Ebandeli 43
1 Nzala makasi ekotaki kati na mokili.
Now the famine was still severe in the land.
2 Tango libota ya Jakobi baliaki biloko nyonso oyo bamemaki wuta na Ejipito, Jakobi alobaki na bana na ye: — Bozonga kuna kosomba ndambo ya biloko.
So when Jacob’s sons had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”
3 Yuda azongisaki: — Moto wana alobaki na biso ete tozonga kuna te soki ndeko na biso azali elongo na biso te.
But Judah replied, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’
4 Soki otiki ndeko na biso kokende elongo na biso, wana tokokende na Ejipito mpe tokosombela yo biloko.
If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you.
5 Kasi soki otiki ye te, biso mpe tokokende te; pamba te moto wana ayebisaki biso malamu: « Bokotelema liboso na ngai te soki ndeko na bino azali te. »
But if you will not send him, we will not go; for the man told us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’”
6 Isalaele azongisaki: — Mpo na nini bosali ngai mabe boye? Mpo na nini boyebisaki moto wana ete bozali na ndeko mosusu?
“Why did you bring this trouble upon me?” Israel asked. “Why did you tell the man you had another brother?”
7 Bazongisaki: — Moto yango atunaki biso malamu makambo oyo etali biso moko mpe libota na biso. Atunaki biso: « Tata na bino azali nanu na bomoi? Bozali na ndeko mosusu ya mobali? » Mpe biso topesaki eyano na mituna na ye. Tokokaki te koyeba ete akoloba na biso: « Boya na ndeko na bino ya mobali awa. »
They replied, “The man questioned us in detail about ourselves and our family: ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ And we answered him accordingly. How could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother here’?”
8 Yuda ayebisaki tata na ye Isalaele: — Tata, tika Benjame akende elongo na ngai. Tokotelema mpe tokokende mpo ete biso elongo na yo mpe bana na biso, tozala na bomoi, kasi tokufa te na nzala.
And Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me, and we will go at once, so that we may live and not die—neither we, nor you, nor our children.
9 Nandimi kobatela ye; boye okotuna ye na maboko na ngai. Soki nazongiseli yo ye te mpe namemi ye liboso na yo te, tika ete nazala na ngambo epai na yo bomoi na ngai mobimba.
I will guarantee his safety. You may hold me personally responsible. If I do not bring him back and set him before you, then may I bear the guilt before you all my life.
10 Soki towumelaki te, tokokaki kozonga mbala ya mibale.
If we had not delayed, we could have come and gone twice by now.”
11 Tata na bango Isalaele alobaki na bango: — Soki esengeli kozala bongo, wana bosala boye: botia na basaki na bino biloko oyo eleki kitoko kati na mokili mpe bopesa yango lokola kado epai ya moto wana: ndambo ya mafuta ya solo kitoko, ndambo ya mafuta ya nzoyi, biloko ya mike-mike ya solo kitoko, lodanumi, pisitashi mpe bambuma ya amande.
Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and carry them down as a gift for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds.
12 Bozwa mbala mibale motuya ya mbongo oyo ezalaki kati na basaki na bino mpe bozongisa mbongo oyo bokutaki na basaki na bino; tango mosusu ezalaki libunga.
Take double the silver with you so that you may return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake.
13 Bozwa ndeko na bino ya mobali, botelema mpe bozonga epai ya moto wana.
Take your brother as well, and return to the man at once.
14 Tika ete Nzambe-Na-Nguya-Nyonso ayokela bino mawa tango bokotelema liboso ya moto wana, mpo ete bokoka kozwa ndeko na bino mosusu, mpe Benjame azonga elongo na bino. Kasi mpo na ngai, soki nakozanga bana, malamu nazanga bango!
May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother along with Benjamin. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”
15 Boye bato yango bazwaki bakado; bazwaki lisusu mbala mibale motuya ya mbongo oyo ezalaki na basaki na bango mpe Benjame. Bakendeki na Ejipito mpe bamilakisaki na miso ya Jozefi.
So the men took these gifts, along with double the amount of silver, and Benjamin as well. Then they hurried down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.
16 Tango Jozefi amonaki Benjame elongo na bango, alobaki na moto oyo azalaki na mokumba ya kobatela bozwi na ye: « Mema bato oyo na ndako na ngai; boboma nyama moko mpe bolamba yango mpo ete bato oyo bakolia elongo na ngai na midi. »
When Joseph saw Benjamin with his brothers, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for they shall dine with me at noon.”
17 Moto yango asalaki ndenge kaka Jozefi alobaki na ye mpe amemaki bango na ndako ya Jozefi.
The man did as Joseph had commanded and took the brothers to Joseph’s house.
18 Bato yango babangaki makasi tango bamemaki bango na ndako ya Jozefi mpe bazalaki kolobana bango na bango: — Bamemi biso awa likolo ya mbongo oyo batiaki na basaki na biso, na mbala ya liboso. Bakokweya likolo na biso, bakolonga biso, bakokanga biso lokola bawumbu mpe bakozwa ba-ane na biso.
