UGenesisi 42

1 UJakobe esebonile ukuthi kukhona amabele eGibhithe, uJakobe wathi emadodaneni akhe: Kungani likhangelana?

Now Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, and Jacob said unto his sons: 'Why do ye look one upon another?'

2 Wathi futhi: Khangelani, sengizwile ukuthi kukhona amabele eGibhithe; yehlani liye khona, lisithengele khona, ukuze siphile, singafi.

And he said: 'Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt. Get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.'

3 Abafowabo bakaJosefa abalitshumi basebesehla ukuthenga amabele eGibhithe.

And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn from Egypt.

4 Kodwa uBhenjamini, umfowabo kaJosefa, uJakobe kamthumanga labafowabo, ngoba wathi: Hlezi ehlelwe yingozi.

But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said: 'Lest peradventure harm befall him.'

5 Amadodana kaIsrayeli asefika ukuthenga phakathi kwababesiza, ngoba indlala yayikhona elizweni leKhanani.

And the sons of Israel came to buy among those that came; for the famine was in the land of Caanan.

6 Njalo uJosefa wayengumbusi phezu kwelizwe; wathengisela abantu bonke belizwe; bafika-ke abafowabo bakaJosefa, bamkhothamela ngobuso emhlabathini.

And Joseph was the governor over the land; he it was that sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down to him with their faces to the earth.

7 UJosefa esebabonile abafowabo, wabazi, kodwa wazitshaya owemzini kubo, wakhuluma labo izinto ezilukhuni wathi kubo: Livela ngaphi? Bathi: Elizweni leKhanani, ukuthenga ukudla.

And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spoke roughly with them; and he said unto them: 'Whence come ye?' And they said: 'From the land of Canaan to buy food.'

8 UJosefa wasebazi abafowabo, kodwa bona kabamazanga.

And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew him not.

9 UJosefa wasekhumbula amaphupho awaphupha ngabo, wathi kibo: Lizinhloli, ukuzabona ubunqunu belizwe lizile.

And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them: 'Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.'

10 Basebesithi kuye: Hatshi, nkosi yami; kodwa inceku zakho zize ukuthenga ukudla.

And they said unto him: 'Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.

11 Thina sonke singamadodana andodanye; singabaqotho, inceku zakho kazisizo inhloli.

We are all one man's sons; we are upright men, thy servants are no spies.'

12 Wasesithi kubo: Hatshi, kodwa ukuzabona ubunqunu belizwe lizile.

And he said unto them: 'Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.'

13 Basebesithi: Thina, izinceku zakho, siyizelamani ezilitshumi lambili, amadodana andodanye elizweni leKhanani; khangela-ke, icinathunjana likubaba lamuhla, enye kayisekho.

And they said: 'We thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.'

14 UJosefa wasesithi kubo: Yikho lokho engikutsho kini, ukuthi: Lizinhloli.

And Joseph said unto them: 'That is it that I spoke unto you, saying: Ye are spies.

15 Kulokhu lizahlolwa; ngempilo kaFaro! kalisoze liphume lapha, ngaphandle kokuthi kufike umfowenu olicinathunjana lapha.

Hereby ye shall be proved, as Pharaoh liveth, ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.

16 Thumani omunye wenu, amlande umfowenu; kodwa lina lizabotshwa, ukuze kuhlolwe amazwi enu, ukuthi iqiniso likini yini; kodwa uba hatshi, impilo kaFaro! lizinhloli.

Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be bound, that your words may be proved, whether there be truth in you; or else, as Pharaoh liveth, surely ye are spies.'

17 Wasebafaka esitokisini insuku ezintathu.

And he put them all together into ward three days.

18 UJosefa wasesithi kubo ngosuku lwesithathu: Yenzani lokhu ukuze liphile. Ngiyamesaba uNkulunkulu.

And Joseph said unto them the third day. 'This do, and live; for I fear God:

19 Uba lingabaqotho, kabotshwe omunye wabafowenu endlini yokulondolozwa kwenu, kodwa lina hambani, libuyele lamabele endlala ezindlu zenu,

if ye be upright men, let one of your brethren be bound in your prison-house; but go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses;

20 lilethe umnawenu olicinathunjana kimi; khona amazwi enu ezaqiniswa, ukuze lingafi. Basebesenza njalo.

and bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die.' And they did so.

21 Basebekhulumisana besithi: Isibili silecala ngomfowethu, ngoba sabona usizi lomphefumulo wakhe, nxa wasincenga, kodwa kasilalelanga; ngenxa yalokho sehlelwe yikuhlupheka lokhu.

