UGenesisi 37
1 UJakhobe wahlala elizweni lapho uyise laye ahlala kulo, ilizwe laseKhenani.
Now Jacob was living in the land where his father had made a place for himself, in the land of Canaan.
2 Lo ngumlando wosendo lukaJakhobe. UJosefa ijaha elalileminyaka elitshumi lesikhombisa, wayeselusa imihlambi yezimvu labanewabo, amadodana kaBhiliha lamadodana kaZilipha, abafazi bakayise, wasebaceba kuyise.
These are the generations of Jacob: Joseph, a boy seventeen years old, was looking after the flock, together with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives; and Joseph gave their father a bad account of them.
3 U-Israyeli wasuka wamthanda uJosefa ukwedlula wonke amanye amadodana akhe, ngoba wamzala eseluphele; yikho wamenzela ijazi eliceciswe kakhulu.
Now the love which Israel had for Joseph was greater than his love for all his other children, because he got him when he was an old man: and he had a long coat made for him.
4 Kwathi abafowabo bebona ukuthi uyise wayemthanda ukwedlula bonke abanye bamzonda kabazange bamkhulumise ngothando.
And because his brothers saw that Joseph was dearer to his father than all the others, they were full of hate for him, and would not say a kind word to him.
5 UJosefa waphupha, wathi esebatshelile ngephupho lakhe bamzonda ngokwedlulisileyo.
Now Joseph had a dream, and he gave his brothers an account of it, which made their hate greater than ever.
6 Wathi kubo, “Zwanini iphupho engibe lalo:
And he said to them, Let me give you the story of my dream.
7 besibopha izithungo zamabele sisemasimini lapho okuthe masinyane esami isithungo saphakama sema saqonda, kwathi ezenu izithungo zasigombolozela esami, zasikhothamela phansi.”
We were in the field, getting the grain stems together, and my grain kept upright, and yours came round and went down on the earth before mine.
8 Abanewabo bathi kuye. “Ufisa ukubusa phezu kwethu na? Ungasibusa ngempela na?” Basebemzonda ngamandla ngenxa yephupho lakhe lalokho ayekutshilo.
And his brothers said to him, Are you to be our king? will you have authority over us? And because of his dream and his words, their hate for him became greater than ever.
9 Waphinda waba lelinye iphupho, walitshela abanewabo. Wathi, “Lalelani, ngibe lalo elinye iphupho, kuleli, ilanga lenyanga kanye lezinkanyezi ezilitshumi lanye bezingikhothamela phansi.”
Then he had another dream, and gave his brothers an account of it, saying, I have had another dream: the sun and the moon and eleven stars gave honour to me.
10 Wathi eselitshele uyise njalo labanewabo uyise wamkhalimela wathi, “Liphupho bani leli oliphuphileyo? Utsho ukuthi unyoko lami labanewenu sizaguqa phansi emhlabathini sibili siguqela wena?”
And he gave word of it to his father and his brothers; but his father protesting said, What sort of a dream is this? am I and your mother and your brothers to go down on our faces to the earth before you?
11 Abanewabo babalomona ngaye, kodwa uyise wayigcina engqondweni yakhe indaba le.
And his brothers were full of envy; but his father kept his words in mind.
12 Abanewabo basuka bahamba lemihlambi kayise emadlelweni eduze kweShekhemu.
Now his brothers went to keep watch over their father's flock in Shechem.
13 U-Israyeli wathi kuJosefa, “Njengoba usazi abanewenu basemadlelweni lemihlambi eduze kweShekhemu. Lalela-ke, ngifuna ukukuthuma kubo.” Waphendula wathi, “Kulungile.”
And Israel said to Joseph, Are not your brothers with the flock in Shechem? come, I will send you to them. And he said to him, Here am I.
14 Ngakho wasesithi kuye, “Hamba uyebona ingabe abafowenu bayaphila yini kanye lemihlambi, ukuze ubuye uzongazisa.” Lakanye wamvalelisa esuka esigodini saseHebhroni. UJosefa esefikile eShekhemu,
And he said to him, Go now, and see if your brothers are well and how the flock is; then come back and give me word. So he sent him out of the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
15 wafunyanwa yindoda ezula egangeni yambuza yathi, “Udingani?”
And a man saw him wandering in the country, and said to him, What are you looking for?
16 Waphendula wathi, “Ngidinga abafowethu. Kambe ungangitshela ukuthi belusela ngaphi imihlambi yabo na?”
And he said, I am looking for my brothers; please give me word of where they are keeping their flock.
17 Indoda yaphendula yathi, “Sebesukile lapha. Ngabezwa besithi, ‘Kasiyeni eDothani.’” Ngakho uJosefa wabalandela abafowabo wayabafumana eduze kweDothani.
And the man said, They have gone away from here, for they said in my hearing, Let us go to Dothan. So Joseph went after them and came up with them at Dothan.
18 Kodwa bambona esesekude, wathi engakafiki kubo, bakhanda icebo lokumbulala.
But they saw him when he was a long way off, and before he came near them they made a secret design against him to put him to death;
19 Batshelana bathi, “Nanguyana umphuphi lowana esiza.
Saying to one another, See, here comes this dreamer.
