UGenesisi 37
1 UJakhobe wahlala elizweni lapho uyise laye ahlala kulo, ilizwe laseKhenani.
And Jacob dwelt in the land of Chanaan wherein his father sojourned.
2 Lo ngumlando wosendo lukaJakhobe. UJosefa ijaha elalileminyaka elitshumi lesikhombisa, wayeselusa imihlambi yezimvu labanewabo, amadodana kaBhiliha lamadodana kaZilipha, abafazi bakayise, wasebaceba kuyise.
And these are his generations: Joseph, when he was sixteen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren, being but a boy: and he was with the sons of Bala and of Zelpha his father’s wives: and he accused his brethren to his father of a most wicked crime.
3 U-Israyeli wasuka wamthanda uJosefa ukwedlula wonke amanye amadodana akhe, ngoba wamzala eseluphele; yikho wamenzela ijazi eliceciswe kakhulu.
Now Israel loved Joseph above all his sons, because he had him in his old age: and he made him a coat of divers colours.
4 Kwathi abafowabo bebona ukuthi uyise wayemthanda ukwedlula bonke abanye bamzonda kabazange bamkhulumise ngothando.
And his brethren seeing that he was loved by his father, more than all his sons, hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him.
5 UJosefa waphupha, wathi esebatshelile ngephupho lakhe bamzonda ngokwedlulisileyo.
Now it fell out also that he told his brethren a dream, that he had dreamed: which occasioned them to hate him the more.
6 Wathi kubo, “Zwanini iphupho engibe lalo:
And he said to them: Hear my dream which I dreamed.
7 besibopha izithungo zamabele sisemasimini lapho okuthe masinyane esami isithungo saphakama sema saqonda, kwathi ezenu izithungo zasigombolozela esami, zasikhothamela phansi.”
I thought we were binding sheaves in the field: and my sheaf arose as it were, and stood, and your sheaves standing about, bowed down before my sheaf.
8 Abanewabo bathi kuye. “Ufisa ukubusa phezu kwethu na? Ungasibusa ngempela na?” Basebemzonda ngamandla ngenxa yephupho lakhe lalokho ayekutshilo.
His brethren answered: Shalt thou be our king? or shall we be subject to thy dominion? Therefore this matter of his dreams and words ministered nourishment to their envy and hatred.
9 Waphinda waba lelinye iphupho, walitshela abanewabo. Wathi, “Lalelani, ngibe lalo elinye iphupho, kuleli, ilanga lenyanga kanye lezinkanyezi ezilitshumi lanye bezingikhothamela phansi.”
He dreamed also another dream, which he told his brethren, saying: I saw in a dream, as it were the sun, and the moon, and eleven stars worshipping 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 when he had told this to his father and brethren, his father rebuked him, and said: What meaneth this dream that thou hast dreamed? shall I and thy mother, and thy brethren worship thee upon the earth?
11 Abanewabo babalomona ngaye, kodwa uyise wayigcina engqondweni yakhe indaba le.
His brethren therefore envied him: but his father considered the thing with himself.
12 Abanewabo basuka bahamba lemihlambi kayise emadlelweni eduze kweShekhemu.
And when his brethren abode in Sichem feeding their father’s flocks,
13 U-Israyeli wathi kuJosefa, “Njengoba usazi abanewenu basemadlelweni lemihlambi eduze kweShekhemu. Lalela-ke, ngifuna ukukuthuma kubo.” Waphendula wathi, “Kulungile.”
Israel said to him: Thy brethren feed the sheep in Sichem: come, I will send thee to them. And when he answered:
14 Ngakho wasesithi kuye, “Hamba uyebona ingabe abafowenu bayaphila yini kanye lemihlambi, ukuze ubuye uzongazisa.” Lakanye wamvalelisa esuka esigodini saseHebhroni. UJosefa esefikile eShekhemu,
I am ready: he said to him: Go, and see if all things be well with thy brethren, and the cattle: and bring me word again what is doing. So being sent from the vale of Hebron, he came to Sichem:
15 wafunyanwa yindoda ezula egangeni yambuza yathi, “Udingani?”
And a man found him there wandering in the field, and asked what he sought.
16 Waphendula wathi, “Ngidinga abafowethu. Kambe ungangitshela ukuthi belusela ngaphi imihlambi yabo na?”
But he answered: I seek my brethren; tell me where they feed the flocks.
17 Indoda yaphendula yathi, “Sebesukile lapha. Ngabezwa besithi, ‘Kasiyeni eDothani.’” Ngakho uJosefa wabalandela abafowabo wayabafumana eduze kweDothani.
