Jenesis 44
1 Mgbe ahụ Josef nyere odibo nọ nʼụlọ ya iwu sị, “Gbajuo akpa ndị ikom ndị a nri. Tinyere ha nri nke onye ọbụla nʼime ha nwere ike ibu, tinyekwa ego nke onye ọbụla nʼime ha kwụrụ nʼọnụ akpa ya.
Joseph ordered his household supervisor, “Fill the men's sacks with as much grain as they can hold and put each man's money at the top of his sack.
2 Ma tinye iko ọlaọcha m nʼime ọnụ akpa onye nke nta nʼime ha. Tinyekwa ego ọ kwụrụ nʼihi nri ọ zụrụ nʼime akpa ya.” Odibo a mere dịka Josef gwara ya.
Then put my special silver cup at the top of the sack of the youngest, along with the money for his grain.” He did as Joseph told him.
3 Mgbe chi bọrọ, ha zipụrụ ndị ikom ndị a, ha na ịnyịnya ibu ha.
At sunrise they were sent on their way with their donkeys.
4 Mgbe ha ji naanị ihe nta gafee obodo ahụ, Josef gwara odibo ya sị, “Bilie, chụso ndị ikom ndị ahụ ọsọ. I zute ha, sị ha, ‘Gịnị mere unu ji were ihe ọjọọ kwụghachi ihe ọma?
They had hardly left the city when Joseph told his household supervisor, “Go after those men, and when you catch up with them, ask them, ‘Why have you paid back good with evil by stealing my master's silver cup?
5 Gịnị mere unu ji zuru iko ọlaọcha nna m ukwu, iko o ji aṅụ ihe ọṅụṅụ na nke o ji ajụ ase? Unu emeela ihe ọjọọ nʼihi ihe a unu mere.’”
This is the cup he personally drinks from, and which he uses for divination. What you've done is really evil!’”
6 Mgbe odibo ahụ zutere ha, ọ gwara ha ihe ndị a.
When he caught up with them, he told them what Joseph had said.
7 Ma ha zara sị ya, “Nna anyị ukwu, gịnị mere i ji ekwu ụdị okwu ndị a? Ihe arụ ka ọ bụ anyị ime ihe dị otu a.
“My lord, what are you saying?” they replied. “We your servants wouldn't do anything like that!
8 Lee, ego anyị chọtara nʼọnụ akpa anyị ka anyị sitere nʼala Kenan weghachi. Olee otu anyị ga-esi zuru ọlaedo maọbụ ọlaọcha site nʼụlọ nna gị ukwu?
Remember that we brought back the money we found at the top of our sacks when we returned from Canaan. Why would we steal silver or gold from your master's house?
9 Onye ọbụla nʼime anyị a chọtara iko a nʼaka ya ga-anwụ. Anyị onwe anyị ga-aghọrọ nna anyị ukwu ndị ohu.”
If any one of us is found with it, he shall die, and all of us will become your slaves.”
10 Odibo ahụ zara sị ha, “Ka ọ dịrị dịka unu kwuru. Onye ọbụla a chọtara ya nʼaka ga-abụ ohu m. Ma ndị a na-achọtaghị ya nʼaka ha enweghị ịta ụta ọbụla.”
“Whatever you say,” the man replied, “but only the one found with it will become my slave since the rest of you will be free of any blame.”
11 Ha mere ngwangwa, onye ọbụla tọdatara akpa ya. Onye ọbụla kwa meghere akpa ya.
They all unloaded their sacks and put them on the ground. They each opened their own sacks.
12 Odibo ahụ malitere nʼonye ukwu nʼetiti ha chọọ rute nʼonye nta. Ọ bụ nʼakpa Benjamin ka a chọtara iko ahụ.
The household supervisor searched the sacks, beginning with the oldest and working his way down to the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin's sack.
13 Mgbe ahụ, ha dọwara uwe ha nʼihi mwute. Onye ọbụla nʼime ha tighachiri ibu ya nʼelu ịnyịnya ibu ya. Ha niile bidokwara ịlaghachi azụ nʼobodo ha si pụta.
The brothers tore their clothes in grief. Then they loaded their sacks back on their donkeys and headed back to the city.
14 Mgbe Juda na ụmụnne ya lọghachiri nʼụlọ Josef, ha hụrụ Josef ka ọ nọ nʼebe ahụ. Ha dara nʼala nʼihu ya.
Joseph was still at home when Judah and his brothers arrived, and they fell to the ground before him.
15 Ma Josef jụrụ ha sị, “Gịnị bụ ihe a unu mere? Ọ bụ na unu amataghị na onye dịka m nwere ike ịmata onye zuru iko m?”
“Why did you do this?” Joseph asked. “Don't you know a man like me can find out things through divination?”
16 Ya mere Juda sị ya, “Gịnị ka anyị ga-ekwu? Olee otu anyị ga-esi gosi nʼaka anyị dị ọcha? Chineke ekpugheela ikpe ọmụma ndị ohu gị. Lee, anyị bụkwa ndị ohu onyenwe m. Anyị onwe anyị, tinyekwara onye a chọtara iko ahụ nʼaka ya.”
“My lord, what can we say?” Judah replied. “How can we explain this to you? In what way can we prove our innocence? God has exposed the guilt of your servants. My lord, we are your slaves—all of us, including the one who was found with the cup.”
17 Ma Josef sịrị, “Ọ ga-abụrụ m ajọ omume ime ihe dị otu ahụ. Naanị nwoke ahụ a chọpụtara iko ahụ nʼakpa ya bụ onye ga-abụ ohu m. Ma unu onwe unu nwere ike laa nʼudo jekwuru nna unu nʼudo.”
