< Genesis 42 >

1 When someone told Jacob that there was grain in Egypt that people could buy, he said to his sons, “(Why do you just sit there looking at each other?/Do not just sit there looking at each other!) [RHQ] We need some grain!”
UJakobe esebonile ukuthi kukhona amabele eGibhithe, uJakobe wathi emadodaneni akhe: Kungani likhangelana?
2 He said to them, “Someone told me that there is grain for sale in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, in order that we will not die!”
Wathi futhi: Khangelani, sengizwile ukuthi kukhona amabele eGibhithe; yehlani liye khona, lisithengele khona, ukuze siphile, singafi.
3 So Joseph’s ten [older] brothers went down to Egypt to buy some grain.
Abafowabo bakaJosefa abalitshumi basebesehla ukuthenga amabele eGibhithe.
4 But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph’s [younger] brother, to go with the others, because he was afraid/worried that something terrible might happen to him like what happened to Joseph.
Kodwa uBhenjamini, umfowabo kaJosefa, uJakobe kamthumanga labafowabo, ngoba wathi: Hlezi ehlelwe yingozi.
5 So Jacob’s other sons went down from Canaan to Egypt to buy grain, and others from there went too, because there was a famine in Canaan also.
Amadodana kaIsrayeli asefika ukuthenga phakathi kwababesiza, ngoba indlala yayikhona elizweni leKhanani.
6 At that time Joseph was the governor of Egypt. He was the one who sold grain to people who came from all over Egypt and from many other countries [HYP] to buy grain. So when Joseph’s brothers arrived, [they were told that it was necessary for them to talk with Joseph. So they went to him and] prostrated themselves before him with their faces to the ground.
Njalo uJosefa wayengumbusi phezu kwelizwe; wathengisela abantu bonke belizwe; bafika-ke abafowabo bakaJosefa, bamkhothamela ngobuso emhlabathini.
7 As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them. But he pretended that he did not know them. He spoke harshly to them, saying, “Where do you come from?” One of them replied, “We have come from Canaan, to buy some grain.”
UJosefa esebabonile abafowabo, wabazi, kodwa wazitshaya owemzini kubo, wakhuluma labo izinto ezilukhuni wathi kubo: Livela ngaphi? Bathi: Elizweni leKhanani, ukuthenga ukudla.
8 Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.
UJosefa wasebazi abafowabo, kodwa bona kabamazanga.
9 And then Joseph remembered what he had dreamed about them many years previously. [But he decided not to tell them yet that he was their younger brother]. He said to them, “You are spies! You have come to find out whether we will be able to defend ourselves [if you attack us]!”
UJosefa wasekhumbula amaphupho awaphupha ngabo, wathi kibo: Lizinhloli, ukuzabona ubunqunu belizwe lizile.
10 One of them replied, “No, sir! We have come to buy grain.
Basebesithi kuye: Hatshi, nkosi yami; kodwa inceku zakho zize ukuthenga ukudla.
11 We are all sons of one man. We are honest men, not spies.”
Thina sonke singamadodana andodanye; singabaqotho, inceku zakho kazisizo inhloli.
12 He said to them, “[I do not believe you]. You have come just to see whether we would be able to defend ourselves if we were attacked!”
Wasesithi kubo: Hatshi, kodwa ukuzabona ubunqunu belizwe lizile.
13 But one of them replied, “No, that is not true! Originally there were twelve of us who were brothers, the sons of one man. Our younger brother is with our father. One [younger] brother has died. [EUP]”
Basebesithi: Thina, izinceku zakho, siyizelamani ezilitshumi lambili, amadodana andodanye elizweni leKhanani; khangela-ke, icinathunjana likubaba lamuhla, enye kayisekho.
14 Joseph replied, “[You are lying! I think] it is just as I told you. You are spies!
UJosefa wasesithi kubo: Yikho lokho engikutsho kini, ukuthi: Lizinhloli.
15 But this is how I will determine whether what you are saying is true. I think that as surely as the king lives, you are spies. And you will not leave this place until your youngest brother comes here!
