UGenesisi 41
1 Kwasekusithi ekupheleni kweminyaka emibili egcweleyo uFaro waphupha; khangela-ke, emi emfuleni.
Two complete years later, the king of Egypt had a dream. In the dream, he was standing alongside the Nile [River].
2 Khangela-ke, emfuleni kwakhuphuka amankomokazi ayisikhombisa, ekhangeleka emahle, enonile enyameni; adla emihlangeni.
Suddenly seven healthy fat cows come up out of the river. They started eating the grass that was on the riverbank.
3 Khangela-ke, amanye amankomokazi ayisikhombisa akhuphuka emfuleni emva kwawo, ekhangeleka kubi, ecakile enyameni; ema eduze lamankomokazi ekhunjini lomfula.
Soon seven other cows, unhealthy-looking and thin, came up behind them from the Nile [River]. They stood alongside the fat cows that were on the riverbank.
4 Amankomokazi akhangeleka kubi acakileyo enyameni adla amankomokazi akhangeleka kuhle anonileyo. UFaro wasephaphama.
Then the unhealthy thin cows ate the seven healthy fat cows. And then the king woke up.
5 Walala futhi, waphupha ngokwesibili; khangela-ke, kwakhahlela izikhwebu eziyisikhombisa ehlangeni linye, ezigcweleyo zilungile.
The king went to sleep again, and he had another dream. This time he saw seven heads of grain that were full of kernels of grain and ripe, and all growing on one stalk.
6 Khangela-ke, izikhwebu eziyisikhombisa ezicakileyo, zihangulwe ngumoya wempumalanga, zakhahlela emva kwazo.
After that, the king saw that seven other heads of grain sprouted on that (OR, on another) stalk. They were thin and had been dried up by the hot east wind.
7 Izikhwebu ezicakileyo zaginya izikhwebu ezipheleleyo ezigcweleyo. UFaro wasephaphama, khangela-ke, kwakuliphupho.
Then the thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven ripe full heads. Then the king woke up. He realized that he had been dreaming.
8 Kwasekusithi ekuseni umoya wakhe wakhathazeka; wathumela wabiza izangoma zonke zeGibhithe lazo zonke izazi zayo. UFaro wazilandisela iphupho lakhe; kodwa kwakungekho ongamchasisela wona uFaro.
But the next morning he was worried about the meaning of the dream. So he summoned all the magicians and wise men who lived in Egypt. He told them what he had dreamed, but none of them could tell him the meaning of the two dreams.
9 Induna yabaphathinkezo yasikhuluma kuFaro isithi: Lamuhla ngiyakhumbula amacala ami.
Then the chief drink-server said to the king, “Now I remember something that I should have told you! I made a mistake by forgetting to tell it to you.
10 UFaro wazithukuthelela inceku zakhe, wanginikela esitokisini, endlini yenduna yabalindi, mina lenduna yabaphekizinkwa;
One time you were angry with two of us. So you put me and the chief baker in the prison in the house of the captain of the palace guards.
11 njalo saphupha iphupho ngabusuku bunye, mina layo. Saphupha, ngamunye njengengcazelo yephupho lakhe.
While we were there, one night each of us had a dream, and the dreams had different meanings.
12 Kwakukhona lapho kanye lathi ijaha umHebheru, inceku yenduna yabalindi; sayilandisela yasichasisela amaphupho ethu, yachasisa ngamunye njengephupho lakhe.
There was a young Hebrew man there with us. He was a servant of the captain of the palace guards. We told him what we had dreamed, and he told us what our dreams meant. He told each of us the meaning of our dreams.
13 Kwasekusithi njengokusichasisela kwayo kwaba njalo; mina wangibuyisela esikhundleni sami, yena wamlengisa.
And what happened was exactly the same as the meanings that he told us: You said I could have my previous job again, but the other man was killed by being hanged. [The Hebrew man’s name was Joseph].”
14 UFaro wasethumela wabiza uJosefa; bamkhupha emgodini ngokuphangisa; esephucile wafaka ezinye izigqoko, wangena kuFaro.
When the king heard that, he told some servants to bring Joseph to him, and they quickly brought Joseph out of the prison. Joseph shaved and put on better clothes, and then he went and stood in front of the king.
15 UFaro wasesithi kuJosefa: Ngiphuphile iphupho, kodwa kakho olichasisayo; njalo mina ngizwile ngawe ukuthi: Usizwa iphupho, uyalichasisa.
