Mwanzo 42
1 Basi Yakobo akafahamu kwamba kuna nafaka huko Misri. Akawambia wanawe, “Kwa nini mnatazamana?
Now when Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?
2 Akasema, “Tazama, nimesikia kwamba kuna nafaka huko Misri. Shukeni huko mkatununulie chakula ili tuishi wala tusife.”
And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt: go down there, and buy for us from there; that we may live, and not die.
3 Ndugu kumi wa Yusufu wakashuka Misri kununua chakula.
And Joseph’s ten brethren went down to buy grain in Egypt.
4 Lakini Benjamini, ndugu wa Yusufu, Yakobo hakumtuma na ndugu zake, kwani alihofu kwamba madhara yaweza kumpata.
But Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest perhaps harm shall befall him.
5 Wana wa Israeli wakaja kununua miongoni mwao waliokuja, kwani njaa ilikuwapo katika nchi ya Kanaani.
And the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those that 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.
And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed themselves before 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.”
And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange to them, and spoke roughly to them; and he said to them, Where do you come from? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.
8 Yusufu akawatambua ndugu zake, lakini wao hawakumtambua.
And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.
9 Yusufu akazikumbuka ndoto aliyoziota kuhusu wao. Akawambia, “Ninyi ni wapelelezi. Mmekuja kuona sehemu za nchi zisizolindwa.”
And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said to them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land have ye come.
10 Wakamwambia, “Hapana, bwana wangu. Watumishi wako wamekuja kununua chakula.
And they said to him, No, my lord, but to buy food have thy servants come.
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, thy servants are no spies.
12 Akawambia, “Hapana, mmekuja kuangalia sehemu za nchi zisizolindwa.”
And he said to them, No, but to see the nakedness of the land have ye come.
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.”
And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.
14 Yusufu akawambia, “Ndivyo nilivyowambia; ninyi ni wapelelezi.
And Joseph said to them, That is what I spoke to you, saying, Ye are spies:
15 Mtajaribiwa kwa njia hii. Kama aishivyo Farao, hamtaondoka hapa, mdogo wenu asipokuja hapa.
By this ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth from here, except your youngest brother shall come 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 bring your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there is any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies.
17 Akawaweka kifungoni kwa siku tatu.
And he put them all together into prison three days.
18 Katika siku ya tatu Yusufu akaongea nao, “Fanyeni hivi nanyi mtaishi, kwani ninamcha Mungu.
And Joseph said to them the third day, This do, 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 ye are honest men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry grain for the famine of your houses:
20 Mleteni mdogo wenu kwangu ili kwamba maneno yenu yathibitishwe nanyi hamtakufa.” Wakafanya hivyo.
But bring your youngest brother to me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And 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.”
And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.
22 Rubeni akawajibu, “Je sikuwambia, 'Msitende dhambi juu ya kijana,' lakini hamkusikia? Basi, tazama, damu yake inatakiwa juu yetu.”
And Reuben answered them, saying, Did I not speak to you, saying, Do not sin against the young man; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.
23 Lakini hawakuja kwamba Yusufu anawaelewa, kwani kulikuwa na mkalimani kati yao.
And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spoke to them by an interpreter.
24 Akatoka kwao na kulia. Akarudi kwao na kuongea nao. Akamchukua Simoni miongoni mwao na kumfunga mbele ya macho yao.
And he turned himself away from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and spoke with them, and took from them Simeon, 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 commanded to fill their sacks with grain, and to restore every man’s money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he to them.
26 Hawa ndugu wakapandisha chakula chao juu ya punda zao na kuondoka pale.
And they loaded their donkeys with the 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.
And as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey feed at the inn, he discovered his money; for, behold, it was in his sack’s mouth.
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?”
And he said to his brethren, My money is restored; and, see, it is even in my sack: and their heart failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this that God hath done to us?
29 Wakaenda kwa Yakobo, baba yao katika nchi ya Kanaani na kumwambia yote yaliyowapata.
And they came to Jacob their father to the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell them; saying,
30 Wakasema, “Yule mtu, bwana wa nchi, aliongea nasi kwa ukali na kutudhania kuwa wapelelezi katika nchi.
The man, who is the lord of the land, spoke roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.
31 Tukamwambia, 'Tu watu wa kweli sisi. Sisi siyo wapelelezi.
And 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 brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day 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.
And the man, the lord of the country, said to us, By this shall I know that ye are honest men; leave one of your brethren here with me, and take food for the famine of your households, and depart:
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.”
And bring your youngest brother to me: then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are honest men: then will I deliver to you your brother, and ye 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.
And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack: and when they and their father saw the 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.”
And Jacob their father said to them, Me have ye bereaved: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will 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.”
And Reuben spoke to his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee 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)
And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if harm shall befall him by the way in which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. (Sheol h7585)
