< Mwanzo 47 >
1 Yosefu akaenda na kumwambia Farao, “Baba yangu na ndugu zangu wamekuja kutoka nchi ya Kanaani wakiwa na makundi yao ya kondoo, mbuzi na ngʼombe, pamoja na kila kitu walicho nacho, nao sasa wapo huko Gosheni.”
And Joseph came and told Pharao, [saying], My father, and my brethren, and their cattle, and their oxen, and all their possessions, are come out of the land of Chanaan, and behold, they are in the land of Gesem.
2 Akachagua ndugu zake watano na kuwaonyesha kwa Farao.
And he took of his brethren five men, and set them before Pharao.
3 Farao akawauliza hao ndugu zake, “Kazi yenu ni nini?” Wakamjibu, “Watumishi wako ni wachunga mifugo, kama vile baba zetu walivyokuwa.”
And Pharao said to the brethren of Joseph, What is your occupation? and they said to Pharao, Your servants are shepherds, both we and our father.
4 Pia wakamwambia Farao, “Tumekuja kukaa huku kwa muda mfupi, kwa sababu njaa ni kali huko Kanaani, na mifugo ya watumishi wako haina malisho. Kwa hiyo sasa, tafadhali uruhusu watumishi wako wakae huko Gosheni.”
And they said to Pharao, We are come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for the flocks of your servants, for the famine has prevailed in the land of Chanaan; now then, we will dwell in the land of Gesem. And Pharao said to Joseph, Let them dwell in the land of Gesem; and if you know that there are amongst them able men, make them overseers of my cattle. So Jacob and his sons came into Egypt, to Joseph; and Pharao, king of Egypt, heard [of it].
5 Farao akamwambia Yosefu, “Baba yako na ndugu zako wamekuja kwako,
And Pharao spoke to Joseph, saying, Your father, and your brethren, are come to you.
6 nayo nchi ya Misri ipo mbele yako, uwakalishe baba yako na ndugu zako katika sehemu iliyo bora kupita zote katika nchi. Na waishi Gosheni. Kama unamfahamu yeyote miongoni mwao mwenye uwezo maalum, waweke wawe wasimamizi wa mifugo yangu.”
Behold, the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brethren in the best land.
7 Ndipo Yosefu akamleta Yakobo baba yake na kumtambulisha mbele ya Farao. Baada ya Yakobo kumbariki Farao,
And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharao; and Jacob blessed Pharao.
8 Farao akamuuliza, “Je una umri gani?”
And Pharao said to Jacob, How many are the years of the days of your life?
9 Naye Yakobo akamwambia Farao, “Siku za miaka ya kusafiri kwangu ni miaka 130. Miaka yangu imekuwa michache na ya taabu, wala haikufikia miaka ya kusafiri ya baba zangu.”
And Jacob said to Pharao, The days of the years of my life, wherein I sojourn, are a hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, they have not attained to the days of the life of my fathers, in which days they sojourned.
10 Kisha Yakobo akambariki Farao, naye akaondoka mbele ya uso wake.
And Jacob blessed Pharao, and departed from him.
11 Ndipo Yosefu akawakalisha baba yake na ndugu zake katika nchi ya Misri na kuwapa milki katika sehemu bora sana ya nchi, wilaya ya Ramesesi, kama Farao alivyoelekeza.
And Joseph settled his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best land, in the land of Ramesses, as Pharao commanded.
12 Pia Yosefu akampa baba yake, na ndugu zake na wote wa nyumbani mwa baba yake vyakula, kwa kulingana na hesabu ya watoto wao.
And Joseph gave provision to his father, and his brethren, and to all the house of his father, corn for each person.
13 Hata hivyo, hapakuwepo chakula katika sehemu yote kwa kuwa njaa ilikuwa kali sana; Misri na Kanaani zote zikaharibiwa kwa sababu ya njaa.
And there was no corn in all the land, for the famine prevailed greatly; and the land of Egypt, and the land of Chanaan, fainted for the famine.
14 Yosefu akakusanya fedha zote zilizopatikana kutoka mauzo ya nafaka huko Misri na Kanaani, akazileta kwenye jumba la kifalme la Farao.
And Joseph gathered all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and the land of Chanaan, [in return for] the corn which they bought, and he distributed corn to them; and Joseph brought all the money into the house of Pharao.
15 Fedha za watu wa Misri na Kanaani zilipokwisha, Wamisri wote wakamjia Yosefu na kumwambia, “Tupatie chakula. Kwa nini tufe mbele ya macho yako? Fedha zetu zimekwisha.”
And all the money failed out of the land of Egypt, and out of the land of Chanaan; and all the Egyptians came to Joseph, saying, Give us bread, and why do we die in your presence? for our money is spent.
16 Yosefu akawaambia, “Basi leteni mifugo yenu, nitawauzia chakula kwa kubadilisha na mifugo yenu, kwa kuwa fedha zenu zimekwisha.”
And Joseph said to them, Bring your cattle, and I will give you bread for your cattle, if your money is spent.
17 Kwa hiyo wakaleta mifugo yao kwa Yosefu, naye akawapa chakula kwa kubadilishana na farasi zao, kondoo na mbuzi zao, ngʼombe na punda zao. Katika mwaka huo wote Yosefu akawapa chakula kwa kubadilishana na mifugo yao yote.
And they brought their cattle to Joseph; and Joseph gave them bread in return for their horses, and for their sheep, and for their oxen, and for their asses; and Joseph maintained them with bread for all their cattle in that year.
