< 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.”
Then Joseph [May he add] went in and told Pharaoh, and said, “My father and my brothers, with their flocks, their herds, and all that they own, have come out of the land of Canaan [Humbled]; and behold, they are in the land of Goshen [Drawing near].”
2 Akachagua ndugu zake watano na kuwaonyesha kwa Farao.
From among his brothers he took five men, and presented them to Pharaoh.
3 Farao akawauliza hao ndugu zake, “Kazi yenu ni nini?” Wakamjibu, “Watumishi wako ni wachunga mifugo, kama vile baba zetu walivyokuwa.”
Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” They said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we, and our fathers.”
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.”
They said to Pharaoh, “We have come to live as foreigners in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks. For the famine is severe in the land of Canaan [Humbled]. Now therefore, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen [Drawing near].”
5 Farao akamwambia Yosefu, “Baba yako na ndugu zako wamekuja kwako,
Pharaoh spoke to Joseph [May he add], saying, “Your father and your brothers have 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.”
The land of Egypt [Abode of slavery] is before you. Make your father and your brothers dwell in the best of the land. Let them dwell in the land of Goshen [Drawing near]. If you know any able men among them, then put them in charge of my livestock.”
7 Ndipo Yosefu akamleta Yakobo baba yake na kumtambulisha mbele ya Farao. Baada ya Yakobo kumbariki Farao,
Joseph [May he add] brought in Jacob [Supplanter], his father, and set him before Pharaoh, and Jacob [Supplanter] blessed Pharaoh.
8 Farao akamuuliza, “Je una umri gani?”
Pharaoh said to Jacob [Supplanter], “How many are the days of the years 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.”
Jacob [Supplanter] said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred thirty years. Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.”
10 Kisha Yakobo akambariki Farao, naye akaondoka mbele ya uso wake.
Jacob [Supplanter] blessed Pharaoh, and went out from the presence of Pharaoh.
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.
Joseph [May he add] placed his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt [Abode of slavery], in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had enjoined.
12 Pia Yosefu akampa baba yake, na ndugu zake na wote wa nyumbani mwa baba yake vyakula, kwa kulingana na hesabu ya watoto wao.
Joseph [May he add] nourished his father, his brothers, and all of his father’s household, with bread, according to their families.
13 Hata hivyo, hapakuwepo chakula katika sehemu yote kwa kuwa njaa ilikuwa kali sana; Misri na Kanaani zote zikaharibiwa kwa sababu ya njaa.
There was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt [Abode of slavery] and the land of Canaan [Humbled] fainted by reason of the famine.
14 Yosefu akakusanya fedha zote zilizopatikana kutoka mauzo ya nafaka huko Misri na Kanaani, akazileta kwenye jumba la kifalme la Farao.
Joseph [May he add] gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt [Abode of slavery], and in the land of Canaan [Humbled], for the grain which they bought: and Joseph [May he add] brought the money into Pharaoh’s house.
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.”
When the money was all spent in the land of Egypt [Abode of slavery], and in the land of Canaan [Humbled], all the Egyptians [people from Abode of slavery] came to Joseph [May he add], and said, “Give us bread, for why should we die in your presence? For our money fails.”
16 Yosefu akawaambia, “Basi leteni mifugo yenu, nitawauzia chakula kwa kubadilisha na mifugo yenu, kwa kuwa fedha zenu zimekwisha.”
Joseph [May he add] said, “Give me your livestock; and I will give you food for your livestock, if your money is gone.”
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.
They brought their livestock to Joseph [May he add], and Joseph [May he add] gave them bread in exchange for the horses, and for the flocks, and for the herds, and for the donkeys: and he fed them with bread in exchange for all their livestock for 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.
When that year was ended, they came to him the second year, and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord how our money is all spent, and the herds of livestock are my lord’s. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands.
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.”
Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants to Pharaoh. Give us seed, that we may live, and not die, and that the land won’t be 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,
So Joseph [May he add] bought all the land of Egypt [Abode of slavery] for Pharaoh, for every man of the Egyptians [people from Abode of slavery] sold his field, because the famine was severe on them, and the land became Pharaoh’s.
21 naye Yosefu akawafanya watu watumike kama watumwa, kuanzia upande mmoja wa Misri hadi upande mwingine.
As for the people, he moved them to the cities from one end of the border of Egypt [Abode of slavery] even to the other end of it.
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.
Only he didn’t buy the land of the priests, for the priests had a chok ·portion· from Pharaoh, and ate their chok ·portion· which Pharaoh gave them. That is why they didn’t sell 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.
Then Joseph [May he add] said to the people, “Behold, I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh. Behold, here is seed for you, and you shall 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.”
It will happen at the harvests, that you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four parts will be your own, for seed of the field, for your food, for them of your households, and for food for your little ones.”
25 Wakamwambia, “Umeokoa maisha yetu. Basi na tupate kibali mbele ya macho ya bwana wetu; tutakuwa watumwa wa Farao.”
They said, “You have saved our lives! Let us find chen ·grace· in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.”
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.
Joseph [May he add] made it a chok ·statute· concerning the land of Egypt [Abode of slavery] to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth. Only the land of the priests alone didn’t become Pharaoh’s.
27 Basi Waisraeli wakaishi Misri katika nchi ya Gosheni. Wakapata mali huko wakastawi na kuongezeka kwa wingi sana.
Israel [God prevails] lived in the land of Egypt [Abode of slavery], in the land of Goshen [Drawing near]; and they got themselves possessions therein, and were fruitful, and multiplied exceedingly.
28 Yakobo akaishi Misri miaka kumi na saba, nayo miaka ya maisha yake ilikuwa 147.
Jacob [Supplanter] lived in the land of Egypt [Abode of slavery] seventeen years. So the days of Jacob [Supplanter], the years of his life, were one hundred 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,
The time came near that Israel [God prevails] must die, and he called his son Joseph [May he add], and said to him, “If now I have found chen ·grace· in your sight, please put your hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me. Please don’t bury me in Egypt [Abode of slavery],
30 lakini nitakapopumzika na baba zangu, unichukue kutoka Misri, ukanizike walipozikwa.” Yosefu akamwambia, “Nitafanya kama unavyosema.”
but when I sleep with my fathers, you shall carry me out of Egypt [Abode of slavery], and bury me in their burying place.” He said, “I will do as you have said.”
31 Akamwambia, “Niapie.” Ndipo Yosefu akamwapia, naye Israeli akaabudu, akiwa ameegemea juu ya kichwa cha fimbo yake.
He said, “Swear to me,” and he swore to him. Israel [God prevails] bowed at the head of his bed.