UGenesisi 43
1 Indlala yasisiba nzima elizweni.
The famine was severe in the land.
2 Kwasekusithi sebeqedile ukudla ababebuye lakho eGibhithe, uyise wathi kubo: Buyelani, lisithengele ukudla okulutshwana.
It came about when they had eaten the grain that they had brought out of Egypt, their father said to them, “Go again; buy us some food.”
3 UJuda wasekhuluma kuye wathi: Leyondoda yasiqonqosela yathi: Kalisoze libubone ubuso bami ngaphandle kokuthi umnawenu libe laye.
Judah told him, “The man solemnly warned us, 'You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.'
4 Uba uthuma umnawethu lathi, sizakwehla siyekuthengela ukudla,
If you send our brother with us, we will 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 do not send him, we will not go down. For the man said to us, 'You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.'”
6 UIsrayeli wasesithi: Lenzelani okubi kimi ngokuyazisa leyondoda ukuthi liselomnawenu?
Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly 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 asked details about us and our family. He said, 'Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?' We answered him according to these questions. How could we have known 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.
Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the boy with me. We will rise and go that we may live and not die, both we, you, and also our children.
9 Mina ngizakuba yisibambiso sakhe; uzambiza esandleni sami; uba ngingambuyisi kuwe ngimbeke phambi kwakho, ngizakuba lecala kuwe zonke izinsuku.
I will be a guarantee for him. You will hold me responsible. If I do not bring him back 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 had not delayed, surely by now we would have 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;
Their father Israel said to them, “If it be so, now do this. Take some of the best products of the land in your bags. Carry down to the man a gift—some balm and 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 double money in your hand. The money that was returned in the opening of your sacks, carry again in your hand. Perhaps it was a mistake.
13 Lithathe futhi umfowenu, lisukume, libuyele kuleyondoda.
Take also your brother. Rise and go again to the man.
14 UNkulunkulu uSomandla kaliphe isihawu phambi kwaleyondoda, ukuze alikhululele omunye umfowenu loBhenjamini. Mina-ke, uba ngemukwa abantwana, ngiyemukwa.
May God Almighty give you mercy before the man, so that he may release to you your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”
15 Amadoda asethatha lesosipho, athatha imali ephindwe kabili esandleni sawo loBhenjamini; asukuma ehlela eGibhithe, ema phambi kukaJosefa.
The men took this gift, and in their hand they took double the amount of money, along with Benjamin. They got 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.
When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Bring the men into the house, 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 steward did as Joseph said. He 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.
The men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph's house. They said, “It is because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time we were brought in, that he may seek an opportunity against us. He might arrest us and take us as slaves, and take our donkeys.”
19 Asesondela endodeni eyayingumphathi wendlu kaJosefa, akhuluma kuyo emnyango wendlu,
They approached the steward of Joseph's house, and they spoke to him at the door of the house,
20 athi: Mayuyu nkosi yami! Sehla lokwehla kuqala ukuthenga ukudla.
saying, “My master, we 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.
It came about, when we reached the lodging place, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man's money was in the opening of his sack, our money in full weight. We have brought it back in our hands.
22 Sehle lenye imali layo esandleni sethu, ukuthenga ukudla. Kasazi ukuthi ngubani ofake imali yethu emasakeni ethu.
Other money we have also brought down in our hand to buy food. We do not know 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.
The steward said, “Peace be to you, do not fear. Your God and the God of your father must have put your money in your sacks. I received your money.” The steward then brought Simeon out to them.
24 Indoda yasiwangenisa amadoda endlini kaJosefa, yawanika amanzi; asegeza inyawo zawo; yasinika obabhemi bawo ukudla.
The steward took the men into Joseph's house. He gave them water, and they washed their feet. He gave feed to their donkeys.
25 Aselungisa isipho waze wafika uJosefa emini, ngoba ayezwile ukuthi bazakudla isinkwa lapho.
They prepared the gifts for Joseph's coming at noon, for they had heard that they would eat there.
26 Kwathi uJosefa esefikile endlini, amlethela endlini isipho esasisesandleni sawo, amkhothamela emhlabathini.
When Joseph came home, they brought the gifts which were in their hand into the house, and bowed down before him to the ground.
27 Wasewabuza impilo wathi: Uyaphila uyihlo yini, ixhegu elalikhuluma ngalo? Lisaphila yini?
He asked them about 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.
They said, “Your servant our father is well. He is still alive.” They prostrated themselves and bowed 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.
When he lifted up his eyes he saw Benjamin his brother, his mother's son, and he said, “Is this your youngest brother of whom you spoke to me?” Then he said, “May 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.
Joseph hurried to go out of the room, for he was deeply moved about his brother. He sought somewhere to weep. He went to his room and wept there.
31 Esegezile ubuso bakhe, waphuma; esezibambile wathi: Fakani isinkwa.
He washed his face and came out. He controlled himself, saying, “Serve the food.”
32 Bamfakela yedwa, lawo wodwa, lamaGibhithe, ayesidla laye, wodwa, ngoba amaGibhithe ayengedle isinkwa lamaHebheru, ngoba lokho kwakuyisinengiso kumaGibhithe.
The servants served Joseph by himself and the brothers by themselves. The Egyptians there ate with him by themselves because the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is detestable to the Egyptians.
33 Asehlala phambi kwakhe, izibulo njengobuzibulo balo, lecinathunjana njengobucinathunjana balo; amadoda asemangala enye kwenye.
The brothers sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth. The men were astonished together.
34 Wasewabela kulokhu okwakuphambi kwakhe; kodwa isabelo sikaBhenjamini saphindwa kahlanu okwedlula isabelo sawo wonke. Anatha asenatha kakhulu laye.
Joseph sent portions to them from the food in front of him. But Benjamin's portion was five times as much as any of his brothers. They drank and were merry with him.
