< Jenesis 37 >
1 Jekọb bigidere nʼala Kenan, ala ahụ nna ya buru ụzọ biri nʼime ya.
Now Jacob lived in the land where his father had resided, the land of Canaan.
2 Nke a bụ usoro akụkọ banyere ezinaụlọ Jekọb. Josef, onye gbarala afọ iri na asaa, na-esonyere ụmụnne ya ndị ikom na-azụ igwe anụ ụlọ, ya onwe ya bụ naanị nwantakịrị na-enyere ụmụ Bilha na ụmụ Zilpa ndị nwunye nna ya aka. Ma Josef na-ewetara nna ha akụkọ maka ihe ọjọọ ha na-eme.
This is the account of Jacob. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he was tending the flock with his brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah, and he brought their father a bad report about them.
3 Ma Izrel hụrụ Josef nʼanya karịa ụmụ ya ndị ikom ndị ọzọ niile nʼihi na Josef bụ nwa a mụụrụ ya nʼoge agadi ya. Ọ kwaara ya uwe mwụda nwere ọtụtụ agwa.
Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons, because Joseph had been born to him in his old age; so he made him a robe of many colors.
4 Mgbe ụmụnne ya chọpụtara na nna ha hụrụ ya nʼanya karịa onye ọbụla nʼime ha, ha kpọrọ ya asị, ha adịghị agwakwa ya okwu ọma.
When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.
5 Otu oge, Josef rọrọ nrọ, mgbe ọ kọọrọ ụmụnne ya nrọ a ọ rọrọ, ha kpọrọ ya asị karịa.
Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more.
6 Ọ gwara ha, “Geenụ ntị na nrọ a m rọrọ.
He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had:
7 Anyị niile nọ nʼubi na-achịkọta ọka, ngwangwa ukwu ọka nke m biliri guzoro ọtọ, ebe ukwu ọka nke unu niile gbara ukwu ọka nke m gburugburu, na-akpọ isiala nye ya.”
We were binding sheaves of grain in the field, and suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to mine.”
8 Ụmụnne ya jụrụ ya, “Ị na-akọwa na ọ bụ gị ga-abụ eze anyị? Na ọ bụ gị nʼezie ga-achị anyị?” Ha kpọrọ ya asị karịa nʼihi nrọ ya na okwu ya niile.
“Do you intend to reign over us?” his brothers asked. “Will you actually rule us?” So they hated him even more because of his dream and his statements.
9 Josef rọkwara nrọ ọzọ, kọkwara ụmụnne ya. Ọ sịrị, “Geenụ ntị, arọrọ m nrọ ọzọ. Ma na nrọ nke ugbu a, anyanwụ na ọnwa na kpakpando iri na otu na-akpọ isiala nye m.”
Then Joseph had another dream and told it to his brothers. “Look,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”
10 Ma mgbe ọ kọọrọ nna ya na ụmụnne ya nrọ a. Nna ya baara ya mba, sị, “Nrọ nke a ị rọrọ bụ nrọ gịnị? Ọ bụ ezie na anyị niile, mụ onwe m na nne gị na ụmụnne gị, ga-abịa na-akpọrọ gị isiala?”
He told his father and brothers, but his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream that you have had? Will your mother and brothers and I actually come and bow down to the ground before you?”
11 Ụmụnne ya kwosiri ya ekworo nʼihi ya, ma nna ya debere ihe ndị a niile nʼobi ya.
And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept in mind what he had said.
12 Ka ọ dị, ụmụnne ya gara ilekọta igwe anụ ụlọ nna ha na Shekem.
Some time later, Joseph’s brothers had gone to pasture their father’s flocks near Shechem.
13 Izrel sịrị Josef, “Dịka ị maara, ụmụnne gị nọ na-eche anụ ụlọ na Shekem. Bịa, aga m eziga gị nʼebe ahụ.” Josef zara sị, “Ọ dị mma.”
Israel said to him, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flocks at Shechem? Get ready; I am sending you to them.” “I am ready,” Joseph replied.
14 Ya mere, ọ gwara ya, “Gaa ka ị chọpụta ma ihe ọ na-agazikwara ụmụnne gị na igwe anụ ụlọ ndị ahụ nke ọma, ma weghachiri m ozi.” O sitere na Ndagwurugwu Hebrọn zipụ ya. Ọ bịaruru Shekem,
Then Israel told him, “Go now and see how your brothers and the flocks are faring, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron. And when Joseph arrived in Shechem,
15 ma otu nwoke hụrụ ya ka ọ na-awagharị gburugburu nʼọhịa dị nʼebe ahụ, ọ jụrụ ya, “Gịnị ka ị na-achọ?”
a man found him wandering in the field and asked, “What are you looking for?”
16 Ọ sịrị, “Ana m achọ ụmụnne m. Biko, ị nwere ike ịgwa m ebe ha nọ na-azụ igwe anụ ụlọ ha?”
“I am looking for my brothers,” Joseph replied. “Can you please tell me where they are pasturing their flocks?”
17 Nwoke ahụ zara sị, “Ha esitela nʼebe a pụọ. Anụrụ m ka ha na-asị, ‘Ka anyị gaa Dọtan.’” Ya mere, Josef gawara Dọtan ịchọ ụmụnne ya. Ọ hụkwara ha nʼebe dị nso na Dọtan.
