Jenesis 37
1 Jekọb bigidere nʼala Kenan, ala ahụ nna ya buru ụzọ biri nʼime ya.
Jacob continued to live in the Canaan region where his father had lived previously.
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/I will now tell you) what happened to Jacob’s family. When his son Joseph was 17 years old, he was taking care of the flocks of sheep and goats with some of his older brothers. They were sons of his father’s (concubines/female slaves that he had taken to be his secondary wives). Joseph sometimes told his father about bad things that 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.
Jacob loved Joseph more than he loved any of his other children, because Joseph had been born when Jacob was an old man. Jacob made for Joseph a long pretty robe that had long sleeves.
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 older brothers realized that their father loved him more than he loved any of them, they hated him. They never spoke kindly to him.
5 Otu oge, Josef rọrọ nrọ, mgbe ọ kọọrọ ụmụnne ya nrọ a ọ rọrọ, ha kpọrọ ya asị karịa.
One night Joseph had a dream. He told his brothers about the dream.
6 Ọ gwara ha, “Geenụ ntị na nrọ a m rọrọ.
He said to them, “Listen to the 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.”
In the dream, we were tying up bundles of wheat in the field. Suddenly my bundle stood up straight, and surprisingly, your bundles gathered around my bundle 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.
His brothers said to him, “Do you think that some day you will rule over us? Are you [saying that some day] you are going to be our king?” [RHQ] They hated him even more than before because of what he had told them about his dream.
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.”
Later he had another dream, and again he told his older brothers about it. He said, “Listen to this! I had another dream. In this dream, 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 also told his father about it. His father rebuked him, saying “What are you suggesting by that dream [RHQ]? Do you think it means that your mother and I and your older brothers will some day bow down to the ground in front of you?” [RHQ]
11 Ụmụnne ya kwosiri ya ekworo nʼihi ya, ma nna ya debere ihe ndị a niile nʼobi ya.
Joseph’s older brothers were furious/angry with him, but his father just kept thinking about what the dream meant.
12 Ka ọ dị, ụmụnne ya gara ilekọta igwe anụ ụlọ nna ha na Shekem.
One day Joseph’s older brothers went to take care of their father’s sheep and goats that were eating grass 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.”
Some time later, Jacob said to Joseph, “Your brothers are taking care of the sheep and goats near Shechem [RHQ]. I am going to send you there to see them.” Joseph replied, “Okay.”
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,
Jacob said, “Go and see if they are doing okay, and if the flocks are doing okay. Then come back and give me a report.” So Jacob sent Joseph from [the valley where they were living], the valley where Hebron is located, [to go north] to find his brothers. When Joseph arrived near Shechem [city],
15 ma otu nwoke hụrụ ya ka ọ na-awagharị gburugburu nʼọhịa dị nʼebe ahụ, ọ jụrụ ya, “Gịnị ka ị na-achọ?”
while he was wandering around in the fields looking/searching for his brothers, a man saw him and asked him, “Whom are you looking/searching for?”
16 Ọ sịrị, “Ana m achọ ụmụnne m. Biko, ị nwere ike ịgwa m ebe ha nọ na-azụ igwe anụ ụlọ ha?”
Joseph replied, “I am looking for my older brothers. Can you tell me where they are taking care of their sheep and goats?”
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.
The man replied, “They are not here any more. I heard one of them saying, ‘Let’s take the sheep and goats and go to Dothan [town].’” So Joseph left there and went north, and found his older brothers near Dothan.
18 Ma ha lepụrụ anya hụ ya ka ọ na-abịa, gbaa izu otu ha ga-esi gbuo ya.
But they saw him when he was still far away, and they decided to kill him.
19 Ha sịrịtara onwe ha, “Lee eze nrọ ahụ ka ọ na-abịa!
They said to each other [things like], “Here comes that dreamer!”
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.”
and “Hey, let’s kill him, and then throw his body into one of the pits/cisterns. Then we will tell people that a ferocious/wild animal attacked and killed him and ate him. And then we will (find out whether his dreams come true/make sure that his dreams do not come true)!”
21 Ruben nụrụ ihe a, ma napụtakwa ya site nʼaka ha. Ọ sịrị, “Ka anyị hapụ igbu ya.”
Reuben heard what they were saying, so he tried to persuade them not to kill [MTY] Joseph. He said, “No, we should not kill him.
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 even shed his blood! We can throw him into this pit/cistern in the desert, but we should not harm him [MTY].” He said that, and then left them, planning to rescue Joseph later and take him back 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 where his older brothers were, they seized him and ripped off his pretty robe with long sleeves.
24 Ha duru ya tụnye ya nʼime olulu. Ọ bụ olulu tọgbọrọ nʼefu, nke mmiri na-adịghị nʼime ya.
Then they took him and threw him into the pit/cistern. But the pit/cistern was dry; there was 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.
After they sat down to eat some food, they looked up and saw a (caravan/group [of traders]), descendants of Ishmael, coming from the Gilead area. Their camels were loaded with bags of spices and nice-smelling resins. They were going down to Egypt to sell those things there.
26 Mgbe ahụ, Juda jụrụ ụmụnne ya, “Uru gịnị ka ọ ga-abara anyị igbu nwanne anyị, ma kpuchie ọbara ya?
Judah said to his [older and younger] brothers, “If we kill our younger brother and hide his body, (what will we gain?/we will not gain anything!) [RHQ]
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.
So, instead of harming him, let’s sell him to these men who are descendants of Ishmael. Don’t forget, he is our own younger brother!” So they all agreed to do that.
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.
When those traders from the Midian area came near, Joseph’s brothers pulled him up out of the pit/cistern. Then they sold him to the men from Midian for 20 pieces of silver. The traders then took Joseph 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/cistern, he saw that his younger brother was not there. He was so grieved that he tore his clothes.
30 O jekwuru ụmụnne ya sị ha, “Nwata ahụ anọkwaghị ebe ahụ! Mụ onwe m, olee ebe m ga-ala?”
He went back to his [younger] brothers and said, “The boy is not in the pit/cistern! What can I do now?” [RHQ]
31 Ụmụnne ya gburu otu ewu were uwe Josef bịanye nʼime ọbara ya.
[Joseph’s brothers did not dare to tell their father what they had done. So, they decided to invent a story about what had happened]. They got Joseph’s robe. Then they killed a goat and dipped the robe in the goat’s 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 took that pretty robe back to their father and said, “We found this robe! Look at it. Is it your son’s robe?”
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.”
He recognized it, and he said, “Yes, it is my son’s robe! Some ferocious/wild animal must have attacked and killed him! I am sure that the animal has torn Joseph to pieces!”
34 Mgbe ahụ, Jekọb dọwara uwe ya, yiri akwa mkpe, ruo ụjụ ọtụtụ ụbọchị nʼihi nwa ya.
Jacob was so grieved that he tore his clothes. He put on (sackcloth/clothes that people wear when they are mourning for someone who has died). He mourned/cried for his son for 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 h7585)
All of his children came to try to comfort him, but he did not pay attention to what they said. He said, “No, I will still be mourning/crying when I die and go to be with my son.” So Joseph’s father continued to cry because of what had happened to his son. (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 men/traders from Midian took Joseph to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar, who was one of the king’s officials. He was the captain of the soldiers who protected the king.
