UGenesisi 43

1 Indlala yayilokhu inkulu kakhulu elizweni.

Now the land was in bitter need of food.

2 Ngakho kwathi sebekuqedile konke ukudla ababekuthenge eGibhithe, uyise wathi kubo, “Buyelani liyesithengela njalo okunye ukudla okunenganyana.”

And when the grain which they had got in Egypt was all used up, their father said to them, Go again and get us a little food.

3 Kodwa uJuda wathi kuye, “Indoda leyo yasiqonqosela yathi, ‘Ngeke liphinde libubone ubuso bami ngaphandle kokuba lilomnawenu.’

And Judah said to him, The man said to us with an oath, You are not to come before me again without your brother.

4 Nxa uzamvumela umnawethu ukuthi sihambe laye, sizahamba siyekuthengela ukudla.

If you will let our brother go with us, we will go down and get food:

5 Kodwa nxa ungezukuvuma, ngeke sibuyele, ngoba phela indoda leyo yathi kithi, ‘Ngeke liphinde libubone ubuso bami nxa umnawenu lingelaye.’”

But if you will not send him, we will not go down: for the man said to us, You are not to come before me if your brother is not with you.

6 U-Israyeli wabuza wathi, “Likwenzeleni lina ukungehlisela uhlupho lolu ngokuyitshela indoda leyo ukuthi lilomnawenu na?”

And Israel said, Why were you so cruel to me as to say to him that you had a brother?

7 Baphendula bathi, “Leyondoda isibuzisisile ngathi langendlu yangakithi yathi, ‘Uyihlo usaphila na? Lilaye na omunye umfowenu?’ Thina besiphendula imibuzo yayo kuphela. Sasingazi kanjani ukuthi yayizakuthi, ‘Mletheni umnawenu lapha’?”

And they said, The man put a number of questions to us about ourselves and our family, saying, Is your father still living? have you another brother? And we had to give him answers; how were we to have any idea that he would say, Come back with your brother?

8 UJuda wasesithi ku-Israyeli uyise, “Wothi umfana ahambe lami, sizahle sisuke nje masinyane, ukwenzela ukuthi thina lawe kanye labantwabethu siphile, singafi.

Then Judah said to Israel, his father, Send the boy with me, and let us be up and going, so that we and you and our little ones may not come to destruction.

9 Mina ngokwami ngizazinikela ngokuphepha kwakhe; umlandu wonke ngaye awubekwe phezu kwami. Nxa ngingambuyisi kuwe ngimbeke phambi kwakho, ngizakuba lecala kuwe impilo yami yonke.

Put him into my care and make me responsible for him: if I do not give him safely back to you, let mine be the sin for ever.

10 Njengoba kunje nje, aluba asizilingananga ngabe sesihambe saphenduka kwaze kwaba kabili.”

Truly, if we had not let the time go by, we might have come back again by now.

11 Ngakho uyise u-Israyeli wasesithi kubo, “Nxa kumele kube njalo, yenzani lokhu: Fakani emasakeni enu ezinye izinto ezinhle kakhulu eziphuma kulelilizwe lihambe lazo kulowomuntu zibe yisipho, amagcobo okuthambisa loluju, iziyoliso ezithile lemure, izilimo ezicacadwayo zephistakhiyo le-alimondi.

Then their father Israel said to them, If it has to be so, then do this: take of the best fruits of the land in your vessels to give the man, perfumes and honey and spices and nuts:

12 Thathani isiliva esiphindwe kabili, ngoba kufanele libuyisele lesosiliva esasibuyiselwe emasakeni enu. Mhlawumbe kwaba yisiphosiso.

And take twice as much money with you; that is to say, take back the money which was put in your bags, for it may have been an error;

13 Mthatheni umnawenu laye libuyele kuleyondoda ngokuphangisa.

And take your brother and go back to the man:

14 Sengathi uNkulunkulu uSomandla angalenzela umusa kuleyondoda ukuze ivumele omunye umfowenu kanye loBhenjamini baphenduke lani. Mina ngokwami ngithi, kambe okungayisikufa yikuphi!”

And may God, the Ruler of all, give you mercy before the man, so that he may give you back your other brother and Benjamin. If my children are to be taken from me; there is no help for it.

15 Ngakho amadoda athatha izipho lesiliva esiphindwe kabili kanye loBhenjamini. Batshitsha baya eGibhithe bayazibika kuJosefa.

So they took what their father said for the man, and twice as much money in their hands, and Benjamin, and went on their journey to Egypt, and came before Joseph.

16 Kwathi uJosefa ebona uBhenjamini ekanye labo, wathi encekwini yendlu yakhe, “Hamba lamadoda la endlini yami, uwahlabele isifuyo ulungise ukudla; bazakudla lami emini.”

And when Joseph saw Benjamin, he said to his chief servant, Take these men into my house, and make ready a meal, for they will take food with me in the middle of the day.

17 Indoda yenza njengokutshelwa kwayo nguJosefa, yawathatha amadoda yahamba lawo endlini kaJosefa.

And the servant did as Joseph said, and took the men into Joseph's house.

