UGenesisi 47
1 UJosefa wahamba wayatshela uFaro wathi, “Ubaba labafowethu, kanye lemihlambi yabo yezimvu lenkomo, kanye lakho konke abalakho sebefikile bevela elizweni laseKhenani, okwamanje sebeseGosheni.”
Then Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, and said, “My father and my brothers, with their flocks, their herds, and all that they own, have come out of the land of Canaan; and behold, they are in the land of Goshen.”
2 Wakhetha abafowabo abahlanu wabethula kuFaro.
From amongst his brothers he took five men, and presented them to Pharaoh.
3 UFaro wababuza abafowabo laba wathi, “Umsebenzi wenu ngowani na?” Baphendula uFaro bathi, “Izinceku zakho zingabelusi, njengalokho ababeyikho okhokho bethu.”
Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” They said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we, and our fathers.”
4 Babuya bathi kuye, “Size ukuzohlala lapha okwesikhathi esithile, ngoba indlala inkulu kakhulu eKhenani, njalo lemihlambi yezinceku zakho kayilamadlelo. Manje-ke sicela ukuthi uvumele izinceku zakho zakhe eGosheni.”
They also said to Pharaoh, “We have come to live as foreigners in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks. For the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now therefore, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.”
5 UFaro wathi kuJosefa, “Uyihlo labafowenu beze kuwe,
Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, “Your father and your brothers have come to you.
6 lelizwe laseGibhithe uyalibona; hlalisa uyihlo labafowenu endaweni enhle kakhulu yelizwe. Wothi bahlale eGosheni. Njalo nxa bekhona abanye babo abalolwazi oluqakathekileyo, kabakhangele imihlambi yami.”
The land of Egypt is before you. Make your father and your brothers dwell in the best of the land. Let them dwell in the land of Goshen. If you know any able men amongst them, then put them in charge of my livestock.”
7 Ngakho uJosefa waseletha uyise uJakhobe wamethula kuFaro. UJakhobe esembusisile uFaro,
Joseph brought in Jacob, his father, and set him before Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
8 uFaro wambuza wathi, “Usumdala kangakanani na?”
Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How old are you?”
9 UJakhobe wathi kuFaro, “Iminyaka yokuhamba kwami ilikhulu lamatshumi amathathu. Iminyaka yami ibimilutshwana njalo ibinzima, njalo kayifiki iminyaka yokuhamba kwabokhokho bami.”
Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years. The days of the years of my life have been few and evil. They have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.”
10 UJakhobe wasembusisa uFaro, uFaro wasesuka kuye.
Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from the presence of Pharaoh.
11 Ngakho uJosefa wasehlalisa uyise labafowabo eGibhithe, wabapha indawo enhle kulazo zonke elizweni, esiqintini saseRamesesi, njengokulaya kukaFaro.
Joseph placed his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.
12 UJosefa waphinda wapha uyise labafowabo kanye lendlu yonke kayise ukudla, kusiya ngobunengi babantwababo.
Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all of his father’s household with bread, according to the sizes of their families.
13 Kwakungelakudla elizweni lonke ngoba indlala yayibhahile; iGibhithe leKhenani womabili amazwe esevuthuzekile ngenxa yendlala.
There was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine.
14 UJosefa wayiqoqa yonke imali eyayitholakala eGibhithe laseKhenani eyayingeyokuthenga amabele, wayiletha esigodlweni sikaFaro.
Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the grain which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house.
15 Kwathi imali yabantu baseGibhithe labaseKhenani isiphelile, abaseGibhithe bonke beza kuJosefa bathi, “Siphe ukudla. Singafelani kambe phambi kwamehlo akho? Imali yethu isiphelile.”
When the money was all spent in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph, and said, “Give us bread, for why should we die in your presence? For our money fails.”
16 UJosefa wathi, “Lethani izifuyo zenu. Ngizalithengisela ukudla libhadale ngezifuyo zenu, njengoba imali yenu isiphelile.”
Joseph said, “Give me your livestock; and I will give you food for your livestock, if your money is gone.”
17 Ngakho basebeletha izifuyo zabo kuJosefa, wabapha ukudla bebhadala ngamabhiza abo, lezimvu kanye lembuzi zabo, lenkomo kanye labobabhemi babo. Wabaphutshisa lowomnyaka ngokudla bekubhadala ngezifuyo zabo.
They brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, and for the flocks, and for the herds, and for the donkeys: and he fed them with bread in exchange for all their livestock for that year.
