Mwanzo 42
1 Basi Yakobo akafahamu kwamba kuna nafaka huko Misri. Akawambia wanawe, “Kwa nini mnatazamana?
When Jacob found out grain was available in Egypt, he asked his sons, “Why do you keep on looking at each other to do something?
2 Akasema, “Tazama, nimesikia kwamba kuna nafaka huko Misri. Shukeni huko mkatununulie chakula ili tuishi wala tusife.”
I've heard there's grain in Egypt. Go there and buy some for us so we can stay alive—if not, we're going to die!”
3 Ndugu kumi wa Yusufu wakashuka Misri kununua chakula.
So ten of Joseph's brothers went to Egypt to buy grain.
4 Lakini Benjamini, ndugu wa Yusufu, Yakobo hakumtuma na ndugu zake, kwani alihofu kwamba madhara yaweza kumpata.
But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother Benjamin with his other brothers, for he said, “I'm afraid something bad might happen to him.”
5 Wana wa Israeli wakaja kununua miongoni mwao waliokuja, kwani njaa ilikuwapo katika nchi ya Kanaani.
So Israel's sons went to buy grain along with everyone else, because there was famine in Canaan too.
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 of the country and he sold grain to all the people there. So Joseph's brothers went to him, and bowed low before him with their faces to the ground.
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 recognized them as soon as he saw them, but he acted like a stranger towards them and spoke to them in a severe way, saying, “Where are you from?” “From the country of Canaan,” they replied. “We've come to buy food.”
8 Yusufu akawatambua ndugu zake, lakini wao hawakumtambua.
Even though Joseph recognized his brothers, they didn't recognize him.
9 Yusufu akazikumbuka ndoto aliyoziota kuhusu wao. Akawambia, “Ninyi ni wapelelezi. Mmekuja kuona sehemu za nchi zisizolindwa.”
Joseph thought back to the dreams he'd had about them, and told them, “No! You're spies! You've come to discover our country's weaknesses!”
10 Wakamwambia, “Hapana, bwana wangu. Watumishi wako wamekuja kununua chakula.
“That's not true, my lord!” they responded. “We, your servants, have just come to buy food.
11 Sisi sote ni wana wa baba mmoja. Ni watu wa kweli. Watumishi wako siyo wapelelezi.”
We're all the sons of one man and we're honest. We're not spies!”
12 Akawambia, “Hapana, mmekuja kuangalia sehemu za nchi zisizolindwa.”
“No! You've come to find our country's weaknesses!” he insisted.
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.”
“Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man living in the country of Canaan,” they explained. “The youngest is right now with our father, and one has passed away.”
14 Yusufu akawambia, “Ndivyo nilivyowambia; ninyi ni wapelelezi.
“As I said before, you're spies!” Joseph declared.
15 Mtajaribiwa kwa njia hii. Kama aishivyo Farao, hamtaondoka hapa, mdogo wenu asipokuja hapa.
“This is how your story will be checked. I swear on Pharaoh's life that you'll never leave this country unless your younger brother comes here.
16 Mtumeni mmoja wenu amlete mdogo wenu. Mtabaki gerezani, hata maneno yenu yatakapothibitishwa, kwamba kuna ukweli ndani yenu.”
One of you go back and bring your other brother here. The others of you will be kept here in prison until it's clear that you're telling the truth. If not, then I swear on Pharaoh's life it proves you're spies!”
17 Akawaweka kifungoni kwa siku tatu.
So Joseph put all of them in prison for three days.
18 Katika siku ya tatu Yusufu akaongea nao, “Fanyeni hivi nanyi mtaishi, kwani ninamcha Mungu.
On the third day he told them, “Since I'm someone who respects God, do as I tell you and you'll live.
19 Kama ninyi ni watu wa kweli, mmoja wenu atazuiliwa hapa gerezani, lakini ninyi nendeni, chukueni nafaka kwa ajili ya nyumba zenu.
