< Genesis 47 >

1 Then Joseph went in and told Pharao, saying: My father and brethren, their sheep and their herds, and all that they possess, are come out of the land of Chanaan: and behold they stay in the land of Gessen.
UJosefa wasesiza wambikela uFaro wathi: Ubaba labafowethu lezimvu zabo lenkomo zabo lakho konke abalakho bavele elizweni leKhanani, khangela-ke, baselizweni leGosheni.
2 Five men also the last of his brethren, he presented before the king:
Wasethatha ingxenye yabafowabo, amadoda amahlanu, wawamisa phambi kukaFaro.
3 And he asked them: What is your occupation? They answered: We thy servants are shepherds, both we, and our fathers.
UFaro wasesithi kubafowabo: Iyini imisebenzi yenu? Basebesithi kuFaro: Izinceku zakho zingabelusi bezimvu, thina sonke labobaba.
4 We are come to sojourn in thy land, because there is no grass for the flocks of thy servants, the famine being very grievous in the land of Chanaan: and we pray thee to give orders that we thy servants may be in the land of Gessen.
Bathi futhi kuFaro: Sizehlala njengabezizwe elizweni; ngoba kakuladlelo lemihlambi inceku zakho ezilayo, ngoba indlala inzima elizweni leKhanani. Khathesi-ke, inceku zakho ake zihlale elizweni leGosheni.
5 The king therefore said to Joseph: Thy father and thy brethren are come to thee.
UFaro wasekhuluma kuJosefa esithi: Uyihlo labafowenu sebeze kuwe.
6 The land of Egypt is before thee: make them dwell in the best place, and give them the land of Gessen. And if thou knowest that there are industrious men among them, make them rulers over my cattle.
Ilizwe leGibhithe liphambi kwakho; hlalisa uyihlo labafowenu ebuhleni belizwe, kabahlale elizweni leGosheni; futhi uba usazi ukuthi kukhona phakathi kwabo amadoda azingcitshi, uwabeke abe zinduna zezifuyo phezu kwengilakho.
7 After this Joseph brought in his father to the king, and presented him before him: and he blessed him.
UJosefa waseletha uJakobe uyise, wammisa phambi kukaFaro; uJakobe wasembusisa uFaro.
8 And being asked by him: How many are the days of the years of thy life?
UFaro wasesithi kuJakobe: Mangaki amalanga eminyaka yempilo yakho?
9 He answered: The days of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty years, few, and evil, and they are not come up to the days of the pilgrimage of my fathers.
UJakobe wasesithi kuFaro: Amalanga eminyaka yobuhambuma bami ayiminyaka elikhulu lamatshumi amathathu; abemalutshwana emabi amalanga eminyaka yempilo yami, futhi kawafinyelelanga emalangeni eminyaka yempilo yabobaba ensukwini zobuhambuma babo.
10 And blessing the king, he went out.
UJakobe wasebusisa uFaro, waphuma esuka ebusweni bukaFaro.
11 But Joseph gave a possession to his father and his brethren in Egypt, in the best place of the land, in Ramesses, as Pharao had commanded.
UJosefa wabahlalisa oyise labafowabo, wabapha isabelo elizweni leGibhithe, ebuhleni belizwe kulalo lonke, emkhonweni iRamesesi njengoba uFaro elayile.
12 And he nourished them, and all his father’s house, allowing food to every one.
UJosefa wasebondla oyise labafowabo lendlu yonke kayise ngesinkwa, ngokomlomo wabantwanyana.
13 For in the whole world there was want of bread, and a famine had oppressed the land: more especially of Egypt and Chanaan.
Njalo kwakungelakudla elizweni lonke, ngoba indlala yayinzima kakhulu; lelizwe leGibhithe lelizwe leKhanani aphela amandla ngendlala.
14 Out of which he gathered up all the money for the corn which they bought, and brought it into the king’s treasure.
UJosefa wasebutha yonke imali eyatholakala elizweni leGibhithe lelizweni leKhanani, yamabele ababewathenga; uJosefa waseletha imali endlini kaFaro.
15 And when the buyers wanted money, all Egypt came to Joseph, saying: Give us bread: why should we die in thy presence, having now no money.
Kwathi imali isiphelile elizweni leGibhithe lelizweni leKhanani, wonke amaGibhithe eza kuJosefa esithi: Siphe ukudla; ngoba sizafelani phambi kwakho? Ngoba isiphelile imali.
16 And he answered them: Bring me your cattle, and for them I will give you food, if you have no money.
UJosefa wasesithi: Lethani izifuyo zenu; njalo ngizalinika ngezifuyo zenu, uba imali isiphelile.
17 And when they had brought them, he gave them food in exchange for their horses, and sheep, and oxen, and asses and he maintained them that year for the exchange of their cattle.
Basebeletha izifuyo zabo kuJosefa; uJosefa wasebanika ukudla ngamabhiza langemfuyo yezimvu langemfuyo yenkomo langabobabhemi. Wasebondla ngokudla ngezifuyo zabo zonke ngalowomnyaka.
