< Mwanzo 47 >
1 Kisha Yusufu akaingia kwa Farao na kumwambia, “Baba yangu na ndugu zangu, kondoo wao, mbuzi wao, na yote waliyonayo, wamefika kutoka katika nchi ya Kanaani. Tazama, wapo katika nchi ya Gosheni.”
Then came Joseph and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brothers, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen.
2 Akawachukua watano katika ndugu zake na kuwatambulisha kwa Farao.
And he took some of his brothers, five men, and presented them before Pharaoh.
3 Farao akawambia ndugu zake, “Kazi yenu ni nini?” Wakamwambia Farao, “Watumishi wako ni wafugaji, kama mababu zetu.”
And Pharaoh said unto his brothers, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, as also our fathers.
4 Kisha wakamwambia Farao, “Tumekuja kukaa kwa muda katika nchi. Hakuna malisho kwa ajili ya makundi ya watumishi wako, kwa maana njaa ni kali sana katika nchi ya Kanaani. Hivyo, tafadhari waache watumishi wako wakae katika nchi ya Gosheni.”
They said moreover unto Pharaoh, To sojourn in the land are we come; because there is no pasture for the flocks of thy servants, for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan; and now let thy servants dwell, we pray thee, in the land of Goshen.
5 Kisha Farao akamwambia Yusufu, kusema, “Baba yako na ndugu zako wamekuja kwako.
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, thus, Thy father and thy brothers are come unto thee:
6 Nchi ya Misri iko mbele yako. Mkalishe baba yako na ndugu zako katika eneo zuri, nchi ya Gosheni. Ikiwa unafahamu watu wenye uwezo miongoni mwao, uwaweke kuwatunza wanyama wangu.”
The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land let thy father and brothers dwell; let them dwell in the land of Goshen; and if thou knowest that there are among them men of activity, then appoint them rulers over my cattle.
7 Kisha Yusufu akamwingiza Yakobo baba yake na kumweka mbele ya Farao. Yakobo akambariki Farao.
And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and placed him before Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.
8 Farao akamwambia Yakobo, “Umeishi kwa muda gani?”
And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou?
9 Yakobo akamwambia Farao, “Miaka ya safari zangu ni mia moja na thelathini. Miaka ya maisha yangu imekuwa mifupi na ya maumivu. Siyo kama miaka ya baba zangu.”
And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years: few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.
10 Kisha Yakobo akambariki Farao na kuondoka mbele zake.
And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.
11 Kisha Yusufu akamweka baba yake na ndugu zake. Akawapa eneo katika nchi ya Misri, sehemu nzuri sana ya nchi, katika eneo la Ramesesi, kama Farao alivyokuwa ameagiza.
And Joseph assigned places of residence for his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Ra'meses, as Pharaoh had commanded.
12 Yusufu akamhudumia baba yake kwa chakula, ndugu zake, na nyumba yote ya baba yake, kulingana na hesabu ya wahitaji wao.
And Joseph supplied his father, and his brothers, and all his father's household, with bread, in proportion to their families.
13 Basi hakukuwa na chakula katika nchi yote; kwani njaa ilikuwa kali sana. Nchi ya Misri na nchi ya Kanaani ikaharibika kwa sababu ya njaa.
And there was no bread in all the land: for the famine was very sore; and the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine.
14 Yusufu akakusanya pesa yote iliyokuwa katika nchi ya Misri na nchi ya Kanaani, kwa kuwauzia wakaaji wake chakula. Kisha Yusufu akaleta ile pesa katika kasri la Farao.
And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought; and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house.
15 Pesa yote ya nchi za Misri na Kanaani ilipokwisha, Wamisri wote wakaja kwa Yusufu wakisema, “Tupe chakula! Kwa nini tufe mbele zako kwa maana pesa yetu imekwisha?”
And when the money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread, for why should we die in thy presence, since the money is all gone?
16 Yusufu akasema, “Ikiwa pesa yenu imekwisha, leteni wanyama wenu nami nitawapa chakula badala ya wanyama wenu.”
And Joseph said, Give up your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if the money be all gone.
17 Hivyo wakaleta wanyama wao kwa Yusufu. Yusufu akawapa chakula kwa kubadilishana na farasi, kondoo, mbuzi na kwa punda. Akawalisha kwa mkate kwa kubadilisha na wanyama wao mwaka ule.
And they brought their cattle unto Joseph; and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for the flocks of sheep, and for the herds of cattle, and for the asses; and he supplied them with bread for all their cattle for that year.
