Bgwilila kwe bakulu ba Josefa ku Egipiti
1 Bhamba lakabe lakabangalala zwalo mu shango. 2 Kukati baja zojiwa zose zwabakabe badwa nazo ku Egipiti, tate babo bakati ku bali, “Bgwililani munotitengela zwimwe zojiwa.”
3 Koga Juda kabe eti ku bali, “Nlume iwouje wakaleba ekowomesedza eti, ‘Andidi, kumubona kakale kuzhe kwe kuti mube muna nnung'una wenyu.’ 4 Ha mungatidumila kuyenda ne nnung'una wedu, tingayenda tikanomutengela zojiwa. 5 Koga ha mulamba naye, atingayende ngoti nlume iwouje wakati, ‘Andidi kumubona, kakale kuzhe kwe kuti mube muna nnung'una wenyu.’ ”
6 Iziraela kabe eti, “Makandizhisilani zogwadza zwakajali ngobudza nlume iwoyo kuti muna nnung'una kene?”
7 Ibo bakashandula beti, “Nlume iwoyo wakabe etibhuzwisisa nge kwedu nenge nsha wa kanyi kwedu eti, ‘Tate benyu banotjila kene? Muna nnung'una kene?’ Tjatakambudza takabe tidabila bhuzo dzidze. Takabe tingaziba tjini kuti unowoti, ‘Izhani ne nnung'una wenyu kene?’ ”
8 Juda kabe eti kuna tate babe Iziraela, “Mundipeni mbisana ndizo towotjimbidza milika tikayenda kuyita kuti iswi namwi ne bana bedu tisitongofa. 9 Imi nge kwangu ndowontjengeta. Ha tjimwe tjingan'wila mubhuzwe imi. Ha ndisabuya naye kumuli ali mpezha munditole ndili nlandu mu butjilo gwangu gose. 10 Ha takabe tisakanonoka tingabe takayenda tikabuya kabili.”
11 Ipapo tate babo Iziraela bakabadwa bakati, “Ha kwakafanila kuti kuijalo, thamani woku, pakani mu hwomo dzenyu zwipo zwakanaka zwinowang'wa mu shango iyeyi muyende nazo ku nlume ihwoyo. Mutole bhalimu ne butji gwe nyutji ne motsha ne nti we mira ne manongo ngosiyana kwawo ne mitjelo ye alimondi. 12 Muyende ne themba mbili dze mari ngoti makafanila bgwiliza iyawa amakawana mu hwomo dzenyu, Pamwe bakabe baleyanya. 13 Tolani nnung'una wenyu mumilike muyende ku nlume sangwenu. 14 Ndzimu Masimbawose umubhatshe kuyita kuti nlume iwoyo aletje Simiyoni na Bhenjamini babuye namwi. Nge kwangu ha ndalashikigwa ndalashikigwa.”
15 Ndizo balume ibaba bakatola zwipo izwezo ne themba ye mari ika bili, bakatola na Bhenjamini bakayenda ku Egipiti kuna Josefa. 16 Josefa kati ebona Bhenjamini anabo, kadwa ntjengeti we ng'umba iye kati, “Tola balume ibaba ubayise ku ng'umba yangu, ubulaye ithuwo ululwamise zojiwa. Banowoja nami masikati.” 17 Nlume iwoyo kathama sekwa abudziwa ndi Josefa, katola bathu ibabo kabayisa ku ng'umba ya Josefa.
18 Balume ibabo bakapaluka moyo pabakayisiwa ku ng'umba ya Josefa. Bakakumbula beti, “Tazhisiwa ngeno nge mari akabgwiliziwa mu hwomo dzedu mu gwendo gwe kutanga. Unoshaka kutinginilila, atikulile, atithame balanda babe atitolele madonki edu.” 19 Ndizo bakayenda ku ntjengeti wa Josefa bakalebeleka naye bali pa nkoba we ng'umba. 20 Bakabe beti kunli, “Tetshi wedu, takatongo zha pano tiwotenga zojiwa. 21 Koga kwakati patakalala tikazhula hwomo dzedu mmwe ne mmwe kawana mari awe mu hwomo iye, themba yose izhele. Ndizo wali tazha nayo kuizhisa. 22 Tazha ne mamwe mari kutenga zwimwe zojiwa. Atitoziba kuti ndiani wakabgwiliza mari edu mu hwomo dzedu.”
23 Ntjengeti iwoyo kabe eti, “Musidziyidzike, Musitje, Ndzimu wenyu, iwo Ndzimu wa tate benyu, ndiwo wakamulongela mari mu hwomo dzenyu. Imi ndakaamutjila mari enyu.” Ipapo kabe ezhisa Simiyoni ku bali.
24 Ntjengeti iwoyo katola balume ibabo kabalonga mu ng'umba ya Josefa kabapa vula kungula makumbo, kapa madonki abo zojiwa. 25 Bakalulwamisa zwipo zwabo kuzwipa Josefa ha eswika masikati ngobe bakabe bahwa kuti banowoja zojiwa zwe masikati ipapo. 26 Josefa kati eswika kanyi, bakangina mu ng'umba bakanthigamila bakampa zwipo zwabazha nazo. 27 Kababhuzwa mamuko eti, “Tate benyu bamakandibudza nge kwabo banomuka kene? Apa batjatjila zwabo?”
