¹The famine was severe in the land.

¹Zvino nzara yakanga iri huru munyika iyoyo.

²It happened, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said to them, “Go again, buy us a little more food.”

²Zvino vakati vapedza zviyo, zvavakanga vabva nazvo Egipita, baba vavo vakati kwavari, Dzo­kai, endaizve mutitengere zvokudya zvi­shoma.

³Judah spoke to him, saying, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.’

³Judha akataura navo, akati, Mu­rume uya akatinyevera kwazvo, akati, Hamungatongooni chiso changu, kana munin'ina wenyu asati anemi.

⁴If you’ll send our brother with us, we’ll go down and buy you food,

⁴Kana mukatuma munin'ina wedu nesu, tichabu­ruka, kundotenga zvokudya;

⁵but if you’ll not send him, we’ll not go down, for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.’”

⁵asi kana musingamutumi, hatingaburuki; nekuti murume uya akati kwatiri, Hamungaoni chiso changu, kana munin'ina wenyu asati anemi.

⁶Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly, telling the man that you had another brother?”

⁶Isiraeri akati, Makandiitireiko zvakaipa zvakadai, zvamakaudza mu­rume uya kuti munomunin'ina?

⁷They said, “The man asked directly concerning ourselves, and concerning our relatives, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ We just answered his questions. Is there any way we could know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down?’”

⁷Ivo vakati, Murume uya akatibvunzisisa pamusoro pedu, napamusoro pehama dzedu, akati, Baba venyu vapenyu here? Mune munin'ina here? Tikamu­pindura namashoko aya; taigoziva here kuti achati, Burukai nomunin'ina we­nyu?

⁸Judah said to Israel, his father, “Send the boy with me, and we’ll get up and go, so that we may live, and not die, both we, and you, and also our little ones.

⁸Zvino Judha akati kuna Isiraeri, baba vake, Tumai henyu mukomana neni, tisimuke, tiende, tirarame, tirege kufa, isu nemi, navana vedu.

⁹I’ll be collateral for him. From my hand will you require him. If I don’t bring him to you, and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever,

⁹Ini ndi­chava rubatso rwake; mungamureva pa­ruoko rwangu; kana ndikasauya naye, ndikamuisa pamberi penyu, ini ndichava nemhosva kwamuri nokusingaperi.

¹⁰for if we hadn’t delayed, surely we would have returned a second time by now.”

¹⁰No­kuti dai tisina kunonoka, zvirokwazvo, tingadai tadzoka zvino rwechipiri.

¹¹Their father, Israel, said to them, “If it must be so, then do this. Take from the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry down a present for the man, a little balm, a little honey, spices and myrrh, nuts, and almonds;

¹¹Ipapo Isiraeri, baba vavo, akati kwavari, Kana zvakadaro, itai chinhu ichi; torai michero yakanaka yenyika mu­midziyo yenyu, muburuke nechipo kumu­nhu uyo, chebhasami shomanana, nouchi ushomanana, nezvinonhuhwira, nemura, nemichero yomuti wepisitakio, namaama­nda;

¹²and take double money in your hand, and take back the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. Perhaps it was an oversight.

¹²mutore mari yakapamhidzwa kaviri mumaoko enyu, neiya mari yakanga ya­dzoserwa mumiromo yehomwe dzenyu, muende makaibata mumaoko enyu; zvi­mwe vakakanganisa.

¹³Take your brother also, get up, and return to the man.

¹³Nomunin'ina wenyu mumutorei, musimuke, mudzokere kumu­rume uyo;

¹⁴May God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release to you your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”

¹⁴Mwari waMasimbaose ngaa­kupei nyasha pamberi pomurume uyo, akusunungurirei mumwe munin'ina wenyu naBhenjaminiwo. Kana ndatorerwa vana vangu, ndatorerwa hangu.

¹⁵The men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and got up, went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.

¹⁵Zvino varume vakatora chipo ichocho, vakabata mumaoko avo mari yakapamhidzwa kaviri, naBhenjamini, vakasimuka, vakaburukira Egipita, vaka­ndomira pamberi paJosefa.

¹⁶When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Bring the men into the house, and butcher an animal, and prepare; for the men will dine with me at noon.”

¹⁶Zvino Jo­sefa akati achiona Bhenjamini anavo, akati kumutariri weimba yake, Uya navarume mumba, ubaye, ugadzire; no­kuti varume ava vachadya neni masi­kati.

¹⁷The man did as Joseph commanded, and the man brought the men to Joseph’s house.

¹⁷Murume uyo akaita sezvaakau­dzwa naJosefa; murume uyo akaisa varume avo mumba maJosefa.

