< Genesis 44 >

1 When his brothers were ready to return home, Joseph said to the man who was in charge of things in his house, “Fill the sacks of those men with as much grain as they can carry [on their donkeys]. And put in the top of each man’s sack the silver that he paid for the grain.
Afei, Yosef hyɛɛ ne somfo panyin no se, “Fa aduan dodow biara a mmarima no betumi asoa no hyɛ wɔn nkotoku no amaama, na fa obiara sika nso hyɛ ne kotoku mu ma no.
2 Then put my silver cup in the top of the youngest brother’s sack, along with the silver that he paid for the grain.” So the servant did what Joseph told him to do.
Na fa me dwetɛ kuruwa no ka akumaa no aduan no sika ho, na fa hyɛ ne kotoku no mu.” Na ɔyɛɛ sɛnea Yosef kaa no pɛpɛɛpɛ.
3 The next morning at dawn the men started on the way home with their donkeys.
Ade kyee anɔpa no, ogyaa anuanom no ne wɔn mfurum no kwan.
4 When they had not gone far from the city, Joseph said to the servant in charge of things in his house, “Pursue those men immediately. When you catch up to them, say to them, ‘We did good things for you! Why have you paid us back by doing something bad to us?
Wɔannu akyiri baabiara, na Yosef ka kyerɛɛ ne somfo panyin no se, “Tiw nkurɔfo no ntɛm, na sɛ woto wɔn a, bisa wɔn se, ‘Adɛn nti na mode bɔne tua papa ka? Adɛn nti na moawia me dwetɛ kuruwa?
5 [You have stolen the cup] that my master drinks from [RHQ]! It is the cup that he uses to find out things that nobody knows! What you did was very wicked!’”
Ɛnyɛ saa kuruwa yi a me wura nom ano na ɔhwɛ mu ka nhumusɛm no ni? Eyi yɛ bɔne kɛse a moayɛ.’”
6 The servant [left immediately and] when he caught up with them, he told them what Joseph had told him to say.
Ɔkɔtoo wɔn no, otii saa asɛm koro yi ara mu kyerɛɛ wɔn.
7 But one of them replied to him, “Sir, why do you say such things? We are your servants, and we would never do anything like that!
Nanso anuanom no buaa no se, “Adɛn nti na yɛn wura keka saa nsɛm yi? Ɛmpare wo nkoa sɛ wɔbɛyɛ ade a ɛte saa!
8 We even brought back to you from Canaan land the silver that we found inside the tops of our sacks! So (we certainly would not steal silver or gold from your master’s house!/Why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house?) [RHQ]
Sika a yehuu wɔ yɛn nkotoku mu no, yɛansan amfa amfi Kanaan ammrɛ mo ana? Adɛn nti na ɛsɛ sɛ yewia dwetɛ anaa sikakɔkɔɔ fi wo wura fi?
9 If you discover that any of us has that cup, you can execute him, and the rest of us will become your slaves.”
Sɛ wuhu saa kuruwa no wɔ wo nkoa no biara nkyɛn a, okum na ɛsɛ sɛ wukum saa onipa no. Na sɛ ɛba saa nso a, yɛn nyinaa bɛyɛ wo wura nkoa.”
10 The man replied, “Okay, I will do what you say. But the one who has the cup will not be executed. Instead, he will become my slave, and the rest of you may return home.”
Ɔsomfo no buae se, “Eye, na nea owiae no nko na ɔbɛyɛ mʼakoa; na mo a moaka no bɛfa mo ho adi.”
11 Each of the men quickly lowered his sack down from the donkey to the ground and opened it.
Anuanom no nyinaa yiyii wɔn nnesoa no fii mfurum no so guu fam, sansan wɔn nkotoku no ano.
12 Then the servant started to search for the cup in each sack. He started with the oldest brother’s sack and ended with the youngest one’s sack. And he found the cup in Benjamin’s sack and showed it to them.
