Genesis 44
1 When his brothers were ready to return home, Joseph said to the man who was in charge of things in his house, “Fill the sacks of those men with as much grain as they can carry [on their donkeys]. And put in the top of each man’s sack the silver that he paid for the grain.
Kisha Yosefu akampa yule msimamizi wa nyumbani mwake maagizo haya: “Jaza magunia ya watu hawa kiasi cha chakula ambacho wanaweza kuchukua, na uweke fedha ya kila mtu kwenye mdomo wa gunia lake.
2 Then put my silver cup in the top of the youngest brother’s sack, along with the silver that he paid for the grain.” So the servant did what Joseph told him to do.
Kisha weka kikombe changu kile cha fedha kwenye mdomo wa gunia la yule mdogo wa wote pamoja na fedha zake ambazo angenunulia nafaka yake.” Naye akafanya kama Yosefu alivyosema.
3 The next morning at dawn the men started on the way home with their donkeys.
Kulipopambazuka, hao watu wakaruhusiwa kuondoka pamoja na punda zao.
4 When they had not gone far from the city, Joseph said to the servant in charge of things in his house, “Pursue those men immediately. When you catch up to them, say to them, ‘We did good things for you! Why have you paid us back by doing something bad to us?
Kabla hawajafika mbali kutoka mjini, Yosefu akamwambia mtumishi wake, “Wafuatilie wale watu mara moja, utakapowakuta, waambie, ‘Kwa nini mmelipiza wema kwa ubaya?
5 [You have stolen the cup] that my master drinks from [RHQ]! It is the cup that he uses to find out things that nobody knows! What you did was very wicked!’”
Je, kikombe hiki sicho anachonywea bwana wangu na pia hukitumia kwa kutabiri mambo yajayo? Hili ni jambo ovu mlilolitenda.’”
6 The servant [left immediately and] when he caught up with them, he told them what Joseph had told him to say.
Alipowafikia, akarudia maneno haya kwao.
7 But one of them replied to him, “Sir, why do you say such things? We are your servants, and we would never do anything like that!
Lakini wakamwambia mtumishi, “Kwa nini bwana wangu anasema maneno kama haya? Liwe mbali na watumishi wako wasije wakafanya jambo kama hilo!
8 We even brought back to you from Canaan land the silver that we found inside the tops of our sacks! So (we certainly would not steal silver or gold from your master’s house!/Why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house?) [RHQ]
Hata hivyo tulikurudishia zile fedha kutoka nchi ya Kanaani ambazo tulizikuta kwenye midomo ya magunia yetu. Hivyo kwa nini tuibe fedha au dhahabu kutoka nyumbani kwa bwana wako?
9 If you discover that any of us has that cup, you can execute him, and the rest of us will become your slaves.”
Ikiwa yeyote miongoni mwa watumishi wako atapatikana nacho, auawe, na sisi wengine tutakuwa watumwa wa bwana wangu.”
10 The man replied, “Okay, I will do what you say. But the one who has the cup will not be executed. Instead, he will become my slave, and the rest of you may return home.”
Akajibu, “Vema sana; na iwe kama msemavyo. Yeyote atakayekutwa nacho atakuwa mtumwa wangu, lakini ninyi wengine mtakuwa hamna lawama.”
11 Each of the men quickly lowered his sack down from the donkey to the ground and opened it.
Kila mmoja wao akafanya haraka kushusha gunia lake chini na kulifungua.
12 Then the servant started to search for the cup in each sack. He started with the oldest brother’s sack and ended with the youngest one’s sack. And he found the cup in Benjamin’s sack and showed it to them.
Ndipo msimamizi akaendelea kutafuta, akianzia kwa mkubwa wa wote na akaishia kwa mdogo wa wote. Basi kikombe kikapatikana katika gunia la Benyamini.
13 The brothers tore their clothes [because they were so dismayed]. They loaded the sacks on the donkeys again and returned to the city.
Kwa jambo hili, wakararua nguo zao. Ndipo wote wakapakiza mizigo yao juu ya punda zao na kurudi mjini.
14 When Judah and his [older and younger] brothers entered Joseph’s house, Joseph was still there. The servant told Joseph what had happened. Then the brothers threw themselves down on the ground in front of Joseph.
Yosefu alikuwa bado yuko nyumbani mwake wakati Yuda na kaka zake walipoingia, wote wakajitupa chini mbele yake.
15 He said to them, “Why did you do this? Do you not know that a man like me can find out things that nobody knows?” [RHQ]
Yosefu akawaambia, “Ni jambo gani hili mlilolifanya? Hamjui kuwa mtu kama mimi anaweza kufahamu mambo kwa njia ya kutabiri?”
16 Judah replied, “Sir, what can we say? How can we prove that we (are innocent/did not steal the cup)? God has (paid us back/punished us) for the sins [we committed many years ago]. So now we will become your slaves—both we and the one in whose sack the cup was found.”
Yuda akajibu, “Tutaweza kusema nini kwa bwana wangu? Tutaweza kuzungumza nini? Tutawezaje kuthibitisha kwamba hatuna hatia? Mungu amefunua hatia ya watumishi wako. Sasa sisi tu watumwa wa bwana wangu, sisi wenyewe pamoja na yule aliyepatikana na kikombe.”
17 But Joseph replied, “No, I could never do anything like that. Only the man in whose sack the cup was found will become my slave. The rest of you can return to your father peacefully.”
