The second journey to Egypt
1Now the famine was still severe in the land. 2So when they had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, ‘Go back and buy us a little more food.’
3But Judah said to him, ‘The man warned us solemnly, “You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.” 4If you will send our brother along with us, we will go down and buy food for you. 5But if you will not send him, we will not go down, because the man said to us, “You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.” ’
6Israel asked, ‘Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man you had another brother?’
7They replied, ‘The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our family. “Is your father still living?” he asked us. “Do you have another brother?” We simply answered his questions. How were we to know he would say, “Bring your brother down here”?’
8Then Judah said to Israel his father, ‘Send the boy along with me and we will go at once, so that we and you and our children may live and not die. 9I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life. 10As it is, if we had not delayed, we could have gone and returned twice.’
11Then their father Israel said to them, ‘If it must be, then do this: put some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift – a little balm and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds. 12Take double the amount of silver with you, for you must return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake. 13Take your brother also and go back to the man at once. 14And may God Almighty43:14 Hebrew El-Shaddai grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.’
15So the men took the gifts and double the amount of silver, and Benjamin also. They hurried down to Egypt and presented themselves to Joseph. 16When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, ‘Take these men to my house, slaughter an animal and prepare a meal; they are to eat with me at noon.’
17The man did as Joseph told him and took the men to Joseph’s house. 18Now the men were frightened when they were taken to his house. They thought, ‘We were brought here because of the silver that was put back into our sacks the first time. He wants to attack us and overpower us and seize us as slaves and take our donkeys.’
19So they went up to Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. 20‘We beg your pardon, our lord,’ they said, ‘we came down here the first time to buy food. 21But at the place where we stopped for the night we opened our sacks and each of us found his silver – the exact weight – in the mouth of his sack. So we have brought it back with us. 22We have also brought additional silver with us to buy food. We don’t know who put our silver in our sacks.’
23‘It’s all right,’ he said. ‘Don’t be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks; I received your silver.’ Then he brought Simeon out to them.
24The steward took the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet and provided fodder for their donkeys. 25They prepared their gifts for Joseph’s arrival at noon, because they had heard that they were to eat there.
26When Joseph came home, they presented to him the gifts they had brought into the house, and they bowed down before him to the ground. 27He asked them how they were, and then he said, ‘How is your aged father you told me about? Is he still living?’
28They replied, ‘Your servant our father is still alive and well.’ And they bowed down, prostrating themselves before him.
29As he looked about and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son, he asked, ‘Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?’ And he said, ‘God be gracious to you, my son.’ 30Deeply moved at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept there.
31After he had washed his face, he came out and, controlling himself, said, ‘Serve the food.’
32They served him by himself, the brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, for that is detestable to Egyptians. 33The men had been seated before him in the order of their ages, from the firstborn to the youngest; and they looked at each other in astonishment. 34When portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as anyone else’s. So they feasted and drank freely with him.
Ulendo Wachiwiri wa ku Igupto
1Njala inakula kwambiri mʼdzikomo. 2Tsono atatha kudya tirigu yense amene anakatenga ku Igupto, Yakobo anati kwa ana ake aja, “Pitani kuti mukatigulire chakudya china pangʼono.”
3Koma Yuda anati kwa iye, “Munthu uja anatichenjeza monenetsa kuti, ‘Simudzandionanso ine pokhapokha mutabwera ndi mngʼono wanu.’ 4Mukalola kuti mngʼono wathuyu apite nafe, ndiye ife tidzapita kukakugulirani chakudya. 5Koma mukapanda kumulola, ife sitipita, chifukwa munthuyo anatiwuza kuti, ‘Simudzandionanso pokhapokha mutabwera ndi mngʼono wanuyo.’ ”
6Tsono Israeli anafunsa kuti, “Bwanji inu munandiputira mavuto oterewa pomuwuza munthuyo kuti muli ndi mʼbale wanu wina?”
7Iwo anayankha, “Munthuyo ankangofunsafunsa za ife ndi za banja lathu. Iye anatifunsa kuti, ‘Kodi abambo anu akanali ndi moyo? Kodi muli ndi mʼbale wanu wina?’ Ife tinkangoyankha mafunso ake. Ife tikanadziwa bwanji kuti adzanena kuti, ‘Mubwere naye kuno mʼbale wanu’?”
8Ndipo Yuda anati kwa Israeli abambo ake, “Muloleni mnyamatayo apite ndi ine, ndipo tinyamuka nthawi yomweyo, kuti ife ndi inu pamodzi ndi ana athu tikhale ndi moyo. 9Ine ndidzipereka kuti ndikhale chikole cha moyo wa mnyamatayu. Ine ndidzamuteteza. Ngati sindibwera naye ndi kumupereka kwa inu, ndidzakhala wolakwa pamaso panu moyo wanga wonse. 10Mmene zililimu, tikanapanda kuchedwa, bwenzi titapita ndi kubwerako kawiri.”
