< Genesis 42 >

1 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?”
Ugbu a, Jekọb nụrụ na ọka dị nʼIjipt. Ọ sịrị ụmụ ya, “Kedụ ihe anyị jiri nọrọ na-elerịta onwe anyị anya”
2 “Look,” he added, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die.”
Ọ sịrị, “Lee anụrụ m na ọka dị nʼIjipt. Gbadatanụ nʼebe ahụ zụtara anyị ọka ka anyị dị ndụ ghara ịnwụ.”
3 So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.
Ụmụnne Josef iri ndị ahụ gbadara Ijipt ịzụta ọka.
4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “I am afraid that harm might befall him.”
Ma Jekọb ekweghị ka Benjamin nwanne nta Josef soro ha gaa, nʼihi na ọ tụrụ egwu na ihe ndaba ọjọọ nwere ike ịbịakwasị ya.
5 So the sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain, since the famine had also spread to the land of Canaan.
Otu a, ụmụ Izrel so nʼọtụtụ ndị ọzọ ndị jekwara ịzụrụ nri nʼIjipt, nʼihi na ụnwụ ahụ dị njọ nʼala Kenan.
6 Now Joseph was the ruler of the land; he was the one who sold grain to all its people. So when his brothers arrived, they bowed down before him with their faces to the ground.
Nʼoge a, Josef na-achị ala Ijipt, bụrụkwa onye iresi ndị obodo ọka dị nʼaka. Ya mere, mgbe ụmụnne Josef rutere, ha bịara hulata kpọọ isiala nye Josef.
7 And when Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them as strangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where have you come from?” he asked. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We are here to buy food.”
Mgbe Josef hụrụ ụmụnne ya, ọ matara ndị ha bụ. Ma ọ kpara agwa dịka onye na-amaghị ha, gwa ha okwu nʼolu ike, sị ha, “Ebee ka unu si bịa?” Ha zara, “Anyị si ala Kenan bịa. Anyị bịara ịzụrụ nri.”
8 Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.
Josef matara ụmụnne ya, ma ha onwe ha amataghị onye ọ bụ.
9 Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said, “You are spies! You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.”
Josef chetakwara nrọ ndị ahụ ọ rọrọ banyere ha. Ọ gwara ha okwu sị ha, “Unu bụ ndị nnyocha. Ịchọpụta adịghị ike ala anyị mere unu ji bịa.”
10 “Not so, my lord,” they replied. “Your servants have come to buy food.
Ha zara sị, “Nna anyị ukwu, anyị bụ ndị ohu gị bịara ịzụrụ nri.
11 We are all sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies.”
Anyị niile bụ ụmụ otu nna. Ndị ohu gị bụ ndị kwesiri ntụkwasị obi. Anyị abụghị ndị nnyopụta.”
12 “No,” he told them. “You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.”
Ma Josef gwara ha sị, “Mba! Unu bịara ịchọpụta akụkụ obodo anyị nke a na-echezighị nke ọma.”
13 But they answered, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.”
Ha zara sị ya, “Ndị ohu gị dị ụmụnne iri na abụọ. Ọ bụkwa otu nna mụrụ anyị niile. Nna anyị na nwanne anyị nta, onye ikpeazụ ọ mụrụ nọ na Kenan ugbu a. Ma otu onye nʼime anyị anwụọla.”
14 Then Joseph declared, “Just as I said, you are spies!
Josef sịrị, “Ihe unu na-akọ na-egosi na unu bụ ndị nnyopụta, dịka m gwara unu.
15 And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here.
Nke a ka a ga-eji anwale unu. Nʼaha Fero dị ndụ, unu agaghị esi nʼebe a laa tutu nwanne unu nke nta ahụ abịa nʼebe a.
16 Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be confined so that the truth of your words may be tested. If they are untrue, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!”
Zipụnụ otu onye nʼime unu ka ọ gaa kpọta nwanne unu nwoke. Ma aga m etinye ndị fọdụrụ nʼụlọ mkpọrọ, tutu m chọpụta ma ihe unu kwuru ọ bụ eziokwu maọbụ ụgha. Ọ bụrụ ụgha nʼezie, dịka Fero na-adị ndụ, unu bụ ndị nnyopụta.”
17 So Joseph imprisoned them for three days,
O tinyere ha niile nʼụlọ mkpọrọ, hapụ ha nʼebe ahụ abalị atọ.
18 and on the third day he said to them, “I fear God. So do this and you will live:
Josef gwara ha, nʼụbọchị nke atọ, “Nke a bụ ihe unu ga-eme ma dị ndụ, nʼihi na abụ m onye na-atụ egwu Chineke.
19 If you are honest, leave one of your brothers in custody while the rest of you go and take back grain to relieve the hunger of your households.
Ọ bụrụ na unu bụ ndị ezi mmadụ, ka otu onye nʼime unu nọdụ nʼebe a, nʼụlọ mkpọrọ, ka ndị fọdụrụ buru ọka bulaara ndị ezinaụlọ unu nọ nʼagụụ.
20 Then bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be verified, that you may not die.” And to this they consented.
Ma kpọtaranụ m nwanne unu nke nta nʼebe a, nke a ga-egosi na okwu unu bụ eziokwu, na unu agaghịkwa anwụ.” Ha mere otu a.
21 Then they said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.”
Ha gwarịtara onwe ha okwu sị, “Nʼezie, ọ bụ nʼihi nwanne anyị nwoke ka ahụhụ ndị a ji abịakwasị anyị. Anyị hụrụ obi mgbawa ya, mgbe ọ na-arịọ ka anyị chebe ndụ ya, ma anyị egeghị ya ntị. Ọ bụ nke a mere mmekpa ahụ ndị a ji bịakwasị anyị ugbu a.”
