Mwanzo 42
1 Basi Yakobo akafahamu kwamba kuna nafaka huko Misri. Akawambia wanawe, “Kwa nini mnatazamana?
Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?”
2 Akasema, “Tazama, nimesikia kwamba kuna nafaka huko Misri. Shukeni huko mkatununulie chakula ili tuishi 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 Ndugu kumi wa Yusufu wakashuka Misri kununua chakula.
Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.
4 Lakini Benjamini, ndugu wa Yusufu, Yakobo hakumtuma na ndugu zake, kwani alihofu kwamba madhara yaweza kumpata.
But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with his brothers; for he said, “Lest perhaps harm happen to him.”
5 Wana wa Israeli wakaja kununua miongoni mwao waliokuja, kwani njaa ilikuwapo katika nchi ya Kanaani.
The sons of Israel came to buy among those who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
6 Basi Yusufu alikuwa mtawala juu ya nchi. Ndiye aliyekuwa akiwauzia watu wote wa nchi. Ndugu zake Yusufu wakaja na kumwinamia na nyuso zao hata chini.
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 Yusufu akawaona ndugu zake na kuwatambua, lakini alijibadili kwao na kuongea nao kwa ukali. Akawambia, “Mmetoka wapi?” Wakasema, “Kutoka nchi ya Kanaani ili kununua chakula.”
Joseph saw his brothers, and he recognized 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 Yusufu akawatambua ndugu zake, lakini wao hawakumtambua.
Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.
9 Yusufu akazikumbuka ndoto aliyoziota kuhusu wao. Akawambia, “Ninyi ni wapelelezi. Mmekuja kuona sehemu za nchi zisizolindwa.”
Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed about them, and said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see the nakedness of the land.”
10 Wakamwambia, “Hapana, 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. Ni watu wa kweli. Watumishi wako siyo wapelelezi.”
We are all one man’s sons; we are honest men. Your servants are not spies.”
12 Akawambia, “Hapana, mmekuja kuangalia sehemu za nchi zisizolindwa.”
He said to them, “No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land!”
13 Wakasema, “Sisi watumishi wako tupo ndugu kumi na wawili, wana wa baba mmoja katika nchi ya Kanaani. Tazama, mdogo yupo na baba yetu, na mwingine hayupo hai tena.”
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 Yusufu akawambia, “Ndivyo nilivyowambia; ninyi ni wapelelezi.
Joseph said to them, “It is like I told you, saying, ‘You are spies!’
15 Mtajaribiwa kwa njia hii. Kama aishivyo Farao, hamtaondoka hapa, mdogo wenu asipokuja 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 Mtumeni mmoja wenu amlete mdogo wenu. Mtabaki gerezani, hata maneno yenu yatakapothibitishwa, kwamba kuna ukweli ndani yenu.”
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 kifungoni kwa siku tatu.
He put them all together into custody for three days.
18 Katika siku ya tatu Yusufu akaongea nao, “Fanyeni hivi nanyi mtaishi, kwani ninamcha Mungu.
Joseph said to them the third day, “Do this, and live, for I fear God.
19 Kama ninyi ni watu wa kweli, mmoja wenu atazuiliwa hapa gerezani, lakini ninyi nendeni, chukueni nafaka kwa ajili ya nyumba zenu.
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 Mleteni mdogo wenu kwangu ili kwamba maneno yenu yathibitishwe nanyi hamtakufa.” Wakafanya hivyo.
Bring your youngest brother to me; so will your words be verified, and you will not die.” They did so.
21 Wakasemezana wao kwa wao, “Kwa kweli tuna hatia juu ya ndugu yetu kwani tuliona tabu ya nafsi yake alipotusihi nasi hatukusikia. Kwa hiyo taabu hii imeturudia.”
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 would not listen. Therefore this distress has come upon us.”
