1
Basi Yakobo akaona ya kuwa kuna nafaka katika Misri, Yakobo akawaambia wanawe, Kwa nini mnatazamana?
When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?”
2
Akasema, Angalia, nimesikia ya kuwa kuna nafaka Misri; shukeni huko mkatununulie chakula, tupate kuishi wala tusife.
“Look,” he added, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die.”
3
Basi ndugu kumi wa Yusufu wakashuka Misri ili wanunue nafaka.
So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.
4
Walakini Benyamini, ndugu wa Yusufu, Yakobo hakumpeleka pamoja na ndugu zake, maana alisema, Mabaya yasimpate.
But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “I am afraid that harm might befall him.”
5
Wana wa Israeli wakaja wanunue chakula miongoni mwao waliokuja, kwa kuwa kulikuwa na njaa katika nchi ya Kanaani.
So the sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain, since the famine had also spread to the land of Canaan.
6
Naye Yusufu alikuwa ni liwali juu ya nchi, ndiye aliyewauzia watu wote wa nchi. Nao ndugu zake Yusufu wakaja, wakainama kifudifudi mbele yake.
Now Joseph was the ruler of the land; he was the one who sold grain to all its people. So when his brothers arrived, they bowed down before him with their faces to the ground.
7
Yusufu akawaona nduguze, akawatambua, lakini alijifanya kama mgeni kwao. Akasema nao kwa maneno makali, akawaambia, Mmetoka wapi ninyi? Wakasema. Tumetoka nchi ya Kanaani, ili tununue chakula.
And when Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them as strangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where have you come from?” he asked. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We are here to buy food.”
8
Yusufu akawatambua nduguze, bali wao hawakumtambua yeye.
Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.
9
Yusufu akazikumbuka zile ndoto alizowaotea. Akawaambia, Wapelelezi ninyi, mmekuja ili mwuone utupu wa nchi.
Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said, “You are spies! You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.”
10
Wakamwambia, Hasha, bwana, watumwa wako tumekuja ili tununue chakula.
“Not so, my lord,” they replied. “Your servants have come to buy food.
11
Sisi sote ni wana wa mtu mmoja tu watu wa kweli sisi; watumwa wako si wapelelezi.
We are all sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies.”
12
Akawaambia, Sivyo, mmekuja ili mwuone utupu wa nchi.
“No,” he told them. “You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.”
13
Wakamwambia, Sisi watumwa wako tu ndugu kumi na wawili, wana wa mtu mmoja katika nchi ya Kanaani; na mdogo wetu yuko pamoja na baba yetu leo, na mmoja hayuko.
But they answered, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.”
14
Yusufu akawaambia, Ndivyo nilivyowaambia, nikisema, Wapelelezi ninyi.
Then Joseph declared, “Just as I said, you are spies!
15
Mtabainika kwa njia hii; aishivyo Farao, hamtoki hapa, asipokuja huku huyo ndugu yenu mdogo.
And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here.
16
Mpelekeni mmoja wenu, aende akamlete ndugu yenu, na ninyi mtafungwa, hata maneno yenu yahakikishwe, kama mna kweli ninyi; ikiwa sivyo, aishivyo Farao, ninyi ni wapelelezi.
Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be confined so that the truth of your words may be tested. If they are untrue, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!”
17
Akawatia wote gerezani siku tatu.
So Joseph imprisoned them for three days,
18
Yusufu akawaambia siku ya tatu, Fanyeni hivi, mkaishi, maana mimi namcha Mungu.
and on the third day he said to them, “I fear God. So do this and you will live:
19
Kama ni wa kweli ninyi ndugu yenu mmoja na afungwe gerezani, nanyi nendeni mkachukue nafaka kwa njaa ya nyumba zenu,
If you are honest, leave one of your brothers in custody while the rest of you go and take back grain to relieve the hunger of your households.
20
mkamlete ndugu yenu mdogo kwangu; hivyo maneno yenu yatahakikishwa, wala hamtakufa. Ndivyo walivyofanya.
Then bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be verified, that you may not die.” And to this they consented.
21
Wakaambiana, Kweli sisi tulimkosa ndugu yetu, kwa kuwa tuliona shida ya roho yake, alipotusihi, wala hatukusikia kwa hiyo shida hii imetupata.
