< Genesis 47 >
1 So Joseph went and told Pharaoh: “My father and my brothers, with their flocks and herds and all they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in Goshen.”
UJosefa wahamba wayatshela uFaro wathi, “Ubaba labafowethu, kanye lemihlambi yabo yezimvu lenkomo, kanye lakho konke abalakho sebefikile bevela elizweni laseKhenani, okwamanje sebeseGosheni.”
2 And he chose five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh.
Wakhetha abafowabo abahlanu wabethula kuFaro.
3 “What is your occupation?” Pharaoh asked Joseph’s brothers. “Your servants are shepherds,” they replied, “both we and our fathers.”
UFaro wababuza abafowabo laba wathi, “Umsebenzi wenu ngowani na?” Baphendula uFaro bathi, “Izinceku zakho zingabelusi, njengalokho ababeyikho okhokho bethu.”
4 Then they said to Pharaoh, “We have come to live in the land for a time, because there is no pasture for the flocks of your servants, since the famine in the land of Canaan has been severe. So now, please allow your servants to settle in the land of Goshen.”
Babuya bathi kuye, “Size ukuzohlala lapha okwesikhathi esithile, ngoba indlala inkulu kakhulu eKhenani, njalo lemihlambi yezinceku zakho kayilamadlelo. Manje-ke sicela ukuthi uvumele izinceku zakho zakhe eGosheni.”
5 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Now that your father and brothers have come to you,
UFaro wathi kuJosefa, “Uyihlo labafowenu beze kuwe,
6 the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and brothers in the best part of the land. They may dwell in the land of Goshen. And if you know of any talented men among them, put them in charge of my own livestock.”
lelizwe laseGibhithe uyalibona; hlalisa uyihlo labafowenu endaweni enhle kakhulu yelizwe. Wothi bahlale eGosheni. Njalo nxa bekhona abanye babo abalolwazi oluqakathekileyo, kabakhangele imihlambi yami.”
7 Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and presented him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
Ngakho uJosefa waseletha uyise uJakhobe wamethula kuFaro. UJakhobe esembusisile uFaro,
8 “How many years have you lived?” Pharaoh asked.
uFaro wambuza wathi, “Usumdala kangakanani na?”
9 “My travels have lasted 130 years,” Jacob replied. “My years have been few and hard, and they have not matched the years of the travels of my fathers.”
UJakhobe wathi kuFaro, “Iminyaka yokuhamba kwami ilikhulu lamatshumi amathathu. Iminyaka yami ibimilutshwana njalo ibinzima, njalo kayifiki iminyaka yokuhamba kwabokhokho bami.”
10 Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and departed from his presence.
UJakhobe wasembusisa uFaro, uFaro wasesuka kuye.
11 So Joseph settled his father and brothers in the land of Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.
Ngakho uJosefa wasehlalisa uyise labafowabo eGibhithe, wabapha indawo enhle kulazo zonke elizweni, esiqintini saseRamesesi, njengokulaya kukaFaro.
12 Joseph also provided his father and brothers and all his father’s household with food for their families.
UJosefa waphinda wapha uyise labafowabo kanye lendlu yonke kayise ukudla, kusiya ngobunengi babantwababo.
13 There was no food, however, in all that region, because the famine was so severe; the lands of Egypt and Canaan had been exhausted by the famine.
Kwakungelakudla elizweni lonke ngoba indlala yayibhahile; iGibhithe leKhenani womabili amazwe esevuthuzekile ngenxa yendlala.
14 Joseph collected all the money to be found in the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan in exchange for the grain they were buying, and he brought it into Pharaoh’s palace.
UJosefa wayiqoqa yonke imali eyayitholakala eGibhithe laseKhenani eyayingeyokuthenga amabele, wayiletha esigodlweni sikaFaro.
15 When the money from the lands of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? For our funds have run out!”
Kwathi imali yabantu baseGibhithe labaseKhenani isiphelile, abaseGibhithe bonke beza kuJosefa bathi, “Siphe ukudla. Singafelani kambe phambi kwamehlo akho? Imali yethu isiphelile.”
16 “Then bring me your livestock,” said Joseph. “Since the money is gone, I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock.”
UJosefa wathi, “Lethani izifuyo zenu. Ngizalithengisela ukudla libhadale ngezifuyo zenu, njengoba imali yenu isiphelile.”
17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, their flocks and herds, and their donkeys. Throughout that year he provided them with food in exchange for all their livestock.
Ngakho basebeletha izifuyo zabo kuJosefa, wabapha ukudla bebhadala ngamabhiza abo, lezimvu kanye lembuzi zabo, lenkomo kanye labobabhemi babo. Wabaphutshisa lowomnyaka ngokudla bekubhadala ngezifuyo zabo.
18 When that year was over, they came to him the second year and said, “We cannot hide from our lord that our money is gone and all our livestock belongs to you. There is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land.
