Genesis 44
1 Then Joseph instructed his steward: “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each one’s silver in the mouth of his sack.
Waselaya umphathi wendlu yakhe esithi: Gcwalisa amasaka amadoda ngokudla, okulingene abangakuthwala, ufake imali yalowo lalowo emlonyeni wesaka lakhe.
2 Put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the silver for his grain.” So the steward did as Joseph had instructed.
Lenkezo yami, inkezo yesiliva, ifake emlonyeni wesaka lecinathunjana kanye lemali yamabele alo. Wenza-ke njengelizwi likaJosefa, ayelikhulumile.
3 At daybreak, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys.
Ekuseni sekusile, amadoda avunyelwa ukuhamba, wona labobabhemi bawo.
4 They had not gone far from the city when Joseph told his steward, “Pursue the men at once, and when you overtake them, ask, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil?
Wona aphuma emzini, ayengakhatshana, uJosefa wasesithi kumphathi wendlu yakhe: Sukuma xotshana lamadoda; lapho usuwaficile uzakuthi kuwo: Liphindiseleleni okuhle ngokubi?
5 Is this not the cup my master drinks from and uses for divination? What you have done is wicked!’”
Le kayisiyo enatha kuyo inkosi yami, lehlahlula ngayo sibili yini? Lenze okubi ngelikwenzileyo.
6 When the steward overtook them, he relayed these words to them.
Wasewafica, wakhuluma kuwo la amazwi.
7 “Why does my lord say these things?” they asked. “Your servants could not possibly do such a thing.
Asesithi kuye: Inkosi yami ikhulumelani amazwi anje? Kakube khatshana lezinceku zakho ukwenza into enje.
8 We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found in the mouths of our sacks. Why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house?
Khangela, imali esayifica emlonyeni wamasaka ethu sayibuyisela kuwe ivela elizweni leKhanani. Pho, besingeba njani isiliva loba igolide endlini yenkosi yakho?
9 If any of your servants is found to have it, he must die, and the rest will become slaves of my lord.”
Lowo owezinceku zakho etholwa kuye, kafe, lathi futhi sizakuba yizigqili zenkosi yami.
10 “As you say,” replied the steward. “But only the one who is found with the cup will be my slave, and the rest of you shall be free of blame.”
Wasesithi: Khathesi-ke, kakube njalo njengamazwi enu; lowo ezatholwa kuye uzakuba yisigqili sami, kodwa lina libe msulwa.
11 So each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.
Basebephangisa, njalo ngulowo lalowo wethulela isaka lakhe emhlabathini, ngulowo lalowo wasevula isaka lakhe.
12 The steward searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest—and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.
Waphenya eqala kwenkulu wacina ngecinathunjana; njalo inkezo yatholwa esakeni likaBhenjamini.
13 Then they all tore their clothes, loaded their donkeys, and returned to the city.
Asedabula izembatho zawo; ileyo laleyo yethwesa ubabhemi wayo, asebuyela emzini.
14 When Judah and his brothers arrived at Joseph’s house, he was still there, and they fell to the ground before him.
Njalo uJuda wafika labafowabo endlini kaJosefa; ngoba wayesesekhona, bawela emhlabathini phambi kwakhe.
15 “What is this deed you have done?” Joseph declared. “Do you not know that a man like me can surely divine the truth?”
UJosefa wasesithi kubo: Yisenzo bani elisenzileyo? Belingazi yini ukuthi indoda enjengami ingahlahlula sibili?
16 “What can we say to my lord?” Judah replied. “How can we plead? How can we justify ourselves? God has exposed the iniquity of your servants. We are now my lord’s slaves—both we and the one who was found with the cup.”
UJuda wasesithi: Sizakuthini enkosini yami? Sizakhulumani? Loba sizazilungisisa njani? UNkulunkulu uthole ububi benceku zakho; khangela, siyizigqili zenkosi yami, thina sonke kanye laye inkezo etholwe esandleni sakhe.
17 But Joseph replied, “Far be it from me to do this. The man who was found with the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may return to your father in peace.”
Kodwa wathi: Kakube khatshana lami ukwenza lokho. Indoda esandleni sayo okutholwe inkezo, nguye ozakuba yisigqili sami; kodwa lina yenyukani ngokuthula liye kuyihlo.