Na ɔsomfo no fii ase, hwehwɛɛ wɔn nkotoku no mu fi ɔpanyin no so kosii akumaa no so. Wohuu kuruwa no wɔ Benyamin kotoku no mu.
13 The brothers tore their clothes [because they were so dismayed]. They loaded the sacks on the donkeys again and returned to the city.
Ɛbaa saa no, anuanom no sunsuan wɔn ntade mu. Afei, wɔn nyinaa san hyehyɛɛ wɔn nnesoa no wɔ wɔn mfurum no so, san kɔɔ kurow no mu.
14 When Judah and his [older and younger] brothers entered Joseph’s house, Joseph was still there. The servant told Joseph what had happened. Then the brothers threw themselves down on the ground in front of Joseph.
Bere a Yuda ne ne nuanom no koduu kurow no mu hɔ no, na Yosef da so wɔ ne fi hɔ. Enti wɔn nyinaa totow wɔn ho guu fam wɔ nʼanim.
15 He said to them, “Why did you do this? Do you not know that a man like me can find out things that nobody knows?” [RHQ]
Yosef bisaa wɔn se, “Dɛn ade na moayɛ yi? Munnim sɛ onipa a ɔte sɛ me nam nhumusɛm so betumi ahu biribiara mu ana?”
16 Judah replied, “Sir, what can we say? How can we prove that we (are innocent/did not steal the cup)? God has (paid us back/punished us) for the sins [we committed many years ago]. So now we will become your slaves—both we and the one in whose sack the cup was found.”
Yuda buae se, “Anoyi bɛn na yebetumi ayi wɔ me wura anim? Asɛm bɛn na yɛwɔ ka? Yɛbɛyɛ dɛn na yɛatumi ama woahu sɛ yenni saa asɛm yi ho fɔ? Onyame ada yɛn wʼasomfo afɔdi yi adi. Yɛne nea wohuu kuruwa no wɔ no nkyɛn no nyinaa yɛ yɛn wura nkoa.”
17 But Joseph replied, “No, I could never do anything like that. Only the man in whose sack the cup was found will become my slave. The rest of you can return to your father peacefully.”
Nanso Yosef kae se, “Ɛmpare me sɛ mɛyɛ ade a ɛte saa. Onipa a wohuu kuruwa no wɔ ne nkyɛn no nko ara na ɔbɛyɛ mʼakoa. Mo a moaka no de, monsan nkɔ mo agya nkyɛn asomdwoe mu.”
18 Then Judah came near to Joseph and said, “Sir, please let me say something to you. You are equal to the king himself, so you could command that I be executed; but do not be angry with me for speaking to you.
Yuda sɔre kɔɔ Yosef anim, ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Ma me a meyɛ wʼakoa no kwan na me ne wo, me wura, nkasa. Ɛwɔ mu sɛ wo ne Farao yɛ pɛ de, nanso mesrɛ wo, nya ntoboase ma wʼakoa.
19 You asked us, ‘Is your father still living, and do you have another brother?’
Me wura bisaa nʼasomfo no se, ‘Mowɔ agya anaa onuabarima bi?’
20 We answered, ‘Our father is alive, but he is an old man. He has a young son who was born after our father became an old man. That son had an [older] brother, who is now dead. So the youngest son is the only one of his mother’s sons who is still alive, and his father loves him very much.’
Na yebuae se, ‘Yɛwɔ agya a wabɔ akwakoraa ne yɛn kaakyiri a ɔwoo no ne nkwakoraabere mu. Ne nuabarima a ɔka ne ho no awu. Na ɔno nko ara ne ne na ba a waka. Nʼagya pɛ nʼasɛm yiye.’
21 Then you said to us, ‘The next time you come here, bring your younger brother down to me, so that I can see him.’
“Na ɔka kyerɛɛ wʼasomfo se, ‘Momfa no mmra, na menhwɛ no.’
22 We said to you, ‘No, we cannot do that, because the boy cannot leave his father. If he leaves his father, his father will die from sorrow.’
