Ebandeli 44
1 Jozefi apesaki mitindo epai ya moto oyo azalaki na mokumba ya kobatela bozwi ya ndako na ye: « Tondisa biloko ya kolia na basaki ya bato oyo kolanda kilo oyo bakoki komema mpe tia mbongo ya moko na moko na moto ya saki na ye.
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 Okotia kopo na ngai oyo ya palata na moto ya saki ya leki na bango ya suka elongo na mbongo na ye ya ble. » Moto yango asalaki ndenge kaka Jozefi alobaki na ye.
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 Na tongo-tongo, batikaki bandeko ya Jozefi kozonga elongo na ba-ane na bango.
The next morning at dawn the men started on the way home with their donkeys.
4 Wana babimaki na engumba, bamikomelaki nanu mosika te, Jozefi alobaki na moto oyo azalaki na mokumba ya kobatela bozwi ya ndako na ye: « Telema, landa bato wana! Mpe tango okokanga bango, tuna bango: mpo na nini bozongisi mabe na malamu?
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 Mpo na nini boyibi kopo oyo nkolo na ngai amelelaka mayi mpe asalelaka mpo na koyeba makambo oyo ekoya? Likambo oyo bosali ezali penza mabe. »
[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 Mokambi ya ndako ya Jozefi akangaki bango mpe alobelaki bango lolenge nkolo na ye atindaki ye.
The servant [left immediately and] when he caught up with them, he told them what Joseph had told him to say.
7 Kasi bazongiselaki ye: — Mpo na nini nkolo na biso alobi makambo ya boye? Basali na yo bakoki kosala makambo ya boye te.
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 Tomemelaki yo mbongo oyo tomonaki tango tofungolaki basaki na biso wuta na mokili ya Kanana. Ndenge nini tokoki lisusu koyiba wolo to palata kati na ndako ya nkolo na yo?
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 Soki moko kati na basali na yo amonani ete azali na yango, akokufa; mpe biso bamosusu oyo totikali, tokokoma bawumbu ya nkolo na biso.
If you discover that any of us has that cup, you can execute him, and the rest of us will become your slaves.”
10 Moto oyo azalaki na mokumba ya kobatela bozwi ya ndako ya Jozefi alobaki: — Malamu mingi! Tika ete ezala ndenge bolobi! Moto oyo akomonana ete azali na yango, akokoma mowumbu na ngai. Bino ba-oyo botikali, bokozala na likambo te.
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 Moko na moko akitisaki saki na ye na lombangu na mabele mpe afungolaki yango.
Each of the men quickly lowered his sack down from the donkey to the ground and opened it.
12 Moto oyo azalaki na mokumba ya kobatela bozwi ya Jozefi abandaki koluka kobanda na kulutu kino na leki. Mpe kopo emonanaki na saki ya Benjame.
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 Tango bamonaki bongo, bapasolaki bilamba na bango; bazongisaki biloko na ba-ane na bango mpe bazongaki bango nyonso na engumba.
The brothers tore their clothes [because they were so dismayed]. They loaded the sacks on the donkeys again and returned to the city.
14 Jozefi azalaki kaka na ndako. Tango Yuda na bandeko na ye ya mibali bakotaki na ndako, bagumbamaki kino na se liboso na ye.
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 Jozefi alobaki na bango: — Likambo nini oyo bosali? Boyebi te ete moto lokola ngai nazali na makoki ya komona makambo na bosoloka?
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 Yuda azongisaki: — Likambo nini tokoki koloba na nkolo na ngai? Tokoloba lisusu nini? Ndenge nini tokoki kotalisa ete toyebi likambo te? Nzambe alakisi polele mbeba ya basali na yo. Tokomi sik’oyo bawumbu ya nkolo na ngai, biso nyonso elongo na ye oyo amonani ete azalaki na kopo kati na saki na ye.