The king said to Joseph, “I had two dreams, and no one can tell me what they mean. But someone told me that when you hear someone tell about a dream he has had, you can tell that person what the dream means.”
16 UJosefa wasemphendula uFaro esithi: Kakukho kimi. UNkulunkulu uzaphendula impilakahle kaFaro.
But Joseph replied to the king, “No, I cannot do that. It is God who knows the meaning of dreams, but he will enable me to tell you their meaning, and they will mean something good.”
17 UFaro wasekhuluma kuJosefa wathi: Ephutsheni lami, khangela, ngangimi ekhunjini lomfula;
The king said to Joseph, “In my first dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile [River].
18 njalo khangela, kwakhuphuka emfuleni amankomokazi ayisikhombisa, anonileyo enyameni, akhangeleka emahle, adla emihlangeni.
Suddenly seven healthy fat cows came up out of the river, and they started eating the grass that was on the riverbank.
19 Khangela-ke, amanye amankomokazi ayisikhombisa akhuphuka emva kwawo, ayangekileyo, akhangeleka emabi kakhulu, acakileyo enyameni; angizanga ngiwabone anjengawo ngobubi elizweni lonke leGibhithe.
Soon seven other cows, ugly and thin ones, came up behind them from the river. I never saw such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt!
20 Kwathi amankomokazi acakileyo lamabi adla amankomokazi ayisikhombisa okuqala anonileyo.
The thin ugly cows ate the seven fat cows that came up first.
21 Lapho esengene esiswini sawo, kakubonakalanga ukuthi angenile esiswini sawo, ngoba ekhangeleka kubi njengakuqala. Ngasengiphaphama.
But afterwards, no one would have known that the thin cows ate them, because they were just as ugly as they were before. Then I woke up.
22 Ngasengibona ephutsheni lami, khangela-ke, izikhwebu eziyisikhombisa zikhahlela ehlangeni linye, zigcwele zilungile;
Then I had another dream. I saw seven heads of grain. They were full of kernels of grain and ripe, and they were all growing on one stalk.
23 njalo khangela, izikhwebu eziyisikhombisa ezitshwabheneyo, ezicakileyo, ezihangulwe ngumoya wempumalanga zakhahlela emva kwazo.
Then [to my surprise] I saw seven other heads of grain that sprouted. They were thin and had been dried up by the hot east wind.
24 Njalo izikhwebu ezicakileyo zaginya izikhwebu eziyisikhombisa ezilungileyo. Njalo ngakulandisela izangoma; kodwa kwakungekho esangichasiselayo.
The thin heads of grain swallowed the seven good heads. I told these dreams to the magicians, but none of them could explain to me what they meant.”
25 UJosefa wasesithi kuFaro: Iphupho likaFaro linye. Lokho uNkulunkulu akwenzayo, umazisile uFaro.
Then Joseph said to the king, “Both your dreams have the same meaning. God is revealing to you in your dreams what he is about to do.
26 Amankomokazi ayisikhombisa alungileyo ayiminyaka eyisikhombisa; lezikhwebu eziyisikhombisa ezilungileyo ziyiminyaka eyisikhombisa. Iphupho linye.
The seven healthy cows represent seven years. The seven good heads of grain also represent seven years. The two dreams both have the same meaning.
27 Njalo amankomokazi acakileyo lamabi akhuphuka emva kwawo ayiminyaka eyisikhombisa; lezikhwebu eziyisikhombisa ezicakileyo ezihangulwe ngumoya wempumalanga zizakuba yiminyaka eyisikhombisa yendlala.
The seven thin ugly cows that came up behind them and the seven worthless heads of grain that were dried up by the hot east wind each represent seven years (of famine/when food will be very scarce).
28 Le yinto engiyikhulume kuFaro ukuthi: Lokho uNkulunkulu akwenzayo, ukutshengisile kuFaro.
It will happen just as I have told you, because God has revealed to you what he is about to do.
29 Khangela, kuyeza iminyaka eyisikhombisa yenala enkulu elizweni lonke leGibhithe.
There will be seven years in which there will be plenty of food throughout the land of Egypt,
30 Kuzavela iminyaka eyisikhombisa yendlala emva kwayo; izakhohlakala-ke inala yonke elizweni leGibhithe; njalo indlala izaliqeda ilizwe.
but after that there will be seven years (of famine/when food will be very scarce). Then people will forget all the years when there was plenty of food, because the famine that will come afterward will ruin the country.