And they said one to another: 'We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.'

22 URubeni wasebaphendula wathi: Kangitshongo yini ukuthi: Lingoni kumfana? Kodwa kalilalelanga. Ngakho legazi lakhe, khangelani, liyabizwa.

And Reuben answered them, saying: 'Spoke I not unto you, saying: Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore also, behold, his blood is required.'

23 Njalo bona babengazi ukuthi uJosefa uyezwa, ngoba kwakulomtoliki phakathi kwabo.

And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for the interpreter was between them.

24 Njalo wabafulathela, wakhala inyembezi; wasetshibilikela kubo, wakhuluma kubo; wasethatha uSimeyoni kubo, wambopha phambi kwamehlo abo.

And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and he returned to them, and spoke to them, and took Simeon from among them, and bound him before their eyes.

25 UJosefa waselaya ukuthi bagcwalise amasaka abo ngamabele, lokuthi babuyisele imali yabo, ngulowo lalowo esakeni lakhe, lokuthi babanike umphako wendlela; basebesenza njalo kubo.

Then Joseph commanded to fill their vessels with corn, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way; and thus was it done unto them.

26 Basebesethwesa obabhemi babo amabele abo, basuka lapho.

And they laded their asses with their corn, and departed thence.

27 Kwathi omunye evula isaka lakhe ukuze anike ubabhemi wakhe ukudla endlini yezihambi, wabona imali yakhe, ngoba khangela, yayisemlonyeni wesaka lakhe.

And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the lodging-place, he espied his money; and, behold, it was in the mouth of his sack.

28 Wasesithi kubafowabo: Imali yami ibuyiselwe; futhi khangelani, isesakeni lami. Inhliziyo yabo yasisehluleka, bathuthumela, omunye komunye besithi: Kuyini lokhu uNkulunkulu akwenze kithi?

And he said unto his brethren: 'My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack.' And their heart failed them, and they turned trembling one to another, saying: 'What is this that God hath done unto us?'

29 Basebesiza kuJakobe uyise elizweni leKhanani, bamazisa konke abahlangene lakho, besithi:

And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that had befallen them, saying:

30 Indoda, umbusi walelolizwe, wasihalada, wasithatha njengenhloli zelizwe.

'The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly with us, and took us for spies of the country.

31 Kodwa sathi kuye: Singabaqotho; kasisizo izinhloli;

And we said unto him: We are upright men; we are no spies.

32 sasiyizelamani ezilitshumi lambili, amadodana kababa; enye kayisekho, lecinathunjana lamuhla likubaba elizweni leKhanani.

We are twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.

33 Lendoda, umbusi welizwe, wathi kithi: Ngalokhu ngizakwazi ukuthi lingabaqotho; tshiyani omunye wabafowenu kimi, lithathele indlala yezindlu zenu, lihambe,

And the man, the lord of the land, said unto us: Hereby shall I know that ye are upright men: leave one of your brethren with me, and take corn for the famine of your houses, and go your way.

34 lilethe umnawenu olicinathunjana kimi; khona ngizabona ukuthi kalisizo izinhloli kodwa lingabaqotho, ngilinike umfowenu, lithengiselane elizweni.

And bring your youngest brother unto me; then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are upright men; so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffic in the land.'

35 Kwasekusithi sebethulula amasaka abo, khangela-ke, isikhwama semali salowo lalowo sisesakeni lakhe. Lapho bebona izikhwama zemali yabo, bona loyise, besaba.

And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid.

36 UJakobe uyise wasesithi kubo: Liyangemuka abantwana; uJosefa kasekho loSimeyoni kakho, loBhenjamini lizamthatha; zonke lezizinto zimelane lami.

And Jacob their father said unto them: 'Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away; upon me are all these things come.'

37 URubeni wasekhuluma kuyise esithi: Bulala ababili kumadodana ami, uba ngingambuyisi kuwe; mnikele esandleni sami, futhi mina ngizambuyisela kuwe.

And Reuben spoke unto his father, saying: 'Thou shalt slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee; deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him back to thee.'

38 Kodwa wathi: Indodana yami kayiyikwehla lani, ngoba umfowabo ufile, futhi yena usele yedwa; uba esehlelwa yingozi endleleni elihamba kuyo, lizakwehlisela engcwabeni izimvu zami ngosizi. (Sheol h7585)

And he said: 'My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left; if harm befall him by the way in which ye go, then will ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. (Sheol h7585)