18 Mwaka ule ulipokwisha, wakamjia mwaka uliofuata na kumwambia, “Hatuwezi kuficha ukweli mbele za bwana wetu kwamba, kwa kuwa fedha zetu zimekwisha na wanyama wetu ni mali yako, sasa hakuna chochote kilichosalia kwa ajili ya bwana wetu isipokuwa miili yetu na ardhi yetu.
And that year passed, and they came to him in the second year, and said to him, Must we then be consumed from before our lord? for if our money has failed, and our possessions, and our cattle, [brought] to you our lord, and there has not been left to us before our lord more than our own bodies and our land, [we are indeed destitute].
19 Kwa nini tuangamie mbele ya macho yako, sisi pamoja na nchi yetu? Utununue sisi pamoja na ardhi yetu ili kubadilishana kwa chakula. Nasi pamoja na nchi yetu tutakuwa watumwa wa Farao. Tupe sisi mbegu ili tuweze kuishi wala tusife, nchi yetu isije ikawa ukiwa.”
In order, then, that we die not before you, and the land be made desolate, buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants to Pharao: give seed that we may sow, and live and not die, so our land shall not be made desolate.
20 Kwa hiyo Yosefu akamnunulia Farao nchi yote ya Misri. Wamisri, mmoja baada ya mwingine, waliuza mashamba yao, kwa sababu njaa ilikuwa kali sana kwao. Nchi ikawa mali ya Farao,
And Joseph bought all the land of the Egyptians, for Pharao; for the Egyptians sold their land to Pharao; for the famine prevailed against them, and the land became Pharao's.
21 naye Yosefu akawafanya watu watumike kama watumwa, kuanzia upande mmoja wa Misri hadi upande mwingine.
And he brought the people into bondage to him, for servants, from one extremity of Egypt to the other,
22 Hata hivyo, hakununua nchi ya makuhani, kwa sababu walikuwa wanapata mgawo wao wa kawaida kutoka kwa Farao, nao walikuwa na chakula cha kuwatosha kutokana na mgawo waliopewa na Farao. Hii ndiyo sababu hawakuuza ardhi yao.
except only the land of the priests; Joseph bought not this, for Pharao gave a portion in the way of gift to the priests; and they ate their portion which Pharao gave them; therefore they sold not their land.
23 Yosefu akawaambia watu, “Kwa vile nimewanunua ninyi pamoja na nchi yenu leo kuwa mali ya Farao, hapa kuna mbegu kwa ajili yenu ili mweze kuziotesha.
And Joseph said to all the Egyptians, Behold, I have bought you and your land this day for Pharao; take seed for you, and sow the land.
24 Lakini wakati mazao yatakapokuwa tayari, mpeni Farao sehemu ya tano. Sehemu hizo nne zitakazobaki mtaziweka kama mbegu kwa ajili ya mashamba na kwa ajili ya chakula chenu wenyewe na cha watu wa nyumbani mwenu na watoto wenu.”
And there shall be the fruits of it; and you shall give the fifth part to Pharao, and the four [remaining] parts shall be for yourselves, for seed for the earth, and for food for you, and all that are in your houses.
25 Wakamwambia, “Umeokoa maisha yetu. Basi na tupate kibali mbele ya macho ya bwana wetu; tutakuwa watumwa wa Farao.”
And they said, You have saved us; we have found favour before our lord, and we will be servants to Pharao.
26 Basi Yosefu akaiweka iwe sheria kuhusu nchi ya Misri, ambayo inatumika mpaka leo, kwamba, sehemu ya tano ya mazao ni mali ya Farao. Ni nchi ya makuhani tu ambayo haikuwa ya Farao.
And Joseph appointed it to them for an ordinance until this day; to reserve a fifth part for Pharao, on the land of Egypt, except only the land of the priests, that was not Pharao's.
27 Basi Waisraeli wakaishi Misri katika nchi ya Gosheni. Wakapata mali huko wakastawi na kuongezeka kwa wingi sana.
And Israel lived in Egypt, in the land of Gesem, and they gained an inheritance upon it; and they increased and multiplied very greatly.
28 Yakobo akaishi Misri miaka kumi na saba, nayo miaka ya maisha yake ilikuwa 147.
And Jacob survived seventeen years in the land of Egypt; and Jacob's days of the years of his life were a hundred and forty-seven years.
29 Wakati ulipokaribia wa Israeli kufa, akamwita mwanawe Yosefu na kumwambia, “Kama nimepata kibali machoni pake, weka mkono wako chini ya paja langu na uniahidi kuwa utanifanyia fadhili na uaminifu. Usinizike Misri,
and the days of Israel drew near for him to die: and he called his son Joseph, and said to him, If I have found favour before you, put your hand under my thigh, and you shall execute mercy and truth towards me, so as not to bury me in Egypt.
30 lakini nitakapopumzika na baba zangu, unichukue kutoka Misri, ukanizike walipozikwa.” Yosefu akamwambia, “Nitafanya kama unavyosema.”
But I will sleep with my fathers, and you shall carry me up out of Egypt, and bury me in their sepulchre. And he said, I will do according to your word.
31 Akamwambia, “Niapie.” Ndipo Yosefu akamwapia, naye Israeli akaabudu, akiwa ameegemea juu ya kichwa cha fimbo yake.
And he said, Swear to me; and he swore to him. And Israel did reverence, leaning on the top of his staff.