28 Ibo bakati, “Tate bedu, nlanda wenyu, batjatjila banomuka.” Ngono bakathigamila Josefa kunteta.
29 Josefa kati emilidza mesho kabona nnung'una uwe Bhenjamini mwana wa mmeyabe. Kabhuzwa kati, “Nditjo kologwe tjenyu itjetji tjamakandibudza nge kwatjo? Ndzimu ube nawe mwanangu.” 30 Josefa kati ebona nnung'una uwe kazhigwa nge shungu ngono kabhuda kashaka paangalililapo. Kangina mu ng'umba iye kalilila muili. 31 Kati asinongula buso gugwe kabhuda kazwisimisa kati, “Pakulani zojiwa.” 32 Bakapakulila Josefa tje kukwe, bakapakulila bana ba tate babe tje kwabo, Baegipiti banoja naye bakapakuligwa tje kwabo ngoti Baegipiti bakabe basingaje ne Bahebheru ngoti kuyila. 33 Bakulu babe bakagala mbeli kukwe nge kutobedzana sekwa bakazwagwa, kudwa ku mbano kunoti ku kologwe, ngono bakalingana bakatjenema. 34 Zojiwa zwikati zwipakugwa kudwa pa tafuli ya Josefa, Bhenjamini kapakuligwa ka shanu tjilizanyo tje mmwe ne mmwe wabo. Ndizo bakaja bakang'wa bakashatha naye.
Joseph's Brothers Return to Egypt with Benjamin
1 The famine in Canaan got worse, 2 and when the family of Jacob had eaten all the grain which had been brought from Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, “Go back and buy a little food for us.”
3 Judah said to him, “The man sternly warned us that we would not be admitted to his presence unless we had our brother with us. 4 If you are willing to send our brother with us, we will go and buy food for you. 5 If you are not willing, we will not go, because the man told us we would not be admitted to his presence unless our brother was with us.”
6 Jacob said, “Why did you cause me so much trouble by telling the man that you had another brother?”
7 They answered, “The man kept asking about us and our family, ‘Is your father still living? Do you have another brother?’ We had to answer his questions. How could we know that he would tell us to bring our brother with us?”
8 Judah said to his father, “Send the boy with me, and we will leave at once. Then none of us will starve to death. 9 I will pledge my own life, and you can hold me responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you safe and sound, I will always bear the blame. 10 If we had not waited so long, we could have been there and back twice by now.”
11 Their father said to them, “If that is how it has to be, then take the best products of the land in your packs as a present for the governor: a little resin, a little honey, spices, pistachio nuts, and almonds. 12 Take with you also twice as much money, because you must take back the money that was returned in the top of your sacks. Maybe it was a mistake. 13 Take your brother and return at once. 14 May Almighty God cause the man to have pity on you, so that he will give Benjamin and your other brother back to you. As for me, if I must lose my children, I must lose them.”
15 So the brothers took the gifts and twice as much money, and set out for Egypt with Benjamin. There they presented themselves to Joseph. 16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the servant in charge of his house, “Take these men to my house. They are going to eat with me at noon, so kill an animal and prepare it.” 17 The servant did as he was commanded and took the brothers to Joseph's house.
18 As they were being brought to the house, they were afraid and thought, “We are being brought here because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time. They will suddenly attack us, take our donkeys, and make us his slaves.” 19 So at the door of the house, they said to the servant in charge, 20 “If you please, sir, we came here once before to buy food. 21 When we set up camp on the way home, we opened our sacks, and each man found his money in the top of his sack—every bit of it. We have brought it back to you. 22 We have also brought some more money with us to buy more food. We do not know who put our money back in our sacks.”
23 The servant said, “Don't worry. Don't be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, must have put the money in your sacks for you. I received your payment.” Then he brought Simeon to them.
24 The servant took the brothers into the house. He gave them water so that they could wash their feet, and he fed their donkeys. 25 They got their gifts ready to present to Joseph when he arrived at noon, because they had been told that they were to eat with him. 26 When Joseph got home, they took the gifts into the house to him and bowed down to the ground before him. 27 He asked about their health and then said, “You told me about your old father—how is he? Is he still alive and well?”
28 They answered, “Your humble servant, our father, is still alive and well.” And they knelt and bowed down before him.
29 When Joseph saw his brother Benjamin, he said, “So this is your youngest brother, the one you told me about. God bless you, my son.” 30 Then Joseph left suddenly, because his heart was full of tender feelings for his brother. He was about to break down, so he went to his room and cried. 31 After he had washed his face, he came out, and controlling himself, he ordered the meal to be served. 32 Joseph was served at one table and his brothers at another. The Egyptians who were eating there were served separately, because they considered it beneath their dignity to eat with Hebrews. 33 The brothers had been seated at the table, facing Joseph, in the order of their age from the oldest to the youngest. When they saw how they had been seated, they looked at one another in amazement. 34 Food was served to them from Joseph's table, and Benjamin was served five times as much as the rest of them. So they ate and drank with Joseph until they were drunk.