UGenesisi 44

1 UJosefa waselaya inceku yendlu yakhe wathi: “Gcwalisa silikici amasaka amadoda la ngokudla konke abangakuthwala, ubusubuyisela isiliva salowo lalowo emlonyeni wesaka lakhe.

Then he instructed the manager of his house, saying, "Fill the men's sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man's silver 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.

Put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, along with the silver for his grain." So he did according to the word that Joseph had told him.

3 Kwathi emadabukakusa bawavalelisa amadoda asuka kanye labobabhemi bawo.

As soon as the morning dawned, the men were sent off along with their donkeys.

4 Ayengakahambi okuya ngaphi ukusuka edolobheni lapho uJosefa athi encekwini yakhe, “Axhume ngokuphangisa amadoda lawana, ungawafica uthi kuwo, ‘Lenzeleni ukuphindisela okuhle ngokubi na?

When they were far from the city, Joseph said to his manager, "Up, go after the men, and when you overtake them, ask them, 'Why have you repaid 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? Isn't it from this that my lord drinks and by which he indeed uses for divination? You have done evil in doing this.'"

6 Wathi esebaficile wawatsho amazwi la kubo.

And he caught up with them and spoke these words to them.

7 Kodwa bathi kuye, “Kungani inkosi yethu isitsho izinto ezinjalo? Kakube kude lezinceku zakho ukwenza ulutho olunjalo!

But they said to him, "Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing.

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?

Look, the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord's house?

9 Nxa omunye wezinceku zakho efunyanwa elayo, uzabulawa; kuthi thina abanye sibe yizigqili zenkosi yethu.”

With whomever of your servants it is found, he must die, and we also will be my lord's slaves."

10 Wathi, “Kulungile, kakube njengokutsho kwenu. Lowo ozafunyanwa elayo uzakuba yisigqili sami, lina abanye lonke kalizukuba lecala.”

And he said, "Very well, then, it will be as you say. The one with whom it is found will be my slave, but you will be blameless."

11 Ngulowo lalowo wabo wethula isaka lakhe walivula.

Then they hurried, and each man lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack.

12 Inceku yasihamba ihlola, yaqala ngomdala yayacina ngomcinyane. Inkomitsho yayafunyanwa esakeni likaBhenjamini.

And he searched, beginning with the oldest, and ending at the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.

13 Bekubona lokhu badabula izigqoko zabo. Emva kwalokho bonke betshatisa obabhemi babo amasaka baphindela edolobheni.

Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city.

14 UJosefa wayelokhu esendlini lapho uJuda labafowabo abafika khona bazilahla phansi phambi kwakhe.

So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, and he was still there, and they fell to 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 deed that you have done? Didn't you know that a man like me can indeed practice divination?"

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.”

Then Judah said, "What can we say to my lord? What can we speak? And how can we clear ourselves? God has uncovered the guilt of your servants. Look, we are my lord's slaves, both we, and the one in whose possession the cup was 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.”

But he said, "Far be it from me that I should do so. The man in whose possession the cup was found, he will be my slave. But as for you, go up to your father in peace."

18 UJuda wasesondela kuye wathi, “Oh, nkosi yami, akuvumele inceku yakho itsho ilizwi enkosini yami. Ungayizondeli inceku yakho, loba wena ulingana loFaro ngokwakhe.

Then Judah approached him, and said, "My lord, please allow your servant to speak a word in the ears of my lord, and do not become angry with your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself.

19 Inkosi yami yabuza izinceku zayo yathi, ‘Lilaye na uyihlo kumbe umfowenu?’

My lord asked his servants, saying, 'Do you have 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 a child born when he was old, a little one, and his brother is dead, and he is his mother's only child, and his father loves him.'

21 Wena wasusithi ezincekwini zakho, ‘Mletheni kimi ukuze ngimbone mina ngokwami.’

Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me, so that I can see him myself.'

22 Thina sathi enkosini yami, ‘Umfana ngeke asuka kuyise; nxa esuka kuye, uyise uzakufa.’

And we said to my lord, 'The boy can't leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.'

23 Kodwa izinceku zakho wazitshela wathi, ‘Ngaphandle kokuba umnawenu omncane lize laye, ngeke liphinde libubone njalo ubuso bami.’

But you said to your servants, 'Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.'

24 Sathi ukubuyela encekwini yakho ubaba, samtshela lokho okwakutshiwo yinkosi yami.

And it happened when we came up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

25 Ubaba wasesithi, ‘Buyelani liyethenga okunye njalo ukudla.’

But our father said, 'Go again, 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.’

We said, 'We can't go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down, for we cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.'

27 Inceku yakho ubaba yathi kithi, ‘Liyakwazi ukuthi umkami wangizalela amadodana amabili.

Then your servant my 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 the one disappeared from me, and I said, "Surely he is torn in pieces." And I haven't seen him since.

29 Manje lingangithathela lalo futhi abesesehlelwa ngokubi, lizakwehlisela ikhanda lami eliyimpunga engcwabeni ngidabukile kakhulu.’ (Sheol h7585)

If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)

30 Ngakho-ke, nxa umfana singelaye lapho sengibuyela encekwini yakho ubaba, yena ompilo yakhe isondelelene kakhulu leyomfana lo,

So now, when I come to your servant my father and the boy is not with us, since his life is bound up in the boy's life,

31 uzakuthi angabona umfana engekho, ahle afe. Thina zinceku zakho sizakusa ikhanda likababa eliyimpunga engcwabeni lihlulukelwe. (Sheol h7585)

it will happen, when he sees that the boy is not with us, that he will die. Your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol. (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 became collateral for the boy to my father, saying, 'If I do not bring him to you, then I will bear the blame to my father forever.'

33 Ngakho-ke ngiyacela ukuthi uvumele inceku yakho isale lapha njengesichaka senkosi yami esikhundleni somfana, yena umfana akhululwe ahambe labanewabo.

So now, please let your servant remain instead of the boy, a slave to my lord, and let the boy go up with his brothers.

34 Ngingabuyela ngithini kubaba umfana ngingelaye? Hatshi! Ungangenzi ngibone usizi olungamehlela ubaba.”

For how will I go up to my father if the boy isn't with me? I could not bear to see the misery that would come on my father."