UGenesisi 44
1 UJosefa waselaya inceku yendlu yakhe wathi: “Gcwalisa silikici amasaka amadoda la ngokudla konke abangakuthwala, ubusubuyisela isiliva salowo lalowo emlonyeni wesaka lakhe.
Then he gave orders to the servant who was over his house, saying, Put as much food into the men's bags as will go into them, and put every man's money in the mouth of his bag;
2 Ubusufaka inkomitsho yami, leyana eyesiliva, emlonyeni wesaka lalowo omncinyane wabo ndawonye lesiliva sakhe samabele.” Yenza njengalokho uJosefa ayekutshilo.
And put my cup, my silver cup, in the youngest one's bag, with his money. So he did as Joseph said.
3 Kwathi emadabukakusa bawavalelisa amadoda asuka kanye labobabhemi bawo.
And at dawn the men, with their asses, were sent away.
4 Ayengakahambi okuya ngaphi ukusuka edolobheni lapho uJosefa athi encekwini yakhe, “Axhume ngokuphangisa amadoda lawana, ungawafica uthi kuwo, ‘Lenzeleni ukuphindisela okuhle ngokubi na?
And when they had gone only a little way out of the town, Joseph said to the servant who was over his house, Go after them; and when you overtake them, say to them, Why have you done evil in reward for good?
5 Le kakusinkomitsho enatha ngenkosi yami njalo ehlahlula ngayo na? Le yinto embi kakhulu eseliyenzile!’”
Is not this the cup from which my lord takes wine and by which he gets knowledge of the future? Truly, you have done evil.
6 Wathi esebaficile wawatsho amazwi la kubo.
So he overtook them and said these words to them.
7 Kodwa bathi kuye, “Kungani inkosi yethu isitsho izinto ezinjalo? Kakube kude lezinceku zakho ukwenza ulutho olunjalo!
And they said to him, Why does my lord say such words as these? far be it from your servants to do such a thing:
8 Phela siyibuyisile kuwe isiliva sisuka laso elizweni laseKhenani, lesiyana esasifumana phakathi emilonyeni yamasaka ethu. Pho besingakwenza njani ukweba isiliva loba igolide endlini yenkosi yakho na?
See, the money which was in the mouth of our bags we gave back to you when we came again from Canaan: how then might we take silver or gold from your lord's house?
9 Nxa omunye wezinceku zakho efunyanwa elayo, uzabulawa; kuthi thina abanye sibe yizigqili zenkosi yethu.”
If it comes to light that any of your servants has done this, let him be put to death, and we will be your lord's servants.
10 Wathi, “Kulungile, kakube njengokutsho kwenu. Lowo ozafunyanwa elayo uzakuba yisigqili sami, lina abanye lonke kalizukuba lecala.”
And he said, Let it be as you say: he in whose bag it is seen will become my servant; and you will not be responsible.
11 Ngulowo lalowo wabo wethula isaka lakhe walivula.
Then every man quickly got his bag down and undid it.
12 Inceku yasihamba ihlola, yaqala ngomdala yayacina ngomcinyane. Inkomitsho yayafunyanwa esakeni likaBhenjamini.
And he made a search, starting with the oldest and ending with the youngest; and the cup was in Benjamin's bag.
13 Bekubona lokhu badabula izigqoko zabo. Emva kwalokho bonke betshatisa obabhemi babo amasaka baphindela edolobheni.
Then in bitter grief they put the bags on the asses again and went back to the town.
14 UJosefa wayelokhu esendlini lapho uJuda labafowabo abafika khona bazilahla phansi phambi kwakhe.
So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house; and he was still there: and they went down on their faces before him.
15 UJosefa wathi kubo, “Kuyini lokhu elikwenzileyo? Kalazi na ukuthi umuntu onjengami ubona izinto ngokuhlahlula?”
And Joseph said, What is this thing which you have done? had you no thought that such a man as I would have power to see what is secret?
16 UJuda waphendula wathi, “Kambe singabe sisathini? Singakuveza kanjani ukuba msulwa kwethu? UNkulunkulu usembule icala lezinceku zakho. Manje sesiyizichaka zenkosi yami, thina ngokwethu lalowo ofunyenwe elayo inkomitsho.”
And Judah said, What are we to say to my lord? how may we put ourselves right in his eyes? God has made clear the sin of your servants: now we are in your hands, we and the man in whose bag your cup was seen.
17 Kodwa uJosefa wathi. “Kakube kude lami ukwenza into enjalo! Yileyo indoda kuphela efunyanwe ilayo inkomitsho ezakuba yisichaka sami. Abanye lonke buyelani kuyihlo ngokuthula.”
