Mwanzo 42
1 Wakati Yakobo alipofahamu kuwa kuna nafaka huko Misri, akawaambia wanawe, “Mbona mnakaa tu hapa mnatazamana?”
Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?”
2 Akaendelea kuwaambia, “Nimesikia kuwa huko Misri kuna nafaka. Telemkeni huko mkanunue chakula kwa ajili yetu, ili tuweze kuishi wala tusife.”
He said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there, and buy for us from there, so that we may live, and not die.”
3 Ndipo wale ndugu kumi wa Yosefu, wakateremka huko Misri kununua nafaka.
Joseph’s ten 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 didn’t send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with his brothers; for he said, “Lest perhaps harm happen to him.”
5 Hivyo wana wa Israeli walikuwa miongoni mwa wale waliokwenda Misri kununua nafaka, kwani njaa ilikuwa katika nchi ya Kanaani pia.
The sons of Israel came to buy amongst those who came, for the famine was in 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.
Joseph was the governor over the land. It was he who sold to all the people of the land. Joseph’s brothers came, and bowed themselves down to him with their faces to the earth.
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.”
Joseph saw his brothers, and he recognised them, but acted like a stranger to them, and spoke roughly with them. He said to them, “Where did you come from?” They said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.”
8 Ingawa Yosefu aliwatambua ndugu zake, wao hawakumtambua.
Joseph recognised his brothers, but they didn’t recognise him.
9 Ndipo Yosefu alipokumbuka ndoto zake kuwahusu wao, akawaambia, “Ninyi ni wapelelezi! Mmekuja kuangalia mahali ambapo nchi yetu haina ulinzi.”
Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamt about them, and said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see the nakedness of the land.”
10 Wakamjibu, “Sivyo bwana wangu. Watumishi wako wamekuja kununua chakula.
They said to him, “No, my lord, but 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 one man’s sons; we are honest men. Your servants are not spies.”
12 Akawaambia, “La hasha! Mmekuja kuangalia mahali ambapo nchi yetu haina ulinzi.”
He said to them, “No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land!”
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.”
They said, “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is today with our father, and one is no more.”
14 Yosefu akawaambia, “Ni sawa kabisa kama nilivyowaambia: Ninyi ni wapelelezi!
Joseph said to them, “It is like I told you, saying, ‘You are spies!’
15 Na hivi ndivyo mtakavyojaribiwa: Hakika kama Farao aishivyo, hamtaondoka mahali hapa mpaka ndugu yenu mdogo aje hapa.
By this you shall be tested. By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go out from here, 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 you, and let him get your brother, and you shall be bound, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you, or else by the life of Pharaoh surely you are spies.”
17 Akawaweka wote chini ya ulinzi kwa siku tatu.
He put them all together into custody for three days.
18 Siku ya tatu Yosefu akawaambia, “Fanyeni hili nanyi mtaishi, kwa maana namwogopa Mungu:
Joseph said to them the third day, “Do this, and live, for I fear God.
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 men, then let one of your brothers be bound in your prison; but you go, carry grain for the famine of your houses.
20 Lakini ni lazima mniletee ndugu yenu mdogo hapa, ili maneno yenu yathibitike na kwamba msife.” Wakakubali kufanya hivyo.
Bring your youngest brother to me; so will your words be verified, and you won’t die.” They did so.
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.”
They said to one another, “We are certainly guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us, and we wouldn’t listen. Therefore 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.”
Reuben answered them, saying, “Didn’t I tell you, saying, ‘Don’t sin against the child,’ and you wouldn’t listen? Therefore also, behold, his blood is required.”
23 Hawakujua kuwa Yosefu angewaelewa, kwa sababu alitumia mkalimani.
They didn’t know that Joseph understood them; for 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.
He turned himself away from them, and wept. Then he returned to them, and spoke to them, and took Simeon from amongst them, and bound him 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 a command to fill their bags with grain, and to restore each man’s money into his sack, and to give them food for the way. So it was done to them.
26 wakapakiza nafaka juu ya punda zao, wakaondoka.
They loaded their donkeys with their grain, and departed from there.
27 Walipofika mahali pa kulala huko njiani mmoja wao akafungua gunia lake ili amlishe punda wake, akakuta fedha yake kwenye mdomo wa gunia lake.
As one of them opened his sack to give his donkey food in the lodging place, he saw his money. Behold, it was in the mouth of his 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?”
He said to his brothers, “My money is restored! Behold, it is in my sack!” Their hearts failed them, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”
29 Walipofika kwa Yakobo baba yao katika nchi ya Kanaani, wakamweleza mambo yote yaliyowapata. Wakasema,
They came to Jacob their father, to the land of Canaan, and told him all that had happened to them, saying,
30 “Huyo mtu ambaye ndiye bwana katika nchi hiyo alisema nasi kwa ukali, akatutendea kana kwamba sisi tulikuwa tunaipeleleza nchi.
“The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly with us, and took us for spies of the country.
31 Lakini tulimwambia, ‘Sisi ni watu waaminifu, sio wapelelezi.
We said to him, ‘We are honest men. We are no 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 our father; one is no more, and the youngest is today 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.
The man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘By this I will know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain for the famine of your houses, and go your way.
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.’”
Bring your youngest brother to me. Then I will know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. So I will deliver your brother to you, and you shall 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 emptied their sacks, behold, each man’s bundle of money was in his sack. When they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid.
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!”
Jacob, their father, said to them, “You have bereaved me of my children! Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin away. All these things are against me.”
37 Ndipo Reubeni akamwambia baba yake, “Waweza kuwaua wanangu wote wawili, ikiwa sitamrudisha Benyamini kwako. Mkabidhi Benyamini katika uangalizi wangu, nami nitamrudisha.”
Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “Kill my two sons, if I don’t bring him to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him to you again.”
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)
He said, “My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left. If harm happens to him along the way in which you go, then you will bring down my grey hairs with sorrow to Sheol.” (Sheol h7585)