Then they said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.”
22
Reubeni akajibu, akawaambia, Sikuwaambia, nikisema, msimkose kijana? Wala hamkusikia; kwa hiyo damu yake inatakwa tena.
And Reuben responded, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you would not listen. Now we must account for his blood!”
23
Wala hawakujua ya kwamba Yusufu anawasikia, kwa sababu alikuwapo mkalimani kati yao.
They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them.
24
Akajitenga nao akalia. Kisha akawarudia, na kusema nao, akamtwaa Simeoni miongoni mwao, akamfunga mbele ya macho yao.
And he turned away from them and wept. When he turned back and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes.
25
Yusufu akaamuru kuvijaza vyombo vyao nafaka, na kumrudishia kila mtu fedha yake katika gunia lake, na kuwapa chakula cha njiani.
Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to return each man’s silver to his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out,
26
Navyo ndivyo walivyofanyiwa. Wakaweka nafaka yao juu ya punda zao, wakatoka huko.
and they loaded the grain on their donkeys and departed.
27
Mmoja wao alipofungua gunia lake ili ampe punda wake chakula katika nyumba ya wageni, aliiona fedha yake; kumbe! Iko kinywani mwa gunia lake.
At the place where they lodged for the night, one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of the sack.
28
Akawaambia nduguze, Fedha yangu imerudishwa, angalia, imo humo guniani mwangu. Mioyo yao ikazimia, wakageukiana wakitetemeka, wakasema, N'nini hii Mungu aliyotutendea?
“My silver has been returned!” he said to his brothers. “It is here in my sack.” Their hearts sank, and trembling, they turned to one another and said, “What is this that God has done to us?”
29
Wakaja kwa Yakobo, baba yao, katika nchi ya Kanaani, wakampasha habari za yote yaliyowapata, wakisema,
When they reached their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they described to him all that had happened to them:
30
Mtu yule aliye bwana wa nchi alisema nasi kwa maneno makali, akatufanya tu wapelelezi wa nchi.
“The man who is lord of the land spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country.
31
Tukamwambia, Tu watu wa kweli sisi, wala si wapelelezi.
But we told him, ‘We are honest men, not spies.
32
Sisi tu ndugu kumi na wawili, wana wa baba yetu. Mmoja hayuko, na mdogo wetu yuko pamoja na baba yetu leo katika nchi ya Kanaani.
We are twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in the land of Canaan.’
33
Yule mtu, bwana wa nchi, akatuambia, Kwa njia hii nitawajua kama ninyi ni watu wa kweli; ndugu yenu mmoja mwacheni huku kwangu, kachukueni nafaka kwa njaa ya nyumba zenu, mwende zenu.
Then the man who is lord of the land said to us, ‘This is how I will know whether you are honest: Leave one brother with me, take food to relieve the hunger of your households, and go.
34
Mkaniletee ndugu yenu mdogo; ndipo nitakapojua kama ninyi si wapelelezi, bali ni watu wa kweli; basi nitawarudishia ndugu yenu, nanyi mtafanya biashara katika nchi hii.
But bring your youngest brother back to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men. Then I will give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the land.’”
35
Ikawa walipomimina magunia yao, kumbe! Bahasha ya fedha ya kila mtu imo katika gunia lake. Nao walipoziona bahasha za fedha zao, wao na baba yao waliogopa.
As they began emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his bag of silver! And when they and their father saw the bags of silver, they were dismayed.
36
Yakobo baba yao akawaambia, Mmeniondolea watoto wangu; Yusufu hayuko, wala Simeoni hayuko, na Benyamini mnataka kumchukua naye; mambo hayo yote yamenipata mimi.
Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my sons. Joseph is gone and Simeon is no more. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is going against me!”
37
Reubeni akamwambia babaye, akasema, Uwaue wanangu wawili nisipomrudisha kwako; mtie katika mikono yangu, nami nitamrudisha kwako.
Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I fail to bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him.”
38
Akasema, Mwanangu hatashuka pamoja nanyi, maana nduguye amekufa, naye amesalia peke yake; mabaya yakimpata katika njia mtakayoiendea ndipo mtakaposhusha mvi zangu kwa sikitiko mpaka kaburini.</p>
But Jacob replied, “My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If any harm comes to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.”