Mwanzo 43
1 Njaa ilikuwa kali katika nchi.
The famine in Canaan got worse.
2 Ikawa walipokuwa wametumia chakula chote walichokitoa Misri, baba yao akawambia, “Nendeni tena; mtununulie chakula.”
Finally, when Jacob and his family had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, Jacob said to them, “Go back to Egypt and buy some more grain for us!”
3 Yuda akamwambia, “Yule mtu alituonya kwa ukali, 'Hamtauona uso wangu ndugu yenu asipokuwa nanyi.'
But Judah said to him, “The man who sold us the grain warned us sternly, ‘I will not let you see me [SYN] again if you come and your younger brother is not with you.’
4 Ikiwa utamtuma ndugu yetu pamoja nasi, tutashuka na kuwanunulia chakula.
So, if you will send our younger brother with us, we will go down to Egypt and buy some grain for you.
5 Lakini usipompeleka, hatutashuka. Kwa maana yule mtu alitwambia, 'Hamtauona uso wangu ndugu yenu asipokuwa nanyi.”
But if you will not send him, we will not go down there, because that man said to us, ‘I will not let you see me again if your younger brother is not with you.’”
6 Israeli akawambia, “Kwa nini mlinitendea mimi vibaya hivyo kwa kumwambia mtu huyo kwamba mnaye ndugu mwingine?”
Jacob asked, “Why did you cause me to have this trouble by telling the man that you had a younger brother?”
7 Wakasema, “Yule mtu alituuliza habari zetu na familia yetu kwa kina. Akasema, 'Je baba yenu bado yuko hai? Je mnaye ndugu mwingine?'Tukamjibu kulingana na maswali haya. Tungejuaje kwamba angetwambia, 'Mleteni ndugu yenu?”
One of them replied, “The man asked about us and about our family. He said, ‘Is your father still living? Do you have another brother?’ We had to answer his questions. (We could not know that he would say, ‘The next time that you come down here, bring your brother with you!’/How could we know that he would say, ‘The next time that you come down here, bring your brother with you!’)” [RHQ]
8 Yuda akamwambia Israeli baba yake, “Mtume kijana pamoja nami. Tutainuka na kwenda ili kwamba tuishi tusife, wote sisi, wewe, na hata watoto wetu.
Then Judah said to his father Jacob, “Send the boy with me, and we will go immediately, in order that we and you and our children may get grain and not die from hunger.
9 Mimi nitakuwa mdhamini wake. Utaniwajibisha mimi. Kama nisipomleta na kumweka mbele yako, basi nibebe lawama daima.
I myself will guarantee that he will return. You can require me to do what I am promising [IDM]. If I do not bring him back to you safely, you can say forever that (I am to blame/it was my fault [that he did not return to you)].
10 Kwani kama tusingekawia, bila shaka hata sasa tungekuwa tumekwisha rudi mara ya pili.”
If we had not (wasted so much time/waited so long), by now we could have gone there and returned two times!”
11 Israeli baba yao akawambia, “Kama ni hivyo, basi fanyeni hivi. Chukueni baadhi ya mazao mazuri ya nchi katika mifuko yenu. Mchukulieni yule mtu zawadi: baadhi ya malhamu, asali, viungo na manemane, jozi na lozi.
Then their father Jacob said to them, “If there is no other way, do this: Put in your sacks some of the best things that are grown in this land, and take them down to the man as a gift. Take some balm/perfume and honey and spices and myrrh/ointment, some pistachio nuts, and almonds.
12 Chukueni pesa mara mbili mikononi mwenu. Pesa iliyorudishwa katika magunia yenu, muichukue tena katika mikono yenu. Pengine walikosea.
Take twice as much money as you took the previous time, because you must return the silver that someone put in the tops of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake that it was put in your sacks.
13 Mchukueni ndugu yenu pia. Inukeni na mwende tena kwa mtu yule.
Take your younger brother and go back to that man.
14 Mungu Mwenyezi na awape kuona rehema mbele ya huyo mtu, hivyo kwamba awafungulie ndugu yenu mwingine na Benjamini. Kama nikipotelewa na watoto, nimepotelewa.”
I will pray that God Almighty will cause that man to act mercifully toward you, so that he will let your other brother, as well as Benjamin, come back here with you. But as for me, if my sons are taken from me, then I will not have my sons!”
15 Watu wale wakachukua zawadi hii, na katika mikono yao wakachukua mara mbili ya kiasi cha pesa, pamoja na Benjamini. Wakaamka na kushuka Misri na kusimama mbele ya Yusufu.
So the men took the gifts that Jacob said that they should take, and twice the amount of money that the grain would cost, and they also took Benjamin. They went down quickly to Egypt, and they stood in front of Joseph.
16 Yusufu alipomwona Benjamini akiwa nao, akamwambia mtunzaji wa nyumba yake, “Walete watu hao ndani ya nyumba, chinja mnyama na umwandae, kwani watu hawa watakula chakula cha mchana pamoja nami.”
When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the man who (was in charge of/supervised) things in his house, “Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare a meal, because I want them to eat with me at noon.” [And he told him in what order they were to be seated].
17 Mtunzaji wa nyumba akafanya kama Yusufu alivyosema. Akawaleta wale watu nyumbani kwa Yusufu.
The man did as Joseph said. And he took them to Joseph’s house.
