UGenesisi 37
1 UJakobe wasehlala elizweni uyise ayehlala kilo njengowezizwe, ilizwe leKhanani.
And Jacob dwelt in the land where his father sojourned — in the land of Canaan.
2 Lezi zindaba zezizukulwana zikaJakobe. UJosefa, eleminyaka elitshumi lesikhombisa, wayeselusa umhlambi labafowabo, wayengumfana, elamadodana kaBiliha, lamadodana kaZilipa, omkayise; uJosefa waseletha kuyise imibiko emibi ngabo.
These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, fed the flock with his brethren; and he was doing service with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives. And Joseph brought to his father an evil report of them.
3 Njalo uIsrayeli wayemthanda uJosefa kulawo wonke amadodana akhe, ngoba wayeyindodana yobudala bakhe; wamenzela isigqoko esilemibalabala.
And Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was son of his old age; and he made him a vest of many colours.
4 Kwathi abafowabo sebebonile ukuthi uyise uyamthanda kulabo bonke abafowabo, bamzonda, babengelakukhuluma kuye ngokuthula.
And his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, and they hated him, and could not greet him with friendliness.
5 UJosefa wasephupha iphupho, walazisa abafowabo; ngakho baqhubeka bemzonda kakhulu.
And Joseph dreamed a dream, and told [it] to his brethren, and they hated him yet the more.
6 Wasesithi kibo: Ake lizwe leliphupho engiliphuphileyo.
And he said to them, Hear, I pray you, this dream, which I have dreamt:
7 Khangelani-ke, besibopha izithungo phakathi kwensimu, njalo khangelani, isithungo sami sema saqonda futhi, khangelani-ke, izithungo zenu zazingelezela, zasikhothamela isithungo sami.
Behold, we were binding sheaves in the fields, and lo, my sheaf rose up, and remained standing; and behold, your sheaves came round about and bowed down to my sheaf.
8 Abafowabo basebesithi kuye: Kanti ukubusa uzasibusa, ukulawula uzasilawula yini? Ngakho baqhubeka bemzonda kakhulu, ngenxa yamaphupho akhe langenxa yamazwi akhe.
And his brethren said to him, Wilt thou indeed be a king over us? wilt thou indeed rule over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams and for his words.
9 Wasebuya futhi waphupha elinye iphupho, walilandisela abafowabo, wathi: Khangelani, ngiphuphe futhi iphupho; khangelani-ke, ilanga lenyanga lenkanyezi ezilitshumi lanye zingikhothamela.
And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamt another dream, and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to me.
10 Waselandisela uyise labafowabo. Uyise wasemsola wathi kuye: Liyini leliphupho oliphuphileyo? Ukuza sizakuza, mina lonyoko labafowenu, sikhothamele emhlabathini phambi kwakho yini?
And he told [it] to his father and to his brethren. And his father rebuked him, and said to him, What is this dream which thou hast dreamt? Shall we indeed come, I and thy mother and thy brethren, to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
11 Abafowabo-ke baba lomona ngaye, kodwa uyise waligcina lelilizwi.
And his brethren envied him; but his father kept the saying.
12 Abafowabo basebesiyalagisa umhlambi kayise eShekema.
And his brethren went to feed their father's flock at Shechem.
13 UIsrayeli wasesithi kuJosefa: Abafowenu kabalagisi eShekema yini? Woza, ngikuthume kibo. Wasesithi kuye: Khangela ngilapha.
And Israel said to Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed [the flock] at Shechem? Come, that I may send thee to them. And he said to him, Here am I.
14 Wasesithi kuye: Hamba-ke, ubone ukuthi baphila kuhle yini abafowenu, lokuthi uyaphila umhlambi, ungibuyisele ilizwi. Wasemthuma esuka esigodini iHebroni wasefika eShekema.
And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see after the welfare of thy brethren, and after the welfare of the flock; and bring me word again. And he sent him out of the vale of Hebron; and he came towards Shechem.
15 Indoda yamfica, ngoba khangela wayezula egangeni; indoda yasimbuza yathi: Udingani?
And a man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the country; and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?
16 Wasesithi: Ngidinga abafowethu; ake ungazise ukuthi balagise ngaphi.
And he said, I am seeking my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed [their flocks].
17 Indoda yasisithi: Basukile lapha, ngoba ngibezwile besithi: Asiye eDothani. UJosefa wasebalandela abafowabo, wabathola eDothani.
And the man said, They have removed from this; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them at Dothan.
18 Basebembona esekhatshana. Njalo engakasondeli kubo, bamenzela ugobe lokuthi bambulale.
And when they saw him from afar, and before he came near to them, they conspired against him to put him to death.
