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.
When his brothers were ready to return home, Joseph said to the man who was in charge of things in his house, “Fill the sacks of those men with as much grain as they can carry [on their donkeys]. And put in the top of each man’s sack the silver that he paid for the grain.
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 silver cup in the top of the youngest brother’s sack, along with the silver that he paid for the grain.” So the servant did what Joseph told him to do.
3 Mgbe chi bọrọ, ha zipụrụ ndị ikom ndị a, ha na ịnyịnya ibu ha.
The next morning at dawn the men started on the way home 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?
When they had not gone far from the city, Joseph said to the servant in charge of things in his house, “Pursue those men immediately. When you catch up to them, say to them, ‘We did good things for you! Why have you paid us back by doing something bad to us?
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.’”
[You have stolen the cup] that my master drinks from [RHQ]! It is the cup that he uses to find out things that nobody knows! What you did was very wicked!’”
6 Mgbe odibo ahụ zutere ha, ọ gwara ha ihe ndị a.
The servant [left immediately and] when he caught up with them, he told them what Joseph had told him to say.
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.
But one of them replied to him, “Sir, why do you say such things? We are your servants, and we would never 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?
We even brought back to you from Canaan land the silver that we found inside the tops of our sacks! So (we certainly would not steal silver or gold from your master’s house!/Why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house?) [RHQ]
9 Onye ọbụla nʼime anyị a chọtara iko a nʼaka ya ga-anwụ. Anyị onwe anyị ga-aghọrọ nna anyị ukwu ndị ohu.”
If you discover that any of us has that cup, you can execute him, and the rest 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.”
The man replied, “Okay, I will do what you say. But the one who has the cup will not be executed. Instead, he will become my slave, and the rest of you may return home.”
11 Ha mere ngwangwa, onye ọbụla tọdatara akpa ya. Onye ọbụla kwa meghere akpa ya.
Each of the men quickly lowered his sack down from the donkey to the ground and opened it.
12 Odibo ahụ malitere nʼonye ukwu nʼetiti ha chọọ rute nʼonye nta. Ọ bụ nʼakpa Benjamin ka a chọtara iko ahụ.
Then the servant started to search for the cup in each sack. He started with the oldest brother’s sack and ended with the youngest one’s sack. And he found the cup in Benjamin’s sack and showed it to them.
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 [because they were so dismayed]. They loaded the sacks on the donkeys again and returned 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.
When Judah and his [older and younger] brothers entered Joseph’s house, Joseph was still there. The servant told Joseph what had happened. Then the brothers threw themselves down on the ground in front of Joseph.
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?”
He said to them, “Why did you do this? Do you not know that a man like me can find out things that nobody knows?” [RHQ]
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.”
Judah replied, “Sir, what can we say? How can we prove that we (are innocent/did not steal the cup)? God has (paid us back/punished us) for the sins [we committed many years ago]. So now we will become your slaves—both we and the one in whose sack the cup was found.”
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.”
But Joseph replied, “No, I could never do anything like that. Only the man in whose sack the cup was found will become my slave. The rest of you can return to your father peacefully.”
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.
Then Judah came near to Joseph and said, “Sir, please let me say something to you. You are equal to the king himself, so you could command that I be executed; but do not be angry with me for speaking to you.
19 Onyenwe m, ọ bụ gị jụrụ ndị ohu gị ajụjụ sị, ‘Unu nwere nna maọbụ nwanne?’
You asked us, ‘Is your father still living, and do you have another 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 answered, ‘Our father is alive, but he is an old man. He has a young son who was born after our father became an old man. That son had an [older] brother, who is now dead. So the youngest son is the only one of his mother’s sons who is still alive, and his father loves him very much.’
21 “Mgbe ahụ, ị sị ndị ohu gị, ‘Kpọta nwantakịrị a ka m hụ ya anya.’
Then you said to us, ‘The next time you come here, bring your younger brother down to me, so that 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 said to you, ‘No, we cannot do that, because the boy cannot leave his father. If he leaves his father, his father will die from sorrow.’
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 does not come back with you, I will not let you see me again!’
24 Mgbe anyị lakwuuru ohu gị bụ nna anyị, anyị gwara ya okwu onyenwe m kwuru.
When we returned to our father, we told him what you said.
25 “Mgbe nna anyị gwara anyị sị, ‘Laghachi gaa zụta nri,’
[Months later] our father said, ‘Go back to Egypt and buy some more grain!’
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, ‘We cannot go back by ourselves. We will go only if our youngest brother is with us. We will not be able to see the man who sells grain if our youngest brother is not with us.’
27 “Oge ahụ, ohu gị bụ nna anyị sịrị anyị, ‘Unu maara na nwunye m mụụrụ m ụmụ nwoke abụọ.
Our father replied, ‘You know that my wife [Rachel] gave birth to 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 of them disappeared, and I said, “A wild animal has surely torn him to pieces.” And I have not seen him since then.
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)
I am an old gray-haired man. If you take this other one from me, too, and something harms him, you would cause me to die because of my sorrow.’ (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 please listen. My father will remain alive only if his youngest son remains alive.
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)
If he sees that the boy is not with us when we return to him, he will die. We will cause our gray-haired father to die because of his sorrow. (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.’
I guaranteed/promised to my father that the boy would return safely. I told him, ‘You can require me to do what I am promising. If I do not bring him back to you, you can say forever that (I am to blame/it is my fault) [for not bringing him back to you].’
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 remain here as your slave instead of my youngest brother, and let the boy return home with his other older 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.”
(I cannot return to my father if the boy is not with me!/How can I return to my father if the boy is not with me?) [RHQ] I do not want to see how miserable/sad my father would become!”
