UGenesisi 43

1 Indlala yasisiba nzima elizweni.

And the famine was sore in the land.

2 Kwasekusithi sebeqedile ukudla ababebuye lakho eGibhithe, uyise wathi kubo: Buyelani, lisithengele ukudla okulutshwana.

And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, that their father said unto them: 'Go again, buy us a little food.'

3 UJuda wasekhuluma kuye wathi: Leyondoda yasiqonqosela yathi: Kalisoze libubone ubuso bami ngaphandle kokuthi umnawenu libe laye.

And Judah spoke unto him, saying: 'The man did earnestly forewarn us, saying: Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.

4 Uba uthuma umnawethu lathi, sizakwehla siyekuthengela ukudla,

If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food;

5 kodwa uba ungamthumi, kasiyikwehla, ngoba leyondoda yathi kithi: Kalisoze libubone ubuso bami ngaphandle kokuthi umnawenu lilaye.

but if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down, for the man said unto us: Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.'

6 UIsrayeli wasesithi: Lenzelani okubi kimi ngokuyazisa leyondoda ukuthi liselomnawenu?

And Israel said: 'Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?'

7 Basebesithi: Leyondoda yabuzisisa mayelana lathi langezihlobo zethu, isithi: Uyihlo usaphila yini? Lilomnawenu yini? Sayilandisela ngalawomazwi; ukwazi sasikwazi yini ukuthi izakuthi: Yehlani lomnawenu?

And they said: 'The man asked straitly concerning ourselves, and concerning our kindred, saying: Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words; could we in any wise know that he would say: Bring your brother down?'

8 UJuda wasesithi kuIsrayeli uyise: Thuma umfana lami; besesisukuma sihambe, ukuze siphile singafi, lathi, lawe, labantwanyana bethu.

And Judah said unto Israel his father: 'Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones.

9 Mina ngizakuba yisibambiso sakhe; uzambiza esandleni sami; uba ngingambuyisi kuwe ngimbeke phambi kwakho, ngizakuba lecala kuwe zonke izinsuku.

I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him; if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever.

10 Isibili uba besingalibalanga, qotho ngabe khathesi sesibuyile kabili.

For except we had lingered, surely we had now returned a second time.'

11 UIsrayeli uyise wasesithi kubo: Uba kunjalo khathesi, yenzani lokhu; thathani okwezithelo ezikhethiweyo zelizwe ezitsheni zenu, liyehlisele leyondoda isipho, inhlaka eyingcosana, loluju oluyingcosana, isinongo, lemure, imkelu yepistakiyo, lama-alimondi;

And their father Israel said unto them: 'If it be so now, do this: take of the choice fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spicery and ladanum, nuts, and almonds;

12 lithathe imali iphindwe kabili esandleni senu; futhi imali eyabuyiselwayo emlonyeni wamasaka enu liyibuyisele esandleni senu, mhlawumbe kwaba yisiphosiso.

and take double money in your hand; and the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks carry back in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight;

13 Lithathe futhi umfowenu, lisukume, libuyele kuleyondoda.

take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man;

14 UNkulunkulu uSomandla kaliphe isihawu phambi kwaleyondoda, ukuze alikhululele omunye umfowenu loBhenjamini. Mina-ke, uba ngemukwa abantwana, ngiyemukwa.

and God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release unto you your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.'

15 Amadoda asethatha lesosipho, athatha imali ephindwe kabili esandleni sawo loBhenjamini; asukuma ehlela eGibhithe, ema phambi kukaJosefa.

And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.

16 Kwathi uJosefa embona uBhenjamini elabo, wathi kumphathi wendlu yakhe: Ngenisa lamadoda endlini, uhlabe isifuyo, ulungise, ngoba lamadoda azakudla lami emini.

And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house: 'Bring the men into the house, and kill the beasts, and prepare the meat; for the men shall dine with me at noon.'

17 Indoda yenza njengoba uJosefa etshilo, lendoda yawangenisa amadoda endlini kaJosefa.

And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph's house.

18 Amadoda asesesaba, ngoba engeniswe endlini kaJosefa; athi: Singenisiwe ngenxa yemali eyabuyiselwa emasakeni ethu kuqala, ukuze asijume ehlele phezu kwethu, asithathe sibe yizigqili, labobabhemi bethu.