11Tsono abambo awo Israeli anawawuza kuti, “Ngati pafunika kutero, ndiye muchite izi: Ikanimo zipatso zabwino kwambiri za dziko lino mʼmatumba mwanu ndi kumutengera munthuyo ngati mphatso. Mumutengere mafuta wopaka pangʼono, uchi pangʼono, mafuta wonunkhiritsa chakudya, mule, mtedza ndi alimoni. 12Mutenge ndalama zokwanira. Ndalama zina nʼzokamubwezera zija anakuyikirani mʼmatumba anu zija. Mwina anangolakwitsa. 13Mutengeninso mngʼono wanuyu ndi kubwerera kwa munthuyo msanga. 14Ndipo Mulungu Wamphamvuzonse akuchitireni chifundo pamaso pa munthuyo kuti akamulole mʼbale wanu wina uja ndi Benjamini kuti abwerere ndi inu. Kukakhala kulira, ndine wolira basi.”
15Choncho abale aja anatenga mphatso, ndalama zokwanira ndi Benjamininso. Iwo anafulumira kupita ku Igupto ndipo anakaonekera kwa Yosefe. 16Yosefe ataona Benjamini ali pamodzi ndi abale ake, anati kwa wantchito wa mʼnyumba mwake, “Atengereni anthu awa ku nyumba kwanga, ndipo uphe nyama ndi kukonza bwino chakudya popeza amenewa adya ndi ine masana ano.”
17Wantchitoyo anachita monga momwe Yosefe ananenera, ndipo anawatengera abale aja ku nyumba kwa Yosefe. 18Tsono anthu aja anachita mantha ataona kuti akuwatengera ku nyumba kwa Yosefe. Mʼmaganizo awo ankanena kuti, “Atibweretsa kuno chifukwa cha ndalama zija zinabwezeredwa mʼmatumba athu poyamba paja. Ameneyu akufuna kuti atipanikize ndi kutigwira ukapolo natilanda abulu athu.”
19Choncho atafika pa khomo la nyumba ya Yosefe anamuyandikira wantchito wa Yosefe nayankhula naye kuti, 20“Pepani mbuye wathu, ife tinabweranso ulendo woyamba kudzagula chakudya 21koma titafika pa malo ena kuti tigone, tinatsekula matumba athu ndipo aliyense wa ife anapeza ndalama zake momwe zinalili zili pakamwa pa thumba lake. Ndiye tabwerera nazo. 22Tabweretsanso ndalama zina kuti tigule chakudya. Sitikudziwa kuti kaya ndani anayika ndalamazo mʼmatumba athu.”
23Koma iye anati, “Mitima yanu ikhale pansi ndipo musachite mantha. Mulungu wanu, Mulungu wa abambo anu, anakuyikirani chumacho mʼmatumba anu. Ine ndinalandira ndalama zanu.” Ndipo anakawatulutsira Simeoni.
24Wantchito uja anawalowetsa anthuwo mʼnyumba ya Yosefe, nawapatsa madzi kuti asambe mapazi awo. Anadyetsanso abulu awo. 25Abale aja anakonzeratu mphatso zawo zija kuti adzapereke kwa Yosefe, popeza anamva kuti Yosefe adzadya komweko masana.
26Yosefe atafika ku nyumbako, iwo anapereka mphatso zija namuweramira pansi. 27Yosefe anawafunsa za moyo wawo kenaka anati, “Kodi abambo anu wokalamba amene munkandiwuza aja ali bwanji? Ali ndi moyobe?”
28Iwo anayankha kuti, “Mtumiki wanu abambo athu akanali ndi moyo ndipo ali bwino.” Ndipo anamugwadira namuweramira pansi.
29Pomwazamwaza maso Yosefe anaona Benjamini, mʼbale wake weniweni wa bere limodzi, ndipo anafunsa, “Kodi uyu ndiye mʼbale wanu wamngʼono kwambiri amene munkandiwuza uja?” Kenaka anati, “Ambuye akukomere mtima mwana wanga.” 30Kenaka Yosefe anafulumira kutuluka chifukwa mtima wake unadzaza ndi chifundo cha mngʼono wake ndipo anafuna kulira. Tsono anakalowa mʼchipinda chakechake nakalira kumeneko.
31Atatha kupukuta misozi mʼmaso mwake anatuluka, ndipo modzilimbitsa analamula kuti chakudya chibwere.
32Anamupatsira Yosefe chakudya payekha, abale ake aja pawokha, ndiponso Aigupto amene ankadya pamodzi ndi iye nawonso pawokha. Izi zinali choncho chifukwa Aigupto ankanyansidwa kudya pamodzi ndi Ahebri. 33Abale aja anawakhazika patsogolo pa Yosefe. Iwo anawakhazika monga mwa mabadwidwe awo kuyambira woyamba kubadwa mpaka wotsirizira; ndipo ankangoyangʼanitsitsana modabwa. 34Tsono ankawagawira chakudya kuchokera pa tebulo la Yosefe. Koma chakudya cha Benjamini chinkaposa cha ena onsewa kasanu. Motero anadya ndi kumwa mpaka kukhuta, ndipo anasangalala pamodzi ndi Yosefe.
