Mwanzo 42
1 Wakati Yakobo alipofahamu kuwa kuna nafaka huko Misri, akawaambia wanawe, “Mbona mnakaa tu hapa mnatazamana?”
When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?”
2 Akaendelea kuwaambia, “Nimesikia kuwa huko Misri kuna nafaka. Telemkeni huko mkanunue chakula kwa ajili yetu, ili tuweze kuishi wala tusife.”
“Look,” he added, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die.”
3 Ndipo wale ndugu kumi wa Yosefu, wakateremka huko Misri kununua nafaka.
So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.
4 Lakini Yakobo hakumtuma Benyamini, ndugu yake Yosefu, pamoja na wengine, kwa sababu aliogopa asije akapatwa na madhara.
But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “I am afraid that harm might befall him.”
5 Hivyo wana wa Israeli walikuwa miongoni mwa wale waliokwenda Misri kununua nafaka, kwani njaa ilikuwa katika nchi ya Kanaani pia.
So the sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain, since the famine had also spread to the land of Canaan.
6 Wakati huo Yosefu alikuwa mtawala wa nchi ya Misri, naye alikuwa ndiye aliwauzia watu wote nafaka. Kwa hiyo wakati ndugu zake Yosefu walipofika, wakamsujudia hadi nyuso zao zikagusa ardhi.
Now Joseph was the ruler of the land; he was the one who sold grain to all its people. So when his brothers arrived, they bowed down before him with their faces to the ground.
7 Mara Yosefu alipowaona ndugu zake, akawatambua, lakini akajifanya mgeni na kuzungumza nao kwa ukali, akiwauliza, “Ninyi mnatoka wapi?” Wakamjibu, “Tumetoka katika nchi ya Kanaani kuja kununua chakula.”
And when Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them as strangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where have you come from?” he asked. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We are here to buy food.”
8 Ingawa Yosefu aliwatambua ndugu zake, wao hawakumtambua.
Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.
9 Ndipo Yosefu alipokumbuka ndoto zake kuwahusu wao, akawaambia, “Ninyi ni wapelelezi! Mmekuja kuangalia mahali ambapo nchi yetu haina ulinzi.”
Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said, “You are spies! You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.”
10 Wakamjibu, “Sivyo bwana wangu. Watumishi wako wamekuja kununua chakula.
“Not so, my lord,” they replied. “Your servants have come to buy food.
11 Sisi sote ni wana wa baba mmoja. Watumishi wako ni watu waaminifu, wala sio wapelelezi.”
We are all sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies.”
12 Akawaambia, “La hasha! Mmekuja kuangalia mahali ambapo nchi yetu haina ulinzi.”
“No,” he told them. “You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.”
13 Lakini wakamjibu, “Watumishi wako walikuwa kumi na wawili, wana wa mtu mmoja ambaye anaishi katika nchi ya Kanaani. Sasa mdogo wetu wa mwisho yupo na baba yetu na mwingine alikufa.”
But they answered, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.”
14 Yosefu akawaambia, “Ni sawa kabisa kama nilivyowaambia: Ninyi ni wapelelezi!
Then Joseph declared, “Just as I said, you are spies!
15 Na hivi ndivyo mtakavyojaribiwa: Hakika kama Farao aishivyo, hamtaondoka mahali hapa mpaka ndugu yenu mdogo aje hapa.
And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here.
16 Tumeni mmoja wenu akamlete huyo ndugu yenu, wengine mtawekwa gerezani, ili maneno yenu yajaribiwe kuona kama mnasema kweli. La sivyo, hakika kama Farao aishivyo ninyi ni wapelelezi!”
Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be confined so that the truth of your words may be tested. If they are untrue, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!”
17 Akawaweka wote chini ya ulinzi kwa siku tatu.
So Joseph imprisoned them for three days,
18 Siku ya tatu Yosefu akawaambia, “Fanyeni hili nanyi mtaishi, kwa maana namwogopa Mungu:
and on the third day he said to them, “I fear God. So do this and you will live:
19 Ikiwa ninyi ni watu waaminifu, mmoja wa ndugu zenu na abaki kifungoni, nanyi wengine pelekeni nafaka kwa jamaa yenu wanaoteseka kwa njaa.
If you are honest, leave one of your brothers in custody while the rest of you go and take back grain to relieve the hunger of your households.
20 Lakini ni lazima mniletee ndugu yenu mdogo hapa, ili maneno yenu yathibitike na kwamba msife.” Wakakubali kufanya hivyo.
Then bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be verified, that you may not die.” And to this they consented.
21 Wakaambiana wao kwa wao, “Hakika tunaadhibiwa kwa sababu ya ndugu yetu. Tuliona jinsi alivyohuzunika alipokuwa anatusihi kuponya maisha yake, lakini hatukumsikiliza, hiyo ndiyo sababu dhiki hii imetupata.”
