Jenesis 42
1 Ugbu a, Jekọb nụrụ na ọka dị nʼIjipt. Ọ sịrị ụmụ ya, “Kedụ ihe anyị jiri nọrọ na-elerịta onwe anyị anya”
Then Jacob, hearing that food was being sold in Egypt, said to his sons: “Why are you negligent?
2 Ọ sịrị, “Lee anụrụ m na ọka dị nʼIjipt. Gbadatanụ nʼebe ahụ zụtara anyị ọka ka anyị dị ndụ ghara ịnwụ.”
I have heard that wheat is being sold in Egypt. Go down and buy necessities for us, so that we may be able to live, and not be consumed by destitution.”
3 Ụmụnne Josef iri ndị ahụ gbadara Ijipt ịzụta ọka.
And so, when ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain in Egypt,
4 Ma Jekọb ekweghị ka Benjamin nwanne nta Josef soro ha gaa, nʼihi na ọ tụrụ egwu na ihe ndaba ọjọọ nwere ike ịbịakwasị ya.
Benjamin was kept at home by Jacob, who said to his brothers, “Lest perhaps he may suffer harm on the journey.”
5 Otu a, ụmụ Izrel so nʼọtụtụ ndị ọzọ ndị jekwara ịzụrụ nri nʼIjipt, nʼihi na ụnwụ ahụ dị njọ nʼala Kenan.
And they entered into the land of Egypt with the others who traveled to buy. For the famine was in the land of Canaan.
6 Nʼoge a, Josef na-achị ala Ijipt, bụrụkwa onye iresi ndị obodo ọka dị nʼaka. Ya mere, mgbe ụmụnne Josef rutere, ha bịara hulata kpọọ isiala nye Josef.
And Joseph was governor in the land of Egypt, and grain was sold under his direction to the people. And when his brothers had reverenced him
7 Mgbe Josef hụrụ ụmụnne ya, ọ matara ndị ha bụ. Ma ọ kpara agwa dịka onye na-amaghị ha, gwa ha okwu nʼolu ike, sị ha, “Ebee ka unu si bịa?” Ha zara, “Anyị si ala Kenan bịa. Anyị bịara ịzụrụ nri.”
and he had recognized them, he spoke harshly, as if to foreigners, questioning them: “Where did you come from?” And they responded, “From the land of Canaan, to buy necessary provisions.”
8 Josef matara ụmụnne ya, ma ha onwe ha amataghị onye ọ bụ.
And although he knew his brothers, he was not known by them.
9 Josef chetakwara nrọ ndị ahụ ọ rọrọ banyere ha. Ọ gwara ha okwu sị ha, “Unu bụ ndị nnyocha. Ịchọpụta adịghị ike ala anyị mere unu ji bịa.”
And remembering the dreams, which he had seen in another time, he said to them: “You are scouts. You have come in order to see which parts of the land are weaker.”
10 Ha zara sị, “Nna anyị ukwu, anyị bụ ndị ohu gị bịara ịzụrụ nri.
And they said: “It is not so, my lord. But your servants have arrived in order to buy food.
11 Anyị niile bụ ụmụ otu nna. Ndị ohu gị bụ ndị kwesiri ntụkwasị obi. Anyị abụghị ndị nnyopụta.”
We are all sons of one man. We have come in peace, nor do any of your subjects devise evil.”
12 Ma Josef gwara ha sị, “Mba! Unu bịara ịchọpụta akụkụ obodo anyị nke a na-echezighị nke ọma.”
And he answered them: “It is otherwise. You have come to examine the unguarded parts of this land.”
13 Ha zara sị ya, “Ndị ohu gị dị ụmụnne iri na abụọ. Ọ bụkwa otu nna mụrụ anyị niile. Nna anyị na nwanne anyị nta, onye ikpeazụ ọ mụrụ nọ na Kenan ugbu a. Ma otu onye nʼime anyị anwụọla.”
But they said: “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is with our father; the other is not living.”
14 Josef sịrị, “Ihe unu na-akọ na-egosi na unu bụ ndị nnyopụta, dịka m gwara unu.
He said: “This is just as I have said. You are scouts.
15 Nke a ka a ga-eji anwale unu. Nʼaha Fero dị ndụ, unu agaghị esi nʼebe a laa tutu nwanne unu nke nta ahụ abịa nʼebe a.
I will now continue to put you to the test. By the health of Pharaoh, you will not depart from here, until your youngest brother arrives.
