UGenesisi 42

1 Kwathi uJakhobe esezwile ukuthi amabele ayekhona eGibhithe wathi emadodaneni akhe, “Kungani likhangelana nje?”

Then saw Jacob that there was corn in Egypt, —and Jacob said to his sons, Wherefore look ye one at another?

2 Waqhubeka wathi, “Sengizwile ukuthi amabele akhona eGibhithe. Yehlani liye khona liyesithengela wona ukuze siphile singafi.”

And he said, Lo I have heard that there is corn in Egypt, —Go down thither and buy corn for us from thence, that we may live and not die.

3 Ngakho abanewabo bakaJosefa behla bayathenga amabele eGibhithe.

So Joseph’s ten brethren went down, —to buy corn from the Egyptians;

4 Kodwa uJakhobe kamthumanga labanye uBhenjamini, umnawakhe kaJosefa ngoba wesaba ukuthi angaqabuka ewelwa yingozi.

but, Benjamin, Joseph’s own brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren, —for he said, Lest there befall him any mischief.

5 Kungakho amadodana ka-Israyeli ayeludwendwe lunye lalabo ababesiyathenga amabele njengoba indlala yayikhona laselizweni leKhenani.

Thus came in the sons of Israel, to buy corn in the midst of them that came—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.

Now, Joseph—he, it was, that was in power over the land, he, it was that was selling corn to all the people of the land, —so Joseph’s brethren came in, and bowed themselves down to him, with their faces to the earth.

7 UJosefa wonela ukubabona abafowabo, wabazi, kodwa wazitshaya owezizweni, wabakhulumisa ngokubakhahlameza. Wababuza wathi, “Livela ngaphi?” Baphendula bathi, “Sivela elizweni laseKhenani ukuzathenga ukudla.”

And Joseph beheld his brethren and recognised them, —and made himself a stranger unto them and spake with them harsh things and said unto them—Whence have ye come in? And they said, From the land of Canaan, to buy food.

8 Lanxa uJosefa wabazi abafowabo, bona kabamazanga.

And Joseph recognised his brethren, —whereas they, recognised him not.

9 Ngakho wasekhumbula amaphupho akhe ngabo wasesithi kubo, “Lizinhloli! Lilande ukuzabona lapho ilizwe lethu elingavikelekanga khona.”

And Joseph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed regarding them, —so he said unto them—Spies, are, ye! to see the nakedness of the land, have ye come in!

10 Baphendula bathi, “Hatshi, nkosi yethu. Izinceku zakho zize ukuzothenga ukudla.

And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, —but, thy servants, are come to buy food.

11 Singamadodana endoda yinye sonke. Izinceku zakho zingabantu abaqotho, kazisizo zinhloli.”

All of us, are, sons of one man, —honest men, are we: thy servants are not, spies.

12 Wathi kubo, “Hatshi! Lize ukuzabona lapho ilizwe lethu elingavikelekanga khona.”

And he said unto him, —Nay! but, the nakedness of the land, are ye come in to see.

13 Kodwa baphendula bathi, “Izinceku zakho zaziyizelamani ezilitshumi lambili, engamadodana endoda yinye, ehlala elizweni laseKhenani. Icinathunjana lisele lobaba, ikanti eyodwa kayisekho.”

And they said: We, thy twelve servants, are, brethren, sons of one man in the and of Canaan, —and lo! the youngest: is with our father this day, and, the one, is not!

14 UJosefa wathi kubo, “Kunjengoba ngilitshelile: Lizinhloli!

And Joseph said unto them, —The very thing, that I spake unto you, saying—Spies, are, ye.

15 Manje-ke lizahlolwa kanje: Ngifunga uFaro, kaliyikusuka lapha ngaphandle kokuthi umfowenu omncinyane afike lapha.

Hereby, shall ye be proved, —By the life of Pharaoh, ye shall not go forth from hence, save only by the coming in of your youngest brother hither.

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—from among you—one that he may fetch your brother, but be, ye, held as prisoners, that your words may be proved whether, truth, is with you, —and, if not, by the life of Pharaoh, surely, spies, ye are.

17 Wasebafaka entolongweni bonke okwensuku ezintathu.

So he drew them all together into ward, for three days.

18 Ngosuku lwesithathu uJosefa wathi kubo, “Yenzani lokhu ukuze lisile, ngoba mina ngesaba uNkulunkulu:

And Joseph said unto them on the third day, This, do and live, —God himself, do, I, revere.

19 Nxa lingabantu abaqotho, omunye wenu kahlale lapha entolongweni, kuthi lina abanye libuyele lihambisele izimuli zenu amabele esezibulawa yindlala.

If ye, are, honest men, one brother of you shall be kept as a prisoner in your house of ward, —but, ye, go, take in corn for the famine of your houses;

20 Kodwa limlethe lapha kimi umnawenu omncane ukuze amazwi enu aqiniseke, njalo ukuze lingafi.” Bakwenza lokho.

and your youngest brother, shall ye bring in unto me, that your words may be confirmed, and ye die not. And they did so.

21 Basebekhulumisana bathi, “Ngempela sijeziselwa umfowethu. Sambona ukuthi wayekhathazeke kangakanani esincenga, ezincengela impilo yakhe, kodwa kasaze samlalela; kungakho sisehlelwa luhlupho lolu.”