“I wouldn't do anything like that!” Joseph replied. “Only the man who was found with the cup will become my slave. The rest of you are free to return to your father.”
18 Juda jekwuuru ya, sị, “Biko, onyenwe m, kwere ka ohu gị gwa gị okwu. Ewesola mụ bụ ohu gị iwe nʼihi na ị nọ ọnọdụ dị ka Fero.
Judah came closer and said to him, “If you please, my lord, let your servant just say a word. Please don't become angry with your servant, even though you are as powerful as Pharaoh himself.
19 Onyenwe m, ọ bụ gị jụrụ ndị ohu gị ajụjụ sị, ‘Unu nwere nna maọbụ nwanne?’
My lord, previously you asked us, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’
20 Anyị zara sị, ‘Anyị nwere nna onye bụ agadi, na otu nwa nwoke ọ mụtara nʼagadi ya. Nwanne nwantakịrị nwoke a anwụọla, ya mere naanị otu a fọdụrụ nʼime ụmụ nke nne ha mụtara. Nna ya hụkwara ya nʼanya.’
We told you, my lord, ‘We have an elderly father, and a younger brother, born when our father was already old. The boy's brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother's children left, and his father loves him dearly.’
21 “Mgbe ahụ, ị sị ndị ohu gị, ‘Kpọta nwantakịrị a ka m hụ ya anya.’
Then you ordered us, ‘Bring him here to me so I can see him.’
22 Ma anyị gwara onyenwe m sị na ‘Nwata a apụghị ịhapụ nna ya, nʼihi na nna ya ga-anwụ ma ọ bụrụ na ọ hapụ ya.’
We told you, ‘The boy can't leave his father; if he did, his father would die.’
23 Ma ị gwara ndị ohu gị sị, ‘Unu agaghị ahụ ihu m anya ọzọ, ma ọ bụrụ na nwanne unu a esoghị unu gbadata.’
But you told us, ‘If your youngest brother doesn't come with you, you won't see me again.’
24 Mgbe anyị lakwuuru ohu gị bụ nna anyị, anyị gwara ya okwu onyenwe m kwuru.
So when we went back to your servant, our father, we explained to him everything you had told us.
25 “Mgbe nna anyị gwara anyị sị, ‘Laghachi gaa zụta nri,’
However, later on, our father told us, ‘Go back and buy some more food.’
26 anyị gwara ya na, ‘Anyị agaghị agbada ma ọ bụrụ na nwanne anyị nta agaghị eso anyị. Nʼihi na anyị enweghị ike ịhụ nwoke ahụ anya, ma ọ bụrụ na nwanne anyị nta esoghị anyị.’
But we said, ‘There's no way we can go back unless Benjamin our youngest brother goes with us, because we won't be able to see the man if Benjamin isn't with us.’
27 “Oge ahụ, ohu gị bụ nna anyị sịrị anyị, ‘Unu maara na nwunye m mụụrụ m ụmụ nwoke abụọ.
Then my father said to us, ‘You realize that my wife had two sons for me.
28 Otu nʼime ha funarịrị m, mgbe anụ ọhịa dọkasịrị ya iperipe na iperipe. Ruo ugbu a, ahụbeghị m ya anya.
One is no more, ripped to pieces no doubt, for I've never seen him since.
29 Ọ bụrụ na unu anapụkwa m onye nke a, si otu a mee ka ihe ọjọọ zute ya, ọ pụtara na unu ga-eme ka m jiri isi awọ m laa nʼili nʼọnọdụ obi ọjọọ?’ (Sheol h7585)
If you take this one away from me too, and something bad happens to him, you'll send this old man to his grave in grief.’ (Sheol h7585)
30 “Ya mere, ọ bụrụ na m alaghachikwute ohu gị, bụ nna anyị, ma nwantakịrị a esoghị anyị, ebe ọ bụ na e kekọtara ndụ nna anyị na ndụ nwantakịrị a,
So if the boy isn't with us when I go back to my father, whose life depends on the life of the boy,
31 mgbe ọ ga-ahụ na nwantakịrị a esoghị anyị, ọ ga-anwụ. Mgbe ahụ, anyị bụ ndị ohu gị, ga-eme ka nna anyị jiri isi awọ laa nʼili nʼọnọdụ obi ọjọọ. (Sheol h7585)
as soon as he sees the boy isn't there he'll die, and we will really send this old man, our father, to his grave in grief. (Sheol h7585)
32 Biko, onyenwe m, eji m ndụ m zọọrọ nna m ebe na m ga-elezi nwantakịrị a anya. Asị m ya, ‘Ọ bụrụ na m akpọghachighị nwantakịrị a nye gị, ka ịta ụta bụrụ nke m nʼihu gị bụ nna m nʼụbọchị niile nke ndu m.’
In fact I gave myself as the guarantee for the boy to my father. I told him, ‘If I don't bring him back to you, then I will always carry the blame!’
33 “Ya mere ugbu a, biko, ka ohu gị nọdụ dịka ohu onyenwe m nʼọnọdụ nwantakịrị a, ka nwantakịrị a soro ụmụnne ya laghachikwuru nna anyị.
So please let me stay here as my lord's slave instead of the boy. Let him go back home with his brothers.
34 Aga m esi aṅaa laghachikwuru nna m ma ọ bụrụ na mụ na nwantakịrị a esoghị? Enweghị m ike ilekwasị ihe ọjọọ ga-adakwasị nna m anya.”
For how could I ever go back to my father if the boy wasn't with me? I couldn't stand seeing the anguish that would cause my father.”