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 Kasi Jozefi alobaki: — Nakoki kosala likambo ya boye te! Kaka moto oyo amonani ete azalaki na kopo kati na saki na ye nde akozala mowumbu na ngai. Bino ba-oyo botikali, bozonga na kimia epai ya tata na bino.
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 Yuda apusanaki pembeni na ye mpe alobaki: — Nabondeli yo, nkolo na ngai! Tika ete mosali na yo aloba liloba moko epai ya nkolo na ngai. Kosilikela mosali na yo te, pamba te ndenge Faraon azali, ndenge wana mpe yo ozali.
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 Nkolo na ngai atunaki basali na ye: « Bozali na tata to na ndeko mosusu ya mobali? »
You asked us, ‘Is your father still living, and do you have another brother?’
20 Tozongiselaki nkolo na ngai: « Tozali na tata oyo akomi mobange mpe ndeko mobali ya leki oyo babotelaki tata na biso na kimobange. Ndeko na ye ya mobali akufa mpe atikala kaka ye moko mwana mobali na libumu ya mama na ye, mpe tata na ye alingaka ye mingi. »
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 Bongo olobaki na basali na yo: « Bomemela ngai ye mpo ete nakoka komona ye na miso na ngai. »
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 Tozongiselaki nkolo na ngai: « Elenge mobali akoki kotika tata na ye te; soki atiki ye, tata na ye akokufa. »
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 Kasi olobaki na basali na yo: « Soki leki na bino ya mobali ayei elongo na bino te, bokomona lisusu elongi na ngai te. »
But you told us, ‘If your youngest brother does not come back with you, I will not let you see me again!’
24 Tango tozongaki epai ya mosali na yo, tata na ngai, toyebisaki ye makambo nyonso oyo nkolo na ngai alobaki.
When we returned to our father, we told him what you said.
25 Bongo tata na biso alobaki: « Bozonga mpe bosomba ndambo ya biloko ya kolia. »
[Months later] our father said, ‘Go back to Egypt and buy some more grain!’
26 Kasi tozongisaki: « Tokoki kokende te. Tokokende kaka soki leki na biso ya mobali azali elongo na biso. Tokoki komona elongi ya moto wana te soki leki na biso ya mobali azali elongo na biso te. »
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 Mosali na yo, tata na biso, alobaki na biso: « Boyebi ete mwasi na ngai, Rasheli, abotelaki ngai bana mibale ya mibali.
Our father replied, ‘You know that my wife [Rachel] gave birth to two sons for me.
28 Moko na bango akenda mosika na ngai. Nakanisi ete ezali ya solo, nyama moko ya mabe esila kolia ye. Banda tango wana, natikala komona ye lisusu te.
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 Soki bozwi ngai lisusu mwana oyo mpe soki likama ekweyeli ye, bokoboma ngai na pasi, na kimobange na ngai. » (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 Sik’oyo, soki elenge mobali azali elongo na biso te tango nakozonga epai ya tata na ngai, mosali na yo, mpe soki tata na ngai, oyo motema na ye ekangama makasi na motema ya elenge mobali oyo,
“So please listen. My father will remain alive only if his youngest son remains alive.
31 amoni ete elenge mobali azali elongo na biso te, wana akokufa. Basali na yo bakoboma tata na biso na pasi na kimobange na ye. (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 Pamba te ngai mosali na yo, nandimaki, na miso ya tata na ngai, kobatela elenge mobali oyo. Nalobaki: « Soki nazongiseli yo ye te, nakozala na ngambo liboso na yo tata na ngai, bomoi na ngai mobimba. »
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 Yango wana sik’oyo, nabondeli yo, tika ete mosali na yo akoma mowumbu ya nkolo na ngai na esika ya elenge mobali oyo mpe tika ete elenge mobali azonga elongo na bandeko na ye ya mibali.
“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 Ndenge nini nakoki kozonga epai ya tata na ngai soki elenge mobali azali elongo na ngai te? Kotika te ete namona pasi oyo ekokomela tata na ngai!
(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!”
