UGenesisi 43

1 Indlala yasisiba nzima elizweni.

But the famine, was severe in the land.

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

So it came to pass when they had made an end of eating the corn which they had brought in out of Egypt, that their father said unto them, —Return buy for us a little food.

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

Then spake Judah unto him saying, —The man, did protest, to us saying—Ye shall not see my face, except, your brother, is with you.

4 Uba uthuma umnawethu lathi, sizakwehla siyekuthengela ukudla,

If thou art sending our brother with us, we will certainly go down, and buy for thee food;

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

but, if thou art not sending him, we will not go down, for the man, said unto us Ye shall not see my face, except, your brother, is with you.

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

And Israel said, Wherefore did ye ill to me, —to tell the man, there yet remained to you 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, did ask, concerning ourselves and concerning our kindred saying—Is your father yet alive? Have ye a brother? So we told him according to the tenor of these words. Could we, at all know, that he would say, Bring down your brother?

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

Then said Judah unto Israel his father—Come! send thou down the young man with me that we may arise and go our way, —and live and not die, both we and thou and 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, at my hand, shalt thou require him, —as surely as I bring him not in unto thee, and set him down before thee, so surely will I be counted a sinner against thee all the days,

10 Isibili uba besingalibalanga, qotho ngabe khathesi sesibuyile kabili.

For, if we had not lingered, surely now, had we come back here 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;

Then Israel their father said unto them—If so, then do this, —Take of the song of the land in your vessels, and carry down to the man a present, —A little balsam and a little honey, tragacanth gum and cistus gum, pistachio nuts, and almonds.

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

And double silver, take in your hand, —also the silver that was put back in the mouth of your sacks, carry ye back in your hand, peradventure it was an error,

13 Lithathe futhi umfowenu, lisukume, libuyele kuleyondoda.

Your brother also, take ye, —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 compassion before the man, so shall he send with you, your other brother, and Benjamin. But, as for me, when I am bereaved, I am bereaved!

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

So the men took this present, double silver also, took they in their hand and Benjamin, —and arose and went down into 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 Joseph saw—with them—Benjamin, so he said to him that was over his house Bring the men into the house, —and slay meat and make ready, for with me, shall the men eat at noon.

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

So the men did as Joseph had said, 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.

Then were the men afraid because they had been brought into the house of Joseph, and they said—For the matter of the silver that came back in our sacks at the beginning, have, we, been brought in, —that he may turn round upon us and fall upon us, and take us for servants and our asses.

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

So they drew near unto the man that was over Joseph’s house, —and spake unto him at the entrance of the house;

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

and said, May it please my lord! We, did indeed come down, at the beginning 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 had entered into the inn, that we opened our sacks, and lo! the silver of each man, in the mouth of his sack, —our silver in its full weight, —so we have bought it back in our hand!

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

And, more silver, have we brought down in our hand, to buy food, —we know not 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.

And he said—Peace to you do not fear! Your God, and the God of your father, hath given you secret treasure, in your sacks, as for your silver, it came in unto me. And he brought forth unto them Simeon.

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

So the man brought the men into Joseph’s house, —and gave them water and they bathed their feet, and he gave them provender for their asses.

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

And they made ready the present, against the coming in of Joseph at noon, —for they heard that it was there they should eat bread.

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

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

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

Then asked he after their welfare, and said—Is it well with your aged father, of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive?

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

And they said—It is well with thy servant our father, he is yet alive. And they bent their heads and bowed them-selves down.

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.

Then lifted he up his eyes, and saw Benjamin his brother son of his mother, and said—Is, this, your youngest brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God, grant thee favour 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 compassions towards his brother were pent up, and he sought to weep, —so he went into the inner chamber and wept there,

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

Then bathed he his face and came forth, —and restrained himself, and said Set on bread!

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

So they set on for him—by himself, and for them—by themselves, —and for the Egyptians that were eating with him—by themselves, for the Egyptians might not eat, bread, with the Hebrews for an abomination, had that been to Egyptians.

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

So they took their seats before him, the firstborn, according to his birthright and the youngest, according to his youth, —and the men looked with amazement, each one at his companion.

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

And he sent portions from before him unto them, and the portion of Benjamin exceeded the portions of them all, five-fold. And they drank and made merry with him.