1-2 Joseph took five of his brothers to the king and told him, “My father and my brothers have come from Canaan. They have brought their sheep, goats, cattle, and everything else they own to the region of Goshen.”
Then he introduced his brothers to the king, 3 who asked them, “What do you do for a living?”
“Sir, we are shepherds,” was their answer. “Our families have always raised sheep. 4 But in our country all the pastures are dried up, and our sheep have no grass to eat. So we, your servants, have come here. Please let us live in the region of Goshen.”
5 The king said to Joseph, “It's good that your father and brothers have arrived. 6 I will let them live anywhere they choose in the land of Egypt, but I suggest that they settle in Goshen, the best part of our land. I would also like for your finest shepherds to watch after my own sheep and goats.”
7 Then Joseph brought his father Jacob and introduced him to the king. Jacob gave the king his blessing, 8 and the king asked him, “How old are you?”
9 Jacob answered, “I have lived only 130 years, and I have had to move from place to place. My parents and my grandparents also had to move from place to place. But they lived much longer, and their life was not as hard as mine.” 10 Then Jacob gave the king his blessing once again and left. 11 Joseph obeyed the king's orders and gave his father and brothers some of the best land in Egypt near the city of Rameses. 12 Joseph also provided food for their families.
A Famine in Egypt
13 The famine was bad everywhere in Egypt and Canaan, and the people were suffering terribly. 14 So Joseph sold them the grain that had been stored up, and he put the money in the king's treasury. 15 But when everyone had run out of money, the Egyptians came to Joseph and demanded, “Give us more grain! If you don't, we'll soon be dead, because our money's all gone.”
16 “If you don't have any money,” Joseph answered, “give me your animals, and I'll let you have some grain.” 17 From then on, they brought him their horses and donkeys and their sheep and goats in exchange for grain.
Within a year Joseph had collected every animal in Egypt. 18 Then the people came to him and said:
Sir, there's no way we can hide the truth from you. We are broke, and we don't have any more animals. We have nothing left except ourselves and our land. 19 Don't let us starve and our land be ruined. If you'll give us grain to eat and seed to plant, we'll sell ourselves and our land to the king. We'll become his slaves.
20 The famine became so severe that Joseph finally bought every piece of land in Egypt for the king 21 and made everyone the king's slaves, 22 except the priests. The king gave the priests a regular food allowance, so they did not have to sell their land. 23 Then Joseph said to the people, “You and your land now belong to the king. I'm giving you seed to plant, 24 but one fifth of your crops must go to the king. You can keep the rest as seed or as food for your families.”
25 “Sir, you have saved our lives!” they answered. “We are glad to be slaves of the king.” 26 Then Joseph made a law that one fifth of the harvest would always belong to the king. Only the priests did not lose their land.
Jacob Becomes an Old Man
27 The people of Israel made their home in the land of Goshen, where they became prosperous and had large families. 28 Jacob himself lived there for 17 years, before dying at the age of 147. 29 When Jacob knew he did not have long to live, he called in Joseph and said, “If you really love me, you must make a solemn promise not to bury me in Egypt. 30 Instead, bury me in the place where my ancestors are buried.”
“I will do what you have asked,” Joseph answered.
31 “Will you give me your word?” Jacob asked.
“Yes, I will,” Joseph promised. After this, Jacob bowed down and prayed at the head of his bed.
1 Josefa kayenda kanobudza Faro eti, “Tate bangu ne bakulu bangu ne pkhwizi dzabo ne ng'ombe ne tjimwe ne tjimwe bazha bedwa ku shango ye Kanana ngono baku Gosheni.” 2 Katola bali bashanu be bakulu babe kabayisa kuna Faro. 3 Faro kababhuzwa kati, “Nshingo wenyu ini?” Ibo bakadabila beti, “Ti bathuwi be pkhwizi ne mbudzi sa botate bedu bakabe bali bathuwi.” 4 Bakabe beti kuna Faro, “Tazha kowokumbila kugala mu shango yenyu ngoti bhamba ligulu ku Kanana, zwithuwo zwedu azwina mafulo. Ndizo tomukumbila muletje tigale mu Gosheni.” 5 Faro kadwa Josefa kati, “Tate babo ne bakulu babo bazha ku kuli, 6 ngono shango ye Egipiti unoibona, gadza tate babo ne bakulu babo mu ntuthu mbuya we shango. Ubagadze mu Gosheni. Ha ili kuti unoziba kuna bamwe mu bali banotubula bali majatu uthame kuti babe batjengeti be zwithuwo zwangu.”
