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”
When Jacob found out grain was available in Egypt, he asked his sons, “Why do you keep on looking at each other to do something?
2 Ọ sịrị, “Lee anụrụ m na ọka dị nʼIjipt. Gbadatanụ nʼebe ahụ zụtara anyị ọka ka anyị dị ndụ ghara ịnwụ.”
I've heard there's grain in Egypt. Go there and buy some for us so we can stay alive—if not, we're going to die!”
3 Ụmụnne Josef iri ndị ahụ gbadara Ijipt ịzụta ọka.
So ten of Joseph's brothers went to Egypt to buy grain.
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.
But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother Benjamin with his other brothers, for he said, “I'm afraid something bad might happen to him.”
5 Otu a, ụmụ Izrel so nʼọtụtụ ndị ọzọ ndị jekwara ịzụrụ nri nʼIjipt, nʼihi na ụnwụ ahụ dị njọ nʼala Kenan.
So Israel's sons went to buy grain along with everyone else, because there was famine in Canaan too.
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.
Joseph was the governor of the country and he sold grain to all the people there. So Joseph's brothers went to him, and bowed low before him with their faces to the ground.
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.”
Joseph recognized them as soon as he saw them, but he acted like a stranger towards them and spoke to them in a severe way, saying, “Where are you from?” “From the country of Canaan,” they replied. “We've come to buy food.”
8 Josef matara ụmụnne ya, ma ha onwe ha amataghị onye ọ bụ.
Even though Joseph recognized his brothers, they didn't recognize him.
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.”
Joseph thought back to the dreams he'd had about them, and told them, “No! You're spies! You've come to discover our country's weaknesses!”
10 Ha zara sị, “Nna anyị ukwu, anyị bụ ndị ohu gị bịara ịzụrụ nri.
“That's not true, my lord!” they responded. “We, your servants, have just come to buy food.
11 Anyị niile bụ ụmụ otu nna. Ndị ohu gị bụ ndị kwesiri ntụkwasị obi. Anyị abụghị ndị nnyopụta.”
We're all the sons of one man and we're honest. We're not spies!”
12 Ma Josef gwara ha sị, “Mba! Unu bịara ịchọpụta akụkụ obodo anyị nke a na-echezighị nke ọma.”
“No! You've come to find our country's weaknesses!” he insisted.
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.”
“Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man living in the country of Canaan,” they explained. “The youngest is right now with our father, and one has passed away.”
14 Josef sịrị, “Ihe unu na-akọ na-egosi na unu bụ ndị nnyopụta, dịka m gwara unu.
“As I said before, you're spies!” Joseph declared.
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.
“This is how your story will be checked. I swear on Pharaoh's life that you'll never leave this country unless your younger brother comes here.
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.”
One of you go back and bring your other brother here. The others of you will be kept here in prison until it's clear that you're telling the truth. If not, then I swear on Pharaoh's life it proves you're spies!”
17 O tinyere ha niile nʼụlọ mkpọrọ, hapụ ha nʼebe ahụ abalị atọ.
So Joseph put all of them in prison 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.
On the third day he told them, “Since I'm someone who respects God, do as I tell you and you'll live.
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're truly honest, choose one of your brothers to stay here in prison. The rest of you can go back home with grain for your hungry families.
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.
But you must bring your youngest brother here to me to prove what you're saying is true. If not, you will all die.” They agreed to do this.
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.”
“Clearly we're being punished for what we did to our brother,” they said to each other. “We watched him in agony pleading with us for mercy, but we refused to listen to him. That's why we're in all this trouble.”
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.”
Reuben said to them, “Didn't I tell you, ‘Don't harm the boy!’ But you didn't listen to me. Now we're paying the price for what we did to him.”
23 Ha amataghị na Josef na-anụ ihe ha na-ekwu, nʼihi na onye nsụgharị okwu nọ nʼetiti ha.
They didn't realize that Joseph understood what they were saying because they were talking to him 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.
Joseph stepped away from them because he started crying. He came back when he was able to speak to them again. He chose Simeon and had him tied up as they watched.
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,
Joseph gave the order to fill up their sacks with grain, and also to return the money they had paid by placing it in the sacks as well. He also ordered that they should be provided with food for their journey home. All this was done.
26 ha bokwasịrị ịnyịnya ibu akpa ọka ha nʼotu nʼotu. Ha hapụrụ Ijipt lawa.
The brothers loaded the grain onto their donkeys and then set off.
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.
On their way they stopped for the night, and one of them opened up his sack to give his donkey something to eat and saw his money there at the top of the sack.
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?”
He told his brothers, “My money's been returned to me. It's right here at the top of my sack!” They were horrified! Trembling with fear they asked each other, “What is this that God's done to us?”
29 Mgbe ha lakwutere nna ha Jekọb nʼala Kenan, ha kọọrọ ya ihe niile dakwasịrị ha. Ha gwara ya sị,
When they arrived home in Canaan, they told their father Jacob everything that had happened.
30 “Nwoke na-achị ala ahụ gwara anyị okwu nʼolu ike. O mesoro anyị mmeso dịka anyị bụ ndị bịara inyochapụta obodo ha.
“The man who is the country's governor spoke to us in a severe way, and accused us of spying on the land,” they explained.
31 Ma anyị gwara ya sị, ‘Anyị bụ ndị kwesiri ntụkwasị obi, ndị na-abụghị ndị nnyopụta obodo.
“We told him, ‘We are honest men. We're not spies!
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, the sons of one father. One has passed away and the youngest is right now with our father in the country 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.
Then the man who is the country's governor said to us, ‘This is how I'll find out if you're telling the truth: you are to leave one of your brothers here with me while the rest take grain home for your hungry families.
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.’”
Then bring your youngest brother to me. That way I'll know you're not spies but you're telling the truth. I'll release your brother to you, and you can stay in the country and trade.’”
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.
As they emptied their sacks, each one's money bag was there in his sack! When they and their father saw the money bags, they were horrified.
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!”
Jacob their father accused them, “You have taken Joseph from me—he's gone! Simeon is gone too! Now you want to take Benjamin away! I'm the one who's suffering from all of this!”
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.”
“You can kill my two sons if I don't bring him back to you,” Reuben assured him. “Trust me with him, and I will bring him home to you myself.”
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)
“My son won't go there with you!” Jacob declared. “His brother is dead, and he's the only one I have left. If anything bad happens to him on the journey you're planning, you'll send this old man to his grave in grief.” (Sheol h7585)