31 Njalo inala kayiyikwaziwa elizweni ngenxa yaleyondlala emva kwalokho, ngoba izakuba nzima kakhulu.
The people will forget how plentiful food was previously, because the famine will be very terrible.
32 Njalo ukuthi iphupho liphindwe kabili kuFaro, kungoba into le imisiwe nguNkulunkulu, futhi uNkulunkulu uyaphangisa ukukwenza.
The reason God gave to you two dreams is that he [wants you to know] that this will happen, and he will cause it to happen very soon.
33 Khathesi-ke uFaro kakhangele indoda eqedisisayo lehlakaniphileyo, ayibeke phezu kwelizwe leGibhithe.
“Now I suggest that you should choose a man who is wise and can make good decisions. I suggest that you appoint him to direct the affairs of the whole country.
34 UFaro kenze lokhu, abeke ababonisi phezu kwelizwe, athathe ingxenye yesihlanu yelizwe leGibhithe eminyakeni eyisikhombisa yenala.
You should also appoint supervisors over the country, in order that they can arrange to collect one-fifth of all the grain that is harvested during the seven years when food is plentiful.
35 Kababuthe konke ukudla kwaliminyaka elungileyo ezayo, njalo kababuthelele amabele ngaphansi kwesandla sikaFaro, kube yikudla emizini, bawagcine.
They should collect this amount of grain during those seven years that are coming, when there will be plenty of food. You should supervise them as they store it in the cities.
36 Njalo ukudla kuzakuba yisiphala selizwe okweminyaka eyisikhombisa yendlala ezakuba khona elizweni leGibhithe, ukuze ilizwe lingabhujiswa yindlala.
This grain should be stored so that it can be eaten during the seven years when there will be a famine here in Egypt, so that the people in this country will not die from hunger.”
37 Njalo into le yabanhle emehlweni kaFaro lemehlweni ezinceku zakhe zonke.
The king and his officials thought that this would be a good plan.
38 UFaro wasesithi ezincekwini zakhe: Singamthola yini onjengaye, indoda okuyo uMoya kaNkulunkulu?
So the king said to them, “(Can we find any other man like Joseph, a man to whom God has given his Spirit?/It is not likely that we will find another man like this man, one to whom God has given his Spirit!)” [RHQ]
39 UFaro wasesithi kuJosefa: Njengalokhu uNkulunkulu ekwazisile konke lokhu, kakho oqedisisayo lohlakaniphileyo njengawe.
Then the king said to Joseph, “Because God has revealed all this to you, it seems to me that there is no one who is as wise as you and who can decide wisely about things.
40 Wena uzakuba phezu kwendlu yami, njalo emlonyeni wakho bonke abantu bami bazabuswa; kuphela esihlalweni sobukhosi ngizakuba mkhulu kulawe.
So I will put you in charge of everything in my palace. All the people here in Egypt must obey what you command. Only because I am king [MTY] will I have more authority than you.”
41 UFaro wasesithi kuJosefa: Khangela, ngikubekile phezu kwelizwe lonke leGibhithe.
Then the king said to Joseph, “I am now putting you in charge of the whole country of Egypt.”
42 UFaro wasekhupha indandatho yakhe elophawu lwakhe esandleni sakhe, wayifaka esandleni sikaJosefa, wamgqokisa izigqoko zelembu elicolekileyo kakhulu, wamgaxa iketane legolide entanyeni yakhe.
The king took from his finger the ring that had his seal on it, and he put it on Joseph’s finger. He put robes made of fine linen on him, and he put a gold chain around his neck.
43 Wamhambisa enqoleni yesibili ayelayo; njalo bamemeza phambi kwakhe besithi: Guqani! Ngokunjalo wambeka phezu kwelizwe lonke leGibhithe.
Then he arranged for Joseph to ride around in the chariot [that showed that he was] the second-most important man in the country. When Joseph rode in the chariot, men shouted to the people who were on the road in front of him, “Get off the road!” So the king put Joseph in charge of everything in the country.
44 UFaro wasesithi kuJosefa: NginguFaro; kodwa ngaphandle kwakho kakho ozaphakamisa isandla sakhe loba unyawo lwakhe elizweni lonke leGibhithe.
The king said to Joseph, “I am the king, but no one in the whole land of Egypt will do anything [IDM] if you do not permit them to do it.”