22 Rubeni akawajibu, “Je sikuwambia, 'Msitende dhambi juu ya kijana,' lakini hamkusikia? Basi, tazama, damu yake inatakiwa juu yetu.”
Reuben answered them, saying, “Did not I tell you, saying, ‘Do not sin against the child,’ and you would not listen? Therefore also, behold, his blood is required.”
23 Lakini hawakuja kwamba Yusufu anawaelewa, kwani kulikuwa na mkalimani kati yao.
They did not know that Joseph understood them; for there was an interpreter between them.
24 Akatoka kwao na kulia. Akarudi kwao na kuongea nao. Akamchukua Simoni miongoni mwao na kumfunga mbele ya macho yao.
He turned himself away from them, and wept. Then he returned to them, and spoke to them, and took Simeon from among them, and bound him before their eyes.
25 Kisha Yusufu akaagiza watumishi kujaza mifuko yao kwa nafaka, na kurudisha pesa ya kila mmoja katika gunia lake, nakuwapa mahitaji kwa safari. Wakatendewa hivyo.
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 Hawa ndugu wakapandisha chakula chao juu ya punda zao na kuondoka pale.
They loaded their donkeys with their grain, and departed from there.
27 Mmoja wao alipofungua gunia lake ili kumlisha punda wao katika sehemu waliyokuwa, akaona pesa yake. Tazama, ilikuwa mdomoni mwa 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 Akawambia ndugu zake, “Pesa yangu imerudishwa. Tazama, imo katika gunia langu.”Mioyo yao ikazimia na wakageukiana kila mmoja huku wakitetemeka. Wakasema, “Ni nini hiki alichotutendea Mungu?”
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 Wakaenda kwa Yakobo, baba yao katika nchi ya Kanaani na kumwambia yote yaliyowapata.
They came to Jacob their father, to the land of Canaan, and told him all that had happened to them, saying,
30 Wakasema, “Yule mtu, bwana wa nchi, aliongea nasi kwa ukali na kutudhania kuwa wapelelezi katika nchi.
“The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly with us, and took us for spies of the country.
31 Tukamwambia, 'Tu watu wa kweli sisi. Sisi siyo wapelelezi.
We said to him, ‘We are honest men. We are no spies.
32 Tupo ndugu kumi na wawili, wana wa baba yetu. Mmoja hayupo hai tena, na mdogo yupo na baba yetu katika nchi ya 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 Yule mtu, bwana wa nchi, akatwambia, 'Kwa hili nitajua kwamba ni watu wa kweli ninyi. Mwacheni mmojawapo wa ndugu zenu, chukueni chakula kwa ajili ya njaa katika nyumba zenu, na mwondoke.
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 Mleteni mdogo wenu kwangu. Ndipo nitakapojua kwamba ninyi si wapelelezi, lakini ni watu wa kweli. Kisha nitamwachilia ndugu yenu, na mtafanya biashara katika nchi.”
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 Ikawa walipoyafungua magunia yao, na tazama, kila mfuko wa fedha wa mmojawao ulikuwa katika gunia lake. Wakati wao na baba yao walipoona mifuko yao 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 akawambia, “Mmeniharibia watoto wao. Yusufu hayupo hai tena, Simoni ameondoka, nanyi mmpeleke Benjamini naye. Mambo haya yote ni kunyume changu.”
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 Rubeni akamwambia baba yake, kusema, “Unaweza kuwaua wanangu wawili nisipomrudisha Benjamini kwako. Mweke mikononi mwangu, nami nitamrudisha tena kwako.”
Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “Kill my two sons, if I do not bring him to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him to you again.”
38 Yakobo akasema, “Mwanangu atashuka pamoja nanyi. Kwani ndugu yake amekufa na yeye peke yake amebaki. Ikiwa madhara yatampata katika njia mnayoiendea, ndipo mtakapozishusha mvi zangu kaburini kwa huzuni.” (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 gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol (Sheol h7585)."
