Genesis 37
1 Yakobo ankakhala mʼdziko la Kanaani kumene abambo ake ankakhala.
Jacob continued to live in the Canaan region where his father had lived previously.
2 Mbiri ya banja la Yakobo ndi iyi: Yosefe, mnyamata wa zaka 17 ankaweta nkhosa ndi abale ake, pamodzi ndi ana a Biliha ndi Zilipa, akazi a abambo ake. Tsono Yosefe ankabwera kudzawuza abambo ake zoyipa za abale ake.
(This is/I will now tell you) what happened to Jacob’s family. When his son Joseph was 17 years old, he was taking care of the flocks of sheep and goats with some of his older brothers. They were sons of his father’s (concubines/female slaves that he had taken to be his secondary wives). Joseph sometimes told his father about bad things that his brothers were doing.
3 Tsono Israeli ankakonda Yosefe koposa ana ake ena onse, chifukwa anali mwana wobadwa muukalamba wake. Ndipo anamusokera mkanjo wa manja aatali.
Jacob loved Joseph more than he loved any of his other children, because Joseph had been born when Jacob was an old man. Jacob made for Joseph a long pretty robe that had long sleeves.
4 Pamene abale ake anaona kuti abambo awo ankakonda Yosefe kuposa aliyense wa iwo, anayamba kumuda Yosefe ndipo sankayankhula naye zamtendere.
When Joseph’s older brothers realized that their father loved him more than he loved any of them, they hated him. They never spoke kindly to him.
5 Tsiku lina Yosefe analota maloto ndipo pamene anawuza abale ake za malotowo, iwo anawonjeza kumuda.
One night Joseph had a dream. He told his brothers about the dream.
6 Iye anawawuza kuti, “Tamvani maloto amene ndinalota:
He said to them, “Listen to the dream I had!
7 Ife timamanga mitolo ya tirigu ku munda ndipo mwadzidzidzi mtolo wanga unayimirira chilili, pamene mitolo yanu inazungulira mtolo wangawo nʼkumawugwadira.”
In the dream, we were tying up bundles of wheat in the field. Suddenly my bundle stood up straight, and surprisingly, your bundles gathered around my bundle and bowed down to it!”
8 Abale ake aja anamufunsa nati, “Kodi ukuyesa kuti ungakhale mfumu yathu? Ungadzatilamuliredi iweyo?” Ndipo anamuda kuposa kale chifukwa cha maloto ake ndi zimene ankakonda kunena kwa abambo awo.
His brothers said to him, “Do you think that some day you will rule over us? Are you [saying that some day] you are going to be our king?” [RHQ] They hated him even more than before because of what he had told them about his dream.
9 Tsiku lina analotanso maloto ena, ndipo anafotokozera abale ake za malotowo. Iye anati, “Tamverani, ndinalotanso maloto ena. Ulendo uno dzuwa ndi mwezi pamodzi ndi nyenyezi khumi ndi imodzi zimandigwadira.”
Later he had another dream, and again he told his older brothers about it. He said, “Listen to this! I had another dream. In this dream, the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me!”
10 Atawuza abambo ake ndi abale ake malotowa, abambo ake anamukalipira nati, “Ndi maloto anji umalotawa? Kodi uganiza kuti ine, amayi ako pamodzi ndi abale ako onsewa tingadzabwere kudzakugwandira iwe?”
He also told his father about it. His father rebuked him, saying “What are you suggesting by that dream [RHQ]? Do you think it means that your mother and I and your older brothers will some day bow down to the ground in front of you?” [RHQ]
11 Abale ake anamuchitira nsanje, koma abambo ake anasunga nkhaniyi mu mtima.
Joseph’s older brothers were furious/angry with him, but his father just kept thinking about what the dream meant.
12 Tsono abale ake anapita kukadyetsa ziweto za abambo awo ku Sekemu,
One day Joseph’s older brothers went to take care of their father’s sheep and goats that were eating grass near Shechem.
13 ndipo Israeli anati kwa Yosefe, “Tsono, ndikufuna kukutuma kwa abale ako.” Iye anayankha nati, “Chabwino.”
