Kĩambĩrĩria 44
1 Nake Jusufu agĩatha mũnene wa nyũmba yake, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Iyũria makũnia ma andũ aya irio nyingĩ o ta ũrĩa mangĩhota gũkuua, na wĩkĩre betha ya mũndũ o mũndũ mũromo-inĩ wa ikũnia rĩake.
Then Joseph instructed his steward: “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each one’s silver in the mouth of his sack.
2 Ningĩ wĩkĩre gĩkombe gĩakwa kĩrĩa kĩa betha mũromo-inĩ wa ikũnia rĩa ũrĩa mũnini biũ wao, hamwe na betha cia ngano yake.” Nake mũnene ũcio agĩĩka o ũrĩa Jusufu aamwĩrire.
Put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the silver for his grain.” So the steward did as Joseph had instructed.
3 Rũciinĩ gwakĩa-rĩ, andũ acio makiumagario hamwe na ndigiri ciao.
At daybreak, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys.
4 Matanathiĩ kũraya na itũũra rĩu inene-rĩ, Jusufu akĩĩra mũnene wa nyũmba yake atĩrĩ, “Rũmĩrĩra andũ acio o rĩu, na wamakinyĩra ũmoorie atĩrĩ, ‘Mwarĩha wega na ũũru nĩkĩ?
They had not gone far from the city when Joseph told his steward, “Pursue the men at once, and when you overtake them, ask, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil?
5 Githĩ gĩkombe gĩkĩ tikĩo mwathi wakwa anyuuaga nakĩo na akaragũra nakĩo? Ũndũ ũyũ mwĩkĩte nĩ ũndũ mũũru mũno.’”
Is this not the cup my master drinks from and uses for divination? What you have done is wicked!’”
6 Na rĩrĩa aamakinyĩrire-rĩ, agĩcookera ciugo icio kũrĩ o.
When the steward overtook them, he relayed these words to them.
7 Nao makĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Mwathi witũ ekwaria maũndũ ta macio nĩkĩ? Ithuĩ ndungata ciaku tũroaga gwĩka ũndũ ta ũcio!
“Why does my lord say these things?” they asked. “Your servants could not possibly do such a thing.
8 Ithuĩ o na nĩtũragũcookeirie betha iria twakorire mĩromo-inĩ ya makũnia maitũ kuuma bũrũri wa Kaanani; nĩ kĩĩ kĩngĩtũma tũiye betha kana thahabu kuuma nyũmba ya mwathi waku?
We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found in the mouths of our sacks. Why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house?
9 Ndungata o na ĩmwe yaku yakorwo ĩrĩ nakĩo-rĩ, no ĩgũkua, na ithuĩ aya angĩ tũtuĩke ngombo cia mwathi witũ.”
If any of your servants is found to have it, he must die, and the rest will become slaves of my lord.”
10 Nake akiuga atĩrĩ, “Nĩ wega, nĩgũtuĩke o ũguo mwoiga. Ũrĩa ũgũkorwo nakĩo nĩwe ũgũtuĩka ngombo yakwa; inyuĩ arĩa angĩ mũtirĩ na ũcuuke.”
“As you say,” replied the steward. “But only the one who is found with the cup will be my slave, and the rest of you shall be free of blame.”
11 O mũndũ o mũndũ agĩikũrũkia ikũnia rĩake thĩ na ihenya na akĩrĩtumũra.
So each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.
12 Nake mũnene ũcio wa nyũmba ya Jusufu akĩambĩrĩria gũcaria gĩkombe, ambĩrĩirie harĩ ũrĩa mũkũrũ wao na akĩrĩkĩrĩria harĩ ũrĩa mũnini biũ. Nakĩo gĩkombe kĩu gĩkĩoneka ikũnia-inĩ rĩa Benjamini.
The steward searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest—and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.
13 Nao moona ũguo-rĩ, magĩtembũranga nguo ciao. Magĩcooka makĩhaicia mĩrigo yao ndigiri igũrũ magĩcooka na thuutha kũu itũũra-inĩ inene.
Then they all tore their clothes, loaded their donkeys, and returned to the city.
14 Jusufu aarĩ o kũu nyũmba rĩrĩa Juda na ariũ a ithe maatoonyire kuo. Nao makĩĩgũithia thĩ mbere yake.
When Judah and his brothers arrived at Joseph’s house, he was still there, and they fell to the ground before him.
15 Jusufu akĩmooria atĩrĩ, “Nĩ ũndũ ũrĩkũ ũyũ mwĩkĩte? Kaĩ mũtooĩ atĩ mũndũ ta niĩ no ahote kũmenya maũndũ na njĩra ya ũragũri?”
“What is this deed you have done?” Joseph declared. “Do you not know that a man like me can surely divine the truth?”
16 Juda akĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “Nĩ atĩa tũngĩĩra mwathi witũ? Tũngiuga atĩa? Tũngĩhota atĩa kuonania atĩ tũtiĩhĩtie? Ngai nĩwe ũguũrĩtie mahĩtia ma ndungata ciaku. Rĩu ithuĩ tũrĩ ngombo cia mwathi witũ, ithuothe ũndũ ũmwe na ũrĩa ũkorirwo na gĩkombe kĩu.”
“What can we say to my lord?” Judah replied. “How can we plead? How can we justify ourselves? God has exposed the iniquity of your servants. We are now my lord’s slaves—both we and the one who was found with the cup.”
17 No Jusufu akiuga atĩrĩ, “Ndĩroaga gwĩka ũndũ ta ũcio! Mũndũ ũrĩa ũkorirwo na gĩkombe kĩu nowe ũgũtuĩka ngombo yakwa. Inyuĩ aya angĩ, cookai kũrĩ ithe wanyu na thayũ.”
