UGenesisi 37
1 UJakhobe wahlala elizweni lapho uyise laye ahlala kulo, ilizwe laseKhenani.
Jacob lived in the land of his father’s travels, 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.
This is the history of the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. Joseph brought an evil report of them to their father.
3 U-Israyeli wasuka wamthanda uJosefa ukwedlula wonke amanye amadodana akhe, ngoba wamzala eseluphele; yikho wamenzela ijazi eliceciswe kakhulu.
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a tunic of many colours.
4 Kwathi abafowabo bebona ukuthi uyise wayemthanda ukwedlula bonke abanye bamzonda kabazange bamkhulumise ngothando.
His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, and they hated him, and couldn’t speak peaceably to him.
5 UJosefa waphupha, wathi esebatshelile ngephupho lakhe bamzonda ngokwedlulisileyo.
Joseph dreamt a dream, and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him all the more.
6 Wathi kubo, “Zwanini iphupho engibe lalo:
He said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamt:
7 besibopha izithungo zamabele sisemasimini lapho okuthe masinyane esami isithungo saphakama sema saqonda, kwathi ezenu izithungo zasigombolozela esami, zasikhothamela phansi.”
for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves came around, and bowed down to my sheaf.”
8 Abanewabo bathi kuye. “Ufisa ukubusa phezu kwethu na? Ungasibusa ngempela na?” Basebemzonda ngamandla ngenxa yephupho lakhe lalokho ayekutshilo.
His brothers asked him, “Will you indeed reign over us? Will you indeed have dominion over us?” They hated him all the more for his dreams and for his words.
9 Waphinda waba lelinye iphupho, walitshela abanewabo. Wathi, “Lalelani, ngibe lalo elinye iphupho, kuleli, ilanga lenyanga kanye lezinkanyezi ezilitshumi lanye bezingikhothamela phansi.”
He dreamt yet another dream, and told it to his brothers, and said, “Behold, I have dreamt yet another dream: and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down 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?”
He told it to his father and to his brothers. His father rebuked him, and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamt? Will I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves down to the earth before you?”
11 Abanewabo babalomona ngaye, kodwa uyise wayigcina engqondweni yakhe indaba le.
His brothers envied him, but his father kept this saying in mind.
12 Abanewabo basuka bahamba lemihlambi kayise emadlelweni eduze kweShekhemu.
His brothers went to feed 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.”
Israel said to Joseph, “Aren’t your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” He said to him, “Here I am.”
14 Ngakho wasesithi kuye, “Hamba uyebona ingabe abafowenu bayaphila yini kanye lemihlambi, ukuze ubuye uzongazisa.” Lakanye wamvalelisa esuka esigodini saseHebhroni. UJosefa esefikile eShekhemu,
He said to him, “Go now, see whether it is well with your brothers, and well with the flock; and bring me word again.” So he sent him out of the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
15 wafunyanwa yindoda ezula egangeni yambuza yathi, “Udingani?”
A certain man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field. The man asked him, “What are you looking for?”
16 Waphendula wathi, “Ngidinga abafowethu. Kambe ungangitshela ukuthi belusela ngaphi imihlambi yabo na?”
He said, “I am looking for my brothers. Tell me, please, where they are feeding the flock.”
17 Indoda yaphendula yathi, “Sebesukile lapha. Ngabezwa besithi, ‘Kasiyeni eDothani.’” Ngakho uJosefa wabalandela abafowabo wayabafumana eduze kweDothani.
The man said, “They have left here, for I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’” Joseph went after his brothers, and found them in Dothan.
18 Kodwa bambona esesekude, wathi engakafiki kubo, bakhanda icebo lokumbulala.
They saw him afar off, and before he came near to them, they conspired against him to kill him.
19 Batshelana bathi, “Nanguyana umphuphi lowana esiza.
They said to one another, “Behold, this dreamer comes.
20 Zwanini, kasimbulaleni simphosele kwelinye lamagodi la besesisithi udliwe yisilo esesabekayo. Besesibona-ke ukuthi azaphelela ngaphi amaphupho akhe.”
Come now therefore, and let’s kill him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, ‘An evil animal has devoured him.’ We will see what will become of his dreams.”
21 Kwathi uRubheni esekuzwile lokhu, wazama ukuthi amlamulele ezandleni zabo. Wathi, “Kasingacimi impilo yakhe.
Reuben heard it, and delivered him out of their hand, and said, “Let’s not take his life.”
22 Lingachithi gazi. Mphoseleni emgodini lo lapha enkangala, kodwa lingambeki isandla.” URubheni watsho lokhu ukuze amlamulele kubo abesembuyisela kuyise.
Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him”—that he might deliver him out of their hand, to restore him to his father.
23 Ngakho kwathi uJosefa efika kubafowabo, bamhlubula ijazi lakhe, elalibalazwe kakuhle ayeligqokile,
When Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colours that was on him;
24 bamthatha bayamphosela emgodini. Umgodi lo wawungela lutho, kungelamanzi phakathi kwawo.
and they took him, and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty. There was 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.
They sat down to eat bread, and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing spices and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.
26 UJuda wathi kubafowabo, “Sizazuzani nxa sibulala umfowethu sigqibele igazi lakhe na?
Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we 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.
Come, and let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites, and not let our hand be on him; for he is our brother, our flesh.” His brothers listened to him.
28 Ngakho kwathi abathengisi bamaMidiyani besedlula abafowabo bamkhupha uJosefa emgodini bamthengisa ngamashekeli esiliva angamatshumi amabili kuma-Ishumayeli, amthatha aya laye eGibhithe.
Midianites who were merchants passed by, and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The merchants brought Joseph into Egypt.
29 URubheni wathi esebuyela emgodini wafumana uJosefa engasekho, wasedabula izigqoko zakhe ngokudabuka.
Reuben returned to the pit, and saw that Joseph wasn’t in the pit; and he tore his clothes.
30 Wabuyela kubafowabo wathi, “Umfana kasekho! Sengizakwenzanjani manje?”
He returned to his brothers, and said, “The child is no more; and I, where will I go?”
31 Basebethatha ijazi likaJosefa, babulala imbuzi basebegxamuza ijazi lelo egazini.
They took Joseph’s tunic, and killed a male goat, and dipped the tunic in the blood.
32 Balithatha ijazi lokuceciswa babuyela lalo kuyise bathi, “Silidobhile. Ake ulikhangele kuhle kumbe lijazi lendodana yakho.”
They took the tunic of many colours, and they brought it to their father, and said, “We have found this. Examine it, now, and see if it is your son’s tunic or not.”
33 Lakanye walibona liyilo wathi, “Lijazi lendodana yami. Udliwe yisilo esesabekayo. Ngempela uJosefa usedlithizwe waba yizicucu.”
He recognised it, and said, “It is my son’s tunic. An evil animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn in pieces.”
34 UJakhobe wasedabula izigqoko zakhe, wagqoka ezamasaka walilela indodana yakhe okwensuku ezinengi.
Jacob tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days.
35 Wonke amadodana akhe lamadodakazi beza ukuzamduduza, kodwa kavumanga ukududuzeka. Wathi, “Hatshi, ngizakuya ethuneni ngilila nginje, ngiye endodaneni yami.” Uyise wamkhalela kanjalo. (Sheol h7585)
All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. He said, “For I will go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” His father wept for him. (Sheol h7585)
36 Kusenjalo, amaMidiyani amthengisa uJosefa eGibhithe kuPhothifa, omunye wezikhulu zikaFaro, owayengumlawuli wabalindi.
The Midianites sold him into Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, the captain of the guard.