22 And Reuben responded, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you would not listen. Now we must account for his blood!”
Ruben zara sị ha, “Ọ bụ na mụ agwaghị unu sị unu hapụ imejọ nwantakịrị ahụ, ma unu egeghị ntị? Ugbu a, anyị na-asa ajụjụ banyere ọbara ya.”
23 They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them.
Ha amataghị na Josef na-anụ ihe ha na-ekwu, nʼihi na onye nsụgharị okwu nọ nʼetiti ha.
24 And he turned away from them and wept. When he turned back and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes.
O sitere nʼebe ha nọ tụgharịa gaa kwaa akwa. Ọ lọghachikwutere ha ọzọ gwakwa ha okwu. O si nʼetiti ha kpọpụta Simiọn kee ya agbụ ka ha na-ele ya anya.
25 Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to return each man’s silver to his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out,
Josef nyere iwu ka e kpojuo ọka nʼakpa ha, tinyekwara onye ọbụla ego ọ kwụrụ nʼakpa ya. Ọ nyere iwu ka e nye ha ihe ha ga-eri nʼụzọ. Mgbe e mesịrị ihe ndị a,
26 and they loaded the grain on their donkeys and departed.
ha bokwasịrị ịnyịnya ibu akpa ọka ha nʼotu nʼotu. Ha hapụrụ Ijipt lawa.
27 At the place where they lodged for the night, one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of the sack.
Mgbe ha ruru ebe ha nọrọ ọnọdụ abalị, otu nʼime ha meghere akpa ya ka o nye ịnyịnya ibu ya ọka, ọ hụrụ ego ya nʼọnụ akpa ya.
28 “My silver has been returned!” he said to his brothers. “It is here in my sack.” Their hearts sank, and trembling, they turned to one another and said, “What is this that God has done to us?”
Ọ gwara ụmụnne ya sị, “Lee, e tighachiri ego m kwụrụ. Lee ya nʼakpa ọka m.” Ike gwụrụ onye ọbụla nʼime ha. Site nʼahụ ịma jijiji ha lerịtara onwe ha anya sị, “Gịnị bụ ihe a Chineke mere anyị?”
29 When they reached their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they described to him all that had happened to them:
Mgbe ha lakwutere nna ha Jekọb nʼala Kenan, ha kọọrọ ya ihe niile dakwasịrị ha. Ha gwara ya sị,
30 “The man who is lord of the land spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country.
“Nwoke na-achị ala ahụ gwara anyị okwu nʼolu ike. O mesoro anyị mmeso dịka anyị bụ ndị bịara inyochapụta obodo ha.
31 But we told him, ‘We are honest men, not spies.
Ma anyị gwara ya sị, ‘Anyị bụ ndị kwesiri ntụkwasị obi, ndị na-abụghị ndị nnyopụta obodo.
32 We are twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in the land of Canaan.’
Anyị dị ụmụnne iri na abụọ ndị nwere otu nna. Otu nʼime anyị anọkwaghị, ma nke ntakịrị na nna anyị nọ na nʼala Kenan taa.’
33 Then the man who is lord of the land said to us, ‘This is how I will know whether you are honest: Leave one brother with me, take food to relieve the hunger of your households, and go.
“Mgbe ahụ, nwoke a, onye na-achị ala ahụ, sịrị anyị, ‘Nke a ka m ga-eji mata ma unu bụ ndị ezi mmadụ. Hapụrụnụ m otu nwanne unu. Burunu ọka, bulaara ndị ezinaụlọ unu agụụ na-agụgbu.
34 But bring your youngest brother back to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men. Then I will give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the land.’”
Ma kpọtara m nwanne unu nke nta. Mgbe ahụ ka m ga-ama ihe unu bụ. Ma unu bụ ndị nnyopụta maọbụ ndị ezi mmadụ. Mgbe ahụ, aga m ahapụrụ unu nwanne unu. Unu ga na-azụkwa ahịa nʼala a.’”
35 As they began emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his bag of silver! And when they and their father saw the bags of silver, they were dismayed.
Mgbe ha bidoro ịwụpụtasị ọka dị nʼakpa ha, lee, nʼime akpa ọka onye ọbụla, a chọtara ego ọ kwụrụ nʼakpa ya. Mgbe ha na nna ha hụrụ ego ndị a, ha tụrụ egwu.
36 Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my sons. Joseph is gone and Simeon is no more. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is going against me!”
Ya mere, nna ha Jekọb gwara ha sị, “Unu agbawala m aka ụmụ. Josef anọghị, Simiọn anọkwaghị. Ma unu na-achọ iwezuga Benjamin. Naanị m ka ihe niile ndị a na-emegide!”
37 Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I fail to bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him.”
Mgbe ahụ, Ruben gwara nna ya sị, “I nwere ike gbuo ụmụ m ndị ikom abụọ ma ọ bụrụ na m akpọghachighị Benjamin. Tifee ya nʼaka m, aga m akpọghachikwara gị ya.”
38 But Jacob replied, “My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If any harm comes to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.” (Sheol h7585)
Ma Jekọb sịrị, “Nwa m agaghị eso unu gaa. Nʼihi na nwanne ya anwụọla, ọ bụkwa naanị ya ka ọ fọdụrụ. Ọ bụrụ na nsogbu ezute ya nʼụzọ nʼije a, unu ga-eme ka m jiri isi awọ m laa nʼili nʼọnọdụ mwute.” (Sheol h7585)

< Genesis 42 >