“They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph set out after his brothers and found them at Dothan.
18 Ma ha lepụrụ anya hụ ya ka ọ na-abịa, gbaa izu otu ha ga-esi gbuo ya.
Now Joseph’s brothers saw him in the distance, and before he arrived, they plotted to kill him.
19 Ha sịrịtara onwe ha, “Lee eze nrọ ahụ ka ọ na-abịa!
“Here comes that dreamer!” they said to one another.
20 Ugbu a, bịanụ, ka anyị gbuo ya, tụba ya nʼime otu olulu ndị a. Anyị ga-asịkwa na anụ ọhịa eriela ya. Mgbe ahụ, anyị ga-ahụkwa ihe nrọ ya niile ga-abụ.”
“Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. We can say that a vicious animal has devoured him. Then we shall see what becomes of his dreams!”
21 Ruben nụrụ ihe a, ma napụtakwa ya site nʼaka ha. Ọ sịrị, “Ka anyị hapụ igbu ya.”
When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue Joseph from their hands. “Let us not take his life,” he said.
22 Ruben sịrị ha, “Ka unu hapụ ịkwafu ọbara. Kama tụnyenụ ya nʼime olulu a dị nʼọzara. Ma unu akpatụkwala ya aka.” Ma nzube ya bụ ịnapụta ya site nʼaka ha, dulaara ya nna ya.
“Do not shed his blood. Throw him into this pit in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this so that he could rescue Joseph from their hands and return him to his father.
23 Ya mere, mgbe Josef bịakwutere ụmụnne ya, ha yipụrụ ya uwe mwụda ya, uwe mwụda nwere ọtụtụ agwa o yi nʼahụ.
So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the robe of many colors he was wearing—
24 Ha duru ya tụnye ya nʼime olulu. Ọ bụ olulu tọgbọrọ nʼefu, nke mmiri na-adịghị nʼime ya.
and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, with no water in it.
25 Mgbe ha nọdụrụ ala bido iri nri, ha leliri anya ha hụ igwe ndị ahịa Ishmel si Gilead. Ịnyịnya kamel ha bu ụda na mgbaa na máá. Ọ bụkwa Ijipt ka ha bu ihe ndị a na-aga.
And as they sat down to eat a meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh on their way down to Egypt.
26 Mgbe ahụ, Juda jụrụ ụmụnne ya, “Uru gịnị ka ọ ga-abara anyị igbu nwanne anyị, ma kpuchie ọbara ya?
Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?
27 Bịanụ, ka anyị resi ya ndị Ishmel ndị a, ka aka anyị ghara nʼimetụ ya, nʼihi na nwanne anyị na otu anụ ahụ anyị ka ọ bụ.” Ụmụnne ya gere ya ntị.
Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay a hand on him; for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And they agreed.
28 Mgbe ndị ahịa Midia ahụ rutere, ha sitere nʼolulu dọpụta Josef resi ya ndị Ishmel ahụ, ndị kwụrụ ụmụnne Josef iri mkpụrụ shekel ọlaọcha abụọ. Ha duuru Josef gaa Ijipt.
So when the Midianite traders passed by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.
29 Ruben mechara lọghachi gaa nʼolulu ahụ, ma ka ọ na-ahụghị Josef nʼime olulu a, ọ dọwara uwe ya.
When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes,
30 O jekwuru ụmụnne ya sị ha, “Nwata ahụ anọkwaghị ebe ahụ! Mụ onwe m, olee ebe m ga-ala?”
returned to his brothers, and said, “The boy is gone! What am I going to do?”
31 Ụmụnne ya gburu otu ewu were uwe Josef bịanye nʼime ọbara ya.
Then they took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a young goat, and dipped the robe in its blood.
32 Ha chịịrị uwe mwụda ahụ nwere ọtụtụ agwa jekwuru nna ha sị ya, “Anyị hụrụ uwe a nʼime ọhịa. Leruo ya anya ka ị mara maọbụ uwe mwụda nwa gị.”
They sent the robe of many colors to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe or not.”
33 Ọ matara na ọ bụ ya, sị, “E, nke a bụ uwe nwa m nwoke. Ajọ anụ eriela ya. Anụ ọhịa adọkasịala Josef nʼezie.”
His father recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! A vicious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!”
34 Mgbe ahụ, Jekọb dọwara uwe ya, yiri akwa mkpe, ruo ụjụ ọtụtụ ụbọchị nʼihi nwa ya.
Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days.
35 Ụmụ ya ndị ikom na ụmụ ya ndị inyom niile bịara ịkasị ya obi, ma ọ jụrụ ịnabata nkasiobi ọbụla. Ọ sịrị, “Aga m alakwuru nwa m nʼala mmụọ site nʼiru ụjụ.” Nna ya kwagidere akwa nʼihi ya. (Sheol )
All his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said. “I will go down to Sheol mourning for my son.” So his father wept for him. (Sheol )
36 Ugbu a, ndị Midia ahụ rere Josef nʼIjipt, resi ya Pọtifa, otu nʼime ndịisi na-ejere Fero ozi, onye bụ onyeisi ndị nche Fero, bụ eze Ijipt.
Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.