But Joseph replied, “Far be it from me to do this. The man who was found with the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may return to your father in peace.”
18 No Juda agĩthiĩ harĩ we, akiuga atĩrĩ, “Ndagũthaitha mwathi wakwa, ĩtĩkĩria ndungata yaku yarĩrie mwathi wakwa. Ndũkarakarĩre ndungata yaku o na gũtuĩka ũiganaine na Firaũni we mwene.
Then Judah approached Joseph and said, “Sir, please let your servant speak personally to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, for you are equal to Pharaoh himself.
19 Mwathi wakwa, wee woririe ndungata ciaku atĩrĩ, ‘Nĩ mũrĩ ithe wanyu kana mũrũ wa thoguo wanyu ũngĩ?’
My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’
20 Na ithuĩ tũgĩgũcookeria atĩrĩ, ‘Tũrĩ na ithe witũ mũthuuri mũkũrũ mũno, na kũrĩ kamwana kanini aaciarĩirwo ũkũrũ-inĩ wake. Mũrũ-wa-nyina na kamwana kau nĩ mũkuũ, na nowe wiki wa ariũ a nyina ũtigarĩte, na ithe nĩamwendete mũno.’
And we answered, ‘We have an elderly father and a younger brother, the child of his old age. The boy’s brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’
21 “Hĩndĩ ĩyo ũkĩĩra ndungata ciaku atĩrĩ, ‘Thiĩi mũmũikũrũkie mũmũrehe ndĩmwĩonere.’
Then you told your servants, ‘Bring him down to me so that I can see him for myself.’
22 Na ithuĩ tũkĩĩra mwathi witũ atĩrĩ, ‘Kamwana kau gatingiuma harĩ ithe; kangiuma harĩ we, ithe no gũkua angĩkua.’
So we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father. If he were to leave, his father would die.’
23 No wee werire ndungata ciaku atĩrĩ, ‘Tiga mũũkire na mũrũ wa thoguo ũcio mũnini biũ, mũtikoona ũthiũ wakwa rĩngĩ.’
But you said to your servants, ‘Unless your younger brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’
24 Na twainũka kũrĩ ndungata yaku ũcio ithe witũ, tũkĩmwĩra ũrĩa wee mwathi witũ woigĩte.
Now when we returned to your servant my father, we relayed your words to him.
25 “Ningĩ ithe witũ agĩtwĩra atĩrĩ, ‘Cookai, mũthiĩ mũgũre irio ingĩ nini.’
Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy us some food.’
26 No ithuĩ tũkĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, ‘Tũtingĩikũrũka kuo. No gũkorirwo nĩtũgũthiĩ na mũriũ waku ũyũ mũnini biũ. Tũtingĩona ũthiũ wa mũndũ ũcio tiga mũriũ waku ũyũ akorirwo na ithuĩ.’
But we answered, ‘We cannot go down there unless our younger brother goes with us. So if our younger brother is not with us, we cannot see the man.’
27 “Nayo ndungata yaku ũcio ithe witũ agĩtwĩra atĩrĩ, ‘Inyuĩ nĩmũũĩ atĩ mũtumia wakwa Rakeli aanjiarĩire ariũ eerĩ.
And your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons.
28 Ũmwe wacio nĩathiire na ndacooke, na niĩ ngiuga atĩrĩ, “Ti-itherũ nĩatambuurĩtwo nĩ nyamũ!” Na kuuma hĩndĩ ĩyo ndirĩ ndamuona rĩngĩ.
When one of them was gone, I said: “Surely he has been torn to pieces.” And I have not seen him since.
29 Mũngĩoya ũyũ ũngĩ nake akoone mũtino-rĩ, mwatũma mbuĩ ici ciakwa ithiĩ mbĩrĩra na kĩeha.’ (Sheol h7585)
Now if you also take this one from me and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.’ (Sheol h7585)
30 “Na rĩrĩ, kamwana gaka kangĩaga gũthiĩ na niĩ tũgacooka kũrĩ ndungata yaku ũcio baba, o baba ũcio muoyo wake wohanĩtio na muoyo wa kamwana gaka-rĩ,
So if the boy is not with us when I return to your servant, and if my father, whose life is wrapped up in the boy’s life,
31 oone atĩ kamwana gaka tũtirĩ nako, no gũkua agaakua. Ithuĩ ndungata ciaku tũgĩikũrũkie mbuĩ cia ithe witũ mbĩrĩra-inĩ na kĩeha. (Sheol h7585)
sees that the boy is not with us, he will die. Then your servants will have brought the gray hair of your servant our father down to Sheol in sorrow. (Sheol h7585)
32 Niĩ ndungata yaku-rĩ, nĩnderutĩire kũrĩ baba gũkamenyerera. Ngiuga atĩrĩ, ‘Ingĩkaaga gũgacookia kũrĩ we-rĩ, nĩngacookererwo nĩ ihĩtia rĩĩrĩ ndĩ mbere ya baba, matukũ mothe ma muoyo wakwa!’
Indeed, your servant guaranteed the boy’s safety to my father, saying, ‘If I do not return him to you, I will bear the guilt before you, my father, all my life.’
33 “Na rĩu ndagũthaitha ũreke niĩ ndungata yaku ndigwo gũkũ nduĩke ngombo ya mwathi wakwa handũ ha kamwana gaka, na wĩtĩkĩrie kamwana gaka kainũke na ariũ a ithe.
Now please let your servant stay here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy. Let him return with his brothers.
34 Ingĩhota atĩa kũinũka kũrĩ baba itarĩ na kamwana gaka? Aca! Ndũkareke ngoone kĩeha kĩrĩa kĩngĩnyiita baba.”
For how can I go back to my father without the boy? I could not bear to see the misery that would overwhelm him.”