18 Amadoda ethuka ebona elethwa endlini kaJosefa. Bacabanga ukuthi, “Silethwe lapha ngenxa yesiliva esabuyiselwa emasakeni ethu ekufikeni kwethu kwakuqala. Ufuna ukusihlasela asehlule, abesesithumba sibe yizigqili athathe obabhemi bethu.”

Now the men were full of fear because they had been taken into Joseph's house and they said, It is because of the money which was put back in our bags the first time; he is looking for something against us, so that he may come down on us and take us and our asses for his use.

19 Ngakho baya encekwini kaJosefa bayakhuluma laye entubeni eya endlini.

So they went up to Joseph's chief servant at the door of the house,

20 Bathi, “Ake usizwe, nkosi yethu: Safika lapha kuqala sizothenga ukudla.

And said, O my lord, we only came down the first time to get food;

21 Kodwa lapho esaphumula khona ebusuku savula amasaka ethu, kwaba ngulowo wethu wafumana isiliva sakhe, siphelele ubunzima baso, sisemlonyeni wesaka lakhe. Ngakho size laso.

And when we came to our night's resting-place, on opening our bags we saw that every man's money was in the mouth of his bag, all our money in full weight: and we have it with us to give it back;

22 Size lesinye isiliva phezu kwaleso ukuthi sithenge ukudla. Kasikwazi ukuthi ngubani owabuyisela isiliva emasakeni ethu.”

As well as more money, with which to get food: we have no idea who put our money in our bags.

23 Wathi, “Kulungile. Lingesabi. UNkulunkulu wenu, uNkulunkulu kayihlo, uliphile inotho emasakeni enu; mina ngasiphiwa isiliva senu.” Emva kwalokho waseletha uSimiyoni kubo.

Then the servant said, Peace be with you: have no fear: your God, even the God of your father, has put wealth in your bags for you: I had your money. Then he let Simeon come out to them.

24 Inceku yasiwangenisa amadoda endlini kaJosefa, yawapha amanzi okugeza inyawo zawo, yaletha lotshani babobabhemi bawo.

And the servant took them into Joseph's house, and gave them water for washing their feet; and he gave their asses food.

25 Balungisa izipho zabo balindela ukufika kukaJosefa emini ngoba basebezwile ukuthi babezakudla khonapho.

And they got ready the things for Joseph before he came in the middle of the day: for word was given to them that they were to have a meal there.

26 UJosefa esefikile bethula izipho ababengene lazo endlini, njalo bakhothama kuye phansi.

And when Joseph came in, they gave him the things which they had for him, and went down to the earth before him.

27 Wababuza ukuphila, wasesithi, “Linjani ixhegu elinguyihlo elangitshela ngalo? Lilokhu lisaphila na?”

And he said, How are you? is your father well, the old man of whom you were talking to me? is he still living?

28 Baphendula bathi, “Inceku yakho, ubaba, ulokhu esaphila njalo usaqinile.” Bakhothama njalo betshengisa inhlonipho.

And they said, Your servant, our father, is well, he is still living. And they went down on their faces before him.

29 Wathi elokhu ebakhangela wabona umnawakhe uBhenjamini, umntakanina sibili, wabuza wathi, “Nguye lo umnawenu olicinathunjana na, lowo elangitshela ngaye?” Wasesithi kuye, “UNkulunkulu kabe lomusa kuwe, ndodana yami.”

Then, lifting up his eyes, he saw Benjamin, his brother, his mother's son, and he said, Is this your youngest brother of whom you gave me word? And he said, God be good to you, my son.

30 Wathinteka kakhulu ngokubona umnawakhe, uJosefa waphangisa waphuma wayafuna indawo yokukhala. Waya ekamelweni lakhe wayakhalela khona.

Then Joseph's heart went out to his brother, and he went quickly into his room, for he was overcome with weeping.

31 Wathi esegezile amehlo waphuma, wazibamba, wasesithi, “Phakululani ukudla.”

Then, after washing his face, he came out, and controlling his feelings said, Put food before us.

32 Yena bamupha yedwa, abafowabo labo bodwa, kwathi lamaGibhithe ayesidla laye lawo aba wodwa, ngoba amaGibhithe ayengeke adla lamaHebheru, ngoba lokho kwakunengeka kumaGibhithe.

And they put a meal ready for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians who were with him by themselves; because the Egyptians may not take food with the Hebrews, for that would make them unclean.

33 Amadoda la ayehlezi ngobudala bawo kuqala ngezibulo kusiyacina ngecinathunjana; bakhangelana bemangele.

And they were all given their seats before him in order of birth, from the oldest to the youngest: so that they were looking at one another in wonder.

34 Kwakusithi nxa bephakelwa kusuka etafuleni likaJosefa, isabelo sikaBhenjamini sasisedluliswa kahlanu kwesabanye. Ngakho bazitika banatha laye bekhululekile.

And Joseph sent food to them from his table, but he sent five times as much to Benjamin as to any of the others. And they took wine freely with him.