And they said each man unto his brother—Verily guilty, we are, respecting our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul when he appealed unto us for favour and we hearkened not, —therefore, hath come in unto us this distress.

22 URubheni waphendula wathi, “Kodwa kangilitshelanga yini ukuthi lingenzi isono emfaneni lina laqinisa amakhanda? Nanku-ke sesimele sifakaze ngegazi lakhe.”

And Reuben responded to them, saying—Spake I not unto you saying, Do not sin against the child! And ye hearkened not? His very blood, therefore lo! it is required.

23 Babengakunanzeleli ukuthi uJosefa wayeluzwa ulimi lwabo njengoba wayelomtolikelayo.

But, they, knew not that Joseph was hearkening, —for, the interpreter, was between them.

24 Wabafulathela wachiphiza izinyembezi, kodwa waphenduka wakhuluma labo. Wathi kuthathwe uSimiyoni kubo owahle wabotshwa phambi kwabo.

So he turned away from them, and wept, —then came back unto them and spake unto them, and took away from them Simeon, and bound him prisoner before their eyes.

25 UJosefa waselaya ukuthi kugcwaliswe amabele emasakeni abo, kubuyiselwe imali yalowo lalowo ifakwe phakathi kwesaka lakhe njalo baphiwe umphako wendlela. Sebekwenzelwe konke lokho,

Then commanded Joseph that their bags should be filled with corn, and their silver be returned each man’s into his sack, and provision be given for the journey, —and it was done to them thus.

26 betshata amasaka abo kubobabhemi bahamba.

So they lifted up their corn on their asses, —and went their way, from thence.

27 Endaweni lapho abema khona ngalobubusuku omunye wabo wavula isaka lakhe ukuthathela ubabhemi wakhe ukudla, wasebona imali yakhe yesiliva emlonyeni wesaka.

And the first opened his sack to give fodder to his ass at the inn, —and beheld his silver, yea there, it was in the mouth of his sack!

28 Wathi kubafowabo, “Isiliva sami sibuyiselwe. Nansi lapha phakathi kwesaka lami.” Zatshona inhliziyo zabo bakhangelana bethuthumela bathi, “Kuyini kambe lokhu uNkulunkulu asekwenzile kithi?”

So he said unto his brethren My silver hath been returned, yea verily, there it is in my sack! Then went forth their heart and they turned trembling—each man unto his brother saying. What is this that God hath done to us?

29 Bathi sebefike kuyise uJakhobe elizweni laseKhenani bamtshela konke lokho okwakwenzakele kubo. Bathi,

So they came in unto Jacob their father to the land of Canaan, —and told him all that had befallen them saying:

30 “Indoda eyinkosi yelizwe isikhulumise ngokusihalada, yasiphatha kwangathi sizinhloli elizweni.

The man that is lord of the land spake unto us harsh things, —and then delivered us up. as spies of the land.

31 Kodwa sathi kuyo, ‘Singamadoda aqotho; kasisizonhloli thina.

And we said unto him Honest men, are, we, —we are not spies!

32 Sasiyizelamani ezilitshumi lambili, amadodana endoda yinye. Omunye sowedlula, kuthi icinathunjana lisele lobaba eKhenani.’

Twelve brethren, are, we, sons of our father, —the one, is not, and the youngest is this day 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.

Then said the man the lord of the land unto us, Hereby, shall I get to know that honest men, ye are, —One brother of you, leave ye remaining with me, and corn for the famine of your houses, take ye and go your way;

34 Kodwa umnawenu limlethe kimi khona ngizakwazi ukuthi kalisizinhloli, kodwa lingabantu abaqotho. Lapho-ke ngizambuyisela kini umfowenu, lani selingazithengisela phakathi kwelizwe.’”

And bring ye in your youngest brother unto me, So must I get to know that ye are, not spies, but are honest men: Your brother, will I give up to you, and with the land, shall ye traffic.

35 Bathi sebethulula amasaka abo, babona umxhaka wesiliva waleyo laleyo ndoda esakeni layo! Kwathi bona ngokwabo kanye loyise bebona imixhaka yemali besaba.

And it came to pass when, they, were emptying their, sacks then lo! each man’s bundle of silver, was in his sack, —and when they beheld their bundles of silver—they and their father, they were afraid,

36 Uyise uJakhobe wathi kubo, “Selingephuce abantwabami. UJosefa kasekho, loSimiyoni kasekho; manje selifuna ukuthatha uBhenjamini. Yonke into iyangihlamukela!”

And Jacob their father said unto them, Me, have ye bereaved, —Joseph, is not, and, Simeon, is not, and Benjamin, ye would take! Against me, have happened all these things.

37 URubheni wasesithi kuyise, “Ungawabulala womabili amadodana ami nxa ngingangambuyisi kuwe. Mnikele ezandleni zami, mina ngizambuyisa.”

Then spake Reuben unto his father saying, My two sons, shalt thou put to death, if I bring him not unto thee, —Come give him up upon my hand, and I, will restore him unto thee.

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)

And he said, My son shall not go down with you, —For, his brother, is dead and, he alone, is left, and as surely as there befall him any mischief by the way wherein ye go, so surely shall ye bring down my grey hairs with sorrow unto hades. (Sheol h7585)