UGenesisi 43

1 Indlala yasisiba nzima elizweni.

Now the famine was severe in the land.

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

So it came about when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought out of Egypt, that their father said to them, "Go again, buy us a little more food."

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

But Judah spoke to him, saying, "The man strictly warned us, saying, 'You may not see my face unless your brother is with you.'

4 Uba uthuma umnawethu lathi, sizakwehla siyekuthengela ukudla,

If you'll send our brother with us, we'll go down and buy you food,

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

but if you will not send him, we will not go down, for the man said to us, 'You may not see my face unless your brother is with you.'"

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

Then Israel said, "Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man that you had another brother?"

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

They said, "The man kept asking about ourselves, and concerning our relatives, saying, 'Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?' So we just answered his questions. How were we to 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.

Then Judah said to his father Israel, "Send the boy with me and we'll get up and go, so that we may live and not die, both we and you, 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 collateral for him. You can hold me responsible for him. If I fail to bring him to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever,

10 Isibili uba besingalibalanga, qotho ngabe khathesi sesibuyile kabili.

for if we hadn't delayed, surely we would have returned a second time by now."

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;

Then their father Israel said to them, "If it must be so, then do this: Take some of the best fruits of the land in your bags and bring a gift for the man, a little balm, a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds.

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

Take twice as much silver in your hand, and take back the silver that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. Perhaps it was an oversight.

13 Lithathe futhi umfowenu, lisukume, libuyele kuleyondoda.

Take your brother also, and get up, go back to the man.

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

And may El Shaddai grant you mercy before the man, that he may release to you your other brother and Benjamin. If I am deprived of my children, then I am deprived."

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

The men took this gift, and they took twice as much silver with them, and Benjamin. Then they got up and went down to Egypt, and presented themselves before Joseph.

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

When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the servant of his house, "Bring the men into the house, and slaughter an animal and prepare it; for the men will eat with me at noon."

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

The man did as Joseph had said, and the man brought the men to 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.

But the men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph's house, and they said, "It is because of the silver that was returned in our sacks the first time that we are brought here; so that he may capture us, and make us slaves, and take our donkeys."

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

So they came near to the man of Joseph's house and they spoke to him at the entrance of the house,

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

and said, "My lord, we indeed came down 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.

But when we came to the lodging place, we opened our sacks, and look, every man's silver was in the mouth of his sack, our silver in full weight. So 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.

We have brought down additional silver with us to buy food. We do not know who put our silver in our sacks."

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

He said, "Peace to you. Do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks. I received your silver." Then he brought Simeon out to them.

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

The man brought the men into Joseph's house and gave them water, and they washed their feet. Then he gave their donkeys food.

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

They prepared the gift for Joseph's arrival at noon, for they heard that they would eat a meal there.

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

When Joseph came home, they prepared the gift they had brought with them into the house, and bowed themselves down to him with their face to the ground.

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

Then he asked them of their welfare, and said, "Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?"

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

And they answered, "Your servant, our father, is well. He is still alive." Then he said, "Blessed be that man by God." And they bowed and prostrated themselves.

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 looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, "Is this your youngest brother, of whom you told me about?" Then he said, "God be gracious to you, my son."

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

Then Joseph hurried out, for he was overcome with emotion because of his brother, and he was at the point of tears. So he entered into his chamber and wept there.

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

Then he washed his face and came out. And he controlled himself and said, "Serve the food."

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

They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat food with the Hebrews, for that is disgraceful to 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 looked at each other with amazement.

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

Then he gave portions to them in front of him, but Benjamin's portion was five times as much as any of theirs. So they drank until they all became drunk.