UGenesisi 44
1 Waselaya umphathi wendlu yakhe esithi: Gcwalisa amasaka amadoda ngokudla, okulingene abangakuthwala, ufake imali yalowo lalowo emlonyeni wesaka lakhe.
He commanded the steward of his house, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in his sack’s mouth.
2 Lenkezo yami, inkezo yesiliva, ifake emlonyeni wesaka lecinathunjana kanye lemali yamabele alo. Wenza-ke njengelizwi likaJosefa, ayelikhulumile.
Put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, with his grain money.” He did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.
3 Ekuseni sekusile, amadoda avunyelwa ukuhamba, wona labobabhemi bawo.
As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys.
4 Wona aphuma emzini, ayengakhatshana, uJosefa wasesithi kumphathi wendlu yakhe: Sukuma xotshana lamadoda; lapho usuwaficile uzakuthi kuwo: Liphindiseleleni okuhle ngokubi?
When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, “Up, follow after the men. When you overtake them, ask them, ‘Why have you rewarded evil for good?
5 Le kayisiyo enatha kuyo inkosi yami, lehlahlula ngayo sibili yini? Lenze okubi ngelikwenzileyo.
Isn’t this that from which my lord drinks, and by which he indeed divines? You have done evil in so doing.’”
6 Wasewafica, wakhuluma kuwo la amazwi.
He overtook them, and he spoke these words to them.
7 Asesithi kuye: Inkosi yami ikhulumelani amazwi anje? Kakube khatshana lezinceku zakho ukwenza into enje.
They said to him, “Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing!
8 Khangela, imali esayifica emlonyeni wamasaka ethu sayibuyisela kuwe ivela elizweni leKhanani. Pho, besingeba njani isiliva loba igolide endlini yenkosi yakho?
Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks’ mouths, we brought again to you out of the land of Canaan. How then should we steal silver or gold out of your lord’s house?
9 Lowo owezinceku zakho etholwa kuye, kafe, lathi futhi sizakuba yizigqili zenkosi yami.
With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.”
10 Wasesithi: Khathesi-ke, kakube njalo njengamazwi enu; lowo ezatholwa kuye uzakuba yisigqili sami, kodwa lina libe msulwa.
He said, “Now also let it be according to your words. He with whom it is found will be my slave; and you will be blameless.”
11 Basebephangisa, njalo ngulowo lalowo wethulela isaka lakhe emhlabathini, ngulowo lalowo wasevula isaka lakhe.
Then they hurried, and each man took his sack down to the ground, and each man opened his sack.
12 Waphenya eqala kwenkulu wacina ngecinathunjana; njalo inkezo yatholwa esakeni likaBhenjamini.
He searched, beginning with the oldest, and ending at the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.
13 Asedabula izembatho zawo; ileyo laleyo yethwesa ubabhemi wayo, asebuyela emzini.
Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey, and returned to the city.
14 Njalo uJuda wafika labafowabo endlini kaJosefa; ngoba wayesesekhona, bawela emhlabathini phambi kwakhe.
Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there. They fell on the ground before him.
15 UJosefa wasesithi kubo: Yisenzo bani elisenzileyo? Belingazi yini ukuthi indoda enjengami ingahlahlula sibili?
Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Don’t you know that such a man as I can indeed do divination?”
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.
Judah said, “What will we tell my lord? What will we speak? How will we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Behold, we are my lord’s slaves, both we and he also in whose hand the cup is found.”
17 Kodwa wathi: Kakube khatshana lami ukwenza lokho. Indoda esandleni sayo okutholwe inkezo, nguye ozakuba yisigqili sami; kodwa lina yenyukani ngokuthula liye kuyihlo.
He said, “Far be it from me that I should do so. The man in whose hand the cup is found, he will be my slave; but as for you, go up in peace 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 came near to him, and said, “Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and don’t let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even as Pharaoh.
19 Inkosi yami yabuza inceku zayo isithi: Liloyihlo kumbe umfowenu yini?
My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father, or a brother?’
20 Sasesisithi enkosini yami: Silobaba olixhegu, lomfana wobuxhegu, omncinyane, lomnewabo ufile, njalo yena usele yedwa kunina, loyise uyamthanda.
We said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother; and his father loves him.’
21 Wasusithi ezincekwini zakho: Mehliseleni kimi ukuze ngibeke ilihlo lami phezu kwakhe.
You said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’
22 Sasesisithi enkosini yami: Umfana angetshiye uyise; uba emtshiya uyise, uzakufa uyise.
We said to my lord, ‘The boy can’t leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’
23 Wasusithi ezincekwini zakho: Uba umnawenu olicinathunjana engehli lani, kaliyikubona ubuso bami futhi.
You said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will see my face no more.’
24 Kwasekusithi sesenyukele kunceku yakho ubaba, samazisa amazwi enkosi yami.
When we came up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.
25 Ubaba wasesithi: Buyelani, lisithengele ukudla okulutshwana.
Our father said, ‘Go again and buy us a little food.’
26 Sasesisithi: Singeke sehle; uba umnawethu olicinathunjana elathi singehla, ngoba singebone ubuso baleyondoda uba umnawethu olicinathunjana singelaye.
We said, ‘We can’t go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down: for we may not see the man’s face, unless our youngest brother is with us.’
27 Inceku yakho ubaba yasisithi kithi: Lina liyazi ukuthi umkami wangizalela amadodana amabili;
Your servant, my father, said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons.
28 njalo omunye waphuma kimi, ngasengisithi: Isibili udatshuliwe lokudatshulwa; njalo kangimbonanga kuze kube khathesi.
One went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn in pieces;” and I haven’t seen him since.
29 Uba lithatha lalo limsusa ebusweni bami, esehlelwe yingozi, lizakwehlisela-ke izimvu zami engcwabeni ngosizi. (Sheol h7585)
If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my grey hairs with sorrow to Sheol.’ (Sheol h7585)
30 Khathesi-ke, lapho ngibuyela kunceku yakho ubaba, lomfana singelaye, njengoba umphefumulo wakhe ubotshelwe emphefumulweni wakhe,
Now therefore when I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us; since his life is bound up in the boy’s life;
31 kuzakuthi-ke, nxa ebona ukuthi umfana kakho, uzakufa; njalo inceku zakho zizakwehlisela izimvu zenceku yakho ubaba engcwabeni ngosizi. (Sheol h7585)
it will happen, when he sees that the boy is no more, that he will die. Your servants will bring down the grey hairs of your servant, our father, with sorrow to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
32 Ngoba inceku yakho yaba yisibambiso somfana kubaba esithi: Uba ngingambuyiseli kuwe, ngizakuba lecala kubaba zonke izinsuku.
For your servant became collateral for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I don’t bring him to you, then I will bear the blame to my father forever.’
33 Khathesi-ke, ake inceku yakho isale esikhundleni somfana, ibe yisigqili senkosi yami, lomfana enyuke kanye labafowabo.
Now therefore, please let your servant stay instead of the boy, my lord’s slave; and let the boy go up with his brothers.
34 Ngoba ngingenyukela njani kubaba, umfana ngingelaye, hlezi ngibone okubi okuzafica ubaba?
For how will I go up to my father, if the boy isn’t with me?—lest I see the evil that will come on my father.”