And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph's house; and they said: 'Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.'

19 Asesondela endodeni eyayingumphathi wendlu kaJosefa, akhuluma kuyo emnyango wendlu,

And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they spoke unto him at the door of the house,

20 athi: Mayuyu nkosi yami! Sehla lokwehla kuqala ukuthenga ukudla.

and said: 'Oh my lord, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food.

21 Kwasekusithi sesifike endlini yezihambi, savula amasaka ethu, khangela-ke, imali yalowo lalowo yayisemlonyeni wesaka lakhe, imali yethu ngesisindo sayo; siyibuyisile esandleni sethu.

And it came to pass, when we came to the lodging-place, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight; and we have brought it back in our hand.

22 Sehle lenye imali layo esandleni sethu, ukuthenga ukudla. Kasazi ukuthi ngubani ofake imali yethu emasakeni ethu.

And other money have we brought down in our hand to buy food. We know not who put our money in our sacks.'

23 Wasesithi: Ukuthula kakube kini, lingesabi. UNkulunkulu wenu loNkulunkulu kayihlo ulinikile inotho emasakeni enu. Imali yenu yeza kimi. Wasemkhuphela kubo uSimeyoni.

And he said: 'Peace be to you, fear not; your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money.' And he brought Simeon out unto them.

24 Indoda yasiwangenisa amadoda endlini kaJosefa, yawanika amanzi; asegeza inyawo zawo; yasinika obabhemi bawo ukudla.

And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender.

25 Aselungisa isipho waze wafika uJosefa emini, ngoba ayezwile ukuthi bazakudla isinkwa lapho.

And they made ready the present against Joseph's coming at noon; for they heard that they should eat bread there.

26 Kwathi uJosefa esefikile endlini, amlethela endlini isipho esasisesandleni sawo, amkhothamela emhlabathini.

And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed down to him to the earth.

27 Wasewabuza impilo wathi: Uyaphila uyihlo yini, ixhegu elalikhuluma ngalo? Lisaphila yini?

And he asked them of their welfare, and said: 'Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spoke? Is he yet alive?'

28 Asesithi: Inceku yakho ubaba isekhona, isaphila. Asekhothamela phansi amkhonza.

And they said: 'Thy servant our father is well, he is yet alive.' And they bowed the head, and made obeisance.

29 Wasephakamisa amehlo akhe, wabona uBhenjamini umfowabo, indodana kanina, wathi: Nguye lo umnawenu omncinyane yini elakhuluma ngaye kimi? Wathi futhi: UNkulunkulu kabe lomusa kuwe, ndodana yami.

And he lifted up his eyes, and saw Benjamin his brother, his mother's son, and said: 'Is this your youngest brother of whom ye spoke unto me?' And he said: 'God be gracious unto thee, my son.'

30 UJosefa wasephangisa, ngoba imibilini yakhe yatshisekela umfowabo; wadinga indawo yokukhala inyembezi; wangena ekamelweni eliphakathi, wakhala inyembezi khona.

And Joseph made haste; for his heart yearned toward his brother; and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there.

31 Esegezile ubuso bakhe, waphuma; esezibambile wathi: Fakani isinkwa.

And he washed his face, and came out; and he refrained himself, and said: 'Set on bread.'

32 Bamfakela yedwa, lawo wodwa, lamaGibhithe, ayesidla laye, wodwa, ngoba amaGibhithe ayengedle isinkwa lamaHebheru, ngoba lokho kwakuyisinengiso kumaGibhithe.

And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, that did eat with him, by themselves; because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

33 Asehlala phambi kwakhe, izibulo njengobuzibulo balo, lecinathunjana njengobucinathunjana balo; amadoda asemangala enye kwenye.

And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth; and the men marvelled one with another.

34 Wasewabela kulokhu okwakuphambi kwakhe; kodwa isabelo sikaBhenjamini saphindwa kahlanu okwedlula isabelo sawo wonke. Anatha asenatha kakhulu laye.

And portions were taken unto them from before him; but Benjamin's portion was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.