UGenesisi 44
1 UJosefa waselaya inceku yendlu yakhe wathi: “Gcwalisa silikici amasaka amadoda la ngokudla konke abangakuthwala, ubusubuyisela isiliva salowo lalowo emlonyeni wesaka lakhe.
And Joseph charged the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put the money of each in the mouth of his sack.
2 Ubusufaka inkomitsho yami, leyana eyesiliva, emlonyeni wesaka lalowo omncinyane wabo ndawonye lesiliva sakhe samabele.” Yenza njengalokho uJosefa ayekutshilo.
And put my silver cup into the sack of the youngest, and the price of his corn. And it was done according to the word of Joseph, as he said.
3 Kwathi emadabukakusa bawavalelisa amadoda asuka kanye labobabhemi bawo.
The morning dawned, and the men were sent away, they and their asses.
4 Ayengakahambi okuya ngaphi ukusuka edolobheni lapho uJosefa athi encekwini yakhe, “Axhume ngokuphangisa amadoda lawana, ungawafica uthi kuwo, ‘Lenzeleni ukuphindisela okuhle ngokubi na?
And when they had gone out of the city, [and] were not far off, then Joseph said to his steward, Arise, and pursue after the men; and you shall overtake them, and say to them, Why have you returned evil for good?
5 Le kakusinkomitsho enatha ngenkosi yami njalo ehlahlula ngayo na? Le yinto embi kakhulu eseliyenzile!’”
Why have you stolen my silver cup? is it not this out of which my lord drinks? and he divines augury with it; you have accomplished evil in that which you have done.
6 Wathi esebaficile wawatsho amazwi la kubo.
And he found them, and spoke to them according to these words.
7 Kodwa bathi kuye, “Kungani inkosi yethu isitsho izinto ezinjalo? Kakube kude lezinceku zakho ukwenza ulutho olunjalo!
And they said to him, Why does our lord speak according to these words? far be it from your servants to do according to this word.
8 Phela siyibuyisile kuwe isiliva sisuka laso elizweni laseKhenani, lesiyana esasifumana phakathi emilonyeni yamasaka ethu. Pho besingakwenza njani ukweba isiliva loba igolide endlini yenkosi yakho na?
If we brought back to you out of the land of Chanaan the money which we found in our sacks, how should we steal silver or gold out of the house of your lord?
9 Nxa omunye wezinceku zakho efunyanwa elayo, uzabulawa; kuthi thina abanye sibe yizigqili zenkosi yethu.”
With whoever of your servants you shall find the cup, let him die; and, moreover, we will be servants to our lord.
10 Wathi, “Kulungile, kakube njengokutsho kwenu. Lowo ozafunyanwa elayo uzakuba yisigqili sami, lina abanye lonke kalizukuba lecala.”
And he said, Now then it shall be as you say; with whoever the cup shall be found, he shall be my servant, and you shall be clear.
11 Ngulowo lalowo wabo wethula isaka lakhe walivula.
And they hasted, and took down every man his sack on the ground, and they opened every man his sack.
12 Inceku yasihamba ihlola, yaqala ngomdala yayacina ngomcinyane. Inkomitsho yayafunyanwa esakeni likaBhenjamini.
And he searched, beginning from the oldest, until he came to the youngest; and he found the cup in Benjamin's sack.
13 Bekubona lokhu badabula izigqoko zabo. Emva kwalokho bonke betshatisa obabhemi babo amasaka baphindela edolobheni.
And they tore their garments, and laid each man his sack on his ass, and returned to the city.
14 UJosefa wayelokhu esendlini lapho uJuda labafowabo abafika khona bazilahla phansi phambi kwakhe.
And Judas and his brethren came in to Joseph, while he was yet there, and fell on the ground before him.
15 UJosefa wathi kubo, “Kuyini lokhu elikwenzileyo? Kalazi na ukuthi umuntu onjengami ubona izinto ngokuhlahlula?”
And Joseph said to them, What is this thing that you have done? know you not that a man such as I can surely divine?
16 UJuda waphendula wathi, “Kambe singabe sisathini? Singakuveza kanjani ukuba msulwa kwethu? UNkulunkulu usembule icala lezinceku zakho. Manje sesiyizichaka zenkosi yami, thina ngokwethu lalowo ofunyenwe elayo inkomitsho.”
And Judas said, What shall we answer to our lord, or what shall we say, or wherein should we be justified? whereas God has discovered the unrighteousness of your servants; behold, we are slaves to our lord, both we and he with whom the cup has been found.
17 Kodwa uJosefa wathi. “Kakube kude lami ukwenza into enjalo! Yileyo indoda kuphela efunyanwe ilayo inkomitsho ezakuba yisichaka sami. Abanye lonke buyelani kuyihlo ngokuthula.”