Some time later, Jacob said to Joseph, “Your brothers are taking care of the sheep and goats near Shechem [RHQ]. I am going to send you there to see them.” Joseph replied, “Okay.”
14 Choncho anati kwa iye, “Pita ukaone ngati abale ako ali bwino. Ukaonenso nkhosa ngati zili bwino. Kenaka ubwere udzandiwuze.” Choncho Israeli anatuma Yosefe kuchokera ku chigwa cha Hebroni. Yosefe atafika ku Sekemu,
Jacob said, “Go and see if they are doing okay, and if the flocks are doing okay. Then come back and give me a report.” So Jacob sent Joseph from [the valley where they were living], the valley where Hebron is located, [to go north] to find his brothers. When Joseph arrived near Shechem [city],
15 munthu wina anamupeza akungozungulirazungulira mʼmunda ndipo anamufunsa, “Ukufunafuna chiyani?”
while he was wandering around in the fields looking/searching for his brothers, a man saw him and asked him, “Whom are you looking/searching for?”
16 Iye anayankha, “Ndikufuna abale anga. Mungandiwuze kumene akudyetsa ziweto zawo?”
Joseph replied, “I am looking for my older brothers. Can you tell me where they are taking care of their sheep and goats?”
17 Munthuyo anayankha nati, “Anasamukako kuno. Ndinawamva akuti, ‘Tiyeni tipite ku Dotani.’” Choncho Yosefe analondola abale ake ndipo anakawapeza ku Dotani.
The man replied, “They are not here any more. I heard one of them saying, ‘Let’s take the sheep and goats and go to Dothan [town].’” So Joseph left there and went north, and found his older brothers near Dothan.
18 Abale ake aja anamuonera patali. Ndipo asanafike nʼkomwe kumene kunali iwo kuja, anayamba kale kumupangira chiwembu choti amuphe.
But they saw him when he was still far away, and they decided to kill him.
19 Iwo anawuzana nati, “Uyo akubwera apo wamaloto uja.
They said to each other [things like], “Here comes that dreamer!”
20 Tsono tiyeni timuphe ndi kuponya thupi lake mu chimodzi mwa zitsime izi ndipo tidzati anadyedwa ndi nyama zakuthengo zolusa. Tsono timuonera zomwe ziti zichitike ndi maloto ake aja.”
and “Hey, let’s kill him, and then throw his body into one of the pits/cisterns. Then we will tell people that a ferocious/wild animal attacked and killed him and ate him. And then we will (find out whether his dreams come true/make sure that his dreams do not come true)!”
21 Koma Rubeni atamva izi, anapulumutsa Yosefe. Iye anati kwa abale ake, “Ayi, tisamuphe,
Reuben heard what they were saying, so he tried to persuade them not to kill [MTY] Joseph. He said, “No, we should not kill him.
22 tisakhetse magazi. Tiyeni timuponye mʼchitsime ku chipululu konkuno. Koma tisamuvulaze nʼkomwe. Rubeni ananena zonsezi kuti apulumutse Yosefe ndi kuti pambuyo pake akamupereke kwa abambo awo.”
Do not even shed his blood! We can throw him into this pit/cistern in the desert, but we should not harm him [MTY].” He said that, and then left them, planning to rescue Joseph later and take him back to his father.
23 Choncho Yosefe atafika kwa abale ake, iwo anamuvula mkanjo wake wamanja aatali uja umene anavala
So when Joseph arrived where his older brothers were, they seized him and ripped off his pretty robe with long sleeves.
24 ndipo anamutenga namuponya mʼchitsime chopanda madzi komanso mopanda chilichonse.
Then they took him and threw him into the pit/cistern. But the pit/cistern was dry; there was no water in it.
25 Atakhala pansi kuti adye chakudya, anatukula maso naona gulu la Aismaeli akubwera kuchokera ku Giliyadi. Ngamira zawo zinanyamula zonunkhiritsa bwino zakudya zamitundumitundu, ndipo zimenezi ankapita nazo ku Igupto.
