Joseph's Brothers Go to Egypt To Buy Grain
1 When Jacob found out there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you just sitting here, staring at one another? 2 I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Go down and buy some, so we won't starve to death.”
3 Ten of Joseph's brothers went to Egypt to buy grain. 4 But Jacob did not send Joseph's younger brother Benjamin with them; he was afraid that something might happen to him. 5 So Jacob's sons joined others from Canaan who were going to Egypt because of the terrible famine.
6 Since Joseph was governor of Egypt and in charge of selling grain, his brothers came to him and bowed with their faces to the ground. 7-8 They did not recognize Joseph, but at once he knew who they were, though he pretended not to know. Instead, he spoke harshly and asked, “Where do you come from?”
“From the land of Canaan,” they answered. “We've come here to buy grain.”
9 Joseph remembered what he had dreamed about them and said, “You're spies! You've come here to find out where our country is weak.”
10 “No sir,” they replied. “We're your servants, and we have only come to buy grain. 11 We're honest men, and we come from the same family—we're not spies.”
12 “That isn't so!” Joseph insisted. “You've come here to find out where our country is weak.”
13 But they explained, “Sir, we come from a family of twelve brothers. The youngest is still with our father in Canaan, and one of our brothers is dead.”
14 Joseph replied:
It's like I said. You're spies, 15 and I'm going to find out the truth. I swear by the life of the king that you won't leave this place until your youngest brother comes here. 16 Choose one of you to go after your brother, while the rest of you stay here in jail. That will show whether you are telling the truth. But if you are lying, I swear by the life of the king that you are spies!
17 Joseph kept them all under guard for three days, 18 before saying to them:
Since I respect God, I'll give you a chance to save your lives. 19 If you are honest men, one of you must stay here in jail, and the rest of you can take the grain back to your starving families. 20 But you must bring your youngest brother to me. Then I'll know that you are telling the truth, and you won't be put to death.
Joseph's brothers agreed 21 and said to one another, “We're being punished because of Joseph. We saw the trouble he was in, but we refused to help him when he begged us. That's why these terrible things are happening.”
22 Reuben spoke up, “Didn't I tell you not to harm the boy? But you wouldn't listen, and now we have to pay the price for killing him.”
23 They did not know that Joseph could understand them, since he was speaking through an interpreter. 24 Joseph turned away from them and cried, but soon he turned back and spoke to them again. Then he had Simeon tied up and taken away while they watched.
Joseph's Brothers Return to Canaan
25 Joseph gave orders for his brothers' grain sacks to be filled with grain and for their money to be put in their sacks. He also gave orders for them to be given food for their journey home. After this was done, 26 they each loaded the grain on their donkeys and left.
27 When they stopped for the night, one of them opened his sack to get some grain for his donkey, and at once he saw his moneybag. 28 “Here's my money!” he told his brothers. “Right here in my sack.”
They were trembling with fear as they stared at one another and asked themselves, “What has God done to us?”
29 When they returned to the land of Canaan, they told their father Jacob everything that had happened to them:
30 The governor of Egypt was rude and treated us like spies. 31 But we told him, “We're honest men, not spies. 32 We come from a family of twelve brothers. The youngest is still with our father in Canaan, and the other is dead.”
33 Then the governor of Egypt told us, “I'll find out if you really are honest. Leave one of your brothers here with me, while you take the grain to your starving families. 34 But bring your youngest brother to me, so I can be certain that you are honest men and not spies. After that, I'll let your other brother go free, and you can stay here and trade.”
35 When the brothers started emptying their sacks of grain, they found their moneybags in them. They were frightened, and so was their father Jacob, 36 who said, “You have already taken my sons Joseph and Simeon from me. And now you want to take away Benjamin! Everything is against me.”
37 Reuben spoke up, “Father, if I don't bring Benjamin back, you can kill both of my sons. Trust me with him, and I'll bring him back.”
38 But Jacob said, “I won't let my son Benjamin go down to Egypt with the rest of you. His brother is already dead, and he is the only son I have left. I am an old man, and if anything happens to him on the way, I'll die from sorrow, and all of you will be to blame.”
Ädrupii Yosepa ro Oyiyite Ezipeto ya Inya Ogyene
1 Ondro Yakoba kunite inya orivoya Ezipeto ya oko, nda atate ŋgwàagoro ndaro ri ekye: “Tana e'di nyà vo londre gwo azi mi niya? 2 Meri ta be ekye inya orivoya Ezipeto ya; nyòyi lau; ago mìgye inya ämäri ni nasi, tana màdri robe, ukyi màdra 'da.” 3 Ta'dota ädrupii 'butealo Yosepa ro oyiyite inya ogyene ni Ezipeto yasi. 4 Oko Yakoba zo Benjamina, ädrupi Yosepa ro kote ädrupii ndaro yibe; tana nda turituri ukyi ŋgakozi aza a'do 'da ndäri.
5 Ago ŋgwàagoro Yakoba ro ikyiyite inya ogyene 'di azaka yibe, tana mä'bu kpate koziro 'bädri Kanana roya.
6 Yosepa orivoya wari'ba Ezipeto ro, nda kani inya logye lidri cini 'bädri ro ri. 'Dooko ädrupii Yosepa ro ikyiyite, ediyi andivo ànyaro te vuru militi si nda kandra. 7 Ondro Yosepa kondre ädrupii ndaro te oko, nda ni ànya te, oko nda ye ànya te osoago nda ni ànya ko ronye, nda eji ànya te ŋbarataro ekye: “Nyìkyi ni eŋwaro ya?” Ànya zayitadrite ekye: “Mìkyi ni 'bädri Kanana ro yasi ŋgaonya ogyene.” 8 Yosepa kuni ädrupii ndaro gica oko, ànya niyi nda kote. 9 Tori se kezi ta be nda dri ta ànyaro ta 'do tana otote Yosepa dri, ago nda atate ànyari ekye: “Ami orivoya vomari'bai, nyìkyi ono mbaraako 'bädri amaro ro ondrene.” 10 Ago ànya zayitadrite ekye: “Hwa, 'desi amaro, ama ruindu'bai miro ono mìkyi amaro ŋgaonya ogyene. 11 Ama cini orivoya ŋgàga mano alo ro, ama orivoya lidri 'diri yi, ama ko vomari'bai.” 12 Ago Yosepa atate ànyari ekye: “Hwa, nyìkyi ono toto mbaraako 'bädri amaro ro ondrene.” 13 Ago ànya atayite ndäri ekye: “Ama ruindu'bai miro kwoi ädrupii ro 'butealo foritu cini ŋgwàagoro mano alo ro 'bädri Kanana roya; ädrupi alodi aza drate, ago se täduŋwa ro 'do yauono orivoya täpi amaro be.”
14 Oko Yosepa atate ànyari ekye: “Iro ndi oso se matabe ämiri ono ronye, ami orivoya vomari'bai. 15 Mäṛu ma ävuru 'bädri'ba rosi ndi ta amiro ojone ta ono si; ämiri oyine ni nosi i'do, madale ädrupi täduŋwa amiro esana lutu noŋwa. 16 Beṛo alo aza amiro ri oyine ädrupi amiro 'do ezine, oko anjoko amiro dri orine kamba ya noŋwa. Tana ata amiro se nyàtabe ono vona unizana, kode gi taŋgye yi, kode ko inye. Ävuru 'bädri'ba rosi endaro ami orivoya vomari'bai.” 17 Ago nda 'ba ànya cini te kamba ya u'duna nätu.
18 U'du nina si oko, Yosepa atate ànyari ekye: “Ma orivoya mano se kuturi Lu be yi, mìye ta alodi ono ago mapana adri amiro ndi. 19 Ondro ka'do ami gindi orivoya endaro lidri 'diri yi, alo aza amiro ri orine kamba ono ya tiko ro, oko anjoko amiro nyoyi, nyùgu inya lidri katidri amiro ya ri se kabe rueza ni mä'bu ri ana. 20 'Dooko beṛo ämiri ädrupi täduŋwa amiro ezine mare, 'dooko 'do ka'dana ndi anjioko ata amiro orivoya taŋgye yi, 'dooko mänina kote ami tufune.”
Ndi ànya leyi tadrina te, 21 ago ànya atayite iyivoya ekye: “Endaro ama orivoya taenji'bai, tase màyebe ädrupi amaro ri 'do ruezana ni no, màndre rueza ndaro gica, se nda kabe rulo'ba ämäri ta adri ndaro rote oko, meri tana kote. Dawo, yauono rritina ikyi teni ämädri no.”
