to teach warfare to the subsequent generations of Israel, especially to those who had not known it formerly:
3
aliwaacha wakuu watano wa Wafilisti, na Wakanaani wote, na Wasidoni, na Wahivi waliokaa katika kilima cha Lebanoni, toka mlima wa Baal-hermoni mpaka kuingia Hamathi.
the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived in the mountains of Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to Lebo-hamath.
4
Naye aliwaacha ili awajaribu Israeli kwa hao, apate kujua kwamba watasikiliza amri za Bwana, alizowaamuru baba zao, kwa mkono wa Musa.
These nations were left to test the Israelites, to find out whether they would keep the commandments of the LORD, which He had given their fathers through Moses.
5
Basi wana wa Israeli wakaketi kati ya Wakanaani; hao Wahiti, na hao Waamori, na hao Waperizi, na hao Wahivi na hao Wayebusi;
Thus the Israelites continued to live among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
6
wakawaoa binti zao, na binti zao wenyewe wakawaoza wana wao waume, na kuitumikia miungu yao.
And they took the daughters of these people in marriage, gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.
7
Wana wa Israeli walifanya yaliyo maovu mbele za macho ya Bwana, nao wakamsahau Bwana, Mungu wao, nao wakawatumikia Mabaali na Maashtorethi.
So the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD; they forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs.
8
Kwa hiyo hasira za Bwana ziliwaka juu ya Israeli, naye akawauza na kuwatia mikononi mwa Kushan-rishathaimu mfalme wa Mesopotamia; na wana wa Israeli wakamtumikia huyo Kushan-rishathaimu muda wa miaka minane.
Then the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram-naharaim, and the Israelites served him eight years.
9
Kisha wana wa Israeli walipomlingana Bwana, Bwana akawainulia wana wa Israeli mwokozi, aliyewaokoa, yaani, Othnieli mwana wa Kenazi, ndugu mdogo wa Kalebu.
But when the Israelites cried out to the LORD, He raised up Othniel son of Caleb’s younger brother Kenaz as a deliverer to save them.
10
Roho ya Bwana ikamjilia juu yake, naye akawa mwamuzi wa Israeli; akatoka kwenenda vitani, naye Bwana akamtia huyo Kushan-rishathaimu, mfalme wa Mesopotamia, mkononi mwake; na mkono wake ukamshinda Kushan-rishathaimu.
The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he became Israel’s judge and went out to war. And the LORD delivered Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram into the hand of Othniel, who prevailed against him.
11
Nayo nchi ikawa na amani muda wa miaka arobaini. Kisha Othnieli, mwana wa Kenazi, akafa.
So the land had rest for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.
12
Basi wana wa Israeli walifanya yaliyo maovu tena mbele za Bwana; naye Bwana akamtia nguvu Egloni mfalme wa Moabu juu ya Israeli, kwa sababu walikuwa wameyafanya yaliyo maovu mbele za macho ya Bwana.
Once again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD. So He gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD.
13
Huyo Egloni akakutanisha kwake wana wa Amoni na Amaleki; akaenda na kuwapiga Israeli, nao wakauchukua huo mji wa mitende.
After enlisting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join forces with him, Eglon attacked and defeated Israel, taking possession of the City of Palms.
14
Wana wa Israeli walimtumikia Egloni mfalme wa Moabu muda wa miaka kumi na minane.
The Israelites served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years.
15
Lakini wana wa Israeli walipomlilia Bwana, Bwana akawainulia mwokozi, Ehudi, mwana wa Gera, Mbenyamini, mtu aliyekuwa mwenye shoto; nao wana wa Israeli walimpelekea Egloni mfalme wa Moabu tunu mkononi mwa huyo Ehudi.
And again they cried out to the LORD, and He raised up Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed Benjamite, as their deliverer. So they sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab.
16
Ehudi alijifanyia upanga uliokuwa na makali kuwili, urefu wake ulipata dhiraa moja; akaufunga huo upanga ndani ya nguo yake katika paja lake la mkono wa kuume.
Now Ehud had made for himself a double-edged sword a cubit long. He strapped it to his right thigh under his cloak
17
Kisha akamsongezea Egloni, mfalme wa Moabu, hiyo tunu; basi Egloni alikuwa ni mtu aliyewanda sana.
and brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was an obese man.
18
Naye hapo alipokuwa amekwisha kuisongeza hiyo tunu, akawapa ruhusa watu hao walioichukua tunu, wakaenda zao.
After Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he ushered out those who had carried it.
19
Lakini yeye mwenyewe akageuka kutoka huko kwenye sanamu zilizokuwa karibu na Gilgali, akasema, Mimi nina ujumbe wa siri kwako wewe, Ee mfalme. Naye akasema, Nyamazeni kimya. Watu wote waliokuwa wanasimama karibu naye wakatoka na kumwacha.
But upon reaching the idols near Gilgal, he himself turned back and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” “Silence,” said the king, and all his attendants left him.
20
Basi Ehudi akamwendea; naye alikuwa anaketi peke yake katika chumba chake cha baridi. Ehudi akasema, Mimi nina ujumbe utokao kwa Mungu kwako wewe. Basi akainuka katika kiti chake.
Then Ehud approached him while he was sitting alone in the coolness of his upper room. “I have a word from God for you,” Ehud said, and the king rose from his seat.
21
Ehudi akaunyosha mkono wake wa kushoto, akaushika huo upanga kuutoa hapo katika paja lake la kuume, akamtia tumboni mwake;
And Ehud reached with his left hand, pulled the sword from his right thigh, and plunged it into Eglon’s belly.
22
hicho kipini nacho kikaingia ndani pamoja na huo upanga wenyewe; nayo mafuta yakashikamana tena juu ya upanga, kwani hakuutoa tena upanga tumboni; nao ukatokea kwa nyuma.
Even the handle sank in after the blade, and Eglon’s fat closed in over it, so that Ehud did not withdraw the sword from his belly. And Eglon’s bowels emptied.
23
Ndipo Ehudi akatoka nje barazani, akamfungia milango ya hicho chumba na kuifunga kwa ufunguo.
Then Ehud went out through the porch, closing and locking the doors of the upper room behind him.
24
Basi alipokuwa amekwisha toka nje, hao watumishi wake wakaenda; wakaona, na tazama, hiyo milango ya chumba ilikuwa imefungwa kwa ufunguo; nao wakasema, Hapana budi amejifunika miguu yake ndani ya chumba cha baridi.
After Ehud was gone, Eglon’s servants came in and found the doors of the upper room locked. “He must be relieving himself in the cool room,” they said.
25
Wakangoja hata wakatahayari; na tazama, hakuifungua milango ya chumba; basi wakatwaa ufunguo, na kuifungua; na tazama, bwana wao alikuwa ameanguka nchi, naye amekufa.
So they waited until they became worried and saw that he had still not opened the doors of the upper room. Then they took the key and opened the doors—and there was their lord lying dead on the floor.
26
Naye Ehudi alikimbia hapo walipokuwa wakingoja, akapita huko kwenye sanamu, na kukimbilia Seira.
Ehud, however, had escaped while the servants waited. He passed by the idols and escaped to Seirah.
27
Ikawa, hapo alipofika akapiga tarumbeta katika nchi ya vilima vilima ya Efraimu, ndipo wana wa Israeli wakatelemka pamoja naye kutoka huko milimani, naye akawatangulia.
On arriving in Seirah, he blew the ram’s horn throughout the hill country of Ephraim. The Israelites came down with him from the hills, and he became their leader.
28
Akawaambia, Niandameni mimi; kwa kuwa Bwana amewatia adui zenu, Wamoabi, mikononi mwenu. Basi wakatelemka na kumfuata, wakavishika vivuko vya Yordani kinyume cha Wamoabi, wala hawakumwacha mtu kuvuka.
“Follow me,” he told them, “for the LORD has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” So they followed him down and seized the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab, and they did not allow anyone to cross over.
29
Wakati huo wakapiga katika Wamoabi watu waume wapata kama elfu kumi, ambao wote walikuwa wanene, na wote mashujaa; hakupona hata mtu mmoja.
At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all robust and valiant men. Not one of them escaped.
30
Basi Moabu alishindwa siku hiyo chini ya mikono ya Israeli. Nayo nchi ikawa na amani muda wa miaka themanini
So Moab was subdued under the hand of Israel that day, and the land had rest for eighty years.
31
Tena baada yake huyo alikuwapo Shamgari mwana wa Anathi, aliyepiga katika Wafilisti watu mia sita kwa konzo la ng'ombe; yeye naye aliwaokoa Israeli.
After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath. And he too saved Israel, striking down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad.