Jenesis 37
1 Jekọb bigidere nʼala Kenan, ala ahụ nna ya buru ụzọ biri nʼime ya.
Jacob settled down and lived in Canaan as his father had done.
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 story of Jacob and his family. Joseph was seventeen, and helped look after the flock with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives. Joseph told his father about some of the bad things his brothers were doing.
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.
Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because Joseph had been born to him when he was already old. He made a colorful robe with long sleeves for Joseph.
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 his brothers noticed that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and had nothing good to say about him.
5 Otu oge, Josef rọrọ nrọ, mgbe ọ kọọrọ ụmụnne ya nrọ a ọ rọrọ, ha kpọrọ ya asị karịa.
Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him even more.
6 Ọ gwara ha, “Geenụ ntị na nrọ a m rọrọ.
“Listen to this dream I had,” he told them.
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 tying up bundles of grain out in the fields when all of a sudden my bundle stood up, and your bundles came over and bowed down to it.”
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 really think you're going to be our king?” they asked. “Do you honestly believe you're going to rule over us?” They hated him even more because of his dream and how he described it.
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 he had another dream told his brothers about it. “Listen, I had another dream,” he explained. “The sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down before 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 also told his father as well as his brothers, and his father told him off, saying, “What's this dream that you've had? Are we—I and your mother and brothers—really going to 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.
Joseph's brothers became jealous of him, but his father puzzled over the meaning of the dream.
12 Ka ọ dị, ụmụnne ya gara ilekọta igwe anụ ụlọ nna ha na Shekem.
One day Joseph's brothers took their father's flocks to graze 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 told Joseph, “Your brothers are looking after the sheep near Shechem. Get ready because I want you to go and see them.” “I'll do it,” 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,
So he told him, “Off you go and see how your brothers and the flocks are doing, and come back and let me know.” So he sent him off. Joseph set out from the Hebron Valley,
15 ma otu nwoke hụrụ ya ka ọ na-awagharị gburugburu nʼọhịa dị nʼebe ahụ, ọ jụrụ ya, “Gịnị ka ị na-achọ?”
and arrived in Shechem. A man there found him wandering about in the field, so he asked him, “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'm looking for my brothers,” Joseph replied. “Can you please tell me where they're looking after the flock?”
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've already left,” the man replied. “I heard them say, ‘Let's go to Dothan.’” So Joseph followed his brothers and caught up with them at Dothan.
18 Ma ha lepụrụ anya hụ ya ka ọ na-abịa, gbaa izu otu ha ga-esi gbuo ya.
But they saw him coming way off in the distance, and before he got to them, they made plans to kill him.
19 Ha sịrịtara onwe ha, “Lee eze nrọ ahụ ka ọ na-abịa!
“Look, here comes the Lord of Dreams!” they said to each other.
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 on, let's kill him and throw him into one of the pits. We'll say that some wild animal has eaten him. Then we'll see what happens to his dreams!”
21 Ruben nụrụ ihe a, ma napụtakwa ya site nʼaka ha. Ọ sịrị, “Ka anyị hapụ igbu ya.”
When Reuben heard all this, he tried to save Joseph from them.
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.
“Let's not attack and kill him,” he suggested. “Don't murder him, just throw him into this pit here in the desert. You don't need to be guilty of violence.” Reuben said this so that he could come back later and rescue Joseph from them and take him home 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 arrived, his brothers ripped off his robe—the colorful long-sleeved robe he was wearing—
24 Ha duru ya tụnye ya nʼime olulu. Ọ bụ olulu tọgbọrọ nʼefu, nke mmiri na-adịghị nʼime ya.
grabbed him and threw him into a pit. (The pit was empty—it didn't have any 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.
They were just sitting down to have a meal when they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying aromatic spices, balm, and myrrh to take to Egypt.
26 Mgbe ahụ, Juda jụrụ ụmụnne ya, “Uru gịnị ka ọ ga-abara anyị igbu nwanne anyị, ma kpuchie ọbara ya?
“What's the point of killing our brother?” Judah asked his brothers. “Then we'd have to cover up his death!
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.
Instead, why don't we sell him to these Ishmaelites? We don't have to kill him. After all he's our brother, our own flesh and blood.” His brothers 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 Ishmaelites (who were traders from Midian) came by, they pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him to them for twenty pieces of silver. The Ishmaelites 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 came back later and looked into the pit, Joseph was gone. He tore his clothes in grief.
30 O jekwuru ụmụnne ya sị ha, “Nwata ahụ anọkwaghị ebe ahụ! Mụ onwe m, olee ebe m ga-ala?”
He returned to his brothers. “The boy's gone!” he moaned. “What am I going to do now?”
31 Ụmụnne ya gburu otu ewu were uwe Josef bịanye nʼime ọbara ya.
They slaughtered a goat and dipped Joseph's robe in the 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.”
Then they sent the colorful robe to their father with the message, “We found this. Please examine it and see if it's 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 right away and said, “This is my son's robe! Some wild animal must have eaten him. Poor Joseph has been ripped to pieces, no doubt about it!”
34 Mgbe ahụ, Jekọb dọwara uwe ya, yiri akwa mkpe, ruo ụjụ ọtụtụ ụbọchị nʼihi nwa ya.
Jacob tore his clothes in grief and dressed in sackcloth. He mourned the death of his son for a long time.
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 h7585)
All his sons and daughters tried to console him, but he rejected their attempts. “No,” he said, “I will go down into my grave mourning for my son.” So Joseph's father went on weeping for him. (Sheol h7585)
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.
In the meantime the Ishmaelites had arrived in Egypt and had sold Joseph to Potiphar. Potiphar was one of Pharaoh's officers, the captain of the guard.