22 Ago Rubena za ta ànyaro drîna te ekye: “Mata ndi ämiri makye mìye ŋgakozi aza ko ŋgaga 'do ri, oko nyèri kote. Tana ta'doro dawo, yauono odra ndaro rritina 'bote ni ämädri wo.” 23 Yosepa eri ata se ànya kayibe atana ana te cini oko ànya niyi kote; tana kala logo'ba ka kala ànyaro logona logo ndäri. 24 Ago Yosepa narute ni ànya resi, ndi 'degwo liyine. 'Do vosi nda go egote ànyare ago atate ànyari. Ago nda ru Simeona teni ànya resi ago embe nda te mile ànyaro yasi.
Ogo Ädrupii Yosepa ro ro Kovole Kanana ya
25 Yosepa ozotate inya osone gbolo ànyaro yasi, ago parata 'dialo ro logone gbolo ndaro ya, kpa ŋgaonya ozone ànyari onyane liti yasi. Ndi ayete ànyari oso inye. 26 Ädrupii kai 'bayi inya te doŋgyii ànyaro drisi, ago oyiyite. 27 Ago vose ànya kukyi ku'duyibe kigye ana ya, alo aza ànyaro kupi gbolo te ŋgaonya ewene doŋgyi ndaro ri oko, nda usu parata ndaro te orivoya kala gbolo ndaro roya. 28 Nda atate ädrupii ri ekye: “Ologo parata maro te märi, mindre, begi orivoya gbolo maro ya ono!” Ago ànya a'doyite turiro ago atayite lä'bilä'biro iyivoya ekye: “Tase Lu koyebe ämäri ono e'diyi ya?”
29 Ondro ànya kesayite Yakoba täpi ànyaro re 'bädri Kanana roya oko, itiyi tase cini ka'dobe ànyari ana te ekye: 30 “Mano gi wari'ba 'bädri Ezipeto ro ro ana ata ro ämäri ŋbarata ro, nda ekye mòyi 'do 'bädri marine. 31 Ago màtate ndäri màkye: ‘Ama lidri 'diri yi: ama ko vomari'bai. 32 Ama orivoya ädrupii ro 'butealo foritu, ŋgwàagoro täpi alo ro; ädrupi alodi aza drate, ago täduŋwa amaro orivoya täpi amaro be 'bäru 'bädri Kanana roya.’ 33 Ago mano gi ana atate ämäri ekye: ‘A'do amiro lidri 'diri ro mänina tana ta ono si; nyè'be ädrupi amiro aza alona mabe, oko ta mä'bu rota nyùgu inya dri lutu 'dise katidri amiro ya ana ri, ago nyùgu oyi. 34 Ago nyèzi ädrupi täduŋwa amiro mare. 'Dooko mänina ndi anjioko ami ko vomari'bai oko orivoya lidri 'diri yi. Ago 'dooko mologona ädrupi amiro gwo ämiri; ndi 'dooko nyòlogyena ŋga kpa ndi 'bädri ono yasi.’ ”
35 Ondro ànya kayite inya ànyaro roṛina ni gbolo yasi oko, mano alo usu parata ndaro gi gbolo ndaro ya: ago ondro ànya ndi täpi ànyaro Yakoba be kondreyi parata te oko, a'doyite turiro. 36 Täpi ànyaro Yakoba atate ànyari ekye: “Mìlete märi ŋgàga cini maro ijene ya? Yosepa te i'do, ago Simeona te i'do, ago yauono mile kpate Benjamina onane. Ta gi cini nonye ono ruezana märi ayani!”
37 Rubena atate täpi ndaro ri ekye: “Nyutufu ŋgwàagoro ritu maro kwoi gwo, ondro mologo Benjamina kote miri owo: Nyozo nda dri maro ya, mologona nda ndi kpa to'dina mire.”
38 Oko Yakoba atate ekye: “Ŋgwa maro ri oyine mibe te i'do, tana ädrupi na drate; ago e'bete toto di nda ayani. Ondro ka'do ŋgakozi aza ka'do bete rigye liti gi nyabe oyi kigye 'do ya, 'dooko tusu se nya oyebe ezine märi ufuna ma ndi, ma be te agoambago ro ono owo.”