16 Zipụnụ otu onye nʼime unu ka ọ gaa kpọta nwanne unu nwoke. Ma aga m etinye ndị fọdụrụ nʼụlọ mkpọrọ, tutu m chọpụta ma ihe unu kwuru ọ bụ eziokwu maọbụ ụgha. Ọ bụrụ ụgha nʼezie, dịka Fero na-adị ndụ, unu bụ ndị nnyopụta.”
Send one of you and bring him. But you will be in chains, until what you have said is proven to be either true or false. Otherwise, by the health of Pharaoh, you are scouts.”
17 O tinyere ha niile nʼụlọ mkpọrọ, hapụ ha nʼebe ahụ abalị atọ.
Therefore, he delivered them into custody for three days.
18 Josef gwara ha, nʼụbọchị nke atọ, “Nke a bụ ihe unu ga-eme ma dị ndụ, nʼihi na abụ m onye na-atụ egwu Chineke.
Then, on the third day, he brought them out of prison, and he said: “Do as I have said, and you will live. For I fear God.
19 Ọ bụrụ na unu bụ ndị ezi mmadụ, ka otu onye nʼime unu nọdụ nʼebe a, nʼụlọ mkpọrọ, ka ndị fọdụrụ buru ọka bulaara ndị ezinaụlọ unu nọ nʼagụụ.
If you are peaceful, let one of your brothers be bound in prison. Then you may go away and carry the grain that you have bought to your houses.
20 Ma kpọtaranụ m nwanne unu nke nta nʼebe a, nke a ga-egosi na okwu unu bụ eziokwu, na unu agaghịkwa anwụ.” Ha mere otu a.
And bring your youngest brother to me, so that I may be able to test your words, and you may not die.” They did as he had said,
21 Ha gwarịtara onwe ha okwu sị, “Nʼezie, ọ bụ nʼihi nwanne anyị nwoke ka ahụhụ ndị a ji abịakwasị anyị. Anyị hụrụ obi mgbawa ya, mgbe ọ na-arịọ ka anyị chebe ndụ ya, ma anyị egeghị ya ntị. Ọ bụ nke a mere mmekpa ahụ ndị a ji bịakwasị anyị ugbu a.”
and they spoke to one another: “We deserve to suffer these things, because we have sinned against our brother, seeing the anguish of his soul, when he begged us and we would not listen. For that reason, this tribulation has come upon us.”
22 Ruben zara sị ha, “Ọ bụ na mụ agwaghị unu sị unu hapụ imejọ nwantakịrị ahụ, ma unu egeghị ntị? Ugbu a, anyị na-asa ajụjụ banyere ọbara ya.”
And Reuben, one of them, said: “Did not I say to you, ‘Do not sin against the boy,’ and you would not listen to me? See, his blood is exacted.”
23 Ha amataghị na Josef na-anụ ihe ha na-ekwu, nʼihi na onye nsụgharị okwu nọ nʼetiti ha.
But they did not know that Joseph understood, because he was speaking to them through an interpreter.
24 O sitere nʼebe ha nọ tụgharịa gaa kwaa akwa. Ọ lọghachikwutere ha ọzọ gwakwa ha okwu. O si nʼetiti ha kpọpụta Simiọn kee ya agbụ ka ha na-ele ya anya.
And he turned himself away briefly and wept. And returning, he spoke to them.
25 Josef nyere iwu ka e kpojuo ọka nʼakpa ha, tinyekwara onye ọbụla ego ọ kwụrụ nʼakpa ya. Ọ nyere iwu ka e nye ha ihe ha ga-eri nʼụzọ. Mgbe e mesịrị ihe ndị a,
And taking Simeon, and binding him in their presence, he ordered his ministers to fill their sacks with wheat, and to replace each one’s money in their sacks, and to give them, in addition, provisions for the way. And they did so.
26 ha bokwasịrị ịnyịnya ibu akpa ọka ha nʼotu nʼotu. Ha hapụrụ Ijipt lawa.
Then, having loaded their donkeys with the grain, they set out.
27 Mgbe ha ruru ebe ha nọrọ ọnọdụ abalị, otu nʼime ha meghere akpa ya ka o nye ịnyịnya ibu ya ọka, ọ hụrụ ego ya nʼọnụ akpa ya.