¹⁸The men were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph’s house; and they said, “Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time, we’re brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, attack us, and seize us as slaves, along with our donkeys.”

¹⁸Varume vakatya, zvavakaiswa mu­mba maJosefa, vakati, Tinoiswamo no­kuda kwemari yakadzoserwa muhomwe dzedu panguva yokutanga, kuti atsvake mhosva kwatiri, atibate, nokutiita va­randa vake, achitorawo madhongi edu.

¹⁹They came near to the steward of Joseph’s house, and they spoke to him at the door of the house,

¹⁹Ipapo vakaswedera kumutariri weimba yaJosefa, vakataura naye pamu­suwo weimba;

²⁰and said, “Oh, my lord, we indeed came down the first time to buy food.

²⁰vakati, Haiwa, ishe wedu, zvirokwazvo panguva yokutanga takaburuka kuzotenga zvokudya;

²¹When we came to the lodging place, we opened our sacks, and behold, each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight. We have brought it back in our hand.

²¹tikati tichisvika patakavata usiku, tikasunu­ngura homwe dzedu, onei mari yomu­mwe nomumwe iri mumuromo weho­mwe yake, mari yedu yose sezvayakayerwa; zvino tadzoka nayo pa­maoko edu.

²²We have brought down other money in our hand to buy food. We don’t know who put our money in our sacks.”

²²Zvino taburuka tiine imwe marizve mumaoko edu kuti titenge zvo­kudya nayo; hatizivi kuti mari yedu yakaiswa muhomwe dzedu nani?

²³He said, “Peace be to you. Don’t be afraid. Your God, and the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks. I received your money.” He brought Simeon out to them.

²³Iye akati, Farai henyu, musatya; Mwari wenyu, Mwari wababa venyu, akakupai fuma muhomwe dzenyu; mari yenyu yakasvika kwandiri. Akavabudi­sira Simioni.

²⁴The man brought the men into Joseph’s house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet. He gave their donkeys fodder.

²⁴Murume uyo akaisa varume avo muimba yaJosefa, akavapa mvura, vaka­shambidza tsoka dzavo, akapawo mbo­ngoro dzavo zvokudya.

²⁵They prepared the present for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread there.

²⁵Vakagadzira chipo kusvikira kuuya kwaJosefa masi­kati, nekuti vakanga vanzwa kuti vacha­dya zvokudya ipapo.

²⁶When Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves down to him to the earth.

²⁶Josefa akati asvika kumba, vakapinda mumba ne­chipo chakanga chiri mumaoko avo, vakakotamira pasi pamberi pake.

²⁷He asked them of their welfare, and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he yet alive?”

²⁷Iye akavabvunza mufaro wavo, akati, Baba venyu vakafara here, uya mutana wamai­reva? Vachiri vapenyu here?

²⁸They said, “Your servant, our father, is well. He is still alive.” They bowed down humbly.

²⁸Ivo vakati, Muranda wenyu, baba vedu, vakafara havo, vachiri vapenyu. Vakakotama, vakanamata.

²⁹He lifted up his eyes, and saw Benjamin, his brother, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?” He said, “God be gracious to you, my son.”

²⁹Iye akasimudza meso ake, akaona Bhenjamini, munin'ina wake, mwanako­mana wamai vake, akati, Ndiye here munin'ina wenyu muduku worugotwe, wamakandiudza? Akati, Mwari ngaave nenyasha newe, mwana wangu.

³⁰Joseph hurried, for his heart yearned over his brother; and he sought a place to weep. He entered into his room, and wept there.

³⁰Zvino Josefa akakurumidza, nekuti moyo wake wakachema munin'ina wake, akatsvaka paangachema; akapinda muimba yake yomukati, akachemapo.

³¹He washed his face, and came out. He controlled himself, and said, “Serve the meal.”

³¹Akazoshambidza chiso chake, akabu­dazve, akazvidzora akati, Pakurai zvo­kudya.

³²They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians, that ate with him, by themselves, because the Egyptians don’t eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians.

³²Vakamupakurira iye oga, naivo voga, navaEgipita havana kutende­rwa kudya navaHebheru, nekuti zvino­nyangadza kuna vaEgipita.

³³They sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth, and the men marveled one with another.

³³Vakagara pamberi pake, wedangwe paudangwe hwake, nomuduku kuna vose pauduku hwake; varume vakatarirana, vakashami­swa.

³⁴He sent portions to them from before him, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. They drank, and were merry with him.

³⁴Akavagovera zvokudya zvakanga zviri pamberi pake, asi mugove waBhe­njamini wakaenzana nowavashanu vavo. Vakamwa, vakafara naye.