18 Wale ndugu wakaogopa kwa vile walivyoletwa katika nyumba ya Yusufu. Wakasema, “Ni kwa sababu ya pesa iliyorudishwa katika magunia yetu mara ya kwanza tulipoletwa ndani, kwamba atafute nafasi kinyume chetu. Kwamba aweze kutukamata na kutuchukua kama watumwa, na kuchukua punda wetu.” Wakamsogelea mtunzaji wa nyumba ya Yusufu,
But they were afraid because he was taking them to Joseph’s house. They were thinking, “He is taking us here because of the silver that was put in our sacks the first time that we came here. While we are eating, he will have his servants attack us and seize us and cause us to become his slaves, and also take our donkeys.”
19 nao wakaongea naye mlangoni mwa nyumba,
They went with the man who was in charge of things in Joseph’s house. When they arrived at the entrance of the house,
20 wakisema, “Bwana wangu, tulikuja mara ya kwanza kununua chakula.
one of them said to him, “Please, sir, listen to me. We came down here previously and bought some grain.
21 Ikawa, tulipofika katika eneo la kupumzikia, tukafungua magunia yetu, na, tazama, pesa ya kila mtu ilikuwa katika gunia lake, pesa yetu kwa kiasi kamili. Tumeileta katika mikono yetu.
But at the place where we stopped for the night as we were returning home, we opened our sacks. We were astonished to see that in the top of each of our sacks was the exact amount of silver that we had paid for the grain! So we have brought it back with us.
22 Tumekuja na pesa nyingine pia mikonon mwetu ili kununua chakula. Hatujui aliyeziweka pesa katika magunia yetu.”
We have also brought more silver with us to buy more grain. We do not know who put the silver in our sacks.”
23 Mtunzaji wa nyumba akasema, “Amani iwe kwenu, msiogope. Mungu wenu na Mungu wa baba yenu ndiye aliyeweka pesa katika magunia yenu. Nilipokea pesa yenu.” Kisha mtunzaji wa nyumba akamleta Simoni kwao.
The man replied, [“Relax]! Do not worry about it! I received the silver that you brought. Your God, the God your father worships, must have put it in your sacks.” And then he brought Simeon to them from the prison.
24 Msimamizi wa nyumba akawapeleka watu hao katika nyumba ya Yusufu. Akawapa maji, nao wakaosha miguu yao. Akawalisha punda wao.
Then he took them into Joseph’s house. He gave them water to wash their feet and gave them food for the donkeys.
25 Wakaandaa zawadi kwa ajili ya Yusufu aliyekuwa akija mchana, kwani walikuwa wamesikia kwamba watakula pale.
He told them that they were going to eat with Joseph at noon. So the men prepared their gifts to give to Joseph when he arrived.
26 Yusufu alipokuja nyumbani, wakaleta nyumbani zawadi iliyokuwa mikononi mwao, nao wakainama mbele yake hata chini.
When Joseph came home, they presented to him the gifts that they had brought into the house. Then they bowed down to the ground in front of him.
27 Akawauliza juu ya hali zao na kusema,”Je baba yenu hajambo, yule mzee mliyemnena? Je bado yu hai?”
He asked them if they were (well/in good health), and then he asked, “How is the health of your old father, the one that you told me about? Is he still living?”
28 Wakasema, “Mtumishi wako baba yetu hajambo. Na bado yu hai” Wakajinyenyekeza na kuinama chini.
One of them replied, “Yes, our father, [who is willing to be] your servant, is still alive, and he is well.” Then again they bowed down in front of him.
29 Alipoinua macho yake akamwona Benjamini ndugu yake, mwana wa mamaye, naye akasema, “Je huyu ndiye mdogo wenu mliyemsema?” Na kisha akasema, “Mungu na awe mwenye neema kwako, mwanangu.”
Then he saw his [younger] brother Benjamin, his own mother’s other son. He asked them, “Is this your youngest brother, the one whom you told me about?” After they said “Yes,” he said to Benjamin, “Young man, I pray that God will act kindly toward you.”
30 Yusufu akaharakisha kutoka chumbani, kwani aliguswa sana kuhusu nduguye. Akatafuta mahali pa kulia. Akaingia chumbani mwake na kulia umo.
Joseph quickly left the room. He realized that he was about to cry because he (was full of emotion about his younger brother/loved his younger brother so much). He went into his private room and cried there.
31 Akaosha uso wake na kutoka nje. Akajizuia mwenyewe, akasema, “karibuni chakula.”
Then, after he washed the tears from his face, he came out, and controlling his emotions, he said to the servants, “Serve the food!”
32 Watumishi wakamhudumia Yusufu peke yake na wale ndugu peke yao. Wamisri pale wakala pamoja naye peke yao kwa sababu Wamisri hawakuweza kula mkate na Waebrania, kwani hilo ni chukizo kwa Wamisri.
The people of Egypt considered that it was disgraceful for them to eat with Hebrews, so the servants served food to Joseph by himself, and served the other people of Egypt who ate with him by themselves, and they served Joseph’s older brothers and younger brother by themselves.
33 Wale ndugu wakakaa mbele yake, mzaliwa wa kwanza kwa kulingana na haki yake ya uzaliwa, na mdogo kulingana na ujana wake. Wale watu wakashangaa wote.
His brothers were astonished to see that their seats were arranged according to their ages, from the oldest to the youngest!
34 Yusufu akapeleka sehemu kwao kutoka katika chakula kilichokuwa mbele yake. Lakini sehemu ya Benjamini ilikuwa mara tano zaidi ya kila ndugu zake. Wakanywa na wakamfurahia.
And when their portions of food were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as anyone else’s portion! So they ate food and drank wine with Joseph and became very cheerful.