Lowomnyaka usuphelile, beza kuye ngomnyaka olandelayo bathi, “Ngeke sayifihlela inkosi yethu ukuthi njengoba imali yethu isiphelile, ikanti lezifuyo zethu ngezakho, kakusekho okusayisalele inkosi yethu ngaphandle kwemizimba yethu leziqinti zethu kuphela.
19 Why should we perish before your eyes—we and our land as well? Purchase us and our land in exchange for food. Then we, along with our land, will be slaves to Pharaoh. Give us seed that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate.”
Kambe sesingaze sife nje usikhangele, thina kanye lelizwe lethu lalo? Sithenge kanye lelizwe lethu usiphe ukudla, kuzakuthi thina kanye lelizwe lethu sibe sebugqilini kuFaro. Siphe inhlanyelo ukuze siphile, singafi, njalo ukuze ilizwe lingabi yinkangala.”
20 So Joseph acquired for Pharaoh all the land in Egypt; the Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields because the famine was so severe upon them. The land became Pharaoh’s,
Ngakho-ke uJosefa waselithengela uFaro lonke ilizwe laseGibhithe. AmaGibhithe wonke athengisa amasimu awo ngoba indlala yayisiwabhahele okubi. Ilizwe laselisiba ngelikaFaro,
21 and Joseph reduced the people to servitude from one end of Egypt to the other.
uJosefa wasebagqilaza abantu, kusukela ngapha kwelizwe laseGibhithe kusiya ngale kwalo.
22 However, he did not acquire the priests’ portion of the land, for it had been given to them by Pharaoh. They ate the rations that Pharaoh supplied; so they did not sell their land.
Kodwa kayithenganga indawo yabaphristi, ngoba babephiwa isabelo nguFaro, yikho babelakho ukudla okwaneleyo kusuka kuFaro. Yikho bengawuthengisanga owabo umhlaba.
23 Then Joseph said to the people, “Now that I have acquired you and your land for Pharaoh this day, here is seed for you to sow in the land.
UJosefa wathi ebantwini, “Njengoba sengilithengile lina lomhlaba wenu lamuhla ukuba libe ngabakaFaro, nansi inhlanyelo ukuze lihlanyele emhlabathini.
24 At harvest time, you are to give a fifth of it to Pharaoh, and four-fifths will be yours as seed for the field and food for yourselves and your households and children.”
Kodwa nxa amabele eseqoqwa phanini okobuhlanu bawo kuFaro. Ezinye izingxenye ezine kwezinhlanu lizigcinele inhlanyelo yamasimu njalo kube yikudla kwenu, lemizi yenu kanye labantwabenu.”
25 “You have saved our lives,” they said. “We have found favor in our lord’s eyes, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.”
Bathi, “Uzisindisile impilo zethu. Sengathi singathola umusa enkosini yethu; sizakuba yizigqili kuFaro.”
26 So Joseph established a law that a fifth of the produce belongs to Pharaoh, and it is in effect in the land of Egypt to this day. Only the priests’ land does not belong to Pharaoh.
Kunjalo uJosefa wakumisa kwaba ngumthetho eGibhithe mayelana lomhlaba, okulokhu kulandelwa lalamuhla, ukuthi ingxenye eyodwa kokuhlanu ngekaFaro. Kwakungumhlaba wabaphristi kuphela ongazange ube ngokaFaro.
27 Now the Israelites settled in the land of Egypt, in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and became fruitful and increased greatly in number.
Ngalesosikhathi abako-Israyeli bazinza eGibhithe esigodini saseGosheni. Bazuza izifuyo ezinengi khona njalo bazalana kakhulu banda ngobunengi.
28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years, and the length of his life was 147 years.
UJakhobe wahlala eGibhithe okweminyaka elitshumi lesikhombisa, iminyaka yokuphila kwakhe yaba likhulu lamatshumi amane lesikhombisa.
29 When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and promise to show me kindness and faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt,
Kwathi isikhathi sesisondele ukuba u-Israyeli afe, wabiza indodana yakhe uJosefa wathi kuyo, “Uba ngifumene umusa kuwe, beka isandla sakho ngaphansi kwethangazi lami uthembise ukuthi uzangenzela umusa lokuthembeka. Ungangingcwabi eGibhithe,
30 but when I lie down with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me with them.” Joseph answered, “I will do as you have requested.”
kodwa nxa sengiphumule labokhokho bami, ungithwale ngisuke eGibhithe uyongimbela lapho abalele khona.” Wathi, “Ngizakwenza njengoba usitsho.”
31 “Swear to me,” Jacob said. So Joseph swore to him, and Israel bowed in worship at the head of his bed.
Wathi, “Funga kimi.” Ngakho uJosefa wafunga kuye, u-Israyeli wasekhothamela emakhanda ombheda wakhe.