7 Ipapo Josefa kazhisa tate babe Jakubo kuna Faro. Jakubo kakombolela Faro, 8 Faro kambhuzwa eti, “Muna makole mangana?”
9 Jakubo kadabila Faro eti, “Makole e kutjila kwangu ndiyenda yenda mu shango i zana lina makumi matatu (130), makole angu mafupi muna a bobatategulu bangu koga akabe makole akasima anolema.” 10 Jakubo kakombolela Faro kabhuda kayendazwe. 11 Ndizo Josefa kagadza tate babe mu shango ye Egipiti, kabapa thundu mu magalo mabuya e shango, mu ntuthu we Ramesesi sekwa akabe adwiwa ndi Faro. 12 Josefa kapa tate babe ne bakulu babe ne phuli yose ye nsha wa tate babe zojiwa kuyenda nge kuti bangana.
Bhamba
13 Kwakabe kusina zojiwa mu shango yose ngoti bhamba lakabe lili gulu, shango ye Egipiti ne Kanana dzakabe dzapaladziwa nge bhamba. 14 Josefa kakubunganya mari wose akabe angawang'wa mu Egipiti ne mu Kanana kutenga mathunde ngono kaayisa ku ng'umba ya Faro ye bushe. 15 Kukati mari e bathu be Egipiti nebe Kanana abapelela, Baegipiti bose bakazha kuna Josefa bakati kunli, “Utipe zojiwa. Apa tingafa wakatilinga? Mari edu apela.”
16 Josefa kabadabila eti, “Zhisani zwithuwo zwenyu, ndowotenganya zojiwa nge zwithuwo zwenyu se mari enyu apela.” 17 Ndizo bakazhisa zwithuwo zwabo kuna Josefa, iye kabapa zojiwa etetshanya nge mbizi dzabo ne pkhwizi dzabo ne mbudzi ne ng'ombe dzabo ne madonki. Kapitsha gole ilelo ebapa zojiwa etenganya nge zwithuwo zwabo.
18 Gole ilelo likati lapela, bakazha kunli muna linolitobela bakati, “Atingasumbikile tetshi zibo yekuti mari edu akapela ne zwithuwo zwedu zwabe zwenyu, akutjina tjatisalila tetshi wedu kuzhe kwe mibili yedu ne minda yedu. 19 Tingafa ne bana bedu ne minda yedu ingabe makula makatilinga kene? Mutitenge iswi ne minda yedu, mutetshanye nge zojiwa, iswi ne minda yedu towobe balanda ba Faro. Mutipe mbewu kuyita kuti titjile tisife nge zhala ne kuti minda isibe makula.”
20 Ndizo Josefa katenga minda yose mu Egipiti ikabe ya Faro. Baegipiti bose bakatengesa minda yabo ngoti bhamba lakabe lakababangalalila. Minda yose ikabe ya Faro. 21 Josefa kathama bathu bakabe balanda mu mizi Egipiti yose. 22 Ne kwakajalo minda yaasakatenga nge ye bapirisiti ngoti ibo bakabe bana gobe kudwa kuna Faro, ndizo bakabe bana zojiwa zwakalizana. Ndizo basakatengesa minda yabo wali. 23 Ipapo Josefa kadwa bathu kati, “Nasi ndamutenga ndimutengela Faro, mbewu eyi dzwalani mu minda. 24 Ngono nge tjibaka tje kuvuna, saka le bushanu mu masaka ali mashanu mulipe Faro. Manna asala mubige mbewu, kumwe zwibe zojiwa zwenyu ne be misha yenyu.”
25 Bathu bakashandula beti, “Matitjidza, nge kube ne ngoni mutili, ha kushathisa tetshi wedu, towobe balanda ba Faro.” 26 Ndizo Josefa kathama kuti kube nlayo mu Egipiti, na nasi utjashinga, saka le bushanu mu masaka ali mashanu nge la Faro. Minda dze bapirisiti koga ndidzo dzakabe dzisidza Faro.
Kukumbila kwa Josefa kwe bupelo
27 Baiziraela bakagala mu shango ye Egipiti mu ntuthu we Gosheni. Bakathama fumwa ikoko bakabe ne mbeleko bakawanda kukulu kwazo. 28 Jakubo wakagala makole ali gumi lina ali kutendeka mu shango ye Egipiti. Makole wose e bupenyu gugwe makole ali zana lina makumi manna ana ali kutendeka (147). 29 Tjibaka tjekuti Iziraela afe tjikati tjiswika kadana nkololo uwe Josefa kandwa kati, “Ha ndiamutjilika mukuli milidza luboko gugo utune kuti unowondithamila buthu ne lebeswa. Usindibiganye mu Egipiti. 30 Ha ndifa nditobela botate bangu, undisenge undiduse mu Egipiti, unondibiganya pabakabiganyiwa.” Josefa kashandula eti, “Ndowothama sekwa maleba.” 31 Iziraela kabe eti, “Tuna.” Ipapo Josefa katuna. Iziraela kakotamisa nsholo uwe pa bulawo gugwe.