Yɛka kyerɛɛ me wura se, ‘Abarimaa no rentumi ntew ne ho mfi nʼagya ho. Na sɛ ɛba sɛ ɔtew ne ho fi nʼagya ho a, nʼagya no bewu.’
23 But you told us, ‘If your youngest brother does not come back with you, I will not let you see me again!’
Ɛnna woka kyerɛɛ wʼasomfo se. ‘Sɛ moamfa mo nua kumaa no anka mo ho amma a, munnsi mʼanim bio.’
24 When we returned to our father, we told him what you said.
Yɛsan kɔɔ wʼakoa, yɛn agya nkyɛn no, yɛkaa wo a woyɛ yɛn wura no nsɛm a woka kyerɛɛ yɛn no nyinaa kyerɛɛ no.
25 [Months later] our father said, ‘Go back to Egypt and buy some more grain!’
“Na yɛn agya kae se, ‘Monsan nkɔ bio nkɔtɔ aduan kakra mmra.’
26 But we said, ‘We cannot go back by ourselves. We will go only if our youngest brother is with us. We will not be able to see the man who sells grain if our youngest brother is not with us.’
Nanso yɛka kyerɛɛ yɛn agya se, ‘Yɛrentumi nkɔ, gye sɛ yɛn nua kumaa no ka yɛn ho. Sɛ yɛamfa yɛn nua kumaa no anka yɛn ho ankɔ a, yɛrentumi nkɔ owura no anim.’
27 Our father replied, ‘You know that my wife [Rachel] gave birth to two sons for me.
“Wʼakoa, yɛn agya, ka kyerɛɛ yɛn se, ‘Munim sɛ me ne me yere woo mmabarima baanu.
28 One of them disappeared, and I said, “A wild animal has surely torn him to pieces.” And I have not seen him since then.
Wɔn mu baako fii me nkyɛn kɔe a manhu no bio ma mekae se, “Aboa bi atetew no pasaa.” Efi saa bere no, minhuu no bio.
29 I am an old gray-haired man. If you take this other one from me, too, and something harms him, you would cause me to die because of my sorrow.’ (Sheol h7585)
Sɛ mofa oyi fi me nkyɛn, na asiane bi kosiane no wɔ kwan so a, me nso, mede awerɛhow bewu bi.’ (Sheol h7585)
30 “So please listen. My father will remain alive only if his youngest son remains alive.
“Enti saa bere yi, sɛ yekopue fi wʼakoa, yɛn agya, anim na abofra yi nka yɛn ho, ne sɛnea ne koma da abofra no so fa no,
31 If he sees that the boy is not with us when we return to him, he will die. We will cause our gray-haired father to die because of his sorrow. (Sheol h7585)
sɛ ohu sɛ abofra no nka yɛn ho a, obewu. Wo nkoa bɛma wɔn agya de ne ti so dwen akɔ asaman awerɛhow mu. (Sheol h7585)
32 I guaranteed/promised to my father that the boy would return safely. I told him, ‘You can require me to do what I am promising. If I do not bring him back to you, you can say forever that (I am to blame/it is my fault) [for not bringing him back to you].’
Wʼakoa a ɔde ne ho dii abofra no akagyinamu sɛ ɔde no bɛba no kae se, ‘Sɛ mamfa no ansan ammrɛ wo a, ɛho asodi no mmɛda me so, me nkwanna nyinaa.’
33 “So, please let me remain here as your slave instead of my youngest brother, and let the boy return home with his other older brothers.
“Afei, mesrɛ wo, ma wʼakoa nsi abofra no anan mu wɔ ha, na ma abofra no ne ne nuabarimanom no nsan nkɔ.
34 (I cannot return to my father if the boy is not with me!/How can I return to my father if the boy is not with me?) [RHQ] I do not want to see how miserable/sad my father would become!”
Na sɛ abofra no anka me ho ankɔ a, mɛyɛ dɛn na makopue wɔ mʼagya anim? Dabi! Merentumi nnyina ahohia a ɛbɛto mʼagya wɔ saa asɛm yi ho no ano.”

< Genesis 44 >