Olubereberye 37
1 Yakobo yabeeranga mu Kanani, ensi bajjajjaabe mwe baatambuliratambuliranga.
Jacob continued to live in the Canaan region where his father had lived previously.
2 Era bino bye bifa ku lulyo lwa Yakobo: Yusufu bwe yali nga wa myaka kkumi na musanvu ng’ali ne baganda be batabani ba Biira ne Zirifa, nga balunda ekisibo ky’endiga, Yusufu n’ategeezanga Yakobo kitaabwe ebintu ebibi bye baakolanga.
(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 Bw’atyo Isirayiri n’ayagala nnyo Yusufu okusinga abaana be abalala, kubanga nga ye mwana ow’omu bukadde bwe; n’amutungira ekyambalo eky’amabala amangi.
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 Naye baganda ba Yusufu bwe baalaba nga kitaabwe amwagala okusinga bo ne bakyawa Yusufu, ne batayinza na kwogera naye na kisa.
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 Lumu Yusufu n’aloota ekirooto, n’agenda n’akitegeeza baganda be, ne beeyongera nnyo okumukyawa.
One night Joseph had a dream. He told his brothers about the dream.
6 Yabagamba nti, “Muwulire ekirooto kino kye naloose.
He said to them, “Listen to the dream I had!
7 Twali tusiba ebinywa by’eŋŋaano nga tuli mu nnimiro, ekinywa kyange ne kiyimuka ne kiyimirira; laba ebinywa byammwe ne bikyebungulula ne bikivuunamira.”
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 Baganda be ne bamugamba nti, “Olowooza olitufuga? Olowooleza ddala nti tulibeera baddu bo?” Olwo ne beeyongera nnyo okumukyayira ddala olw’ekirooto kye n’ebigambo bye.
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 Ate n’aloota ekirooto ekirala n’akitegeeza baganda be, n’agamba nti, “Ndoose ekirooto ekirala: ne ndaba enjuba n’omwezi n’emmunyeenye ekkumi n’emu nga binvuunamira.”
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 Naye bwe yakitegeeza kitaawe ng’ali wamu ne baganda be, kitaawe n’amunenya ng’agamba nti, “Kirooto ki kino ky’oloose? Ddala nze ne nnyoko awamu ne baganda bo tulijja ne tuvuunama mu maaso go?”
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 Baganda be ne bamukwatirwa obuggya, kyokka ye kitaabwe n’akuuma ekigambo ekyo mu mutima gwe.
Joseph’s older brothers were furious/angry with him, but his father just kept thinking about what the dream meant.
12 Awo baganda ba Yusufu ne bagenda okumpi ne Sekemu okulunda ekisibo kya kitaabwe.
One day Joseph’s older brothers went to take care of their father’s sheep and goats that were eating grass near Shechem.
13 Isirayiri n’alyoka agamba Yusufu nti, “Nga baganda bo bwe balundira e Sekemu, jjangu nkutume gye bali.” Yusufu n’amuddamu nti, “Nzuuno ntuma.”
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 N’alyoka amugamba nti, “Genda kaakano olabe obanga baganda bo n’ekisibo bali bulungi, okomewo ontegeeze.” Awo n’amutuma okuva mu kiwonvu kya Kebbulooni, n’atuuka e Sekemu.
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 Awo omusajja n’amulaba ng’atangatangira ku ttale, n’amubuuza nti, “Onoonya ki?”
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 N’amuddamu nti, “Noonya baganda bange, nkwegayiridde mbuulira gye balundira ekisibo.”
Joseph replied, “I am looking for my older brothers. Can you tell me where they are taking care of their sheep and goats?”
17 Omusajja n’amuddamu nti, “Beeyongerayo, kubanga nabawulira nga bagamba nti, ‘Ka tugende e Dosani.’” Awo Yusufu n’agoberera baganda be n’abasanga e Dosani.
