Genesis 37
1 Jakob loe ampa angvin ah ohhaih, Kanaan prae ah khosak.
Jacob continued to live in the Canaan region where his father had lived previously.
2 Jakob anghumhaih kawng loe hae tiah oh; Joseph loe amyanawk hoi nawnto tuu toep naah, saning hatlai sarihto oh boeh; thendoeng loe Jakob ih zu, Billah hoi Zilpah ih caanawk hoi nawnto ah oh, nihcae sethaih kawng to anih mah ampa khaeah thuih pae.
(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 Israel loe mitong lam ah capa Joseph to sak pongah, anih to kalah amyanawk pongah palung kue; to pongah anih hanah rong congca kaom laihaw to a sak pae.
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 Ampa loe kalah nawkamyanawk pongah Joseph to palung kue, tiah amyanawk mah panoek o naah, anih to hnukma o moe, lunghoih ta hoiah lok tapring o vai ai.
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 Joseph mah amang to sak, anih mah to amang to amyanawk khaeah thuih pae, to naah nihcae mah anih to hnukma o aep.
One night Joseph had a dream. He told his brothers about the dream.
6 Amyanawk khaeah, Ka mang hae tahngai oh;
He said to them, “Listen to the dream I had!
7 khenah, Aicae loe lawk ah cangqui taoengh o, to naah kai ih cangqui loe angthawk moe, angdoet tahang; toe nangcae ih cangqui loe kangkui ah angdoet o moe, kai ih cangqui to bok o, tiah a naa.
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 Amyanawk mah anih khaeah, Kaicae ukkung ah oh han na poek maw? To tiah kaicae nang uk thai tang tih maw? tiah a naa o. A hnuk ih amang hoi a thuih ih lok pongah, nihcae mah anih to hnukma o aep.
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 To pacoengah anih mah amang to sak let, to amang to amyanawk khaeah a thuih pae let; Tahngai oh, kalah amang ka sak let bae vop; khenah, ka mangah, ni, khrah hoi cakaeh hatlaito mah kai to bok o, tiah a naa.
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 Ampa hoi amyanawk khaeah a thuih pae naah, ampa mah anih khaeah, Tikhoe to baktih amang to na sak khruek loe? tiah a thuitaek. Na hmaa ah ka kuep o hanah, kai, nam no hoi nam nawk amyanawk, nang khaeah kang zoh o tih maw? tiah a naa.
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 Amyanawk mah anih to ut o; toe ampa mah loe a thuih ih lok to palung thungah pakuem poe.
Joseph’s older brothers were furious/angry with him, but his father just kept thinking about what the dream meant.
12 Amyanawk loe Shekem vangpui ah ampa ih tuu rawkcak pacah hanah caeh o.
One day Joseph’s older brothers went to take care of their father’s sheep and goats that were eating grass near Shechem.
13 To naah Israel mah Joseph khaeah, Nam yanawk loe Shekem vangpui ah tuu rawkcak pacah o; angzo ah, nihcae khaeah kang patoeh han, tiah a naa. Anih mah, Haeah ka oh, tiah a naa.
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 To pongah anih khaeah, Caeh ah loe, nam yanawk hoi tuunawk ngantui o vai, khen noek ah, to pacoengah tamthang na thui let ah, tiah a naa. Hebron azawn hoiah Joseph to patoeh pongah, Shekem ah a caeh.
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 Anih taw ah amhet khing naah, lawk caeh kami maeto mah anih to hnuk, Timaw na pakrong loe? tiah a naa.
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 Anih mah, Kam yanawk to ka pakrong, naa ah maw tuu a toep o, na thui ah, tiah a naa.
Joseph replied, “I am looking for my older brothers. Can you tell me where they are taking care of their sheep and goats?”
17 To kami mah, Nihcae loe hae ahmuen hoiah kalah ahmuen bangah caeh o ving boeh; Dothan ah caeh o si, tiah thuih o ih lok to ka thaih, tiah a naa. To pongah Joseph loe amyanawk khaeah caeh, nihcae to Dothan ah a hnuk.
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 Anih to kangthla hoiah a hnuk o, nihcae khae pha ai naah, anih hum hanah pacaeng o.
