UGenesisi 50
1 UJosefa waziphosela phezu kukayise wamkhalela, wasemanga.
And when Joseph saw this, he fell upon his father’s face weeping and kissing him.
2 UJosefa waselaya izinyanga ezazingaphansi kwakhe ukuqhola umzimba kayise u-Israyeli. Ngakho izinyanga zamqhola,
And he commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father.
3 zathatha insuku ezingamatshumi amane ezigcweleyo, ngoba kwakuthatha isikhathi esingako ukuqhola. AmaGibhithe amlilela insuku ezingamatshumi ayisikhombisa.
And while they were fulfilling his commands, there passed forty days: for this was the manner with bodies that were embalmed, and Egypt mourned for him seventy days.
4 Insuku zokulila sezedlule, uJosefa wathi kuziphathamandla zikaFaro, “Nxa ngifumane umusa kini, ngikhulumelani kuFaro. Mtsheleni lithi,
And the time of the mourning being expired, Joseph spoke to the family of Pharao: If I have found favour in your sight, speak in the ears of Pharao:
5 ‘Ubaba wangifungisa isifungo wathi, “Sengizakufa; lingimbele ethuneni engazigebhela lona mina ngokwami elizweni laseKhenani.” Manje-ke ake ungivumele ngihambe ngiyongcwaba ubaba; besengiphenduka.’”
For my father made me swear to him, saying: Behold I die: thou shalt bury me in my sepulchre which I have digged for myself in the land of Chanaan. So I will go up and bury my father, and return.
6 UFaro wathi, “Hamba uyongcwaba uyihlo, njengoba wakufungisa ukuthi uzakwenza.”
And Pharao said to him: Go up and bury thy father according as he made thee swear.
7 Ngakho uJosefa wahamba wayangcwaba uyise. Zonke izikhulu zikaFaro zamphelekezela, izikhulu zakhe zomphakathi kanye lazozonke izikhulu zaseGibhithe,
So he went up, and there went with him all the ancients of Pharao’s house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt,
8 ngaphandle kwabo bonke abendlu kaJosefa labafowabo lalabo ababe ngabendlu kayise. EGosheni kwasala kuphela abantwana lemihlambi yabo yezimvu leyenkomo.
And the house of Joseph with his brethren, except their children, and their flocks and herds, which they left in the land of Gessen.
9 Wahamba elezinqola zempi labakhweli bamabhiza. Kwakulixuku elikhulu.
He had also in his train chariots and horsemen: and it was a great company.
10 Bathi ngokufika esizeni sika-Athadi eduze kweJodani basiqhinqa isililo esikhulu esibuhlungu; kwathi khonapho uJosefa wazilela uyise okwensuku eziyisikhombisa.
And they came to the threshingfloor of Atad, which is situated beyond the Jordan: where celebrating the exequies with a great and vehement lamentation, they spent full seven days.
11 Kwathi amaKhenani ayehlala eduzane ebona ukulila lokho esizeni sika-Athadi athi, “AmaGibhithe alenkonzo yawo yokulila.” Yikho-nje leyondawo eseduze kweJodani ithiwa yi-Abheli-Mizirayimi.
And when the inhabitants of Chanaan saw this, they said: This is a great mourning to the Egyptians. And therefore the name of that place was called, The mourning of Egypt.
12 Ngalokho amadodana kaJakhobe enza lokho uyise abalaya khona:
So the sons of Jacob did as he had commanded them.
13 Bamthwalela elizweni laseKhenani bayamngcwaba ebhalwini olwalusensimini kaMakhaphela, eduze leMamure, u-Abhrahama aluthenga kanye lensimu ku-Efroni umHithi ukuthi kube yindawo yokungcwaba.
And carrying him into the land of Chanaan, they buried him in the double cave which Abraham had bought together with the field for a possession of a buryingplace, of Ephron the Hethite over against Mambre.
14 Esemngcwabile uyise uJosefa wabuyela eGibhithe kanye labafowabo labo bonke ababehambe laye ukuyangcwaba uyise.
And Joseph returned into Egypt with his brethren, and all that were in his company, after he had buried his father.
15 Abafowabo bakaJosefa sebebonile ukuthi uyise sefile, bathi, “Kambe uJosefa kasibekelanga isikhwili yini abesefuna ukuphindisela ngakho konke esamona ngakho?”
Now he being dead, his brethren were afraid, and talked one with another: Lest perhaps he should remember the wrong he suffered, and requite us all the evil that we did to him.
16 Ngakho bathumela ilizwi kuJosefa besithi, “Uyihlo watshiya imilayo le engakafi:
And they sent a message to him, saying: Thy father commanded us before he died,
17 ‘Nanku elimele likutsho kuJosefa: Ngiyakucela ukuthi uxolele abafowenu izono leziphambeko abazenzayo ngokukuphatha kubi kangaka.’ Manje siyacela ukuthi uthethelele izono zezinceku zikaNkulunkulu kayihlo.” Kwathi ilizwi labo selifikile kuye uJosefa wakhala.
That we should say thus much to thee from him: I beseech thee to forget the wickedness of thy brethren, and the sin and malice they practiced against thee: we also pray thee, to forgive the servants of the God of thy father this wickedness. And when Joseph heard this, he wept.
18 Abafowabo beza bafika bazilahla phansi phambi kwakhe. Bathi, “Siyizigqili zakho.”
And his brethren came to him: and worshipping prostrate on the ground they said: We are thy servants.
19 Kodwa uJosefa wathi kubo, “Lingesabi. Mina ngisesikhundleni sikaNkulunkulu na?
And he answered them: Fear not: can we resist the will of God?
20 Lalihlose ukungenza okubi, kodwa uNkulunkulu wayehlose ubuhle ngakho ukuze kugcwaliseke lokhu okwenzakalayo khathesi, ukuphephisa impilo ezinengi.
You thought evil against me: but God turned it into good, that he might exalt me, as at present you see, and might save many people.
21 Ngakho-ke, lingesabi. Ngizalinakekela lina labantwabenu.” Wababeka isibindi wabakhulumisa ngomusa.
Fear not: I will feed you and your children. And he comforted them, and spoke gently and mildly.
22 UJosefa wahlala eGibhithe kanye labo bonke abendlu kayise. Waphila okweminyaka elikhulu letshumi,
And he dwelt in Egypt with all his father’s house: and lived a hundred and ten years.
23 wabona isizukulwane sesithathu sabantwana baka-Efrayimi. Njalo labantwana bakaMakhiri indodana kaManase bathi bezalwa babekwa emadolweni kaJosefa.
And he saw the children of Ephraim to the third generation. The children also of Machir the son of Manasses were born on Joseph’s knees.
24 UJosefa wasesithi kubafowabo, “Sengiseduze lokufa. Kodwa ngempela uNkulunkulu uzalisiza alikhuphe kulelilizwe alise elizweni alithembisa ngesifungo ku-Abhrahama, lo-Isaka loJakhobe.”
After which he told his brethren: God will visit you after my death, and will make you go up out of this land, to the land which he swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
25 UJosefa wasefungisa amadodana ka-Israyeli isifungo wathi, “UNkulunkulu uzalisiza, yikho kumele lithwale amathambo ami lisuke lawo kule indawo.”
And he made them swear to him, saying: God will visit you, carry my bones with you out of this place:
26 UJosefa wasesifa eseleminyaka yobudala elikhulu letshumi. Bathi sebemqholile, isidumbu sakhe basibeka ebhokisini eGibhithe.
And he died being a hundred and ten years old. And being embalmed he was laid in a coffin in Egypt.
