UGenesisi 44
1 UJosefa waselaya inceku yendlu yakhe wathi: “Gcwalisa silikici amasaka amadoda la ngokudla konke abangakuthwala, ubusubuyisela isiliva salowo lalowo emlonyeni wesaka lakhe.
And he commanded him who was over his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry; and put every man's money in the mouth of his sack.
2 Ubusufaka inkomitsho yami, leyana eyesiliva, emlonyeni wesaka lalowo omncinyane wabo ndawonye lesiliva sakhe samabele.” Yenza njengalokho uJosefa ayekutshilo.
And put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his grain-money. And he did according to the word of Joseph which he had spoken.
3 Kwathi emadabukakusa bawavalelisa amadoda asuka kanye labobabhemi bawo.
In the morning, when it was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses.
4 Ayengakahambi okuya ngaphi ukusuka edolobheni lapho uJosefa athi encekwini yakhe, “Axhume ngokuphangisa amadoda lawana, ungawafica uthi kuwo, ‘Lenzeleni ukuphindisela okuhle ngokubi na?
They were gone out of the city, [and] not [yet] far off, when Joseph said to him who was over his house, Up! follow after the men; and when thou overtakest them, thou shalt say to them, Why have ye rewarded evil for good?
5 Le kakusinkomitsho enatha ngenkosi yami njalo ehlahlula ngayo na? Le yinto embi kakhulu eseliyenzile!’”
Is not this [it] in which my lord drinks, and in which indeed he divines? Ye have done evil [in] what ye have done.
6 Wathi esebaficile wawatsho amazwi la kubo.
And he overtook them, and he spoke to them these words.
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 speak such words as these? Far be it from thy 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?
Behold, the money that we found in our sacks' mouths we have brought again to thee from the land of Canaan; and how should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold?
9 Nxa omunye wezinceku zakho efunyanwa elayo, uzabulawa; kuthi thina abanye sibe yizigqili zenkosi yethu.”
With whomsoever of thy servants it is found, let him die; and we also will be my lord's bondmen.
10 Wathi, “Kulungile, kakube njengokutsho kwenu. Lowo ozafunyanwa elayo uzakuba yisigqili sami, lina abanye lonke kalizukuba lecala.”
And he said, Now also [let] it [be] according to your words: let him with whom it is found be my bondman, but ye shall be blameless.
11 Ngulowo lalowo wabo wethula isaka lakhe walivula.
And they hasted and laid down every man his sack on the ground, and opened every man his sack.
12 Inceku yasihamba ihlola, yaqala ngomdala yayacina ngomcinyane. Inkomitsho yayafunyanwa esakeni likaBhenjamini.
And he searched carefully: he began at the eldest, and ended at the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.
13 Bekubona lokhu badabula izigqoko zabo. Emva kwalokho bonke betshatisa obabhemi babo amasaka baphindela edolobheni.
Then they rent their clothes, and loaded every man his ass, and they returned to the city.
14 UJosefa wayelokhu esendlini lapho uJuda labafowabo abafika khona bazilahla phansi phambi kwakhe.
And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house; and he was still there; and they fell down before him to the ground.
15 UJosefa wathi kubo, “Kuyini lokhu elikwenzileyo? Kalazi na ukuthi umuntu onjengami ubona izinto ngokuhlahlula?”
And Joseph said to them, What deed is this which ye have done? Did ye not know that such a man as I can certainly divine?
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 shall we say to my lord? what shall we speak, and how justify ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of thy servants; behold, we are my lord's bondmen, both we, and he in whose hand the cup has been found.
17 Kodwa uJosefa wathi. “Kakube kude lami ukwenza into enjalo! Yileyo indoda kuphela efunyanwe ilayo inkomitsho ezakuba yisichaka sami. Abanye lonke buyelani kuyihlo ngokuthula.”
And he said, Far be it from me to do so! The man in whose hand the cup has been found, he shall be my bondman; but as for you, go up in peace to your father.
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 to him, and said, Ah! my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant; for thou art even as Pharaoh.
19 Inkosi yami yabuza izinceku zayo yathi, ‘Lilaye na uyihlo kumbe umfowenu?’
My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye 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 aged father, and a child born to him in his old age, [yet] young; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother; and his father loves him.
21 Wena wasusithi ezincekwini zakho, ‘Mletheni kimi ukuze ngimbone mina ngokwami.’
And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down to me, that I may set mine eye on him.
22 Thina sathi enkosini yami, ‘Umfana ngeke asuka kuyise; nxa esuka kuye, uyise uzakufa.’
And we said to my lord, The youth cannot leave his father: if he should leave his father, [his father] would die.
23 Kodwa izinceku zakho wazitshela wathi, ‘Ngaphandle kokuba umnawenu omncane lize laye, ngeke liphinde libubone njalo ubuso bami.’
And thou saidst to thy servants, Unless your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.
24 Sathi ukubuyela encekwini yakho ubaba, samtshela lokho okwakutshiwo yinkosi yami.
And it came to pass when we came up to thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.
25 Ubaba wasesithi, ‘Buyelani liyethenga okunye njalo ukudla.’
And our father said, Go again, buy 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.’
But we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down; for we cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.
27 Inceku yakho ubaba yathi kithi, ‘Liyakwazi ukuthi umkami wangizalela amadodana amabili.
And thy servant my father said to us, Ye know that my wife bore me two [sons];
28 Omunye wabo wasuka kimi, ngathi, “Ngempela udlithiziwe waba yizicucu.” Ngakho kangisaphindanga ngambona kusukela khonapho.
and the one went out from me, and I said, He must certainly have been torn in pieces; and I have not seen him [again] hitherto.
29 Manje lingangithathela lalo futhi abesesehlelwa ngokubi, lizakwehlisela ikhanda lami eliyimpunga engcwabeni ngidabukile kakhulu.’ (Sheol h7585)
And if ye take this one also from me, and mischief should befall him, ye will bring down my grey hairs with misery to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
30 Ngakho-ke, nxa umfana singelaye lapho sengibuyela encekwini yakho ubaba, yena ompilo yakhe isondelelene kakhulu leyomfana lo,
And now, when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad is not with us, — seeing that his life is bound up with his life,
31 uzakuthi angabona umfana engekho, ahle afe. Thina zinceku zakho sizakusa ikhanda likababa eliyimpunga engcwabeni lihlulukelwe. (Sheol h7585)
it will come to pass when he sees that the lad is not [there], that he will die; and thy servants will bring down the grey hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
32 Inceku yakho yanikela ukuphila kwayo ngokuphepha komfana kubaba. Ngathi, ‘Nxa ngingambuyisi kuwe, ngizawuthwala lowomlandu kuwe, baba, impilo yami yonke!’
For thy servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, If I bring him not to thee, then I shall be guilty toward my father all my days.
33 Ngakho-ke ngiyacela ukuthi uvumele inceku yakho isale lapha njengesichaka senkosi yami esikhundleni somfana, yena umfana akhululwe ahambe labanewabo.
And now, let thy servant stay, I pray thee, instead of the lad a bondman to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brethren;
34 Ngingabuyela ngithini kubaba umfana ngingelaye? Hatshi! Ungangenzi ngibone usizi olungamehlela ubaba.”
for how should I go up to my father if the lad were not with me? — lest I see the evil that would come on my father.