18 Mwaka ule ulipokwisha, wakaja kwake mwaka uliofuata na kumwambia, “Hatutaficha kwa bwana wangu kwamba pesa yetu yote imekwisha, na wanyama ni wa bwana wangu. Hakuna kilichobaki mbele za bwana wangu, isipokuwa miili yetu na nchi yetu.
And when that year was ended, they came unto him in the second year, and said unto him, We will not hide it from my lord, how that our money with our herds of cattle hath entirely passed into the possession of my lord; there is naught left in sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our land.
19 Kwa nini tufe mbele za macho yake, sisi na nchi yetu? Utununue sisi na nchi yetu badala ya chakula, na sisi na nchi yetu tutakuwa watumishi wa Farao. Tupe mbegu ili kwamba tuishi na tusife, na kwamba nchi isiwe tupu bila watu.
Wherefore shall we die before thy eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread; and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh; and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, and that the land be not rendered desolate.
20 Hivyo Yusufu akamnunulia Farao nchi yote ya Misri. Kwani kila Mmisri akauza shamba lake, kwa sababu njaa ilikuwa kali sana. Kwa njia hii, nchi ikawa mali ya Farao.
And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over them: so the land became Pharaoh's.
21 Na watu, akawafanya kuwa watumwa kutoka mpaka mmoja wa Misri hata mkapa mwingine.
And as for the people, he removed them to the cities, from one end of the borders of Egypt to the other end thereof.
22 Ilikuwa ni nchi ya makuhani pekee ambayo Yusufu hakuinunua, kwa maana makuhani walikuwa wakipewa posho. Walikula katika sehemu aliyowapa Farao. Kwa hiyo hawakuuza nchi yao.
Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion assigned them by Pharaoh, and they ate their portion which Pharaoh gave them: therefore they did not sell their land.
23 Kisha Yusufu akawambia watu, “Tazama, nimewanunua ninyi na nchi yenu leo kwa ajili ya Farao. Basi mbegu hii hapa kwa ajili yenu, nanyi mtapanda katika nchi.
Then said Joseph unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and sow ye the land.
24 Wakati wa mavuno, mtampa Farao sehemu ya tano, na sehemu nne zitakuwa zenu, kwa mbegu za shamba na kwa chakula cha nyumba zenu na watoto wenu.”
And it shall come to pass in the harvest times, that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh; and four parts shall be your own, for the seed of the field, and for your food, and for those belonging to your households, and for food for your little ones.
25 Wakasema, “Umeokoa maisha yetu. Na tupate kibali machoni pako. Tutakuwa watumishi wa Farao.”
And they said, Thou hast saved our lives: let us but find grace in the eyes of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants.
26 Hivyo Yusufu akaifanya kuwa sheria inayofanya kazi hata leo katika nchi ya Misri, kwamba moja ya tano ni ya Farao. Eneo la makuhani peke yake ndo halikufanywa kuwa la Farao.
And Joseph made it a statute unto this day over the land of Egypt, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part; except the land of the priests alone became not Pharaoh's.
27 Hivyo Israeli akaishi katika nchi ya Misri, katika eneo la Gosheni. Watu wake wakapata umiliki pale. Walikuwa wenye kuzaa na kuongezeka sana.
And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and were fruitful, and multiplied exceedingly.
28 Yakobo akaishi katika nchi ya Misri miaka kumi na saba, kwa hiyo miaka ya maisha ya Yakobo ilikuwa miaka mia moja arobaini na saba.
And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years: and the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were one hundred forty and seven years.
29 Wakati wa kufa kwake Yakobo ulipokaribia, alimwita Yusufu mwanaye na kumwambia, “Ikiwa nimepata kibali mbele zako, weka mkono wako chini ya paja langu, na unitendee kwa uaminifu na kweli. Tafadhari usinizike Misri.
And when the time of Israel drew near that he was to die, he sent to call his son Joseph, and said unto him, if now I have found grace in thy eyes, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh; and deal with me in kindness and truth; bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt.
30 Nitakapolala na baba zangu, utanitoa Misri na kunizika katika eneo la kuzikia la baba zangu.” Yusufu akasema, “Nitafanya kama ulivyosema.”
But when I shall lie with my fathers, thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their burying-place. And he said, I will do as thou hast said.
31 Israeli akasema, “Niapie,” na Yusufu akamwapia. Kisha Israeli akainama chini mbele ya kitanda chake.
And he said, Swear unto me; and he swore unto him; and Israel bowed himself upon the head of the bed.