Then they said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.”
22 Reubeni akawajibu, “Sikuwaambieni msitende dhambi dhidi ya kijana? Lakini hamkunisikiliza! Sasa ni lazima tuadhibiwe kwa ajili ya damu yake.”
And Reuben responded, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you would not listen. Now we must account for his blood!”
23 Hawakujua kuwa Yosefu angewaelewa, kwa sababu alitumia mkalimani.
They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them.
24 Yosefu akajitenga nao akaanza kulia, kisha akawarudia na kuzungumza nao tena. Akataka Simeoni akamatwe na kufungwa mbele yao.
And he turned away from them and wept. When he turned back and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes.
25 Yosefu akatoa amri ya kujaza magunia yao nafaka na kuweka fedha ya kila mmoja ndani ya gunia lake, kisha wapewe mahitaji ya njiani. Baada ya kufanyiwa hayo yote,
Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to return each man’s silver to his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out,
26 wakapakiza nafaka juu ya punda zao, wakaondoka.
and they loaded the grain on their donkeys and departed.
27 Walipofika mahali pa kulala huko njiani mmoja wao akafungua gunia lake ili amlishe punda wake, akakuta fedha yake kwenye mdomo wa gunia lake.
At the place where they lodged for the night, one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of the sack.
28 Akawaambia ndugu zake, “Fedha yangu imerudishwa. Iko ndani ya gunia langu.” Mioyo yao ikazimia, na kila mmoja akamgeukia mwenzake wakitetemeka, wakaulizana, “Ni nini hiki Mungu alichotufanyia?”
“My silver has been returned!” he said to his brothers. “It is here in my sack.” Their hearts sank, and trembling, they turned to one another and said, “What is this that God has done to us?”
29 Walipofika kwa Yakobo baba yao katika nchi ya Kanaani, wakamweleza mambo yote yaliyowapata. Wakasema,
When they reached their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they described to him all that had happened to them:
30 “Huyo mtu ambaye ndiye bwana katika nchi hiyo alisema nasi kwa ukali, akatutendea kana kwamba sisi tulikuwa tunaipeleleza nchi.
“The man who is lord of the land spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country.
31 Lakini tulimwambia, ‘Sisi ni watu waaminifu, sio wapelelezi.
But we told him, ‘We are honest men, not spies.
32 Tulizaliwa ndugu kumi na wawili, wana wa baba mmoja. Mmoja alikufa, na mdogo wetu wa mwisho yupo na baba yetu huko Kanaani.’
We are twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in the land of Canaan.’
33 “Ndipo huyo mtu aliye bwana katika nchi hiyo alipotuambia, ‘Hivi ndivyo nitafahamu kuwa ninyi ni watu waaminifu: Mwacheni mmoja wa ndugu zenu pamoja nami hapa, kisha nendeni mpeleke chakula kwa ajili ya jamaa yenu inayoteseka kwa njaa.
Then the man who is lord of the land said to us, ‘This is how I will know whether you are honest: Leave one brother with me, take food to relieve the hunger of your households, and go.
34 Lakini mleteni huyo ndugu yenu mdogo kwangu, ndipo nitajua kuwa ninyi sio wapelelezi, ila ni watu waaminifu. Kisha nitamrudisha ndugu yenu, nanyi mtaweza kufanya biashara katika nchi hii.’”
But bring your youngest brother back to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men. Then I will give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the land.’”
35 Walipokuwa wanamimina nafaka kutoka kwenye magunia yao, ndani ya gunia la kila mtu kulikuwa na mfuko wa fedha! Wakati wao na baba yao walipoona mifuko ya fedha, wakaogopa.
As they began emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his bag of silver! And when they and their father saw the bags of silver, they were dismayed.
36 Yakobo baba yao akawaambia, “Ninyi mmenipokonya watoto wangu. Yosefu hayupo na Simeoni hayupo tena na sasa mnataka kumchukua Benyamini. Kila kitu ni kinyume nami!”
Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my sons. Joseph is gone and Simeon is no more. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is going against me!”
37 Ndipo Reubeni akamwambia baba yake, “Waweza kuwaua wanangu wote wawili, ikiwa sitamrudisha Benyamini kwako. Mkabidhi Benyamini katika uangalizi wangu, nami nitamrudisha.”
Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I fail to bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him.”
38 Lakini Yakobo akasema, “Mwanangu hatashuka huko pamoja nanyi; ndugu yake amekufa naye ndiye peke yake aliyebaki. Ikiwa atapatwa na madhara katika safari mnayoiendea, mtashusha kichwa changu chenye mvi kaburini kwa masikitiko.” (Sheol h7585)
But Jacob replied, “My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If any harm comes to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.” (Sheol h7585)