18 And they came the second year, and said to him: We will not hide from our lord, how that our money is spent, and our cattle also are gone: neither art thou ignorant that we have nothing now left but our bodies and our lands.
Kwathi usuphelile lowomnyaka, beza kuye ngomnyaka wesibili, bathi kuye: Kasiyikuyifihlela inkosi yethu ukuthi, njengoba imali isiphelile, lemfuyo yezifuyo isingeyenkosi yethu, kakukho okuseleyo phambi kwenkosi yethu, ngaphandle kwemizimba yethu lamasimu ethu.
19 Why therefore shall we die before thy eyes? we will be thine, both we and our lands: buy us to be the king’s servants, and give us seed, lest for want of tillers the land be turned into a wilderness.
Sizafelani phambi kwamehlo akho, thina sonke lamasimu ethu? Sithenge lamasimu ethu ngokudla, thina-ke lamasimu ethu sibe zinceku zikaFaro; njalo siphe inhlanyelo ukuze siphile singafi, lokuthi umhlabathi ungalobi.
20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt, every man selling his possessions, because of the greatness of the famine. And he brought it into Pharao’s hands:
UJosefa wasemthengela uFaro ilizwe lonke leGibhithe, ngoba amaGibhithe athengisa ngulowo lalowo insimu yakhe, ngoba indlala yayilamandla phezu kwabo; lelizwe laba ngelikaFaro.
21 And all its people from one end of the borders of Egypt, even to the other end thereof,
Njalo mayelana labantu, wabasusa baya emizini, kusukela ekupheleni komunye umngcele weGibhithe kusiya ekupheleni komunye wayo.
22 Except the land of the priests, which had been given them by the king: to whom also a certain allowance of food was given out of the public stores, and therefore they were not forced to sell their possessions.
Kuphela ilizwe labapristi kalithenganga, ngoba abapristi balesabelo kuFaro, badla isabelo sabo uFaro ayebanika sona; ngakho kabathengisanga ilizwe labo.
23 Then Joseph said to the people: Behold as you see, both you and your lands belong to Pharao: take seed and sow the fields,
UJosefa wasesithi ebantwini: Khangelani, lamuhla ngilithengele uFaro lelizwe lenu; khangelani kulenhlanyelo yenu njalo lizahlanyela ensimini.
24 That you may have corn. The fifth part you shall give to the king: the other four you shall have for seed, and for food for your families and children.
Kuzakuthi-ke esivunweni limnike uFaro ingxenye yesihlanu, lengxenye ezine zibe ngezenu, kube yinhlanyelo yensimu lokudla kwenu lokwabasemizini yenu, lokudla kwabantwanyana benu.
25 And they answered: Our life is in thy hand: only let my lord look favourably upon us, and we will gladly serve the king.
Basebesithi: Usindise impilo yethu; asithole umusa emehlweni enkosi yami, njalo sizakuba yizigqili zikaFaro.
26 From that time unto this day, in the whole land of Egypt, the fifth part is paid to the king, and it is become as a law, except the land of the priests, which was free from this covenant.
UJosefa wasekumisa kwaba ngumthetho kuze kube lamuhla, phezu kwelizwe leGibhithe, ukuthi ingxenye yesihlanu izakuba ngekaFaro; ngaphandle kwelizwe labapristi lodwa elingeyisilo likaFaro.
27 So Israel dwelt in Egypt, that is, in the land of Gessen, and possessed it: and grew, and was multiplied exceedingly.
UIsrayeli wasehlala elizweni leGibhithe, elizweni leGosheni; bazizuzela imfuyo kulo, bazala, banda kakhulu.
28 And he lived in it seventeen years: and all the days of his life came to a hundred and forty-seven years.
UJakobe wasephila elizweni leGibhithe iminyaka elitshumi lesikhombisa; ngakho insuku zikaJakobe, iminyaka yempilo yakhe, yayiyiminyaka elikhulu lamatshumi amane lesikhombisa.
29 And when he saw that the day of his death drew nigh, he called his son Joseph, and said to him: If I have found favour in thy sight, put thy hand under my thigh; and thou shalt shew me this kindness and truth, not to bury me in Egypt:
Kwathi sekusondele insuku zikaIsrayeli ukuthi afe, wabiza indodana yakhe uJosefa, wathi kuye: Uba-ke ngithole umusa emehlweni akho, ake ubeke isandla sakho ngaphansi kwethangazi lami, ungenzele umusa leqiniso; ngicela ungangingcwabi eGibhithe;
30 But I will sleep with my fathers, and thou shalt take me away out of this land, and bury me in the burying place of my ancestors. And Joseph answered him: I will do what thou hast commanded.
kodwa akuthi ngilale labobaba, ngakho uzangithwala ungisuse eGibhithe, ungingcwabe engcwabeni labo. Wasesithi: Mina ngizakwenza njengokwelizwi lakho.
31 And he said: Swear then to me. And as he was swearing, Israel adored God, turning to the bed’s head.
Wasesithi: Funga kimi. Wasefunga kuye. UIsrayeli wasekhothamela phezu kwesihloko sombheda.

< Genesis 47 >