And the man said to him: They are departed from this place: for I heard them say: Let us go to Dothain. And Joseph went forward after his brethren, and found them in Dothain.
18 Kodwa bambona esesekude, wathi engakafiki kubo, bakhanda icebo lokumbulala.
And when they saw him afar off, before he came nigh them, they thought to kill him.
19 Batshelana bathi, “Nanguyana umphuphi lowana esiza.
And said one to another: Behold the dreamer cometh.
20 Zwanini, kasimbulaleni simphosele kwelinye lamagodi la besesisithi udliwe yisilo esesabekayo. Besesibona-ke ukuthi azaphelela ngaphi amaphupho akhe.”
Come, let us kill him, and cast him into some old pit: and we will say: Some evil beast hath devoured him: and then it shall appear what his dreams avail him:
21 Kwathi uRubheni esekuzwile lokhu, wazama ukuthi amlamulele ezandleni zabo. Wathi, “Kasingacimi impilo yakhe.
And Ruben hearing this, endeavoured to deliver him out of their hands, and said:
22 Lingachithi gazi. Mphoseleni emgodini lo lapha enkangala, kodwa lingambeki isandla.” URubheni watsho lokhu ukuze amlamulele kubo abesembuyisela kuyise.
Do not take away his life, nor shed his blood: but cast him into this pit, that is in the wilderness, and keep your hands harmless: now he said this, being desirous to deliver him out of their hands and to restore him to his father.
23 Ngakho kwathi uJosefa efika kubafowabo, bamhlubula ijazi lakhe, elalibalazwe kakuhle ayeligqokile,
And as soon as he came to his brethren, they forthwith stript him of his outside coat, that was of divers colours:
24 bamthatha bayamphosela emgodini. Umgodi lo wawungela lutho, kungelamanzi phakathi kwawo.
And cast him into an old pit, where there was no water.
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.
And sitting down to eat bread, they saw some Ismaelites on their way coming from Galaad, with their camels, carrying spices, and balm, and myrrh to Egypt.
26 UJuda wathi kubafowabo, “Sizazuzani nxa sibulala umfowethu sigqibele igazi lakhe na?
And Juda said to his brethren: What will it profit us to kill our brother, and conceal his blood?
27 Zwanini, kasimthengiseni kuma-Ishumayeli thina singambeki sandla; kambe yena evele engumfowethu, eyinyama yethu legazi lethu.” Abafowabo bavuma.
It is better that he be sold to the Ismaelites, and that our hands be not defiled: for he is our brother and our flesh. His brethren agreed to his words.
28 Ngakho kwathi abathengisi bamaMidiyani besedlula abafowabo bamkhupha uJosefa emgodini bamthengisa ngamashekeli esiliva angamatshumi amabili kuma-Ishumayeli, amthatha aya laye eGibhithe.
And when the Madianite merchants passed by, they drew him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ismaelites, for twenty pieces of silver: and they led him into Egypt.
29 URubheni wathi esebuyela emgodini wafumana uJosefa engasekho, wasedabula izigqoko zakhe ngokudabuka.
And Ruben, returning to the pit, found not the boy:
30 Wabuyela kubafowabo wathi, “Umfana kasekho! Sengizakwenzanjani manje?”
And rending his garments he went to his brethren, and said: The boy doth not appear and whither shall I go?
31 Basebethatha ijazi likaJosefa, babulala imbuzi basebegxamuza ijazi lelo egazini.
And they took his coat, and dipped it in the blood of a kid, which they had killed:
32 Balithatha ijazi lokuceciswa babuyela lalo kuyise bathi, “Silidobhile. Ake ulikhangele kuhle kumbe lijazi lendodana yakho.”
Sending some to carry it to their father, and to say: This we have found: see whether it be thy son’s coat, or not.
33 Lakanye walibona liyilo wathi, “Lijazi lendodana yami. Udliwe yisilo esesabekayo. Ngempela uJosefa usedlithizwe waba yizicucu.”
And the father acknowledging it, said: It is my son’s coat, an evil wild beast hath eaten him, a beast hath devoured Joseph.
34 UJakhobe wasedabula izigqoko zakhe, wagqoka ezamasaka walilela indodana yakhe okwensuku ezinengi.
And tearing his garments, he put on sackcloth, mourning for his son a long time.
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 children being gathered together to comfort their father in his sorrow, he would not receive comfort, but said: I will go down to my son into hell, mourning. And whilst he continued weeping, (Sheol h7585)
36 Kusenjalo, amaMidiyani amthengisa uJosefa eGibhithe kuPhothifa, omunye wezikhulu zikaFaro, owayengumlawuli wabalindi.
The Madianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Putiphar, an eunuch of Pharao, captain of the soldiers.
