UGenesisi 42
1 Kwathi uJakhobe esezwile ukuthi amabele ayekhona eGibhithe wathi emadodaneni akhe, “Kungani likhangelana nje?”
Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?”
2 Waqhubeka wathi, “Sengizwile ukuthi amabele akhona eGibhithe. Yehlani liye khona liyesithengela wona ukuze siphile singafi.”
He said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there, and buy for us from there, so that we may live, and not die.”
3 Ngakho abanewabo bakaJosefa behla bayathenga amabele eGibhithe.
Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.
4 Kodwa uJakhobe kamthumanga labanye uBhenjamini, umnawakhe kaJosefa ngoba wesaba ukuthi angaqabuka ewelwa yingozi.
But Jacob didn’t send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with his brothers; for he said, “Lest perhaps harm happen to him.”
5 Kungakho amadodana ka-Israyeli ayeludwendwe lunye lalabo ababesiyathenga amabele njengoba indlala yayikhona laselizweni leKhenani.
The sons of Israel came to buy among those who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
6 Ngalesosikhathi uJosefa wayengumbusi welizwe, enguye othengisela abantu bonke amabele. Ngakho abafowabo bakaJosefa bathi befika khona bamkhothamela, bathi mbo ngobuso phansi.
Joseph was the governor over the land. It was he who sold to all the people of the land. Joseph’s brothers came, and bowed themselves down to him with their faces to the earth.
7 UJosefa wonela ukubabona abafowabo, wabazi, kodwa wazitshaya owezizweni, wabakhulumisa ngokubakhahlameza. Wababuza wathi, “Livela ngaphi?” Baphendula bathi, “Sivela elizweni laseKhenani ukuzathenga ukudla.”
Joseph saw his brothers, and he recognized them, but acted like a stranger to them, and spoke roughly with them. He said to them, “Where did you come from?” They said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.”
8 Lanxa uJosefa wabazi abafowabo, bona kabamazanga.
Joseph recognized his brothers, but they didn’t recognize him.
9 Ngakho wasekhumbula amaphupho akhe ngabo wasesithi kubo, “Lizinhloli! Lilande ukuzabona lapho ilizwe lethu elingavikelekanga khona.”
Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed about them, and said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see the nakedness of the land.”
10 Baphendula bathi, “Hatshi, nkosi yethu. Izinceku zakho zize ukuzothenga ukudla.
They said to him, “No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food.
11 Singamadodana endoda yinye sonke. Izinceku zakho zingabantu abaqotho, kazisizo zinhloli.”
We are all one man’s sons; we are honest men. Your servants are not spies.”
12 Wathi kubo, “Hatshi! Lize ukuzabona lapho ilizwe lethu elingavikelekanga khona.”
He said to them, “No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land!”
13 Kodwa baphendula bathi, “Izinceku zakho zaziyizelamani ezilitshumi lambili, engamadodana endoda yinye, ehlala elizweni laseKhenani. Icinathunjana lisele lobaba, ikanti eyodwa kayisekho.”
They said, “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is today with our father, and one is no more.”
14 UJosefa wathi kubo, “Kunjengoba ngilitshelile: Lizinhloli!
Joseph said to them, “It is like I told you, saying, ‘You are spies!’
15 Manje-ke lizahlolwa kanje: Ngifunga uFaro, kaliyikusuka lapha ngaphandle kokuthi umfowenu omncinyane afike lapha.
By this you shall be tested. By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go out from here, unless your youngest brother comes here.
16 Thumani omunye wenu amlande umfowenu; lonke abanye lizagcinwa entolongweni, ukuze amazwi enu ahlolisiswe ukuthi lingabe likhuluma iqiniso yini. Nxa kungenjalo, ngifunga uFaro, lizinhloli!”
Send one of you, and let him get your brother, and you shall be bound, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you, or else by the life of Pharaoh surely you are spies.”
17 Wasebafaka entolongweni bonke okwensuku ezintathu.
He put them all together into custody for three days.
18 Ngosuku lwesithathu uJosefa wathi kubo, “Yenzani lokhu ukuze lisile, ngoba mina ngesaba uNkulunkulu:
Joseph said to them the third day, “Do this, and live, for I fear God.
19 Nxa lingabantu abaqotho, omunye wenu kahlale lapha entolongweni, kuthi lina abanye libuyele lihambisele izimuli zenu amabele esezibulawa yindlala.
If you are honest men, then let one of your brothers be bound in your prison; but you go, carry grain for the famine of your houses.
20 Kodwa limlethe lapha kimi umnawenu omncane ukuze amazwi enu aqiniseke, njalo ukuze lingafi.” Bakwenza lokho.
Bring your youngest brother to me; so will your words be verified, and you won’t die.” They did so.
21 Basebekhulumisana bathi, “Ngempela sijeziselwa umfowethu. Sambona ukuthi wayekhathazeke kangakanani esincenga, ezincengela impilo yakhe, kodwa kasaze samlalela; kungakho sisehlelwa luhlupho lolu.”
