UGenesisi 42
1 Kwathi uJakhobe esezwile ukuthi amabele ayekhona eGibhithe wathi emadodaneni akhe, “Kungani likhangelana nje?”
Then Jacob, hearing that food was being sold in Egypt, said to his sons: “Why are you negligent?
2 Waqhubeka wathi, “Sengizwile ukuthi amabele akhona eGibhithe. Yehlani liye khona liyesithengela wona ukuze siphile singafi.”
I have heard that wheat is being sold in Egypt. Go down and buy necessities for us, so that we may be able to live, and not be consumed by destitution.”
3 Ngakho abanewabo bakaJosefa behla bayathenga amabele eGibhithe.
And so, when ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain in Egypt,
4 Kodwa uJakhobe kamthumanga labanye uBhenjamini, umnawakhe kaJosefa ngoba wesaba ukuthi angaqabuka ewelwa yingozi.
Benjamin was kept at home by Jacob, who said to his brothers, “Lest perhaps he may suffer harm on the journey.”
5 Kungakho amadodana ka-Israyeli ayeludwendwe lunye lalabo ababesiyathenga amabele njengoba indlala yayikhona laselizweni leKhenani.
And they entered into the land of Egypt with the others who traveled to buy. For the famine was in the land of Canaan.
6 Ngalesosikhathi uJosefa wayengumbusi welizwe, enguye othengisela abantu bonke amabele. Ngakho abafowabo bakaJosefa bathi befika khona bamkhothamela, bathi mbo ngobuso phansi.
And Joseph was governor in the land of Egypt, and grain was sold under his direction to the people. And when his brothers had reverenced him
7 UJosefa wonela ukubabona abafowabo, wabazi, kodwa wazitshaya owezizweni, wabakhulumisa ngokubakhahlameza. Wababuza wathi, “Livela ngaphi?” Baphendula bathi, “Sivela elizweni laseKhenani ukuzathenga ukudla.”
and he had recognized them, he spoke harshly, as if to foreigners, questioning them: “Where did you come from?” And they responded, “From the land of Canaan, to buy necessary provisions.”
8 Lanxa uJosefa wabazi abafowabo, bona kabamazanga.
And although he knew his brothers, he was not known by them.
9 Ngakho wasekhumbula amaphupho akhe ngabo wasesithi kubo, “Lizinhloli! Lilande ukuzabona lapho ilizwe lethu elingavikelekanga khona.”
And remembering the dreams, which he had seen in another time, he said to them: “You are scouts. You have come in order to see which parts of the land are weaker.”
10 Baphendula bathi, “Hatshi, nkosi yethu. Izinceku zakho zize ukuzothenga ukudla.
And they said: “It is not so, my lord. But your servants have arrived in order to buy food.
11 Singamadodana endoda yinye sonke. Izinceku zakho zingabantu abaqotho, kazisizo zinhloli.”
We are all sons of one man. We have come in peace, nor do any of your subjects devise evil.”
12 Wathi kubo, “Hatshi! Lize ukuzabona lapho ilizwe lethu elingavikelekanga khona.”
And he answered them: “It is otherwise. You have come to examine the unguarded parts of this land.”
13 Kodwa baphendula bathi, “Izinceku zakho zaziyizelamani ezilitshumi lambili, engamadodana endoda yinye, ehlala elizweni laseKhenani. Icinathunjana lisele lobaba, ikanti eyodwa kayisekho.”
But they said: “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is with our father; the other is not living.”
14 UJosefa wathi kubo, “Kunjengoba ngilitshelile: Lizinhloli!
He said: “This is just as I have said. You are scouts.
15 Manje-ke lizahlolwa kanje: Ngifunga uFaro, kaliyikusuka lapha ngaphandle kokuthi umfowenu omncinyane afike lapha.
I will now continue to put you to the test. By the health of Pharaoh, you will not depart from here, until your youngest brother arrives.
16 Thumani omunye wenu amlande umfowenu; lonke abanye lizagcinwa entolongweni, ukuze amazwi enu ahlolisiswe ukuthi lingabe likhuluma iqiniso yini. Nxa kungenjalo, ngifunga uFaro, lizinhloli!”
Send one of you and bring him. But you will be in chains, until what you have said is proven to be either true or false. Otherwise, by the health of Pharaoh, you are scouts.”
17 Wasebafaka entolongweni bonke okwensuku ezintathu.
Therefore, he delivered them into custody for three days.
18 Ngosuku lwesithathu uJosefa wathi kubo, “Yenzani lokhu ukuze lisile, ngoba mina ngesaba uNkulunkulu:
Then, on the third day, he brought them out of prison, and he said: “Do as I have said, and you will live. For I fear God.
19 Nxa lingabantu abaqotho, omunye wenu kahlale lapha entolongweni, kuthi lina abanye libuyele lihambisele izimuli zenu amabele esezibulawa yindlala.
If you are peaceful, let one of your brothers be bound in prison. Then you may go away and carry the grain that you have bought to your houses.
20 Kodwa limlethe lapha kimi umnawenu omncane ukuze amazwi enu aqiniseke, njalo ukuze lingafi.” Bakwenza lokho.
And bring your youngest brother to me, so that I may be able to test your words, and you may not die.” They did as he had said,
21 Basebekhulumisana bathi, “Ngempela sijeziselwa umfowethu. Sambona ukuthi wayekhathazeke kangakanani esincenga, ezincengela impilo yakhe, kodwa kasaze samlalela; kungakho sisehlelwa luhlupho lolu.”
and they spoke to one another: “We deserve to suffer these things, because we have sinned against our brother, seeing the anguish of his soul, when he begged us and we would not listen. For that reason, this tribulation has come upon us.”