Kulokhu lizahlolwa; ngempilo kaFaro! kalisoze liphume lapha, ngaphandle kokuthi kufike umfowenu olicinathunjana lapha.
16 Send one of your group to go and get your younger brother and bring him here. I will put the rest of you in prison, in order that I may test what you have said to find out whether what you are telling me is true. If the one who goes does not bring your younger brother here, then, just as surely as the king lives, it will be clear that you are lying and that you are spies.”
Thumani omunye wenu, amlande umfowenu; kodwa lina lizabotshwa, ukuze kuhlolwe amazwi enu, ukuthi iqiniso likini yini; kodwa uba hatshi, impilo kaFaro! lizinhloli.
17 Then Joseph put them all in prison for three days.
Wasebafaka esitokisini insuku ezintathu.
18 On the third day, Joseph went to the prison and said to them, “I am a man who fears that God [will punish me if I do not do what I promise]. So do what I tell you, and I will spare your lives.
UJosefa wasesithi kubo ngosuku lwesithathu: Yenzani lokhu ukuze liphile. Ngiyamesaba uNkulunkulu.
19 If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison, and the rest of you can take some grain back to your families who are very hungry because of the famine.
Uba lingabaqotho, kabotshwe omunye wabafowenu endlini yokulondolozwa kwenu, kodwa lina hambani, libuyele lamabele endlala ezindlu zenu,
20 But if you come back here again, you must bring your youngest brother to me, so that you can prove that what you told me is true, and as a result I will not have you executed.” So they agreed to do that.
lilethe umnawenu olicinathunjana kimi; khona amazwi enu ezaqiniswa, ukuze lingafi. Basebesenza njalo.
21 They said to each other, “It is surely because of what we did to our [younger] brother that (we are being punished/God is punishing us)! We saw that he [SYN] was very distressed when he pleaded with us not to harm him. But we did not pay any attention to him, and that is why we are having this trouble!”
Basebekhulumisana besithi: Isibili silecala ngomfowethu, ngoba sabona usizi lomphefumulo wakhe, nxa wasincenga, kodwa kasilalelanga; ngenxa yalokho sehlelwe yikuhlupheka lokhu.
22 Reuben said to them, “I told you not to harm the boy [RHQ], but you did not pay attention to what I said! Now we are being (paid back/punished) for killing him [MTY]!”
URubeni wasebaphendula wathi: Kangitshongo yini ukuthi: Lingoni kumfana? Kodwa kalilalelanga. Ngakho legazi lakhe, khangelani, liyabizwa.
23 While they were talking with Joseph, they were speaking through (an interpreter/someone who knew their language and the Egyptian language), but when they said these things among themselves, they were speaking in their own language, and they did not know that Joseph could understand their language, and that he could understand what they were saying.
Njalo bona babengazi ukuthi uJosefa uyezwa, ngoba kwakulomtoliki phakathi kwabo.
24 [Because of what they said, Joseph realized that they admitted that what they had done to him many years previously was wrong]. He could not keep from crying, [and he did not want them to see him crying], so he left them and went outside the room and began to cry. But then he returned to them and talked to them again. Then he took Simeon, and while they were watching, he told his servants to tie him up. He left Simeon in the prison and told the others that they could go.
Njalo wabafulathela, wakhala inyembezi; wasetshibilikela kubo, wakhuluma kubo; wasethatha uSimeyoni kubo, wambopha phambi kwamehlo abo.
25 Joseph told his servants to fill the men’s sacks with grain, but he also told them to put the money that each one had paid for the grain in the top of his sack. He also told them to give them food to eat along the way. After the servants did those things for Joseph’s older brothers,
UJosefa waselaya ukuthi bagcwalise amasaka abo ngamabele, lokuthi babuyisele imali yabo, ngulowo lalowo esakeni lakhe, lokuthi babanike umphako wendlela; basebesenza njalo kubo.
26 his older brothers loaded the sacks of grain on their donkeys and left.
Basebesethwesa obabhemi babo amabele abo, basuka lapho.