After they sat down to eat some food, they looked up and saw a (caravan/group [of traders]), descendants of Ishmael, coming from the Gilead area. Their camels were loaded with bags of spices and nice-smelling resins. They were going down to Egypt to sell those things there.
26 Yuda anafunsa abale ake nati, “Kodi tidzapindula chiyani tikapha mʼbale wathuyu ndi kuphimbitsa magazi ake?
Judah said to his [older and younger] brothers, “If we kill our younger brother and hide his body, (what will we gain?/we will not gain anything!) [RHQ]
27 Bwanji timugulitse kwa Aismaeliwa, koma ife tisamuchite kanthu kalikonse. Ameneyu ndi mʼbale wathu thupi limodzi ndi ife.” Abale ake anavomereza zimenezi.
So, instead of harming him, let’s sell him to these men who are descendants of Ishmael. Don’t forget, he is our own younger brother!” So they all agreed to do that.
28 Amalonda ena a ku Midiyani ankadutsa pomwepo. Tsono abale ake a Yosefe anamutulutsa Yosefe uja mu chitsime chija ndipo anamugulitsa kwa Aismaeli aja pamtengo wa masekeli makumi awiri. Choncho anapita naye Yosefe ku Igupto.
When those traders from the Midian area came near, Joseph’s brothers pulled him up out of the pit/cistern. Then they sold him to the men from Midian for 20 pieces of silver. The traders then took Joseph to Egypt.
29 Rubeni atabwerera ku chitsime kuja anapeza kuti Yosefe mulibe mʼchitsimemo. Pamenepo iye anangʼamba zovala zake
When Reuben returned to the pit/cistern, he saw that his younger brother was not there. He was so grieved that he tore his clothes.
30 nabwerera kwa abale ake nati, “Mnyamata uja mulibemo! Nanga ndilowere kuti ine tsopano?”
He went back to his [younger] brothers and said, “The boy is not in the pit/cistern! What can I do now?” [RHQ]
31 Tsono anapha kamwana ka mbuzi, natenga mkanjo wa Yosefe ndi kuwunyika mʼmagazi ake.
[Joseph’s brothers did not dare to tell their father what they had done. So, they decided to invent a story about what had happened]. They got Joseph’s robe. Then they killed a goat and dipped the robe in the goat’s blood.
32 Iwo anatenga mkanjo uja nabwerera nawo kwa abambo awo nati, “Ife tapeza mkanjowu. Tawuyangʼanitsitsani muone ngati uli wa mwana wanu.”
They took that pretty robe back to their father and said, “We found this robe! Look at it. Is it your son’s robe?”
33 Iye anawuzindikira ndipo anati, “Ndi mkanjo wa mwana wanga umenewu! Nyama yakuthengo yolusa yamudya. Mosakayika, mwana wanga Yosefe wakhadzulidwa.”
He recognized it, and he said, “Yes, it is my son’s robe! Some ferocious/wild animal must have attacked and killed him! I am sure that the animal has torn Joseph to pieces!”
34 Pamenepo Yakobo anangʼamba zovala zake, navala chisaka mʼchiwuno mwake. Iye analira maliro a mwana wake masiku ambiri.
Jacob was so grieved that he tore his clothes. He put on (sackcloth/clothes that people wear when they are mourning for someone who has died). He mourned/cried for his son for many days.
35 Ngakhale kuti ana ake onse aamuna ndi aakazi anasonkhana kudzamutonthoza, iye anakana kutonthozedwa. Iye anati, “Ayi. Ndidzalira mpaka ndidzapite kwa mwana wanga ku manda.” Choncho Israeli anapitirirabe kulira mwana wake. (Sheol h7585)
All of his children came to try to comfort him, but he did not pay attention to what they said. He said, “No, I will still be mourning/crying when I die and go to be with my son.” So Joseph’s father continued to cry because of what had happened to his son. (Sheol h7585)
36 Amidiyani aja anagulitsa Yosefe kwa Potifara, mmodzi mwa nduna za Farao ku Igupto. Potifarayu anali mkulu wa asilikali olonda nyumba ya Farao.
In the meantime, the men/traders from Midian took Joseph to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar, who was one of the king’s officials. He was the captain of the soldiers who protected the king.