Then he said, Far be it from me to do so: but the man who had my cup will be my servant; and you may go back to your father in peace.
18 UJuda wasesondela kuye wathi, “Oh, nkosi yami, akuvumele inceku yakho itsho ilizwi enkosini yami. Ungayizondeli inceku yakho, loba wena ulingana loFaro ngokwakhe.
Then Judah came near him, and said, Let your servant say a word in my lord's ears, and let not your wrath be burning against your servant: for you are in the place of Pharaoh to us.
19 Inkosi yami yabuza izinceku zayo yathi, ‘Lilaye na uyihlo kumbe umfowenu?’
My lord said to his servants, Have you a father or a brother?
20 Thina saphendula sathi, ‘Silaye ubaba oseluphele, njalo ikhona indodana ayizala eseluphele. Umnewabo wafa, njalo yiyo yodwa eseleyo emadodaneni kanina, ngakho uyise uyayithanda.’
And we said to my lord, We have an old father and a young child, whom he had when he was old; his brother is dead and he is the only son of his mother, and is very dear to his father.
21 Wena wasusithi ezincekwini zakho, ‘Mletheni kimi ukuze ngimbone mina ngokwami.’
And you said to your servants, Let him come down to me with you, so that I may see him.
22 Thina sathi enkosini yami, ‘Umfana ngeke asuka kuyise; nxa esuka kuye, uyise uzakufa.’
And we said to my lord, His father will not let him go; for if he went away his father would come to his death.
23 Kodwa izinceku zakho wazitshela wathi, ‘Ngaphandle kokuba umnawenu omncane lize laye, ngeke liphinde libubone njalo ubuso bami.’
But you said to your servants, If your youngest brother does not come with you, you will not see my face again.
24 Sathi ukubuyela encekwini yakho ubaba, samtshela lokho okwakutshiwo yinkosi yami.
And when we went back to your servant, our father, we gave him an account of my lord's words.
25 Ubaba wasesithi, ‘Buyelani liyethenga okunye njalo ukudla.’
And our father said, Go again and get us a little food.
26 Kodwa thina sathi, ‘Ngeke siye khona. Kuphela nxa umnawethu omncane elathi, singahamba. Ngeke sibubone ubuso bendoda leyo ngaphandle kokuba umnawethu omncane silaye.’
And we said, Only if our youngest brother goes with us will we go down; for we may not see the man's face again if our youngest brother is not with us.
27 Inceku yakho ubaba yathi kithi, ‘Liyakwazi ukuthi umkami wangizalela amadodana amabili.
And our father said to us, You have knowledge that my wife gave me two sons;
28 Omunye wabo wasuka kimi, ngathi, “Ngempela udlithiziwe waba yizicucu.” Ngakho kangisaphindanga ngambona kusukela khonapho.
The one went away from me, and I said, Truly he has come to a violent death; and from that time I have not seen him,
29 Manje lingangithathela lalo futhi abesesehlelwa ngokubi, lizakwehlisela ikhanda lami eliyimpunga engcwabeni ngidabukile kakhulu.’ (Sheol h7585)
If now you take this one from me, and some evil comes to him, you will make my grey head go down in sorrow to the underworld. (Sheol h7585)
30 Ngakho-ke, nxa umfana singelaye lapho sengibuyela encekwini yakho ubaba, yena ompilo yakhe isondelelene kakhulu leyomfana lo,
If then I go back to your servant, my father, without the boy, because his life and the boy's life are one,
31 uzakuthi angabona umfana engekho, ahle afe. Thina zinceku zakho sizakusa ikhanda likababa eliyimpunga engcwabeni lihlulukelwe. (Sheol h7585)
When he sees that the boy is not with us, he will come to his death, and our father's grey head will go down in sorrow to the underworld. (Sheol h7585)
32 Inceku yakho yanikela ukuphila kwayo ngokuphepha komfana kubaba. Ngathi, ‘Nxa ngingambuyisi kuwe, ngizawuthwala lowomlandu kuwe, baba, impilo yami yonke!’
For I made myself responsible for the boy to my father, saying, If I do not give him safely back to you, let mine be the sin for ever.
33 Ngakho-ke ngiyacela ukuthi uvumele inceku yakho isale lapha njengesichaka senkosi yami esikhundleni somfana, yena umfana akhululwe ahambe labanewabo.
So now let me be my lord's servant here in place of the boy, and let him go back with his brothers.
34 Ngingabuyela ngithini kubaba umfana ngingelaye? Hatshi! Ungangenzi ngibone usizi olungamehlela ubaba.”
For how may I go back to my father without the boy, and see the evil which will come on my father?
