UGenesisi 43
1 Indlala yayilokhu inkulu kakhulu elizweni.
But the famine prevailed in the land.
2 Ngakho kwathi sebekuqedile konke ukudla ababekuthenge eGibhithe, uyise wathi kubo, “Buyelani liyesithengela njalo okunye ukudla okunenganyana.”
And it came to pass, when they had finished eating the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, that their father said to them, Go again; buy us a little food.
3 Kodwa uJuda wathi kuye, “Indoda leyo yasiqonqosela yathi, ‘Ngeke liphinde libubone ubuso bami ngaphandle kokuba lilomnawenu.’
And Judas spoke to him, saying, The man, the lord of the country, positively testified to us, saying, You shall not see my face, unless your younger brother be with you.
4 Nxa uzamvumela umnawethu ukuthi sihambe laye, sizahamba siyekuthengela ukudla.
If, then, you send our brother with us, we will go down, and buy you food;
5 Kodwa nxa ungezukuvuma, ngeke sibuyele, ngoba phela indoda leyo yathi kithi, ‘Ngeke liphinde libubone ubuso bami nxa umnawenu lingelaye.’”
but if you send not our brother with us, we will not go: for the man spoke to us, saying, You shall not see my face, unless your younger brother be with you.
6 U-Israyeli wabuza wathi, “Likwenzeleni lina ukungehlisela uhlupho lolu ngokuyitshela indoda leyo ukuthi lilomnawenu na?”
And Israel said, Why did you harm me, inasmuch as you told the man 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 closely questioned us about our family also, saying, Does your father yet live, and have you a brother? and we answered him according to this question: did we know that he would say to us, Bring your brother?
8 UJuda wasesithi ku-Israyeli uyise, “Wothi umfana ahambe lami, sizahle sisuke nje masinyane, ukwenzela ukuthi thina lawe kanye labantwabethu siphile, singafi.
And Judas said to his father Israel, Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you, and our store.
9 Mina ngokwami ngizazinikela ngokuphepha kwakhe; umlandu wonke ngaye awubekwe phezu kwami. Nxa ngingambuyisi kuwe ngimbeke phambi kwakho, ngizakuba lecala kuwe impilo yami yonke.
And I engage for him; at my hand do you require him; if I bring him not to you, and place him before you, I shall be guilty towards you for ever.
10 Njengoba kunje nje, aluba asizilingananga ngabe sesihambe saphenduka kwaze kwaba kabili.”
For if we had not tarried, we should now have returned twice.
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.
And Israel, their father, said to them, If it be so, do this; take of the fruits of the earth in your vessels, and carry down to the man presents of gum and honey, and frankincense, and stacte, and turpentine, and walnuts.
12 Thathani isiliva esiphindwe kabili, ngoba kufanele libuyisele lesosiliva esasibuyiselwe emasakeni enu. Mhlawumbe kwaba yisiphosiso.
And take double money in your hands, and the money that was returned in your sacks, carry back with you, lest perhaps it is a mistake.
13 Mthatheni umnawenu laye libuyele kuleyondoda ngokuphangisa.
And take your brother; and arise, go down 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 my God give you favour in the sight of the man, and send away your other brother, and Benjamin, for I accordingly as I have been bereaved, am bereaved.
15 Ngakho amadoda athatha izipho lesiliva esiphindwe kabili kanye loBhenjamini. Batshitsha baya eGibhithe bayazibika kuJosefa.
And the men having taken these presents, and the double money, took in their hands also Benjamin; and they rose up and went down to Egypt, and stood 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 Joseph saw them and his brother Benjamin, born of the same mother; and he said to the steward of his household, Bring the men into the house, and kill beasts and make ready, for the men are to eat bread with me at noon.
17 Indoda yenza njengokutshelwa kwayo nguJosefa, yawathatha amadoda yahamba lawo endlini kaJosefa.
And the man did as Joseph said; and he brought the men into the house of Joseph.
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.”
And the men, when they perceived that they were brought into the house of Joseph, said, We are brought in because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first; even in order to inform against us, and lay it to our charge; to take us for servants, and our asses.
19 Ngakho baya encekwini kaJosefa bayakhuluma laye entubeni eya endlini.
And having approached the man who was over the house of Joseph, they spoke to him in the porch of the house,
20 Bathi, “Ake usizwe, nkosi yethu: Safika lapha kuqala sizothenga ukudla.
saying, We pray [you], Sir; we came down at first to buy 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 it came to pass, when we came to unlade, and opened our sacks, [there was] also this money of each in his sack; we have now brought back our money by weight in our hands.
22 Size lesinye isiliva phezu kwaleso ukuthi sithenge ukudla. Kasikwazi ukuthi ngubani owabuyisela isiliva emasakeni ethu.”
And we have brought other money with us to buy food; we know not who put the money into our sacks.
23 Wathi, “Kulungile. Lingesabi. UNkulunkulu wenu, uNkulunkulu kayihlo, uliphile inotho emasakeni enu; mina ngasiphiwa isiliva senu.” Emva kwalokho waseletha uSimiyoni kubo.
And he said to them, [God deal] mercifully with you; be not afraid; your God, and the God of your fathers, has given you treasures in your sacks, and I have enough of your good money. And he brought Symeon out to them.
24 Inceku yasiwangenisa amadoda endlini kaJosefa, yawapha amanzi okugeza inyawo zawo, yaletha lotshani babobabhemi bawo.
And he brought water to wash their feet; and gave provender to their asses.
25 Balungisa izipho zabo balindela ukufika kukaJosefa emini ngoba basebezwile ukuthi babezakudla khonapho.
And they prepared their gifts, until Joseph came at noon, for they heard that he was going to dine there.
26 UJosefa esefikile bethula izipho ababengene lazo endlini, njalo bakhothama kuye phansi.
And Joseph entered into the house, and they brought him the gifts which they had in their hands, into the house; and they did him reverence with their face to the ground.
27 Wababuza ukuphila, wasesithi, “Linjani ixhegu elinguyihlo elangitshela ngalo? Lilokhu lisaphila na?”
And he asked them, How are you? and he said to them, Is your father, the old man of whom you spoke, well? Does he yet live?
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 yet alive. And he said, Blessed be that man by God; —and they bowed, and did him reverence.
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.”
And Joseph lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, born of the same mother; and he said, Is this your younger brother, whom you spoke of bringing to me? and he said, God have mercy on you, my son.
30 Wathinteka kakhulu ngokubona umnawakhe, uJosefa waphangisa waphuma wayafuna indawo yokukhala. Waya ekamelweni lakhe wayakhalela khona.
And Joseph was troubled, for his bowels yearned over his brother, and he sought to weep; and he went into his chamber, and wept there.
31 Wathi esegezile amehlo waphuma, wazibamba, wasesithi, “Phakululani ukudla.”
And he washed his face and came out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.
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 set on [bread] for him alone, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians feasting with him by themselves, for the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews, for it is an abomination to the Egyptians.
33 Amadoda la ayehlezi ngobudala bawo kuqala ngezibulo kusiyacina ngecinathunjana; bakhangelana bemangele.
And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his seniority, and the younger according to his youth; and the men looked with amazement every one at his brother.
34 Kwakusithi nxa bephakelwa kusuka etafuleni likaJosefa, isabelo sikaBhenjamini sasisedluliswa kahlanu kwesabanye. Ngakho bazitika banatha laye bekhululekile.
And they took their portions from him to themselves; but Benjamin's portion was five times as much as the portions of [the others]. And they drank and were filled with drink with him.