If you're truly honest, choose one of your brothers to stay here in prison. The rest of you can go back home with grain for your hungry families.
20 Mleteni mdogo wenu kwangu ili kwamba maneno yenu yathibitishwe nanyi hamtakufa.” Wakafanya hivyo.
But you must bring your youngest brother here to me to prove what you're saying is true. If not, you will all die.” They agreed to do this.
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.”
“Clearly we're being punished for what we did to our brother,” they said to each other. “We watched him in agony pleading with us for mercy, but we refused to listen to him. That's why we're in all this trouble.”
22 Rubeni akawajibu, “Je sikuwambia, 'Msitende dhambi juu ya kijana,' lakini hamkusikia? Basi, tazama, damu yake inatakiwa juu yetu.”
Reuben said to them, “Didn't I tell you, ‘Don't harm the boy!’ But you didn't listen to me. Now we're paying the price for what we did to him.”
23 Lakini hawakuja kwamba Yusufu anawaelewa, kwani kulikuwa na mkalimani kati yao.
They didn't realize that Joseph understood what they were saying because they were talking to him through an interpreter.
24 Akatoka kwao na kulia. Akarudi kwao na kuongea nao. Akamchukua Simoni miongoni mwao na kumfunga mbele ya macho yao.
Joseph stepped away from them because he started crying. He came back when he was able to speak to them again. He chose Simeon and had him tied up as they watched.
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.
Joseph gave the order to fill up their sacks with grain, and also to return the money they had paid by placing it in the sacks as well. He also ordered that they should be provided with food for their journey home. All this was done.
26 Hawa ndugu wakapandisha chakula chao juu ya punda zao na kuondoka pale.
The brothers loaded the grain onto their donkeys and then set off.
27 Mmoja wao alipofungua gunia lake ili kumlisha punda wao katika sehemu waliyokuwa, akaona pesa yake. Tazama, ilikuwa mdomoni mwa gunia lake.
On their way they stopped for the night, and one of them opened up his sack to give his donkey something to eat and saw his money there at the top of the 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 told his brothers, “My money's been returned to me. It's right here at the top of my sack!” They were horrified! Trembling with fear they asked each other, “What is this that God's done to us?”
29 Wakaenda kwa Yakobo, baba yao katika nchi ya Kanaani na kumwambia yote yaliyowapata.
When they arrived home in Canaan, they told their father Jacob everything that had happened.
30 Wakasema, “Yule mtu, bwana wa nchi, aliongea nasi kwa ukali na kutudhania kuwa wapelelezi katika nchi.
“The man who is the country's governor spoke to us in a severe way, and accused us of spying on the land,” they explained.
31 Tukamwambia, 'Tu watu wa kweli sisi. Sisi siyo wapelelezi.
“We told him, ‘We are honest men. We're not 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, the sons of one father. One has passed away and the youngest is right now with our father in the country 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.
Then the man who is the country's governor said to us, ‘This is how I'll find out if you're telling the truth: you are to leave one of your brothers here with me while the rest take grain home for your hungry families.
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.”
Then bring your youngest brother to me. That way I'll know you're not spies but you're telling the truth. I'll release your brother to you, and you can stay in the country and trade.’”
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, each one's money bag was there in his sack! When they and their father saw the money bags, they were horrified.
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 accused them, “You have taken Joseph from me—he's gone! Simeon is gone too! Now you want to take Benjamin away! I'm the one who's suffering from all of this!”
37 Rubeni akamwambia baba yake, kusema, “Unaweza kuwaua wanangu wawili nisipomrudisha Benjamini kwako. Mweke mikononi mwangu, nami nitamrudisha tena kwako.”
“You can kill my two sons if I don't bring him back to you,” Reuben assured him. “Trust me with him, and I will bring him home to you myself.”
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)
“My son won't go there with you!” Jacob declared. “His brother is dead, and he's the only one I have left. If anything bad happens to him on the journey you're planning, you'll send this old man to his grave in grief.” (Sheol h7585)