19 Bakhulumisana besithi: Khangela, lo umphuphi uyeza;
And they said one to another, Behold, there comes that dreamer!
20 khathesi-ke, wozani simbulale, simphosele komunye wemigodi, besesisithi: Isilo esibi simdlile. Khona sizabona ukuthi amaphupho akhe azakuba yini.
And now come and let us kill him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, An evil beast has devoured him; and we will see what becomes of his dreams.
21 URubeni wasekuzwa, wamophula esandleni sabo, wathi: Asingatshayi impilo.
And Reuben heard [it], and delivered him out of their hand, and said, Let us not take his life.
22 URubeni wasesithi kubo: Lingachithi igazi, mphoseleni kulumgodi osenkangala, lingeluleli isandla kuye; ukuze amkhulule esandleni sabo, ukuze ambuyisele kuyise.
And Reuben said to them, Shed no blood: cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness; but lay no hand upon him — in order that he might deliver him out of their hand, to bring him to his father again.
23 Kwasekusithi uJosefa esefikile kubafowabo, bamhlubula uJosefa isigqoko sakhe, isigqoko esilemibalabala, ayesigqokile;
And it came to pass when Joseph came to his brethren, that they stripped Joseph of his vest, the vest of many colours, which he had on;
24 basebemthatha, bamphosela emgodini; kodwa umgodi wawungelalutho, kungelamanzi kuwo.
and they took him and cast him into the pit; now the pit was empty — there was no water in it.
25 Basebehlala phansi ukudla isinkwa. Baphakamisa amehlo abo babona, khangela-ke, udwendwe lwamaIshmayeli luvela eGileyadi, lamakamela awo ethwele isinongo lenhlaka lemure, ehamba ukukwehlisela eGibhithe.
And they sat down to eat bread; and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites came from Gilead; and their camels bore tragacanth, and balsam, and ladanum — going to carry [it] down to Egypt.
26 UJuda wasesithi kubafowabo: Yinzuzo bani uba simbulala umfowethu, sifihle igazi lakhe?
And Judah said to his brethren, What profit is it that we kill our brother and secrete his blood?
27 Wozani, simthengise kumaIshmayeli, lesandla sethu kasingabi phezu kwakhe, ngoba umgumfowethu, inyama yethu. Abafowabo basebelalela.
Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites; but let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother, our flesh. And his brethren hearkened [to him].
28 Kwasekudlula amaMidiyani angabathengiselani; basebemdonsa bamphakamisa uJosefa emgodini, bathengisa uJosefa kumaIshmayeli ngenhlamvu zesiliva ezingamatshumi amabili. Amusa-ke eGibhithe.
And Midianitish men, merchants, passed by; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty silver-pieces; and they brought Joseph to Egypt.
29 Kwathi uRubeni ebuyela emgodini, khangela-ke, uJosefa wayengekho emgodini, wadabula izembatho zakhe.
And Reuben returned to the pit, and behold, Joseph [was] not in the pit; and he rent his garments,
30 Wasebuyela kubafowabo wathi: Umfana kakho; mina-ke, ngizakuya ngaphi?
and returned to his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, where shall I go?
31 Basebethatha isigqoko sikaJosefa, bahlaba izinyane lembuzi, bagxamuza isigqoko egazini.
And they took Joseph's vest, and slaughtered a buck of the goats, and dipped the vest in the blood;
32 Basebethumela isigqoko esilemibalabala, basisa kuyise, bathi: Lokhu sikuficile; akunanzelele ukuthi lesi yisigqoko sendodana yakho yini, loba hatshi.
and they sent the vest of many colours and had it carried to their father, and said, This have we found: discern now whether it is thy son's vest or not.
33 Wasinanzelela wathi: Yisigqoko sendodana yami! Isilo esibi simdlile, isibili udatshulwe uJosefa.
And he discerned it, and said, [It is] my son's vest! an evil beast has devoured him: Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces!
34 UJakobe wasedabula izembatho zakhe, wafaka isaka ekhalweni lwakhe, wayililela indodana yakhe insuku ezinengi.
And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth on his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
35 Njalo wonke amadodana akhe lamadodakazi akhe asukuma ukumduduza, kodwa wala ukududuzwa, wathi: Ngoba ngizakwehlela engcwabeni endodaneni yami ngilila. Uyise wamlilela njalo. (Sheol h7585)
And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted, and said, For I will go down to my son into Sheol mourning. Thus his father wept for him. (Sheol h7585)
36 AmaMidiyani asemthengisa eGibhithe kuPotifa, umphathi kaFaro, induna yabalindi.
And the Midianites sold him into Egypt, to Potiphar, a chamberlain of Pharaoh, the captain of the life-guard.