And one of them, opening a sack to give his beast of burden fodder at the inn, looked upon the money at the sack’s mouth,
28 Ọ gwara ụmụnne ya sị, “Lee, e tighachiri ego m kwụrụ. Lee ya nʼakpa ọka m.” Ike gwụrụ onye ọbụla nʼime ha. Site nʼahụ ịma jijiji ha lerịtara onwe ha anya sị, “Gịnị bụ ihe a Chineke mere anyị?”
and he said to his brothers: “My money has returned to me. See, it is held in the sack.” And they were astonished and troubled, and they said to one another, “What is this that God has done to us?”
29 Mgbe ha lakwutere nna ha Jekọb nʼala Kenan, ha kọọrọ ya ihe niile dakwasịrị ha. Ha gwara ya sị,
And they went to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, and they explained to him all the things that had befallen them, saying:
30 “Nwoke na-achị ala ahụ gwara anyị okwu nʼolu ike. O mesoro anyị mmeso dịka anyị bụ ndị bịara inyochapụta obodo ha.
“The lord of the land spoke harshly to us, and he considered us to be scouts of the province.
31 Ma anyị gwara ya sị, ‘Anyị bụ ndị kwesiri ntụkwasị obi, ndị na-abụghị ndị nnyopụta obodo.
And we answered him: ‘We are peaceful, and we do not intend any treachery.
32 Anyị dị ụmụnne iri na abụọ ndị nwere otu nna. Otu nʼime anyị anọkwaghị, ma nke ntakịrị na nna anyị nọ na nʼala Kenan taa.’
We are twelve brothers conceived of one father. One is not living; the youngest is with our father in the land of Canaan.’
33 “Mgbe ahụ, nwoke a, onye na-achị ala ahụ, sịrị anyị, ‘Nke a ka m ga-eji mata ma unu bụ ndị ezi mmadụ. Hapụrụnụ m otu nwanne unu. Burunu ọka, bulaara ndị ezinaụlọ unu agụụ na-agụgbu.
And he said to us: ‘Thus will I prove that you are peaceful. Release one of your brothers to me, and take necessary provisions for your houses, and go away,
34 Ma kpọtara m nwanne unu nke nta. Mgbe ahụ ka m ga-ama ihe unu bụ. Ma unu bụ ndị nnyopụta maọbụ ndị ezi mmadụ. Mgbe ahụ, aga m ahapụrụ unu nwanne unu. Unu ga na-azụkwa ahịa nʼala a.’”
and bring your youngest brother to me, so that I may know that you are not scouts. And this one, who is held in chains, you may be able to receive again. And thereafter, you shall have permission to buy what you want.’”
35 Mgbe ha bidoro ịwụpụtasị ọka dị nʼakpa ha, lee, nʼime akpa ọka onye ọbụla, a chọtara ego ọ kwụrụ nʼakpa ya. Mgbe ha na nna ha hụrụ ego ndị a, ha tụrụ egwu.
Having said this, when they poured out their grain, each found his money tied to the mouth of his sack. And all were terrified together.
36 Ya mere, nna ha Jekọb gwara ha sị, “Unu agbawala m aka ụmụ. Josef anọghị, Simiọn anọkwaghị. Ma unu na-achọ iwezuga Benjamin. Naanị m ka ihe niile ndị a na-emegide!”
Their father Jacob said, “You have caused me to be without children. Joseph is not living, Simeon is held in chains, and Benjamin you would carry away. All these evils have fallen back upon me.”
37 Mgbe ahụ, Ruben gwara nna ya sị, “I nwere ike gbuo ụmụ m ndị ikom abụọ ma ọ bụrụ na m akpọghachighị Benjamin. Tifee ya nʼaka m, aga m akpọghachikwara gị ya.”
And Reuben answered him, “Put my two sons to death, if I do not lead him back to you. Deliver him into my hand, and I will restore him to you.”
38 Ma Jekọb sịrị, “Nwa m agaghị eso unu gaa. Nʼihi na nwanne ya anwụọla, ọ bụkwa naanị ya ka ọ fọdụrụ. Ọ bụrụ na nsogbu ezute ya nʼụzọ nʼije a, unu ga-eme ka m jiri isi awọ m laa nʼili nʼọnọdụ mwute.” (Sheol h7585)
But he said: “My son will not go down with you. His brother is dead, and he is left alone. If any adversity will befall him in the land to which you travel, you would lead my grey hairs down with sorrow to the grave.” (Sheol h7585)