But they saw him when he was still far away, and they decided to kill him.
19 Nihcae mah, Amang sah kami to angzoh boeh, tiah maeto hoi maeto lok ang thuih o.
They said to each other [things like], “Here comes that dreamer!”
20 Angzo oh, anih to hum o si, tangqom khaw maeto thungah va si loe, anih loe moisan mah kaek boeh, tiah thui si. To naah anih ih amang kawbang maw oh, tito khen o si, tiah a thuih o.
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 Reuben mah to lok to thaih naah, anih to hum o hmah si, tiah a naa moe, Joseph to nihcae ban thung hoiah a lak ving.
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 Reuben mah nihcae khaeah athii palong o hmah; toe anih to hae praezaek ih tuikhaw thungah mah va o sut ah, a nuiah ban phok o hmah, tiah a naa. Reuben mah, nihcae ban thung hoiah ka pahlong moe, kam pa khaeah ka caeh haih let han, tiah a poek.
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 Joseph amyanawk khae phak naah, anih mah angkhuk ih rong congca kaom laihaw to a khringh pae o;
So when Joseph arrived where his older brothers were, they seized him and ripped off his pretty robe with long sleeves.
24 anih to naeh o moe, tuikhaw thungah vah o; tuikhaw loe tui kaang boeh moe, tui om ai boeh.
Then they took him and threw him into the pit/cistern. But the pit/cistern was dry; there was no water in it.
25 Nihcae loe buhcaak han anghnut o; a danh o tahang moe, a khet o naah, Gilead prae hoiah angzo, kaengkuu hrang pongah hmuihoih hmuen, hmuihoih thing tangpri hoi myrrhnawk kaphaw, Izip prae ah kacaeh Ishmael kaminawk to a hnuk o.
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 Judah mah amyanawk khaeah, Aimacae ih amnawk to a hum o moe, anih ih athii hawk o khing cadoeh aicae han timaw atho oh?
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 Angzo oh, anih to Ishmael kaminawk khaeah mah zaw si, anih nuiah ban phok o hmah si; anih loe aimacae ih amnawk hoi acaeng ah ni oh, tiah a naa. Anih ih lok to amyanawk mah paroi pae o.
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 To naah hmuenzaw Midian kaminawk to angzoh o; amnawk Joseph to tuikhaw thung hoiah a zuh o let moe, anih to Ishmael kaminawk khaeah phoisa shekel pumphaeto hoiah a zawh o; nihcae mah Joseph to Izip prae ah caeh o haih.
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 Reuben loe amlaem let moe, tuikhaw to khet naah Joseph loe om ai boeh; to pongah angmah ih laihaw to asih.
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 Amnawknawk khaeah amlaem moe, nawkta loe om ai boeh; kai loe naa ah maw ka caeh han boeh? tiah a naa.
He went back to his [younger] brothers and said, “The boy is not in the pit/cistern! What can I do now?” [RHQ]
31 To naah Joseph ih laihaw to lak o moe, maeh caa maeto a boh o pacoengah, maeh thii thungah laihaw to a nup o;
[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 rong congca kaom laihaw to ampa khaeah a sin pae o moe, hae ni ka hnuk o boeh; na caa ih laihaw maw, laihaw ai tito kahoih ah khenah, tiah a naa o.
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 Anih mah maat moe, Hae loe ka caa ih laihaw boeh ni! Anih loe moisan mah ni kaek boeh; Joseph loe moisan mah taprawt pet pet boeh hae loe, tiah a thuih.
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 To naah Jokob loe angmah ih khukbuen to angkhring moe, kazii to kaengah angzaeng pacoengah, a capa to ni paroeai thung qah haih.
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 A capanawk hoi a canunawk boih anih pathloep hanah angzoh o; toe pathloep o thai ai; palungset loiah ka capa caehhaih taprong thungah ka caeh han boeh, tiah a thuih. To tiah a capa pongah ampa to qah. (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 Midian kaminawk mah Joseph to, Izip prae ih misatuh angraeng, Faro ih toksahkung angraeng maeto ah kaom, Potiphar khaeah zawh o.
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.