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 Baganda be ne bamulengera ng’akyali wala, era bwe yali nga tannabasemberera ne bateesa bamutte.
But they saw him when he was still far away, and they decided to kill him.
19 Ne bagambagana nti, “Sekalootera wuuyo ajja.
They said to each other [things like], “Here comes that dreamer!”
20 Kale mujje tumutte, tumusuule mu kimu ku binnya; tuligamba nti, ‘Ensolo enkambwe ye yamulya; tulabe ebirooto bye bwe birituukirira.’”
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 Naye Lewubeeni bwe yakiwulira n’agezaako okumuwonya mu mikono gyabwe n’agamba nti, “Tetumutta.
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 Tuleme kuyiwa musaayi; ka tumusuule mu bunnya buno wano mu nsiko. Temumuteekako mukono gwammwe.” Yayogera bw’atyo alyoke amuwonye mu mikono gyabwe, amuddize kitaawe.
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 Awo Yusufu bwe yatuuka ku baganda be ne bamwambulamu ekyambalo kye eky’amabala amangi kye yali ayambadde:
So when Joseph arrived where his older brothers were, they seized him and ripped off his pretty robe with long sleeves.
24 ne bamutwala ne bamusuula mu bunnya obwali obukalu nga tebuliimu mazzi.
Then they took him and threw him into the pit/cistern. But the pit/cistern was dry; there was no water in it.
25 Awo bwe baatuula okulya, ne bayimusa amaaso ne balengera ekibiina ky’Abayisimayiri nga bava e Gireyaadi, ng’eŋŋamira zaabwe zeettise ebyakaloosa, n’envumbo ne mooli nga bali mu lugendo babitwala e Misiri.
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 Yuda kwe kugamba baganda be nti, “Kitugasa ki okutta muganda waffe n’okuyiwa omusaayi gwe?
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 Tumuguze Abayisimayiri. Omukono gwaffe guleme okumubaako, kubanga muganda waffe, omubiri gwaffe gwennyini.” Baganda be ne bakkiriziganya naye.
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 Abasuubuzi, Abayisimayiri bwe baabatuukako ne baggya Yusufu mu bunnya, ne bamuguza Abayisimayiri. Baamubaguza ebitundu bya ffeeza amakumi abiri; ne bamutwala e Misiri.
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 Lewubeeni bwe yadda n’alaga ku bunnya n’alaba nga Yusufu taliimu, n’ayuza engoye ze,
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 n’addayo eri baganda be n’abagamba nti, “Omwana taliiyo. Kale naamunoonyeza wa?”
He went back to his [younger] brothers and said, “The boy is not in the pit/cistern! What can I do now?” [RHQ]
31 Awo ne baddira ekyambalo kya Yusufu, ne batta embuzi, ne bakinnyika mu musaayi.
[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 Ne baddira ekyambalo ekyo eky’amabala amangi ne bakitwalira kitaabwe ne bamugamba nti, “Twalaba ekyambalo kino, kikebere olabe obanga kye kya mutabani wo.”
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 N’akyetegereza n’agamba nti, “Kye kyambalo kya mutabani wange! Ensolo enkambwe yamulya. Ddala Yusufu yataagulwataagulwa.”
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 Awo Yakobo n’ayuza ebyambalo bye, n’akungubagira Yusufu okumala ebbanga ddene.
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 Batabani be bonna ne bawala be ne bagenda gy’ali okumusanyusa, kyokka ye n’atakkiriza kusanyusibwa. N’agamba nti, “Nedda, ndikka emagombe nga nkyakungubagira omwana wange Yusufu.” Bw’atyo Yakobo n’akungubagira nnyo Yusufu. (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 Mu kiseera kyekimu Abamidiyaani bwe baatuuka e Misiri, Yusufu ne bamuguza Potifali, omu ku bakungu ba Falaawo; omukungu oyo ye yali omukulu wa bambowa.
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.
