Ebandeli 37
1 Jakobi avandaki na mokili ya Kanana epai wapi tata na ye azalaki kovanda.
Jacob continued to live in the Canaan region where his father had lived previously.
2 Tala molongo ya libota ya Jakobi. Elenge mobali Jozefi azalaki na mibu zomi na sambo ya mbotama mpe azalaki kobatela bibwele. Azalaki kosala mosala yango elongo na bandeko na ye ya mibali, bana ya Bila mpe ya Zilipa, basi ya tata na ye. Jozefi azalaki koyebisa tata na bango makambo mabe ya bandeko na ye.
(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 Isalaele azalaki kolinga Jozefi mingi koleka bana na ye nyonso, pamba te abotaki ye na kimobange. Asalelaki ye elamba ya kitoko mpe ya talo.
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 Tango bandeko na ye ya mibali bamonaki ete tata na bango azali kolinga ye koleka bango nyonso, bayinaki ye mpe bakokaki lisusu te koloba na ye na motema malamu.
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 Jozefi alotaki ndoto mpe tango ayebisaki yango epai ya bandeko na ye ya mibali, bayinaki ye lisusu makasi.
One night Joseph had a dream. He told his brothers about the dream.
6 Alobaki na bango: — Boyoka ndoto oyo nalotaki:
He said to them, “Listen to the dream I had!
7 « Tozalaki kokanga maboke ya ble kati na bilanga. Mbala moko, liboke na ngai elamuki mpe etelemi ngwi; bongo maboke na bino, oyo ezalaki zingazinga ya liboke na ngai, egumbamaki liboso ya liboke na ngai. »
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 Bandeko na ye ya mibali balobaki na ye: — Okanisi ete okokoma mokonzi na biso mpe okokonza biso? Bongo bayinaki ye lisusu koleka likolo ya ndoto na ye mpe likolo ya makambo oyo alobaki.
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 Alotaki lisusu ndoto mosusu mpe ayebisaki yango epai ya bandeko na ye ya mibali. Alobaki: — Boyoka, naloti lisusu ndoto mosusu: « Namonaki moyi, sanza mpe minzoto zomi na moko kogumbama liboso na ngai. »
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 Tango ayebisaki tata na ye ndenge ayebisaki bandeko na ye ya mibali, tata na ye agangelaki ye mpe alobaki: — Ndoto nini wana yo osili kolota? Okanisi ete ngai, mama na yo mpe bandeko na yo ya mibali, tokoya mpe tokogumbama na mabele liboso na yo?
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 Bandeko na ye ya mibali bakomaki na motema likunya epai na ye, kasi tata na ye abombaki kaka likambo yango na motema.
Joseph’s older brothers were furious/angry with him, but his father just kept thinking about what the dream meant.
12 Bandeko mibali ya Jozefi bakendeki koleisa bibwele ya tata na bango pembeni ya Sishemi.
One day Joseph’s older brothers went to take care of their father’s sheep and goats that were eating grass near Shechem.
13 Isalaele alobaki na Jozefi: — Oyebi ete bandeko na yo bazali koleisa bibwele pembeni ya Sishemi; yaka, pamba te nalingi kotinda yo epai na bango. Jozefi azongisaki: — Malamu!
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 Tata na ye alobaki na ye: — Kende mpe tala soki makambo nyonso ezali kotambola malamu mpo na bandeko na yo mpe mpo na bibwele, bongo omemela ngai sango. Boye, atindaki ye wuta na lubwaku ya Ebron. Wana Jozefi akomaki na Sishemi,
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 moto moko amonaki ye tango azalaki koyengayenga na bilanga. Atunaki ye: — Ozali koluka nini?
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 Jozefi azongisaki: — Nazali koluka bandeko na ngai. Okoki koyebisa ngai esika nini bazali koleisa bibwele na bango?
Joseph replied, “I am looking for my older brothers. Can you tell me where they are taking care of their sheep and goats?”
17 Moto yango azongisaki: — Balongwaki awa mpe nayokaki bango koloba: « Tokende na Dotani. » Boye Jozefi alandaki bandeko na ye mpe amonaki bango pembeni ya Dotani.
