< Ebandeli 43 >

1 Nzala makasi ekotaki kati na mokili.
The famine in Canaan got worse.
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.
Finally, when Jacob and his family had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, Jacob said to them, “Go back to Egypt and buy some more grain for us!”
3 Yuda azongisaki: — Moto wana alobaki na biso ete tozonga kuna te soki ndeko na biso azali elongo na biso te.
But Judah said to him, “The man who sold us the grain warned us sternly, ‘I will not let you see me [SYN] again if you come and your younger brother is not with you.’
4 Soki otiki ndeko na biso kokende elongo na biso, wana tokokende na Ejipito mpe tokosombela yo biloko.
So, if you will send our younger brother with us, we will go down to Egypt and buy some grain 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 down there, because that man said to us, ‘I will not let you see me again if your younger brother is not with you.’”
6 Isalaele azongisaki: — Mpo na nini bosali ngai mabe boye? Mpo na nini boyebisaki moto wana ete bozali na ndeko mosusu?
Jacob asked, “Why did you cause me to have this trouble by telling the man that you had a younger 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. »
One of them replied, “The man asked about us and about our family. He said, ‘Is your father still living? Do you have another brother?’ We had to answer his questions. (We could not know that he would say, ‘The next time that you come down here, bring your brother with you!’/How could we know that he would say, ‘The next time that you come down here, bring your brother with you!’)” [RHQ]
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.
Then Judah said to his father Jacob, “Send the boy with me, and we will go immediately, in order that we and you and our children may get grain and not die from hunger.
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 myself will guarantee that he will return. You can require me to do what I am promising [IDM]. If I do not bring him back to you safely, you can say forever that (I am to blame/it was my fault [that he did not return to you)].
10 Soki towumelaki te, tokokaki kozonga mbala ya mibale.
If we had not (wasted so much time/waited so long), by now we could have gone there and returned two times!”
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 Jacob said to them, “If there is no other way, do this: Put in your sacks some of the best things that are grown in this land, and take them down to the man as a gift. Take some balm/perfume and honey and spices and myrrh/ointment, some pistachio nuts, 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 twice as much money as you took the previous time, because you must return the silver that someone put in the tops of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake that it was put in your sacks.
13 Bozwa ndeko na bino ya mobali, botelema mpe bozonga epai ya moto wana.
Take your younger brother and go back to that man.
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!
I will pray that God Almighty will cause that man to act mercifully toward you, so that he will let your other brother, as well as Benjamin, come back here with you. But as for me, if my sons are taken from me, then I will not have my sons!”
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 the gifts that Jacob said that they should take, and twice the amount of money that the grain would cost, and they also took Benjamin. They went down quickly to Egypt, and they stood in front of 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 them, he said to the man who (was in charge of/supervised) things in his house, “Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare a meal, because I want them to eat with me at noon.” [And he told him in what order they were to be seated].
17 Moto yango asalaki ndenge kaka Jozefi alobaki na ye mpe amemaki bango na ndako ya Jozefi.
The man did as Joseph said. And he took them 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 they were afraid because he was taking them to Joseph’s house. They were thinking, “He is taking us here because of the silver that was put in our sacks the first time that we came here. While we are eating, he will have his servants attack us and seize us and cause us to become his slaves, and also take 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:
They went with the man who was in charge of things in Joseph’s house. When they arrived at the entrance of the house,
20 — Limbisa biso, nkolo na ngai! Toyaki mbala ya liboso mpo na kosomba biloko ya kolia;
one of them said to him, “Please, sir, listen to me. We came down here previously and bought some grain.
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 at the place where we stopped for the night as we were returning home, we opened our sacks. We were astonished to see that in the top of each of our sacks was the exact amount of silver that we had paid for the grain! So 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 also brought more silver with us to buy more grain. We do not know who put the 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.
The man replied, [“Relax]! Do not worry about it! I received the silver that you brought. Your God, the God your father worships, must have put it in your sacks.” And then he brought Simeon to them from the prison.
24 Moto yango akotisaki bango na ndako ya Jozefi, apesaki bango mayi ya kosukola makolo mpe abongisaki bilei mpo na ba-ane na bango.
Then he took them into Joseph’s house. He gave them water to wash their feet and gave them food for the donkeys.
25 Babongisaki bakado na bango mpo na boyei ya Jozefi na midi, pamba te bayokaki ete bakolia kuna.
He told them that they were going to eat with Joseph at noon. So the men prepared their gifts to give to Joseph when he arrived.
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 to him the gifts that they had brought into the house. Then they bowed down to the ground in front of him.
27 Atunaki bango: — Boni, bozali malamu? Abakisaki: — Boni tata na bino ya mobange oyo boyebisaki ngai, azali malamu?
He asked them if they were (well/in good health), and then he asked, “How is the health of your old father, the one that you told me about? Is he still living?”
28 Bazongisaki: — Mosali na yo, tata na biso, azali nanu na bomoi mpe azali malamu. Bakitisaki mito mpe bagumbamaki liboso na ye.
One of them replied, “Yes, our father, [who is willing to be] your servant, is still alive, and he is well.” Then again they bowed down in front of 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.
Then he saw his [younger] brother Benjamin, his own mother’s other son. He asked them, “Is this your youngest brother, the one whom you told me about?” After they said “Yes,” he said to Benjamin, “Young man, I pray that God will act kindly toward you.”
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 quickly left the room. He realized that he was about to cry because he (was full of emotion about his younger brother/loved his younger brother so much). He went into his private room and cried there.
31 Tango asilisaki kosukola elongi na ye, abimaki libanda, akangaki motema mpe alobaki: — Botia biloko ya kolia na mesa.
Then, after he washed the tears from his face, he came out, and controlling his emotions, he said to the servants, “Serve the food!”
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.
The people of Egypt considered that it was disgraceful for them to eat with Hebrews, so the servants served food to Joseph by himself, and served the other people of Egypt who ate with him by themselves, and they served Joseph’s older brothers and younger brother by themselves.
33 Bavandisaki bango, kobanda na mwana ya liboso kino na oyo ya suka, bazalaki kotalana bango na bango na kokamwa.
His brothers were astonished to see that their seats were arranged according to their ages, from the oldest to the youngest!
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.
And when their portions of food were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as anyone else’s portion! So they ate food and drank wine with Joseph and became very cheerful.

< Ebandeli 43 >