UGenesisi 42

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

Now Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, so Jacob said to his sons, "Why do you look at one another?"

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

He said, "Look, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us from there, so that we may live and not die."

3 Abafowabo bakaJosefa abalitshumi basebesehla ukuthenga amabele eGibhithe.

So Joseph's ten brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.

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

But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, "Some harm might happen to him."

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

So the sons of Israel went to buy among the other travelers, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

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

Now Joseph was the ruler over the country, and it was he who sold to all the people of the land. Joseph's brothers came and bowed themselves down to him with their faces to the ground.

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

Joseph saw his brothers, and he recognized them, but he acted like he did not know them, and spoke harshly with them. And he said to them, "Where do you come from?" And they said, "From the land of Canaan to buy food."

8 UJosefa wasebazi abafowabo, kodwa bona kabamazanga.

So Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.

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

Then Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed about them, and said to them, "You are spies. You have come to look for the vulnerabilities of the country."

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

But they said to him, "No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food.

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

We are all sons of one man. We are honest men. Your servants are not spies."

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

But he said to them, "No, but you have come to look for the vulnerabilities of the country."

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

But they said, "We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and look, the youngest is now with our father, and one is no more."

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

But Joseph said to them, "It is as I said to you, saying, 'You are spies.'

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

This is how you will be tested. By the life of Pharaoh, you will not leave from here until your youngest brother comes here.

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 get your brother, and you will stay in prison, so that your words can be tested, whether there is truth in you. Or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies."

17 Wasebafaka esitokisini insuku ezintathu.

So he put all of them together in prison for three days.

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

Then Joseph said to them the third day, "Do what I say, and live, for I fear God.

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

If you are honest, then let one of your brothers remain confined in your prison; but you go and carry grain for the hunger of your households.

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

But bring your youngest brother to me so that your words will be verified, and you won't die." To this they agreed.

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

Then they said to one another, "We are certainly guilty concerning our brother, because we saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us, and we wouldn't listen. Therefore this distress has come upon us."

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

Reuben answered them, saying, "Did I not tell you, saying, 'Do not sin against the boy,' but you wouldn't listen? Therefore, look, now comes a reckoning for his blood."

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

Now they did not know that Joseph could understand them, since he was speaking through an interpreter.

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

He stepped away from them and wept. Then he returned to them and talked with them. Then he took Simeon from them and bound him in front of them.

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 gave orders to fill their bags with grain, and to restore every man's silver into his sack, and to give them food for the journey. And it was done for them.

26 Basebesethwesa obabhemi babo amabele abo, basuka lapho.

They loaded their donkeys with their grain, and departed from there.

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

As one of them opened his sack to give his donkey food at the lodging place, he saw his silver. Look, 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?

He said to his brothers, "My silver has been returned. Look, it is in my sack." And they were dismayed, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, "What is this that God has done to us?"

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

Then they returned to their father Jacob to the land of Canaan, and told him all that had happened to them, saying,

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

"The man, the lord of the country, spoke harshly to us, and he put us in custody as spies of the country.

31 Kodwa sathi kuye: Singabaqotho; kasisizo izinhloli;

But we said to him, 'We are honest men. We are not spies.

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

We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is now 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,

The man, the lord of the country, said to us, 'By this I will know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain for the hunger of your households, and go your way.

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

Bring your youngest brother to me. Then I will know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. So I will deliver your brother to you, and you may travel in the land.'"

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

Then it happened as they emptied their sacks, that look, every man's bag of silver was in his sack. When they and their father saw their bags of silver, they were afraid.

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

Then their father Jacob said to them, "You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin away. All this has come against me."

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

Reuben spoke to his father, saying, "Kill my two sons if I do not bring him to you. Put him in my care, and I will bring him back to you."

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)

But he said, "My son will not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If harm should happen to him on the journey you are taking, then you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol." (Sheol h7585)