Lakini Yosefu alisema, “Liwe mbali nami kufanya jambo kama hili! Mtu yule tu aliyekutwa na kikombe ndiye atakayekuwa mtumwa wangu. Ninyi wengine, rudini kwa baba yenu kwa amani.”
18 Then Judah came near to Joseph and said, “Sir, please let me say something to you. You are equal to the king himself, so you could command that I be executed; but do not be angry with me for speaking to you.
Ndipo Yuda akamwendea na kumwambia: “Tafadhali bwana wangu, mruhusu mtumishi wako aseme neno kwa bwana wangu. Usimkasirikie mtumishi wako, ingawa wewe ni sawa na Farao mwenyewe.
19 You asked us, ‘Is your father still living, and do you have another brother?’
Bwana wangu aliwauliza watumishi wake, ‘Mnaye baba au ndugu?’
20 We answered, ‘Our father is alive, but he is an old man. He has a young son who was born after our father became an old man. That son had an [older] brother, who is now dead. So the youngest son is the only one of his mother’s sons who is still alive, and his father loves him very much.’
Nasi tukakujibu, ‘Tunaye baba yetu ambaye ni mzee; pia yupo mwanawe mdogo aliyezaliwa katika uzee wake. Ndugu yake amekufa, na huyu mdogo ndiye mwana pekee kwa mama yake aliyebaki, naye baba yake anampenda.’
21 Then you said to us, ‘The next time you come here, bring your younger brother down to me, so that I can see him.’
“Ndipo ulipowaambia watumishi wako, ‘Mleteni kwangu ili niweze kumwona kwa macho yangu mwenyewe.’
22 We said to you, ‘No, we cannot do that, because the boy cannot leave his father. If he leaves his father, his father will die from sorrow.’
Nasi tukamwambia bwana wangu, ‘Kijana hawezi kumwacha baba yake; akimwacha, baba yake atakufa.’
23 But you told us, ‘If your youngest brother does not come back with you, I will not let you see me again!’
Lakini ukawaambia watumishi wako, ‘Ndugu yenu mdogo asiposhuka pamoja nanyi, hamtauona uso wangu tena.’
24 When we returned to our father, we told him what you said.
Tuliporudi nyumbani kwa mtumwa wako baba yangu, tulimwambia lile bwana wangu alilokuwa amesema.
25 [Months later] our father said, ‘Go back to Egypt and buy some more grain!’
“Ndipo baba yetu aliposema, ‘Rudini Misri mkanunue chakula kingine.’
26 But we said, ‘We cannot go back by ourselves. We will go only if our youngest brother is with us. We will not be able to see the man who sells grain if our youngest brother is not with us.’
Lakini tukamwambia, ‘Hatuwezi kushuka Misri mpaka ndugu yetu mdogo awe pamoja nasi ndipo tutakapokwenda. Hatutaweza kuuona uso wa yule mtu mpaka ndugu yetu mdogo awe pamoja nasi.’
27 Our father replied, ‘You know that my wife [Rachel] gave birth to two sons for me.
“Mtumwa wako baba yangu alituambia, ‘Mnajua mke wangu alinizalia wana wawili.
28 One of them disappeared, and I said, “A wild animal has surely torn him to pieces.” And I have not seen him since then.
Mmojawapo alipotea, nami nikasema, “Hakika ameraruliwa vipande vipande.” Nami sijamwona tangu wakati huo.
29 I am an old gray-haired man. If you take this other one from me, too, and something harms him, you would cause me to die because of my sorrow.’ (Sheol h7585)
Ikiwa mtaniondolea huyu tena na akapatwa na madhara, mtashusha kichwa changu chenye mvi kaburini nikiwa mwenye huzuni.’ (Sheol h7585)
30 “So please listen. My father will remain alive only if his youngest son remains alive.
“Hivyo sasa, kama kijana hatakuwa pamoja nasi nitakaporudi kwa mtumishi wako baba yangu, na kama baba yangu, ambaye maisha yake yamefungamanishwa na uhai wa kijana huyu,
31 If he sees that the boy is not with us when we return to him, he will die. We will cause our gray-haired father to die because of his sorrow. (Sheol h7585)
akiona kijana hayupo nasi, atakufa. Watumishi wako watashusha kichwa chenye mvi cha baba yetu kaburini kwa huzuni. (Sheol h7585)
32 I guaranteed/promised to my father that the boy would return safely. I told him, ‘You can require me to do what I am promising. If I do not bring him back to you, you can say forever that (I am to blame/it is my fault) [for not bringing him back to you].’
Mtumwa wako alimhakikishia baba yangu usalama wa kijana. Nikamwambia, ‘Kama sikumrudisha kwako nitakuwa mwenye lawama mbele yako, baba yangu, maisha yangu yote!’
33 “So, please let me remain here as your slave instead of my youngest brother, and let the boy return home with his other older brothers.
“Sasa basi, tafadhali mruhusu mtumishi abaki hapa kama mtumwa wa bwana wangu badala ya kijana, naye kijana umruhusu arudi na ndugu zake.
34 (I cannot return to my father if the boy is not with me!/How can I return to my father if the boy is not with me?) [RHQ] I do not want to see how miserable/sad my father would become!”
Ninawezaje kurudi kwa baba yangu kama kijana hatakuwa pamoja nami? La hasha! Usiniache nikaone huzuni ile itakayompata baba yangu.”