18 Lowomnyaka usuphelile, beza kuye ngomnyaka olandelayo bathi, “Ngeke sayifihlela inkosi yethu ukuthi njengoba imali yethu isiphelile, ikanti lezifuyo zethu ngezakho, kakusekho okusayisalele inkosi yethu ngaphandle kwemizimba yethu leziqinti zethu kuphela.
When that year was ended, they came to him the second year, and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord how our money is all spent, and the herds of livestock are my lord’s. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands.
19 Kambe sesingaze sife nje usikhangele, thina kanye lelizwe lethu lalo? Sithenge kanye lelizwe lethu usiphe ukudla, kuzakuthi thina kanye lelizwe lethu sibe sebugqilini kuFaro. Siphe inhlanyelo ukuze siphile, singafi, njalo ukuze ilizwe lingabi yinkangala.”
Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants to Pharaoh. Give us seed, that we may live, and not die, and that the land won’t be desolate.”
20 Ngakho-ke uJosefa waselithengela uFaro lonke ilizwe laseGibhithe. AmaGibhithe wonke athengisa amasimu awo ngoba indlala yayisiwabhahele okubi. Ilizwe laselisiba ngelikaFaro,
So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for every man of the Egyptians sold his field, because the famine was severe on them, and the land became Pharaoh’s.
21 uJosefa wasebagqilaza abantu, kusukela ngapha kwelizwe laseGibhithe kusiya ngale kwalo.
As for the people, he moved them to the cities from one end of the border of Egypt even to the other end of it.
22 Kodwa kayithenganga indawo yabaphristi, ngoba babephiwa isabelo nguFaro, yikho babelakho ukudla okwaneleyo kusuka kuFaro. Yikho bengawuthengisanga owabo umhlaba.
Only he didn’t buy the land of the priests, for the priests had a portion from Pharaoh, and ate their portion which Pharaoh gave them. That is why they didn’t sell their land.
23 UJosefa wathi ebantwini, “Njengoba sengilithengile lina lomhlaba wenu lamuhla ukuba libe ngabakaFaro, nansi inhlanyelo ukuze lihlanyele emhlabathini.
Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh. Behold, here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land.
24 Kodwa nxa amabele eseqoqwa phanini okobuhlanu bawo kuFaro. Ezinye izingxenye ezine kwezinhlanu lizigcinele inhlanyelo yamasimu njalo kube yikudla kwenu, lemizi yenu kanye labantwabenu.”
It will happen at the harvests, that you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four parts will be your own, for seed of the field, for your food, for them of your households, and for food for your little ones.”
25 Bathi, “Uzisindisile impilo zethu. Sengathi singathola umusa enkosini yethu; sizakuba yizigqili kuFaro.”
They said, “You have saved our lives! Let us find favour in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.”
26 Kunjalo uJosefa wakumisa kwaba ngumthetho eGibhithe mayelana lomhlaba, okulokhu kulandelwa lalamuhla, ukuthi ingxenye eyodwa kokuhlanu ngekaFaro. Kwakungumhlaba wabaphristi kuphela ongazange ube ngokaFaro.
Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth. Only the land of the priests alone didn’t become Pharaoh’s.
27 Ngalesosikhathi abako-Israyeli bazinza eGibhithe esigodini saseGosheni. Bazuza izifuyo ezinengi khona njalo bazalana kakhulu banda ngobunengi.
Israel lived in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen; and they got themselves possessions therein, and were fruitful, and multiplied exceedingly.
28 UJakhobe wahlala eGibhithe okweminyaka elitshumi lesikhombisa, iminyaka yokuphila kwakhe yaba likhulu lamatshumi amane lesikhombisa.
Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were one hundred and forty-seven years.
29 Kwathi isikhathi sesisondele ukuba u-Israyeli afe, wabiza indodana yakhe uJosefa wathi kuyo, “Uba ngifumene umusa kuwe, beka isandla sakho ngaphansi kwethangazi lami uthembise ukuthi uzangenzela umusa lokuthembeka. Ungangingcwabi eGibhithe,
The time came near that Israel must die, and he called his son Joseph, and said to him, “If now I have found favour in your sight, please put your hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me. Please don’t bury me in Egypt,
30 kodwa nxa sengiphumule labokhokho bami, ungithwale ngisuke eGibhithe uyongimbela lapho abalele khona.” Wathi, “Ngizakwenza njengoba usitsho.”
but when I sleep with my fathers, you shall carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their burying place.” Joseph said, “I will do as you have said.”
31 Wathi, “Funga kimi.” Ngakho uJosefa wafunga kuye, u-Israyeli wasekhothamela emakhanda ombheda wakhe.
Israel said, “Swear to me,” and he swore to him. Then Israel bowed himself on the bed’s head.