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 Tango bango bamonaki ye na mosika liboso ete akoma pene na bango, bayokanaki mpo ete baboma ye.
But they saw him when he was still far away, and they decided to kill him.
19 Balobanaki bango na bango: — Tala moloti bandoto azali koya.
They said to each other [things like], “Here comes that dreamer!”
20 Sik’oyo, boya mpo ete toboma ye mpe tobwaka ye na moko kati na mabulu oyo. Tokoloba ete nyama mabe eliaki ye. Bongo tokotala oyo ekoya sima na bandoto na ye.
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 Tango Ribeni ayokaki bongo, alukaki nzela ya kokangola ye na maboko na bango. Alobaki: — Toboma ye te!
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 Bosopa makila na ye te! Bobwaka ye kaka na libulu oyo ezali kati na esobe, kasi bosala ye mabe te. Ribeni alobaki bongo pamba te azalaki na makanisi ya kokangola ye na maboko na bango mpe kozongisa ye na maboko ya tata na ye.
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 Tango kaka Jozefi akomaki epai ya bandeko na ye ya mibali, balongolaki ye elamba na ye ya kitoko mpe ya talo oyo alataki.
So when Joseph arrived where his older brothers were, they seized him and ripped off his pretty robe with long sleeves.
24 Bakangaki ye mpe babwakaki ye na libulu. Libulu yango ezalaki na eloko te, ezalaki mpe na mayi te na kati.
Then they took him and threw him into the pit/cistern. But the pit/cistern was dry; there was no water in it.
25 Wana bavandaki mpo na kolia, batombolaki miso mpe bamonaki bato ya libota ya Isimaeli elongo na bashamo na bango koya wuta na Galadi. Bashamo na bango ezalaki komema na Ejipito: biloko ya mike-mike ya solo kitoko oyo balambelaka, mafuta ya solo kitoko mpe mire.
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 Boye Yuda alobaki na bandeko na ye ya mibali: « Litomba nini tokozwa soki tobomi ndeko na biso mpe tozipi makila na ye?
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 Malamu toteka ye epai ya bato ya ekolo ya Isimaeli, kasi toboma ye te; pamba te azali kaka ndeko na biso mpe tozali na ye makila moko. » Boye bandeko na ye bandimaki.
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 Nzokande tango bato ya mombongo ya mokili ya Madiani balekaki wana, babimisaki Jozefi wuta na libulu mpe batekaki ye epai ya bato ya ekolo ya Isimaeli, na motuya ya mbongo ya bibende, tuku mibale; mpe bango bamemaki ye na Ejipito.
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 Tango Ribeni azongaki na libulu mpe amonaki ete Jozefi azali lisusu kuna te, apasolaki bilamba na ye,
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 azongaki epai ya bandeko na ye mpe alobaki: « Elenge mobali azali lisusu kuna te! Sik’oyo ngai, nakosuka wapi? »
He went back to his [younger] brothers and said, “The boy is not in the pit/cistern! What can I do now?” [RHQ]
31 Boye babomaki ntaba, bazwaki elamba ya Jozefi mpe bazindisaki yango na makila ya ntaba.
[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 Sima, bazongisaki elamba yango ya kitoko mpe ya talo epai ya tata na bango. Balobaki: — Tala eloko oyo tomoni; tala yango malamu soki ezali penza elamba ya mwana na yo to te!
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 Jakobi asosolaki ete ezali elamba ya Jozefi mpe agangaki: — Ezali elamba ya mwana na ngai! Nyama moko ya mabe elie ye! Solo, bakati-kati Jozefi na biteni!
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 Jakobi apasolaki bilamba na ye, alataki saki mpe asalaki matanga mpo na mwana na ye mikolo ebele.
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 Bana na ye nyonso ya mibali mpe ya basi bayaki kobondisa ye; kasi aboyaki kobondisama. Alobaki: « Te; nakozala na matanga kino nakolanda mwana na ngai na mboka ya bakufi epai wapi mwana na ngai azali. » Boye, tata na ye alelaki ye. (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 Bato ya mokili ya Madiani batekaki Jozefi na Ejipito epai ya Potifari, kalaka ya lokumu ya Faraon mpe mokonzi ya bakengeli ya mokonzi.
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.
