Mwanzo 43
1 Wakati huu njaa ilikuwa bado ni kali mno katika nchi.
Now the famine was still severe in the land.
2 Hivyo wakati walikuwa wamemaliza kula nafaka yote waliyoileta kutoka Misri, Yakobo baba yao akawaambia, “Rudini Misri mkatununulie chakula kingine zaidi.”
So when Jacob’s sons had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”
3 Lakini Yuda akamwambia, “Mtu yule alituonya kwa msisitizo, ‘Hamtauona uso wangu tena mpaka mje na ndugu yenu.’
But Judah replied, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’
4 Kama utakubali ndugu yetu aende pamoja nasi, tutakwenda kuwanunulia chakula.
If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you.
5 Lakini ikiwa hutamruhusu aende, hatutakwenda, kwa sababu mtu yule alituambia, ‘Hamtauona uso wangu tena mpaka mje pamoja na ndugu yenu.’”
But if you will not send him, we will not go; for the man told us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’”
6 Israeli akauliza, “Kwa nini mkaniletea taabu hii kwa kumwambia yule mtu mlikuwa na ndugu mwingine?”
“Why did you bring this trouble upon me?” Israel asked. “Why did you tell the man you had another brother?”
7 Wakamjibu, “Yule mtu alituhoji kwa undani sana habari zetu na za jamaa yetu. Alituuliza, ‘Je, baba yenu bado yungali hai? Je mnaye ndugu mwingine?’ Sisi tulimjibu maswali yake tu. Tungewezaje kujua kwamba angesema, ‘Mleteni mdogo wenu hapa’?”
They replied, “The man questioned us in detail about ourselves and our family: ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ And we answered him accordingly. How could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother here’?”
8 Ndipo Yuda akamwambia baba yake Israeli, “Mtume kijana pamoja nami, nasi tutaondoka mara, ili sisi na wewe pamoja na watoto wetu tuweze kuishi, wala tusife.
And Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me, and we will go at once, so that we may live and not die—neither we, nor you, nor our children.
9 Mimi mwenyewe nitakuhakikishia usalama wake, mimi mwenyewe nitawajibika kumrudisha. Ikiwa sitamrudisha kwako na kumweka mbele yako, nitakuwa mwenye lawama mbele yako maisha yangu yote.
I will guarantee his safety. You may hold me personally responsible. If I do not bring him back and set him before you, then may I bear the guilt before you all my life.
10 Hakika, kama hatukuchelewa kuondoka, tungekuwa tumekwenda na kurudi mara mbili.”
If we had not delayed, we could have come and gone twice by now.”
11 Basi baba yao Israeli akawaambia, “Kama ni lazima iwe hivyo, basi fanyeni hivi: Wekeni baadhi ya mazao bora ya nchi katika mifuko yenu na mpelekeeni yule mtu kama zawadi, zeri kidogo, asali kidogo, vikolezo, manemane, kungu na lozi.
Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and carry them down as a gift for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds.
12 Chukueni fedha mara mbili, kwa kuwa mtazirudisha zile fedha zilizowekwa midomoni mwa magunia yenu. Labda ziliwekwa kwa makosa.
Take double the silver with you so that you may return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake.
13 Mchukueni ndugu yenu pia mrudi kwa huyo mtu mara moja.
Take your brother as well, and return to the man at once.
14 Naye Mungu Mwenyezi awajalieni rehema mbele ya huyo mtu ili apate kumwachia yule ndugu yenu na Benyamini mweze kurudi pamoja. Kwangu mimi kama nikufiwa nimefiwa.”
May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother along with Benjamin. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”
15 Basi hao watu wakazichukua zile zawadi na zile fedha mara mbili pamoja na Benyamini. Wakafanya haraka kwenda Misri na walipofika wakajionyesha kwa Yosefu.
So the men took these gifts, along with double the amount of silver, and Benjamin as well. Then they hurried down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.
16 Yosefu alipomwona Benyamini pamoja nao, akamwambia msimamizi wa nyumba yake, “Wachukue watu hawa nyumbani kwangu, mchinje mnyama na kuandalia chakula kwa kuwa watakula chakula cha mchana pamoja nami.”
When Joseph saw Benjamin with his brothers, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for they shall dine with me at noon.”
17 Yule Msimamizi akafanya kama Yosefu alivyomwambia na akawachukua wale watu nyumbani kwa Yosefu.
The man did as Joseph had commanded and took the brothers to Joseph’s house.
18 Basi watu hao wakaogopa walipopelekwa nyumbani kwa Yosefu. Wakafikiri, “Tumeletwa hapa kwa ajili ya zile fedha zilizorudishwa katika magunia yetu mara ile ya kwanza. Anataka kutushambulia na kutushinda, atuchukue sisi kama watumwa, na atwae hawa punda zetu.”