45 UFaro wasebiza ibizo likaJosefa ngokuthi uZafenathi-Paneya. Wamnika uAsenathi, indodakazi kaPotifera umpristi weOni, ukuthi abe ngumkakhe. UJosefa wasephuma wadabula elizweni leGibhithe.
The king gave Joseph a new name, Zaphenath-Paneah. He also gave him Asenath to be his wife. She was the daughter of Potiphera, who was a priest in a temple in On [city]. Then Joseph became known (OR, traveled) through all the land of Egypt.
46 Njalo uJosefa wayeleminyaka engamatshumi amathathu mhla esima phambi kukaFaro inkosi yeGibhithe. UJosefa wasephuma esuka ebusweni bukaFaro, wadabula ilizwe lonke leGibhithe.
Joseph was 30 years old when he started to work for the king of Egypt. To do his work, he left the king’s palace and traveled throughout Egypt.
47 Umhlaba wathela ngezandla ezigcweleyo eminyakeni eyisikhombisa yenala.
During the next seven years, the land produced abundant crops, so there was plenty of food.
48 Waseqoqa konke ukudla kweminyaka eyisikhombisa eyayiselizweni leGibhithe, wabeka ukudla emizini; ukudla kwensimu ezingelezele lowo lalowomuzi wakubeka kuwo.
As Joseph supervised them, his helpers collected one-fifth of all the grain that was produced during those years, and stored it in the cities. In each city, he had his helpers store up the grain that was grown in the fields that surrounded that city.
49 UJosefa wasebuthelela amabele njengetshebetshebe lolwandle, aba manengi kakhulu, waze wayekela ukubala, ngoba ayengelanani.
Joseph had them store up a huge amount of grain. It looked as plentiful as the sand on the seashore. There was so much grain that after a while they stopped keeping records of how much grain was stored, because there was more grain than they could measure.
50 Wasezalelwa uJosefa amadodana amabili, ungakafiki umnyaka wendlala, amzalela wona uAsenathi indodakazi kaPotifera umpristi weOni.
Before the seven years of famine started, Joseph’s wife Asenath gave birth to two sons.
51 UJosefa wasebiza ibizo lezibulo wathi nguManase, wathi: Ngoba uNkulunkulu ungenze ukuthi ngikhohlwe konke ukuhlupheka kwami lendlu yonke kababa.
Joseph named the first one Manasseh, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘forget]’, because, he said, “God has caused me to forget all my troubles and all my father’s family.”
52 Lebizo leyesibili walibiza wathi nguEfrayimi, wathi: Ngoba uNkulunkulu ungenze ukuthi ngibe lezithelo elizweni lokuhlupheka kwami.
He named his second son Ephraim, [which means ‘to have children]’, because, he said, “God has given me children here in this land where I have suffered.”
53 Kwasekuphela iminyaka eyisikhombisa yenala eyayiselizweni leGibhithe.
Finally the seven years in which there was plenty of food ended.
54 Kwasekuqala ukufika iminyaka eyisikhombisa yendlala, njengoba uJosefa wayetshilo. Kwasekusiba khona indlala emazweni wonke, kodwa elizweni lonke leGibhithe kwakukhona isinkwa.
Then the seven years of famine started, just as Joseph had predicted. There was also a famine in all the other nearby lands, but although the crops did not grow, there was food everywhere in Egypt, because of the grain they had stored up in the cities.
55 Kwathi ilizwe leGibhithe lonke selilamba, abantu bakhala ngesinkwa kuFaro. UFaro wasesithi kuwo wonke amaGibhithe: Yanini kuJosefa, lenze lokho alitshela khona.
When all the people of [MTY] Egypt had eaten all of their own food and were still hungry, they begged the king for food. So the king told all the people of Egypt, “Go to Joseph, and do what he tells you to do.”
56 Kwathi sekulendlala ebusweni belizwe lonke, uJosefa wavula zonke iziphala, wathengisela amaGibhithe; indlala-ke yaba lamandla elizweni leGibhithe.
When the famine was very bad throughout the whole country, Joseph ordered his helpers to open the storehouses. Then they sold the grain in the storehouses to the people of Egypt, because the famine was very severe all over Egypt.
57 Lonke ilizwe lafika eGibhithe kuJosefa ukuthenga, ngoba indlala yayilamandla emhlabeni wonke.
And people from many [HYP] nearby countries came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was very severe everywhere [HYP].