22 URubheni waphendula wathi, “Kodwa kangilitshelanga yini ukuthi lingenzi isono emfaneni lina laqinisa amakhanda? Nanku-ke sesimele sifakaze ngegazi lakhe.”
And Reuben, one of them, said: “Did not I say to you, ‘Do not sin against the boy,’ and you would not listen to me? See, his blood is exacted.”
23 Babengakunanzeleli ukuthi uJosefa wayeluzwa ulimi lwabo njengoba wayelomtolikelayo.
But they did not know that Joseph understood, because he was speaking to them through an interpreter.
24 Wabafulathela wachiphiza izinyembezi, kodwa waphenduka wakhuluma labo. Wathi kuthathwe uSimiyoni kubo owahle wabotshwa phambi kwabo.
And he turned himself away briefly and wept. And returning, he spoke to them.
25 UJosefa waselaya ukuthi kugcwaliswe amabele emasakeni abo, kubuyiselwe imali yalowo lalowo ifakwe phakathi kwesaka lakhe njalo baphiwe umphako wendlela. Sebekwenzelwe konke lokho,
And taking Simeon, and binding him in their presence, he ordered his ministers to fill their sacks with wheat, and to replace each one’s money in their sacks, and to give them, in addition, provisions for the way. And they did so.
26 betshata amasaka abo kubobabhemi bahamba.
Then, having loaded their donkeys with the grain, they set out.
27 Endaweni lapho abema khona ngalobubusuku omunye wabo wavula isaka lakhe ukuthathela ubabhemi wakhe ukudla, wasebona imali yakhe yesiliva emlonyeni wesaka.
And one of them, opening a sack to give his beast of burden fodder at the inn, looked upon the money at the sack’s mouth,
28 Wathi kubafowabo, “Isiliva sami sibuyiselwe. Nansi lapha phakathi kwesaka lami.” Zatshona inhliziyo zabo bakhangelana bethuthumela bathi, “Kuyini kambe lokhu uNkulunkulu asekwenzile kithi?”
and he said to his brothers: “My money has returned to me. See, it is held in the sack.” And they were astonished and troubled, and they said to one another, “What is this that God has done to us?”
29 Bathi sebefike kuyise uJakhobe elizweni laseKhenani bamtshela konke lokho okwakwenzakele kubo. Bathi,
And they went to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, and they explained to him all the things that had befallen them, saying:
30 “Indoda eyinkosi yelizwe isikhulumise ngokusihalada, yasiphatha kwangathi sizinhloli elizweni.
“The lord of the land spoke harshly to us, and he considered us to be scouts of the province.
31 Kodwa sathi kuyo, ‘Singamadoda aqotho; kasisizonhloli thina.
And we answered him: ‘We are peaceful, and we do not intend any treachery.
32 Sasiyizelamani ezilitshumi lambili, amadodana endoda yinye. Omunye sowedlula, kuthi icinathunjana lisele lobaba eKhenani.’
We are twelve brothers conceived of one father. One is not living; the youngest is with our father in the land of Canaan.’
33 Ngakho umuntu oyinkosi yalelolizwe wasesithi kithi, ‘Nanku okuzangenza ngazi ukuthi lingabantu abaqotho: Tshiyani omunye umfowenu lapha kimi, lithathe ukudla kwezimuli zenu ezilambayo lihambe.
And he said to us: ‘Thus will I prove that you are peaceful. Release one of your brothers to me, and take necessary provisions for your houses, and go away,
34 Kodwa umnawenu limlethe kimi khona ngizakwazi ukuthi kalisizinhloli, kodwa lingabantu abaqotho. Lapho-ke ngizambuyisela kini umfowenu, lani selingazithengisela phakathi kwelizwe.’”
and bring your youngest brother to me, so that I may know that you are not scouts. And this one, who is held in chains, you may be able to receive again. And thereafter, you shall have permission to buy what you want.’”
35 Bathi sebethulula amasaka abo, babona umxhaka wesiliva waleyo laleyo ndoda esakeni layo! Kwathi bona ngokwabo kanye loyise bebona imixhaka yemali besaba.
Having said this, when they poured out their grain, each found his money tied to the mouth of his sack. And all were terrified together.
36 Uyise uJakhobe wathi kubo, “Selingephuce abantwabami. UJosefa kasekho, loSimiyoni kasekho; manje selifuna ukuthatha uBhenjamini. Yonke into iyangihlamukela!”
Their father Jacob said, “You have caused me to be without children. Joseph is not living, Simeon is held in chains, and Benjamin you would carry away. All these evils have fallen back upon me.”
37 URubheni wasesithi kuyise, “Ungawabulala womabili amadodana ami nxa ngingangambuyisi kuwe. Mnikele ezandleni zami, mina ngizambuyisa.”
And Reuben answered him, “Put my two sons to death, if I do not lead him back to you. Deliver him into my hand, and I will restore him to you.”
38 Kodwa uJakhobe wathi, “Indodana yami kayiyikuhamba lani khonale; umnewabo sewafa, usenguye yedwa oseleyo. Nxa evelelwa ngokubi kuloluhambo lwenu lizakwenza ukuthi ikhanda lami eliyimpunga liye engcwabeni lidabukile.” (Sheol h7585)
But he said: “My son will not go down with you. His brother is dead, and he is left alone. If any adversity will befall him in the land to which you travel, you would lead my grey hairs down with sorrow to the grave.” (Sheol h7585)