They said to one another, “We are certainly guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us, and we wouldn’t listen. Therefore this distress has come upon us.”
22 URubheni waphendula wathi, “Kodwa kangilitshelanga yini ukuthi lingenzi isono emfaneni lina laqinisa amakhanda? Nanku-ke sesimele sifakaze ngegazi lakhe.”
Reuben answered them, saying, “Didn’t I tell you, saying, ‘Don’t sin against the child,’ and you wouldn’t listen? Therefore also, behold, his blood is required.”
23 Babengakunanzeleli ukuthi uJosefa wayeluzwa ulimi lwabo njengoba wayelomtolikelayo.
They didn’t know that Joseph understood them; for there was an interpreter between them.
24 Wabafulathela wachiphiza izinyembezi, kodwa waphenduka wakhuluma labo. Wathi kuthathwe uSimiyoni kubo owahle wabotshwa phambi kwabo.
He turned himself away from them, and wept. Then he returned to them, and spoke to them, and took Simeon from among them, and bound him before their eyes.
25 UJosefa waselaya ukuthi kugcwaliswe amabele emasakeni abo, kubuyiselwe imali yalowo lalowo ifakwe phakathi kwesaka lakhe njalo baphiwe umphako wendlela. Sebekwenzelwe konke lokho,
Then Joseph gave a command to fill their bags with grain, and to restore each man’s money into his sack, and to give them food for the way. So it was done to them.
26 betshata amasaka abo kubobabhemi bahamba.
They loaded their donkeys with their grain, and departed from there.
27 Endaweni lapho abema khona ngalobubusuku omunye wabo wavula isaka lakhe ukuthathela ubabhemi wakhe ukudla, wasebona imali yakhe yesiliva emlonyeni wesaka.
As one of them opened his sack to give his donkey food in the lodging place, he saw his money. Behold, it was in the mouth of his sack.
28 Wathi kubafowabo, “Isiliva sami sibuyiselwe. Nansi lapha phakathi kwesaka lami.” Zatshona inhliziyo zabo bakhangelana bethuthumela bathi, “Kuyini kambe lokhu uNkulunkulu asekwenzile kithi?”
He said to his brothers, “My money is restored! Behold, it is in my sack!” Their hearts failed them, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”
29 Bathi sebefike kuyise uJakhobe elizweni laseKhenani bamtshela konke lokho okwakwenzakele kubo. Bathi,
They came to Jacob their father, to the land of Canaan, and told him all that had happened to them, saying,
30 “Indoda eyinkosi yelizwe isikhulumise ngokusihalada, yasiphatha kwangathi sizinhloli elizweni.
“The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly with us, and took us for spies of the country.
31 Kodwa sathi kuyo, ‘Singamadoda aqotho; kasisizonhloli thina.
We said to him, ‘We are honest men. We are no spies.
32 Sasiyizelamani ezilitshumi lambili, amadodana endoda yinye. Omunye sowedlula, kuthi icinathunjana lisele lobaba eKhenani.’
We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is today with our father in the land of Canaan.’
33 Ngakho umuntu oyinkosi yalelolizwe wasesithi kithi, ‘Nanku okuzangenza ngazi ukuthi lingabantu abaqotho: Tshiyani omunye umfowenu lapha kimi, lithathe ukudla kwezimuli zenu ezilambayo lihambe.
The man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘By this I will know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain for the famine of your houses, and go your way.
34 Kodwa umnawenu limlethe kimi khona ngizakwazi ukuthi kalisizinhloli, kodwa lingabantu abaqotho. Lapho-ke ngizambuyisela kini umfowenu, lani selingazithengisela phakathi kwelizwe.’”
Bring your youngest brother to me. Then I will know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. So I will deliver your brother to you, and you shall trade in the land.’”
35 Bathi sebethulula amasaka abo, babona umxhaka wesiliva waleyo laleyo ndoda esakeni layo! Kwathi bona ngokwabo kanye loyise bebona imixhaka yemali besaba.
As they emptied their sacks, behold, each man’s bundle of money was in his sack. When they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid.
36 Uyise uJakhobe wathi kubo, “Selingephuce abantwabami. UJosefa kasekho, loSimiyoni kasekho; manje selifuna ukuthatha uBhenjamini. Yonke into iyangihlamukela!”
Jacob, their father, said to them, “You have bereaved me of my children! Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin away. All these things are against me.”
37 URubheni wasesithi kuyise, “Ungawabulala womabili amadodana ami nxa ngingangambuyisi kuwe. Mnikele ezandleni zami, mina ngizambuyisa.”
Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “Kill my two sons, if I don’t bring him to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him to you again.”
38 Kodwa uJakhobe wathi, “Indodana yami kayiyikuhamba lani khonale; umnewabo sewafa, usenguye yedwa oseleyo. Nxa evelelwa ngokubi kuloluhambo lwenu lizakwenza ukuthi ikhanda lami eliyimpunga liye engcwabeni lidabukile.” (Sheol h7585)
He said, “My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left. If harm happens to him along the way in which you go, then you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.” (Sheol h7585)