20 Zwanini, kasimbulaleni simphosele kwelinye lamagodi la besesisithi udliwe yisilo esesabekayo. Besesibona-ke ukuthi azaphelela ngaphi amaphupho akhe.”
Let us now put him to death and put his body into one of these holes, and we will say, An evil beast has put him to death: then we will see what becomes of his dreams.
21 Kwathi uRubheni esekuzwile lokhu, wazama ukuthi amlamulele ezandleni zabo. Wathi, “Kasingacimi impilo yakhe.
But Reuben, hearing these words, got him out of their hands, saying, Let us not take his life.
22 Lingachithi gazi. Mphoseleni emgodini lo lapha enkangala, kodwa lingambeki isandla.” URubheni watsho lokhu ukuze amlamulele kubo abesembuyisela kuyise.
Do not put him to a violent death, but let him be placed in one of the holes; this he said to keep him safe from their hands, with the purpose of taking him back to his father again.
23 Ngakho kwathi uJosefa efika kubafowabo, bamhlubula ijazi lakhe, elalibalazwe kakuhle ayeligqokile,
So when Joseph came to his brothers, they took off his long coat which he had on;
24 bamthatha bayamphosela emgodini. Umgodi lo wawungela lutho, kungelamanzi phakathi kwawo.
And they took him and put him in the hole: now the hole had no water in it.
25 Bathi sebehlezi phansi ukuthi badle, bathi baphosa amehlo babona udwendwe lwama-Ishumayeli luvelela eGiliyadi. Amakamela abo ayethwaliswe iziyoliso, ibhami lemure, konke lokhu bekusa eGibhithe.
Then seating themselves, they took their meal: and looking up, they saw a travelling band of Ishmaelites, coming from Gilead on their way to Egypt, with spices and perfumes on their camels.
26 UJuda wathi kubafowabo, “Sizazuzani nxa sibulala umfowethu sigqibele igazi lakhe na?
And Judah said to his brothers, What profit is there in putting our brother to death and covering up his blood?
27 Zwanini, kasimthengiseni kuma-Ishumayeli thina singambeki sandla; kambe yena evele engumfowethu, eyinyama yethu legazi lethu.” Abafowabo bavuma.
Let us give him to these Ishmaelites for a price, and let us not put violent hands on him, for he is our brother, our flesh. And his brothers gave ear to him.
28 Ngakho kwathi abathengisi bamaMidiyani besedlula abafowabo bamkhupha uJosefa emgodini bamthengisa ngamashekeli esiliva angamatshumi amabili kuma-Ishumayeli, amthatha aya laye eGibhithe.
And some traders from Midian went by; so pulling Joseph up out of the hole, they gave him to the Ishmaelites for twenty bits of silver, and they took him to Egypt.
29 URubheni wathi esebuyela emgodini wafumana uJosefa engasekho, wasedabula izigqoko zakhe ngokudabuka.
Now when Reuben came back to the hole, Joseph was not there; and giving signs of grief,
30 Wabuyela kubafowabo wathi, “Umfana kasekho! Sengizakwenzanjani manje?”
He went back to his brothers, and said, The child is gone; what am I to do?
31 Basebethatha ijazi likaJosefa, babulala imbuzi basebegxamuza ijazi lelo egazini.
Then they took Joseph's coat, and put on it some of the blood from a young goat which they had put to death,
32 Balithatha ijazi lokuceciswa babuyela lalo kuyise bathi, “Silidobhile. Ake ulikhangele kuhle kumbe lijazi lendodana yakho.”
And they took the coat to their father, and said, We came across this; is it your son's coat or not?
33 Lakanye walibona liyilo wathi, “Lijazi lendodana yami. Udliwe yisilo esesabekayo. Ngempela uJosefa usedlithizwe waba yizicucu.”
And he saw that it was, and said, It is my son's coat; an evil beast has put him to death; without doubt Joseph has come to a cruel end.
34 UJakhobe wasedabula izigqoko zakhe, wagqoka ezamasaka walilela indodana yakhe okwensuku ezinengi.
Then Jacob, giving signs of grief, put on haircloth, and went on weeping for his son day after day.
35 Wonke amadodana akhe lamadodakazi beza ukuzamduduza, kodwa kavumanga ukududuzeka. Wathi, “Hatshi, ngizakuya ethuneni ngilila nginje, ngiye endodaneni yami.” Uyise wamkhalela kanjalo. (Sheol h7585)
And all his sons and all his daughters came to give him comfort, but he would not be comforted, saying with weeping, I will go down to the underworld to my son. So great was his father's sorrow for him. (Sheol h7585)
36 Kusenjalo, amaMidiyani amthengisa uJosefa eGibhithe kuPhothifa, omunye wezikhulu zikaFaro, owayengumlawuli wabalindi.
And in Egypt the men of Midian gave him for a price to Potiphar, a captain of high position in Pharaoh's house.
