< 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.
Yusufu akamwamru msimamizi wa nyumba yake, akisema, “Jaza magunia ya watu hawa kwa chakula, kiasi wawezacho kubeba, na uweke pesa ya kila mtu katika 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.
Uweke kikombe changu, cha fedha, katika mdomo wa gunia la mdogo, na pesa yake ya chakula pia.” Msimamizi akafanya kama Yusufu alivyosema.
3 The next morning at dawn the men started on the way home with their donkeys.
Kukapambazuka asubuhi, na wale watu wakaruhusiwa kuondoka, wao 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?
Walipokuwa wametoka mjini lakini hawajafika mbali, Yusufu akamwambia msimamizi wa nyumba yake, “Inuka, uwafuatie wale watu, na utakapowapata, wambie, 'Kwa nini mmelipa uovu badala ya mema?
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 hiki siyo kikombe ambacho bwana wangu hukinywea, na kikombe akitumiacho kwa uaguzi? Mmefanya vibaya, kwa jambo hili mlilolifanya.”
6 The servant [left immediately and] when he caught up with them, he told them what Joseph had told him to say.
Msimamizi wa nyumba akawapata na kuwambia maneno haya.
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!
Wakasema, “Kwa nini bwana wetu anasema maneno kama haya? Na iwe mbali na watumishi wako kwamba wanaweza kufanya jambo hili.
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]
Tazama, pesa tulizozikuta katika midomo ya magunia yetu, tulizileta kwako kutoka katika nchi ya Kanaani. Ni kwa jinsi gani basi tunaweza kuiba katika nyumba ya bwana wako fedha au dhahabu?
9 If you discover that any of us has that cup, you can execute him, and the rest of us will become your slaves.”
Yeyote kitakayeonekana kwake miongoni mwa watumishi wako, atakufa, nasi sote 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.”
Msimamizi akasema, “Basi na iwe kwa kadili ya maneno yenu. Yeye ambaye kikombe kitaonekana kwake atakuwa mtumwa wangu, nanyi wengine mtakuwa bila hatia.”
11 Each of the men quickly lowered his sack down from the donkey to the ground and opened it.
Kisha kila mtu akaharakisha na kulishusha gunia lake chini. na kila mtu akalifungua gunia lake.
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.
Msimamizi akatafuta. akaanza na mkubwa wa wote na kumaliza kwa mdogo wa wote, na kikombe kikaonekana katika gunia la Benjamini.
13 The brothers tore their clothes [because they were so dismayed]. They loaded the sacks on the donkeys again and returned to the city.
Wakararua mavazi yao. Kila mtu akapakia juu ya punda wake nao wakarudi 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.
Yuda na ndugu zake wakaja katika nyumba ya Yusufu. Bado alikuwepo pale, nao wakainama mbele zake hata chini.
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]
Yusufu akawambia, “Je ni nini hili mlilolifanya? Je hamjui kwamba mtu kama mimi anafanya uaguzi.
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 akasema, “Je tunaweza kumwambia nini bwana wangu? Tuseme nini? au ni jinsi gani twaweza kujithibitisha wenyewe? Mungu ameona uovu wa watumishi wako. Tazama, sisi ni watumwa wa bwana wangu, wote sisi na yule ambaye kikombe kimeonekana mkononi mwake.”
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.”
Yusufu akasema, “Na iwe mbali nami kwamba naweza kufanya hivyo. Mtu ambaye kikombe kimeonekana mkononi mwake, huyu ndiye atakuwa mtumwa wangu, lakini ninyi wengine, nendeni kwa amani kwa baba yenu.”
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 alipomkaribia na kusema, “Bwana wangu, tafadhari mwache mtumishi wako aseme neno katika masikio ya bwana wangu, na usiziache hasira zako kuwaka dhidi ya mtumishi wako, kwani wewe ni kama Farao.
19 You asked us, ‘Is your father still living, and do you have another brother?’
Bwana wangu aliwauliza watumishi wake, kusema, Je 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 tukamwambia bwana wangu, 'Tunaye baba, ni mzee, na mwana wa uzee wake, ni mdogo. Na ndugu yake alishakufa, na yeye peke yake ndiye amebaki kwa mama yake, na 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.’
Nawe ukawambia matumishi wako, 'Mleteni ili nimwone.'
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 babaye. Kwani akimwacha babaye baba yake angekufa.'
23 But you told us, ‘If your youngest brother does not come back with you, I will not let you see me again!’
Na ukawambia watumishi wako, 'Mdogo wenu asipokuja pamoja nanyi, hamtauona uso wangu tena.'
24 When we returned to our father, we told him what you said.
Na ikawa tulipokwenda kwa mtumishi wako baba yangu, tulimwambia maneno ya bwana wangu.
25 [Months later] our father said, ‘Go back to Egypt and buy some more grain!’
Na baba yetu akasema, Nendeni tena, mkatununulie chakula.'
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.’
Nasi tukasema, “Hatuwezi kushuka. Ikiwa mdogo wetu atakuwa nasi, ndipo tutakaposhuka, kwani hatuwezi kuuona uso wa mtu yule mdogo wetu asipokuwa pamoja nasi.'
27 Our father replied, ‘You know that my wife [Rachel] gave birth to two sons for me.
Mtumishi wako baba yetu akatwambia, 'Mnajua kwamba 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.
Na mmoja akatoka kwangu nami nikasema, “Bila shaka ameraruliwa vipande, na tangu hapo sijamwona.”
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 )
Nanyi mkimchukua huyu naye kutoka kwangu mabaya yanaweza kumpata, mtashusha mvi zangu kwa kaburini kwa huzuni. (Sheol )
30 “So please listen. My father will remain alive only if his youngest son remains alive.
Kwa hiyo, basi, nitapokuja kwa mtumishi wako baba yangu, na kijana hayupo nasi, kwa kuwa uhai wake umefungamanishwa katika uhai wa kijana,
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 )
itakuwa, atakapoona kwamba kijana hayupo nasi atakufa. Na watumishi wako watazishusha mvi za mtumishi wako baba yetu kaburini kwa masikitiko. (Sheol )
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].’
Kwani mtumishi wako alikuwa mdhamini wa kijana kwa baba yangu na alisema, 'Ikiwa sitamleta kwako, ndipo nitakapokuwa mwenye hatia kwa baba yangu daima.”
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.
Kwa hiyo sasa, tafadhari mwache mtumishi wake akae kama mtumwa kwa bwana wangu badala ya kijana, na umwache kijana aende 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!”
Kwa maana nitakwenda jinsi gani kwa baba yangu ikiwa kijana hayupo nami? Ninaogopa kuona mabaya yatakayompata baba yangu.”