But the brothers were frightened that they had been taken to Joseph’s house. “We have been brought here because of the silver that was returned in our bags the first time,” they said. “They intend to overpower us and take us as slaves, along with our donkeys.”
19 Hivyo wakamwendea msimamizi wa nyumba wa Yosefu na kuzungumza naye kwenye ingilio la nyumbani.
So they approached Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house.
20 Wakasema, “Tafadhali bwana, tulikuja hapa mara ya kwanza kununua chakula.
“Please, sir,” they said, “we really did come down here the first time to buy food.
21 Lakini mahali pale tulipotua wakati wa jioni tulifungua magunia yetu, na kila mmoja wetu akakuta fedha zake, kwenye mdomo wa gunia lake kiasi kile kile tulicholeta. Kwa hiyo tumezirudisha.
But when we came to the place we lodged for the night, we opened our sacks and, behold, each of us found his silver in the mouth of his sack! It was the full amount of our silver, and we have brought it back with us.
22 Pia tumeleta fedha nyingine kwa ajili ya kununulia chakula. Hatujui ni nani aliziweka fedha hizo katika magunia yetu.”
We have brought additional silver with us to buy food. We do not know who put our silver in our sacks.”
23 Akawaambia, “Vema, msiogope. Mungu wenu, Mungu wa baba yenu, amewapa ninyi hazina katika magunia yenu; mimi nilipokea fedha yenu.” Ndipo akawaletea Simeoni.
“It is fine,” said the steward. “Do not be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, gave you the treasure that was in your sacks. I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.
24 Msimamizi akawapeleka wale watu katika nyumba ya Yosefu, akawapa maji ya kunawa miguu na kuwapa punda wao majani.
And the steward took the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet, and provided food for their donkeys.
25 Wakaandaa zawadi zao ili wampe Yosefu wakati atakapofika adhuhuri, kwa kuwa walikuwa wamesikia kwamba watakula chakula huko.
Since the brothers had been told that they were going to eat a meal there, they prepared their gift for Joseph’s arrival at noon.
26 Yosefu alipokuja nyumbani, walimkabidhi zile zawadi walizokuwa nazo, ambazo walikuwa wamezileta mle nyumbani, nao wakamsujudia hadi nchi.
When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought, and they bowed to the ground before him.
27 Akawauliza kuhusu hali yao, kisha akawaambia, “Yule baba yenu mzee mliyeniambia habari zake, yu hali gani? Je, bado yu hai?”
He asked if they were well, and then he asked, “How is your elderly father you told me about? Is he still alive?”
28 Wakamjibu, “Mtumishi wako baba yetu bado anaishi na ni mzima.” Kisha wakainama chini kumpa heshima.
“Your servant our father is well,” they answered. “He is still alive.” And they bowed down to honor him.
29 Alipotazama na kumwona Benyamini ndugu yake, mwana wa mama yake hasa, akauliza, “Je, huyu ndiye ndugu yenu wa mwisho, ambaye mlinieleza habari zake?” Ndipo akasema, “Mungu na akufadhili, mwanangu.”
When Joseph looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?” Then he declared, “May God be gracious to you, my son.”
30 Akiwa ameguswa sana kwa kumwona ndugu yake, Yosefu akatoka nje kwa haraka na kutafuta mahali pa kulilia. Akaingia kwenye chumba chake cha pekee na kulilia humo.
Joseph hurried out because he was moved to tears for his brother, and he went to a private room to weep.
31 Baada ya kunawa uso wake, akatoka nje na huku akijizuia akasema, “Pakueni chakula.”
Then he washed his face and came back out. Regaining his composure, he said, “Serve the meal.”
32 Wakampakulia Yosefu peke yake, ndugu zake peke yao na Wamisri waliokula pamoja naye peke yao, kwa sababu Wamisri wasingeweza kula pamoja na Waebrania, kwa maana ilikuwa ni chukizo kwa Wamisri.
They separately served Joseph, his brothers, and the Egyptians. They ate separately because the Egyptians would not eat with the Hebrews, since that was detestable to them.
33 Watu hao walikuwa wameketi mbele yake kwa mfuatano wa umri wao, kuanzia mzaliwa wa kwanza hadi mzaliwa wa mwisho, wakatazamana wao kwa wao kwa mshangao.
They were seated before Joseph in order by age, from the firstborn to the youngest, and the men looked at one another in astonishment.
34 Wakati walipelekewa sehemu ya chakula kutoka mezani mwa Yosefu, sehemu ya Benyamini ilikuwa mara tano zaidi ya sehemu ya wale wengine. Kwa hiyo wakanywa na kufurahi pamoja naye.
When the portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times larger than any of the others. So they feasted and drank freely with Joseph.
