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.
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.
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.
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.
3 Rũciinĩ gwakĩa-rĩ, andũ acio makiumagario hamwe na ndigiri ciao.
The next morning at dawn the men started on the way home 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?
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?
5 Githĩ gĩkombe gĩkĩ tikĩo mwathi wakwa anyuuaga nakĩo na akaragũra nakĩo? Ũndũ ũyũ mwĩkĩte nĩ ũndũ mũũru mũno.’”
[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!’”
6 Na rĩrĩa aamakinyĩrire-rĩ, agĩcookera ciugo icio kũrĩ o.
The servant [left immediately and] when he caught up with them, he told them what Joseph had told him to say.
7 Nao makĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Mwathi witũ ekwaria maũndũ ta macio nĩkĩ? Ithuĩ ndungata ciaku tũroaga gwĩka ũndũ ta ũcio!
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!
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 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]
9 Ndungata o na ĩmwe yaku yakorwo ĩrĩ nakĩo-rĩ, no ĩgũkua, na ithuĩ aya angĩ tũtuĩke ngombo cia mwathi witũ.”
If you discover that any of us has that cup, you can execute him, and the rest of us will become your slaves.”
10 Nake akiuga atĩrĩ, “Nĩ wega, nĩgũtuĩke o ũguo mwoiga. Ũrĩa ũgũkorwo nakĩo nĩwe ũgũtuĩka ngombo yakwa; inyuĩ arĩa angĩ mũtirĩ na ũcuuke.”
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.”
11 O mũndũ o mũndũ agĩikũrũkia ikũnia rĩake thĩ na ihenya na akĩrĩtumũra.
Each of the men quickly lowered his sack down from the donkey 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.
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.
13 Nao moona ũguo-rĩ, magĩtembũranga nguo ciao. Magĩcooka makĩhaicia mĩrigo yao ndigiri igũrũ magĩcooka na thuutha kũu itũũra-inĩ inene.
The brothers tore their clothes [because they were so dismayed]. They loaded the sacks on the donkeys again 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 [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.
15 Jusufu akĩmooria atĩrĩ, “Nĩ ũndũ ũrĩkũ ũyũ mwĩkĩte? Kaĩ mũtooĩ atĩ mũndũ ta niĩ no ahote kũmenya maũndũ na njĩra ya ũragũri?”
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]
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.”
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.”
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, “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.”
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 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.
19 Mwathi wakwa, wee woririe ndungata ciaku atĩrĩ, ‘Nĩ mũrĩ ithe wanyu kana mũrũ wa thoguo wanyu ũngĩ?’
You asked us, ‘Is your father still living, and do you have another 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.’
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.’
21 “Hĩndĩ ĩyo ũkĩĩra ndungata ciaku atĩrĩ, ‘Thiĩi mũmũikũrũkie mũmũrehe ndĩmwĩonere.’
Then you said to us, ‘The next time you come here, bring your younger brother down to me, so that I can see him.’
22 Na ithuĩ tũkĩĩra mwathi witũ atĩrĩ, ‘Kamwana kau gatingiuma harĩ ithe; kangiuma harĩ we, ithe no gũkua angĩkua.’
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.’
23 No wee werire ndungata ciaku atĩrĩ, ‘Tiga mũũkire na mũrũ wa thoguo ũcio mũnini biũ, mũtikoona ũthiũ wakwa rĩngĩ.’
But you told us, ‘If your youngest brother does not come back with you, I will not let you see me again!’
24 Na twainũka kũrĩ ndungata yaku ũcio ithe witũ, tũkĩmwĩra ũrĩa wee mwathi witũ woigĩte.
When we returned to our father, we told him what you said.
25 “Ningĩ ithe witũ agĩtwĩra atĩrĩ, ‘Cookai, mũthiĩ mũgũre irio ingĩ nini.’
[Months later] our father said, ‘Go back to Egypt and buy some more grain!’
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 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.’
27 “Nayo ndungata yaku ũcio ithe witũ agĩtwĩra atĩrĩ, ‘Inyuĩ nĩmũũĩ atĩ mũtumia wakwa Rakeli aanjiarĩire ariũ eerĩ.
Our father replied, ‘You know that my wife [Rachel] gave birth to two sons for me.
28 Ũmwe wacio nĩathiire na ndacooke, na niĩ ngiuga atĩrĩ, “Ti-itherũ nĩatambuurĩtwo nĩ nyamũ!” Na kuuma hĩndĩ ĩyo ndirĩ ndamuona rĩngĩ.
One of them disappeared, and I said, “A wild animal has surely torn him to pieces.” And I have not seen him since then.
29 Mũngĩoya ũyũ ũngĩ nake akoone mũtino-rĩ, mwatũma mbuĩ ici ciakwa ithiĩ mbĩrĩra na kĩeha.’ (Sheol h7585)
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)
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 please listen. My father will remain alive only if his youngest son remains alive.
31 oone atĩ kamwana gaka tũtirĩ nako, no gũkua agaakua. Ithuĩ ndungata ciaku tũgĩikũrũkie mbuĩ cia ithe witũ mbĩrĩra-inĩ na kĩeha. (Sheol h7585)
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)
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!’
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].’
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.
“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.
34 Ingĩhota atĩa kũinũka kũrĩ baba itarĩ na kamwana gaka? Aca! Ndũkareke ngoone kĩeha kĩrĩa kĩngĩnyiita baba.”
(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!”
