UGenesisi 37
1 UJakobe wasehlala elizweni uyise ayehlala kilo njengowezizwe, ilizwe leKhanani.
Jacob lived in the land where his father was staying, 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 were the events concerning Jacob. Joseph, who was a young man seventeen years old, was guarding the flock with his brothers. He was with the sons of Bilhah and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives. Joseph brought an unfavorable report about them to their father.
3 Njalo uIsrayeli wayemthanda uJosefa kulawo wonke amadodana akhe, ngoba wayeyindodana yobudala bakhe; wamenzela isigqoko esilemibalabala.
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons because he was the son of his old age. He made him a beautiful garment.
4 Kwathi abafowabo sebebonile ukuthi uyise uyamthanda kulabo bonke abafowabo, bamzonda, babengelakukhuluma kuye ngokuthula.
His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers. They hated him and would not speak kindly to him.
5 UJosefa wasephupha iphupho, walazisa abafowabo; ngakho baqhubeka bemzonda kakhulu.
Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told his brothers about it. They hated him even more.
6 Wasesithi kibo: Ake lizwe leliphupho engiliphuphileyo.
He said to them, “Please listen to this dream which I dreamed.
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 tying bundles of grain in the field and behold, my bundle rose and stood upright, and behold, your bundles came around and bowed down to my bundle.”
8 Abafowabo basebesithi kuye: Kanti ukubusa uzasibusa, ukulawula uzasilawula yini? Ngakho baqhubeka bemzonda kakhulu, ngenxa yamaphupho akhe langenxa yamazwi akhe.
His brothers said to him, “Will you really reign over us? Will you actually rule over us?” They hated him even 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.
He dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers. He said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream: 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?
He told it to his father just as to his brothers, and his father rebuked him. He said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come to bow down to the ground to you?”
11 Abafowabo-ke baba lomona ngaye, kodwa uyise waligcina lelilizwi.
His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.
12 Abafowabo basebesiyalagisa umhlambi kayise eShekema.
His brothers went to tend their father's flock in Shechem.
13 UIsrayeli wasesithi kuJosefa: Abafowenu kabalagisi eShekema yini? Woza, ngikuthume kibo. Wasesithi kuye: Khangela ngilapha.
Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers tending the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” Joseph said to him, “I am ready.”
14 Wasesithi kuye: Hamba-ke, ubone ukuthi baphila kuhle yini abafowenu, lokuthi uyaphila umhlambi, ungibuyisele ilizwi. Wasemthuma esuka esigodini iHebroni wasefika eShekema.
He said to him, “Go now, see whether it is well with your brothers and well with the flock, and bring me word.” So Jacob sent him out of the Valley of Hebron, and Joseph went to Shechem.
15 Indoda yamfica, ngoba khangela wayezula egangeni; indoda yasimbuza yathi: Udingani?
A certain man found Joseph. Behold, Joseph was wandering in a field. The man asked him, “What do you seek?”
16 Wasesithi: Ngidinga abafowethu; ake ungazise ukuthi balagise ngaphi.
Joseph said, “I am seeking my brothers. Tell me, please, where they are tending the flock.”
17 Indoda yasisithi: Basukile lapha, ngoba ngibezwile besithi: Asiye eDothani. UJosefa wasebalandela abafowabo, wabathola eDothani.
The man said, “They left this place, for I heard them say, 'Let us go to Dothan.'” Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.
18 Basebembona esekhatshana. Njalo engakasondeli kubo, bamenzela ugobe lokuthi bambulale.
They saw him from a distance, and before he came near to them, they plotted against him to kill him.
19 Bakhulumisana besithi: Khangela, lo umphuphi uyeza;
His brothers said to one another, “Look, this dreamer is approaching.
20 khathesi-ke, wozani simbulale, simphosele komunye wemigodi, besesisithi: Isilo esibi simdlile. Khona sizabona ukuthi amaphupho akhe azakuba yini.
Come now, therefore, let us kill him and cast him into one of the pits. We will say, 'A wild animal has devoured him.' We will see what will become of his dreams.”
21 URubeni wasekuzwa, wamophula esandleni sabo, wathi: Asingatshayi impilo.
Reuben heard it and rescued him from their hand. He 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.
Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but lay no hand upon him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand to bring him back to his father.
23 Kwasekusithi uJosefa esefikile kubafowabo, bamhlubula uJosefa isigqoko sakhe, isigqoko esilemibalabala, ayesigqokile;
It came about that when Joseph reached his brothers, they stripped him of his beautiful garment.
24 basebemthatha, bamphosela emgodini; kodwa umgodi wawungelalutho, kungelamanzi kuwo.
They took him and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty with 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.
They sat down to eat bread. They lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing spices and balm and myrrh. They were traveling to carry them down to Egypt.
26 UJuda wasesithi kubafowabo: Yinzuzo bani uba simbulala umfowethu, sifihle igazi lakhe?
Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and cover up 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 and not lay our hands upon him. For he is our brother, our flesh.” His brothers listened to him.
28 Kwasekudlula amaMidiyani angabathengiselani; basebemdonsa bamphakamisa uJosefa emgodini, bathengisa uJosefa kumaIshmayeli ngenhlamvu zesiliva ezingamatshumi amabili. Amusa-ke eGibhithe.
The Midianite merchants passed by. His brothers drew Joseph up and lifted him up out of the pit. They sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The Ishmaelites carried Joseph into Egypt.
29 Kwathi uRubeni ebuyela emgodini, khangela-ke, uJosefa wayengekho emgodini, wadabula izembatho zakhe.
Reuben returned to the pit, and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit. He tore his clothes.
30 Wasebuyela kubafowabo wathi: Umfana kakho; mina-ke, ngizakuya ngaphi?
He returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is not there! And I, where can I go?”
31 Basebethatha isigqoko sikaJosefa, bahlaba izinyane lembuzi, bagxamuza isigqoko egazini.
They slaughtered a goat and then took Joseph's garment and dipped it into the blood.
32 Basebethumela isigqoko esilemibalabala, basisa kuyise, bathi: Lokhu sikuficile; akunanzelele ukuthi lesi yisigqoko sendodana yakho yini, loba hatshi.
Then they brought it to their father and said, “We found this. Please see whether it is your son's clothing or not.”
33 Wasinanzelela wathi: Yisigqoko sendodana yami! Isilo esibi simdlile, isibili udatshulwe uJosefa.
Jacob recognized it and said, “It is my son's clothing. A wild animal has devoured him. Joseph has certainly been torn to pieces.”
34 UJakobe wasedabula izembatho zakhe, wafaka isaka ekhalweni lwakhe, wayililela indodana yakhe insuku ezinengi.
Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth upon his loins. He 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)
All his sons and daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. He said, “Indeed I will go down to Sheol mourning for my son.” His father wept for him. (Sheol h7585)
36 AmaMidiyani asemthengisa eGibhithe kuPotifa, umphathi kaFaro, induna yabalindi.
The Midianites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard.