And Joseph said, Far be it from me to do this thing; the man with whom the cup has been found, he shall be my servant; but do you go up with safety to your father.
18 UJuda wasesondela kuye wathi, “Oh, nkosi yami, akuvumele inceku yakho itsho ilizwi enkosini yami. Ungayizondeli inceku yakho, loba wena ulingana loFaro ngokwakhe.
And Judas drew near him, and said, I pray, Sir, let your servant speak a word before you, and be not angry with your servant, for you are next to Pharao.
19 Inkosi yami yabuza izinceku zayo yathi, ‘Lilaye na uyihlo kumbe umfowenu?’
Sir, you asked your servants, saying, Have you a father or a brother?
20 Thina saphendula sathi, ‘Silaye ubaba oseluphele, njalo ikhona indodana ayizala eseluphele. Umnewabo wafa, njalo yiyo yodwa eseleyo emadodaneni kanina, ngakho uyise uyayithanda.’
And we said to [my] lord, We have a father, an old man, and he has a son of his old age, a young one, and his brother is dead, and he alone has been left behind to his mother, and his father loves him.
21 Wena wasusithi ezincekwini zakho, ‘Mletheni kimi ukuze ngimbone mina ngokwami.’
And you said to they servants, Bring him down to me, and I will take care of him.
22 Thina sathi enkosini yami, ‘Umfana ngeke asuka kuyise; nxa esuka kuye, uyise uzakufa.’
And we said to [my] lord, The child will not be able to leave his father; but if he should leave his father, he will die.
23 Kodwa izinceku zakho wazitshela wathi, ‘Ngaphandle kokuba umnawenu omncane lize laye, ngeke liphinde libubone njalo ubuso bami.’
But you said to they servants, Except your younger brother come down with you, you shall not see my face again.
24 Sathi ukubuyela encekwini yakho ubaba, samtshela lokho okwakutshiwo yinkosi yami.
And it came to pass, when we went up to your servant our father, we reported to him the words of our lord.
25 Ubaba wasesithi, ‘Buyelani liyethenga okunye njalo ukudla.’
And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food.
26 Kodwa thina sathi, ‘Ngeke siye khona. Kuphela nxa umnawethu omncane elathi, singahamba. Ngeke sibubone ubuso bendoda leyo ngaphandle kokuba umnawethu omncane silaye.’
And we said, We shall not be able to go down; but if our younger brother go down with us, we will go down; for we shall not be able to see the man's face, our younger brother not being with us.
27 Inceku yakho ubaba yathi kithi, ‘Liyakwazi ukuthi umkami wangizalela amadodana amabili.
And your servant our father said to us, You know that my wife bore me two [sons];
28 Omunye wabo wasuka kimi, ngathi, “Ngempela udlithiziwe waba yizicucu.” Ngakho kangisaphindanga ngambona kusukela khonapho.
and one is departed from me; and you said that he was devoured of wild beasts, and I have not seen him until now.
29 Manje lingangithathela lalo futhi abesesehlelwa ngokubi, lizakwehlisela ikhanda lami eliyimpunga engcwabeni ngidabukile kakhulu.’ (Sheol h7585)
If then you take this one also from my presence, and an affliction happen to him by the way, then shall you bring down my old age with sorrow to the grave. (Sheol h7585)
30 Ngakho-ke, nxa umfana singelaye lapho sengibuyela encekwini yakho ubaba, yena ompilo yakhe isondelelene kakhulu leyomfana lo,
Now then, if I should go in to they servant, and our father, and the boy should not be with us, (and his life depends on this [lad's] life)
31 uzakuthi angabona umfana engekho, ahle afe. Thina zinceku zakho sizakusa ikhanda likababa eliyimpunga engcwabeni lihlulukelwe. (Sheol h7585)
—it shall even come to pass, when he sees the boy is not with us, [that] he will die, and your servants will bring down the old age of your servant, and our father, with sorrow to the grave. (Sheol h7585)
32 Inceku yakho yanikela ukuphila kwayo ngokuphepha komfana kubaba. Ngathi, ‘Nxa ngingambuyisi kuwe, ngizawuthwala lowomlandu kuwe, baba, impilo yami yonke!’
For your servant has received the boy [in charge] from his father, saying, If I bring him not to you, and place him before you, I shall be guilty towards my father for ever.
33 Ngakho-ke ngiyacela ukuthi uvumele inceku yakho isale lapha njengesichaka senkosi yami esikhundleni somfana, yena umfana akhululwe ahambe labanewabo.
Now then I will remain a servant with you instead of the lad, a domestic of my lord; but let the lad go up with his brethren.
34 Ngingabuyela ngithini kubaba umfana ngingelaye? Hatshi! Ungangenzi ngibone usizi olungamehlela ubaba.”
For how shall I go up to my father, the lad not being with us? lest I behold the evils which will befall my father.