But the brothers were frightened that they had been taken to Joseph’s house. “We have been brought here because of the silver that was returned in our bags the first time,” they said. “They intend to overpower us and take us as slaves, along with our donkeys.”
19 Bapusanaki pembeni ya moto oyo azalaki na mokumba ya kobatela bozwi ya ndako ya Jozefi mpe balobaki na ye na ekuke ya ndako:
So they approached Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house.
20 — Limbisa biso, nkolo na ngai! Toyaki mbala ya liboso mpo na kosomba biloko ya kolia;
“Please, sir,” they said, “we really did come down here the first time to buy food.
21 kasi tango totelemaki na esika ya kolekisa butu, tofungolaki basaki na biso; mpe moko na moko kati na biso amonaki mbongo na ye kati na saki na ye ndenge kaka ezalaki, yango wana tozongi na yango.
But when we came to the place we lodged for the night, we opened our sacks and, behold, each of us found his silver in the mouth of his sack! It was the full amount of our silver, and we have brought it back with us.
22 Tomemi mbongo mosusu mpo na kosomba biloko ya kolia, toyebi te nani azongisaki mbongo na biso na basaki na biso.
We have brought additional silver with us to buy food. We do not know who put our silver in our sacks.”
23 Alobaki na bango: — Malamu! Bobanga te. Ezali Nzambe na bino, Nzambe ya tata na bino, nde atiaki bomengo kati na basaki na bino. Kasi mpo na mbongo na bino, ngai nazwaki yango. Sima, amemelaki bango Simeoni.
“It is fine,” said the steward. “Do not be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, gave you the treasure that was in your sacks. I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.
24 Moto yango akotisaki bango na ndako ya Jozefi, apesaki bango mayi ya kosukola makolo mpe abongisaki bilei mpo na ba-ane na bango.
And the steward took the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet, and provided food for their donkeys.
25 Babongisaki bakado na bango mpo na boyei ya Jozefi na midi, pamba te bayokaki ete bakolia kuna.
Since the brothers had been told that they were going to eat a meal there, they prepared their gift for Joseph’s arrival at noon.
26 Tango Jozefi ayaki na ndako, bapesaki ye bakado oyo bamemaki na ndako mpe bagumbamaki liboso na ye mito na se.
When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought, and they bowed to the ground before him.
27 Atunaki bango: — Boni, bozali malamu? Abakisaki: — Boni tata na bino ya mobange oyo boyebisaki ngai, azali malamu?
He asked if they were well, and then he asked, “How is your elderly father you told me about? Is he still alive?”
28 Bazongisaki: — Mosali na yo, tata na biso, azali nanu na bomoi mpe azali malamu. Bakitisaki mito mpe bagumbamaki liboso na ye.
“Your servant our father is well,” they answered. “He is still alive.” And they bowed down to honor him.
29 Tango Jozefi atombolaki miso, amonaki Benjame, ndeko na ye ya mobali, mwana ya mama na ye. Atunaki: — Ye wana nde ndeko na bino ya suka oyo boyebisaki ngai? Abakisaki: — Tika ete Nzambe atalisa yo ngolu na Ye.
When Joseph looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?” Then he declared, “May God be gracious to you, my son.”
30 Jozefi ayokaki pasi makasi na motema tango amonaki ndeko na ye, akimaki mbangu na libanda mpe alukaki esika mpo na kolela. Akotaki na shambre na ye mpe alelaki kuna.
Joseph hurried out because he was moved to tears for his brother, and he went to a private room to weep.
31 Tango asilisaki kosukola elongi na ye, abimaki libanda, akangaki motema mpe alobaki: — Botia biloko ya kolia na mesa.
Then he washed his face and came back out. Regaining his composure, he said, “Serve the meal.”
32 Batielaki Jozefi bilei na mesa na ye moko, bandeko na ye mpe na mesa na bango; bongo bato ya Ejipito oyo bazalaki kolia na ye esika moko, bango mpe na mesa na bango, pamba te bato ya Ejipito bakokaki te kolia esika moko na Ba-Ebre, pamba te ezalaki ekila mpo na bato ya Ejipito.
They separately served Joseph, his brothers, and the Egyptians. They ate separately because the Egyptians would not eat with the Hebrews, since that was detestable to them.
33 Bavandisaki bango, kobanda na mwana ya liboso kino na oyo ya suka, bazalaki kotalana bango na bango na kokamwa.
They were seated before Joseph in order by age, from the firstborn to the youngest, and the men looked at one another in astonishment.
34 Jozefi apesaki bango biloko oyo ewutaki na mesa na ye; mpe Benjame azwaki mbala mitano koleka bango nyonso. Na bongo, bamelaki elongo na ye mpe balangwaki.
When the portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times larger than any of the others. So they feasted and drank freely with Joseph.
