UGenesisi 44

1 Waselaya umphathi wendlu yakhe esithi: Gcwalisa amasaka amadoda ngokudla, okulingene abangakuthwala, ufake imali yalowo lalowo emlonyeni wesaka lakhe.

Then Joseph instructed the steward of his house, saying: “Fill their sacks with grain, as much as they are able to hold. And place each one’s money at the top of the sack.

2 Lenkezo yami, inkezo yesiliva, ifake emlonyeni wesaka lecinathunjana kanye lemali yamabele alo. Wenza-ke njengelizwi likaJosefa, ayelikhulumile.

But place my silver bowl, and the price that he gave for the wheat, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest.” And so it was done.

3 Ekuseni sekusile, amadoda avunyelwa ukuhamba, wona labobabhemi bawo.

And when morning arose, they were sent away with their donkeys.

4 Wona aphuma emzini, ayengakhatshana, uJosefa wasesithi kumphathi wendlu yakhe: Sukuma xotshana lamadoda; lapho usuwaficile uzakuthi kuwo: Liphindiseleleni okuhle ngokubi?

And now they had departed from the city and had set out a short distance. Then Joseph, sending for the steward of his house, said: “Rise up and pursue the men. And when you have overtaken them, say: ‘Why have you returned evil for good?

5 Le kayisiyo enatha kuyo inkosi yami, lehlahlula ngayo sibili yini? Lenze okubi ngelikwenzileyo.

The cup that you have stolen, it is that from which my lord drinks, and in which he is accustomed to discern signs. You have done a very sinful thing.’”

6 Wasewafica, wakhuluma kuwo la amazwi.

He did as he had been ordered. And having overtaken them, he spoke to them according to the order.

7 Asesithi kuye: Inkosi yami ikhulumelani amazwi anje? Kakube khatshana lezinceku zakho ukwenza into enje.

And they responded: “Why does our lord speak in this way, as though your servants had committed such a shameful act?

8 Khangela, imali esayifica emlonyeni wamasaka ethu sayibuyisela kuwe ivela elizweni leKhanani. Pho, besingeba njani isiliva loba igolide endlini yenkosi yakho?

The money, which we found at the top of our sacks, we carried back to you from the land of Canaan. So in what way does it follow that we would steal, from the house of your lord, gold or silver?

9 Lowo owezinceku zakho etholwa kuye, kafe, lathi futhi sizakuba yizigqili zenkosi yami.

Whichever of your servants will be found to have what you seek, may he die, and we shall be the servants of my lord.”

10 Wasesithi: Khathesi-ke, kakube njalo njengamazwi enu; lowo ezatholwa kuye uzakuba yisigqili sami, kodwa lina libe msulwa.

And he said to them: “Let it be according to your verdict. With whomever it will be found, let him be my servant, but you will be unharmed.”

11 Basebephangisa, njalo ngulowo lalowo wethulela isaka lakhe emhlabathini, ngulowo lalowo wasevula isaka lakhe.

And so, they quickly placed their sacks down to the ground, and each one was opened.

12 Waphenya eqala kwenkulu wacina ngecinathunjana; njalo inkezo yatholwa esakeni likaBhenjamini.

And when he had searched, beginning with the oldest, all the way to the youngest, he found the cup in Benjamin’s sack.

13 Asedabula izembatho zawo; ileyo laleyo yethwesa ubabhemi wayo, asebuyela emzini.

But they, tearing their garments and burdening their donkeys again, returned to the town.

14 Njalo uJuda wafika labafowabo endlini kaJosefa; ngoba wayesesekhona, bawela emhlabathini phambi kwakhe.

And Judah, first among his brothers, entered to Joseph (for he had not yet departed from the place) and together they all fell down before him to the ground.

15 UJosefa wasesithi kubo: Yisenzo bani elisenzileyo? Belingazi yini ukuthi indoda enjengami ingahlahlula sibili?

And he said to them: “Why would you choose to act in this way? Could you be ignorant that there is no one like me in the knowledge of discerning signs?”

16 UJuda wasesithi: Sizakuthini enkosini yami? Sizakhulumani? Loba sizazilungisisa njani? UNkulunkulu uthole ububi benceku zakho; khangela, siyizigqili zenkosi yami, thina sonke kanye laye inkezo etholwe esandleni sakhe.

And Judah said to him, “What could we answer to my lord? And what would we be able to say, or to justly claim? God has discovered the iniquity of your servants. See, we have all become servants to my lord, both we, and he with whom the cup was found.”

17 Kodwa wathi: Kakube khatshana lami ukwenza lokho. Indoda esandleni sayo okutholwe inkezo, nguye ozakuba yisigqili sami; kodwa lina yenyukani ngokuthula liye kuyihlo.