18 Then Judah approached Joseph and said, “Sir, please let your servant speak personally to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, for you are equal to Pharaoh himself.
UJuda wasesondela kuye wathi: Uxolo nkosi yami! Ake uvumele inceku yakho ikhulume ilizwi endlebeni zenkosi yami, lolaka lwakho lungayivutheli inceku yakho, ngoba unjengoFaro kanye.
19 My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’
Inkosi yami yabuza inceku zayo isithi: Liloyihlo kumbe umfowenu yini?
20 And we answered, ‘We have an elderly father and a younger brother, the child of his old age. The boy’s brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’
Sasesisithi enkosini yami: Silobaba olixhegu, lomfana wobuxhegu, omncinyane, lomnewabo ufile, njalo yena usele yedwa kunina, loyise uyamthanda.
21 Then you told your servants, ‘Bring him down to me so that I can see him for myself.’
Wasusithi ezincekwini zakho: Mehliseleni kimi ukuze ngibeke ilihlo lami phezu kwakhe.
22 So we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father. If he were to leave, his father would die.’
Sasesisithi enkosini yami: Umfana angetshiye uyise; uba emtshiya uyise, uzakufa uyise.
23 But you said to your servants, ‘Unless your younger brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’
Wasusithi ezincekwini zakho: Uba umnawenu olicinathunjana engehli lani, kaliyikubona ubuso bami futhi.
24 Now when we returned to your servant my father, we relayed your words to him.
Kwasekusithi sesenyukele kunceku yakho ubaba, samazisa amazwi enkosi yami.
25 Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy us some food.’
Ubaba wasesithi: Buyelani, lisithengele ukudla okulutshwana.
26 But we answered, ‘We cannot go down there unless our younger brother goes with us. So if our younger brother is not with us, we cannot see the man.’
Sasesisithi: Singeke sehle; uba umnawethu olicinathunjana elathi singehla, ngoba singebone ubuso baleyondoda uba umnawethu olicinathunjana singelaye.
27 And your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons.
Inceku yakho ubaba yasisithi kithi: Lina liyazi ukuthi umkami wangizalela amadodana amabili;
28 When one of them was gone, I said: “Surely he has been torn to pieces.” And I have not seen him since.
njalo omunye waphuma kimi, ngasengisithi: Isibili udatshuliwe lokudatshulwa; njalo kangimbonanga kuze kube khathesi.
29 Now if you also take this one from me and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.’ (Sheol h7585)
Uba lithatha lalo limsusa ebusweni bami, esehlelwe yingozi, lizakwehlisela-ke izimvu zami engcwabeni ngosizi. (Sheol h7585)
30 So if the boy is not with us when I return to your servant, and if my father, whose life is wrapped up in the boy’s life,
Khathesi-ke, lapho ngibuyela kunceku yakho ubaba, lomfana singelaye, njengoba umphefumulo wakhe ubotshelwe emphefumulweni wakhe,
31 sees that the boy is not with us, he will die. Then your servants will have brought the gray hair of your servant our father down to Sheol in sorrow. (Sheol h7585)
kuzakuthi-ke, nxa ebona ukuthi umfana kakho, uzakufa; njalo inceku zakho zizakwehlisela izimvu zenceku yakho ubaba engcwabeni ngosizi. (Sheol h7585)
32 Indeed, your servant guaranteed the boy’s safety to my father, saying, ‘If I do not return him to you, I will bear the guilt before you, my father, all my life.’
Ngoba inceku yakho yaba yisibambiso somfana kubaba esithi: Uba ngingambuyiseli kuwe, ngizakuba lecala kubaba zonke izinsuku.
33 Now please let your servant stay here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy. Let him return with his brothers.
Khathesi-ke, ake inceku yakho isale esikhundleni somfana, ibe yisigqili senkosi yami, lomfana enyuke kanye labafowabo.
34 For how can I go back to my father without the boy? I could not bear to see the misery that would overwhelm him.”
Ngoba ngingenyukela njani kubaba, umfana ngingelaye, hlezi ngibone okubi okuzafica ubaba?