27 At the place where they stopped to sleep that night, one of them opened his sack to get some grain for his donkey. He was amazed to see his money in the top of the sack.
Kwathi omunye evula isaka lakhe ukuze anike ubabhemi wakhe ukudla endlini yezihambi, wabona imali yakhe, ngoba khangela, yayisemlonyeni wesaka lakhe.
28 He exclaimed to his brothers, “Someone has returned my money! Here it is in my sack!” They started shaking with fear, and said to each other, “What is this that God has done to us?”
Wasesithi kubafowabo: Imali yami ibuyiselwe; futhi khangelani, isesakeni lami. Inhliziyo yabo yasisehluleka, bathuthumela, omunye komunye besithi: Kuyini lokhu uNkulunkulu akwenze kithi?
29 When they returned to their father in Canaan land, they told him all that had happened to them. One of them said,
Basebesiza kuJakobe uyise elizweni leKhanani, bamazisa konke abahlangene lakho, besithi:
30 “The man who governs the whole land of Egypt talked very harshly to us. He acted toward us as though we were spying on his country.
Indoda, umbusi walelolizwe, wasihalada, wasithatha njengenhloli zelizwe.
31 But we told him, ‘We are honest men! We are not spies.
Kodwa sathi kuye: Singabaqotho; kasisizo izinhloli;
32 Originally there were twelve of us who were brothers, the sons of one father. One has died [EUP], and our youngest brother is with our father in Canaan.’
sasiyizelamani ezilitshumi lambili, amadodana kababa; enye kayisekho, lecinathunjana lamuhla likubaba elizweni leKhanani.
33 The man who is the governor of the land [did not believe us], so he said to us, ‘This is how I will know if you are truly honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me. Then the rest of you can take some grain for your families that are starving from hunger and go.
Lendoda, umbusi welizwe, wathi kithi: Ngalokhu ngizakwazi ukuthi lingabaqotho; tshiyani omunye wabafowenu kimi, lithathele indlala yezindlu zenu, lihambe,
34 But when you return, bring your youngest brother to me, in order that I will know that you are not spies, but instead, that you are honest men. Then I will release your brother for you. And then you can buy whatever you want in this country.’”
lilethe umnawenu olicinathunjana kimi; khona ngizabona ukuthi kalisizo izinhloli kodwa lingabaqotho, ngilinike umfowenu, lithengiselane elizweni.
35 As they were emptying their sacks, they were surprised that in each man’s sack was his pouch of money! When they and their father saw all the pouches of money, they were frightened.
Kwasekusithi sebethulula amasaka abo, khangela-ke, isikhwama semali salowo lalowo sisesakeni lakhe. Lapho bebona izikhwama zemali yabo, bona loyise, besaba.
36 Their father Jacob said to them, “You have caused two of my children to be taken from me! Joseph is dead, and Simeon is gone! And now you want to take Benjamin from me! It is I who am suffering because of all these things that are happening!”
UJakobe uyise wasesithi kubo: Liyangemuka abantwana; uJosefa kasekho loSimeyoni kakho, loBhenjamini lizamthatha; zonke lezizinto zimelane lami.
37 Reuben said to his father, “I will be responsible for Benjamin. [I will take him to Egypt and] bring him back to you. Let me take care of him. If I do not bring Benjamin back to you, you may kill both of my sons.”
URubeni wasekhuluma kuyise esithi: Bulala ababili kumadodana ami, uba ngingambuyisi kuwe; mnikele esandleni sami, futhi mina ngizambuyisela kuwe.
38 But Jacob said, “No, I will not let my son go down there with you. His [older] brother is dead, and he is the only [one of my wife Rachel’s] sons who is left! If something harms him while you are traveling, you would cause me, a gray-haired old man, to die because of sorrow.” (Sheol h7585)
Kodwa wathi: Indodana yami kayiyikwehla lani, ngoba umfowabo ufile, futhi yena usele yedwa; uba esehlelwa yingozi endleleni elihamba kuyo, lizakwehlisela engcwabeni izimvu zami ngosizi. (Sheol h7585)

< Genesis 42 >