Joseph responded: “Far be it from me that I should act in this way. He who stole the cup, he will be my servant. But you may go away free to your father.”

18 UJuda wasesondela kuye wathi: Uxolo nkosi yami! Ake uvumele inceku yakho ikhulume ilizwi endlebeni zenkosi yami, lolaka lwakho lungayivutheli inceku yakho, ngoba unjengoFaro kanye.

Then Judah, approaching closer, said confidently: “I beg you, my lord, let your servant speak a word in your ears, and do not be angry with your servant. For you are next to Pharaoh.

19 Inkosi yami yabuza inceku zayo isithi: Liloyihlo kumbe umfowenu yini?

My lord, you questioned your servants before: ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’

20 Sasesisithi enkosini yami: Silobaba olixhegu, lomfana wobuxhegu, omncinyane, lomnewabo ufile, njalo yena usele yedwa kunina, loyise uyamthanda.

And we answered you, my lord: ‘There is our father, an old man, and a young boy, who was born in his old age. His brother of the same womb has died, and he alone is left to his mother and father, who truly love him tenderly.’

21 Wasusithi ezincekwini zakho: Mehliseleni kimi ukuze ngibeke ilihlo lami phezu kwakhe.

And you said to your servants, ‘Bring him to me, and I will set my eyes on him.’

22 Sasesisithi enkosini yami: Umfana angetshiye uyise; uba emtshiya uyise, uzakufa uyise.

We suggested to my lord: ‘The boy is not able to leave his father. For if he sends him away, he will die.’

23 Wasusithi ezincekwini zakho: Uba umnawenu olicinathunjana engehli lani, kaliyikubona ubuso bami futhi.

And you said to your servants: ‘Unless your youngest brother arrives with you, you will not see my face any more.’

24 Kwasekusithi sesenyukele kunceku yakho ubaba, samazisa amazwi enkosi yami.

Therefore, when we had gone up to your servant our father, we explained to him all that my lord had spoken.

25 Ubaba wasesithi: Buyelani, lisithengele ukudla okulutshwana.

And our father said: ‘Return and buy us a little wheat.’

26 Sasesisithi: Singeke sehle; uba umnawethu olicinathunjana elathi singehla, ngoba singebone ubuso baleyondoda uba umnawethu olicinathunjana singelaye.

And we said to him: ‘We cannot go. If our youngest brother descends with us, we will set out together. Otherwise, in his absence, we do not dare to see the face of the man.’

27 Inceku yakho ubaba yasisithi kithi: Lina liyazi ukuthi umkami wangizalela amadodana amabili;

To which he responded: ‘You know that my wife conceived twice by me.

28 njalo omunye waphuma kimi, ngasengisithi: Isibili udatshuliwe lokudatshulwa; njalo kangimbonanga kuze kube khathesi.

One went out, and you said, “A beast devoured him.” And since then, he has not appeared.

29 Uba lithatha lalo limsusa ebusweni bami, esehlelwe yingozi, lizakwehlisela-ke izimvu zami engcwabeni ngosizi. (Sheol h7585)

If you take this one also, and anything happens to him on the way, you will lead my grey hairs down with grief to the grave.’ (Sheol h7585)

30 Khathesi-ke, lapho ngibuyela kunceku yakho ubaba, lomfana singelaye, njengoba umphefumulo wakhe ubotshelwe emphefumulweni wakhe,

Therefore, if I would have gone to your servant, our father, with the boy not present, (though his life depends upon the life of him)

31 kuzakuthi-ke, nxa ebona ukuthi umfana kakho, uzakufa; njalo inceku zakho zizakwehlisela izimvu zenceku yakho ubaba engcwabeni ngosizi. (Sheol h7585)

and if he were to see that he is not with us, he would die, and your servants will lead his grey hairs down with sorrow to the grave. (Sheol h7585)

32 Ngoba inceku yakho yaba yisibambiso somfana kubaba esithi: Uba ngingambuyiseli kuwe, ngizakuba lecala kubaba zonke izinsuku.

Let me be your very own servant, for I accepted this one into my trust, and I promised, saying: ‘Unless I lead him back, I will be guilty of a sin against my father for all time.’

33 Khathesi-ke, ake inceku yakho isale esikhundleni somfana, ibe yisigqili senkosi yami, lomfana enyuke kanye labafowabo.

And so I, your servant, will remain in place of the boy, in ministry to my lord, and then let the boy go up with his brothers.

34 Ngoba ngingenyukela njani kubaba, umfana ngingelaye, hlezi ngibone okubi okuzafica ubaba?

For I cannot return to my father without the boy, lest I appear as a witness to the calamity that will oppress my father.”