Olubereberye 44
1 Awo Yusufu n’alagira omuweereza mu nnyumba ye nti, “Jjuza ensawo z’abasajja emmere nga bwe basobola okugyetikka, era oteeke ensimbi za buli omu mu nsawo 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 Era oteeke ekikopo kyange, ekya ffeeza, mu kamwa k’ensawo ya muto waabwe, wamu n’ensimbi ze ez’okugula emmere.” N’akola nga Yusufu bwe yamugamba.
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 Emmambya eba evaayo abasajja ne basiibulwa n’endogoyi zaabwe.
The next morning at dawn the men started on the way home with their donkeys.
4 Bwe baali baakava mu kibuga Yusufu n’agamba omuweereza we nti, “Golokoka obagoberere bw’obatuukako obabuuze nti, ‘Lwaki musasudde ekibi olw’ebirungi? Lwaki mubbye ekikopo kyange ekya ffeeza?
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 Mu kino mukama wange si mwanywera, era si kyalaguza? Mu ekyo mukoze bubi.’”
[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 Bwe yabatuukako n’abategeeza ebigambo ebyo.
The servant [left immediately and] when he caught up with them, he told them what Joseph had told him to say.
7 Ne bamugamba nti, “Mukama waffe lwaki ayogedde ebigambo ebyo? Olowooza tuli bantu ba ngeri ki abayinza okukola ekintu ng’ekyo?
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 Laba, ensimbi ze twasanga ku mimwa gy’ensawo zaffe twazikuddiza okuva mu nsi ya Kanani, kale twandisobodde tutya okubba ffeeza oba zaabu okuva mu nnyumba ya mukama wo?
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 Oyo gw’onookisanga nakyo mu ffe abaddu bo, afe, era naffe tuliba baddu ba mukama wange.”
If you discover that any of us has that cup, you can execute him, and the rest of us will become your slaves.”
10 N’abaddamu nti, “Kale kibeere nga bwe mwogedde, oyo anaasangibwa nakyo abeere muddu wange, naye abalala mu mmwe tewaabe abaako ky’avunaanwa.”
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 Amangwago buli omu nassa ensawo ye wansi n’agisumulula.
Each of the men quickly lowered his sack down from the donkey to the ground and opened it.
12 N’alyoka abaaza ng’asookera ku asinga obukulu okutuuka ku asembayo obuto; ekikopo ne kisangibwa mu nsawo ya Benyamini.
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 Awo ne bayuza engoye zaabwe, buli omu n’atikka endogoyi ye, ne baddayo mu kibuga.
The brothers tore their clothes [because they were so dismayed]. They loaded the sacks on the donkeys again and returned to the city.
14 Yusufu yali akyali mu nju, Yuda ne baganda be bwe baatuuka gy’ali, ne bagwa mu maaso ge ne bamuvuunamira.
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 Yusufu n’abagamba nti, “Kiki kino kye mukoze? Temumanyi nti omuntu ali nga nze asobola okuvumbula kye mukoze?”
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 n’addamu nti, “Tunaddamu ki mukama wange? Tunaayogera ki? Oba tuneggyako tutya omusango? Katonda avumbudde obwonoonyi bw’abaddu bo, laba tuli baddu ba mukama wange, ffenna, ffe n’oyo asangiddwa n’ekikopo.”
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 Yusufu n’addamu nti, “Ekyo sijja kukikola, wabula oyo asangiddwa n’ekikopo, y’anaaba omuddu wange, naye mmwe mwambuke mirembe, mutuuke eri kitammwe.”
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 Awo Yuda n’alaga eri Yusufu n’agamba nti, “Ayi mukama wange nkusaba omuddu wo abeeko kyayogera gy’oli, n’obusungu bwo buleme kubuubuuka eri omuddu wo; kubanga oli nga Falaawo yennyini.
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 Mukama wange yabuuza abaweereza be nti, ‘Mulina kitammwe oba muganda wammwe?’
You asked us, ‘Is your father still living, and do you have another brother?’
20 Ne tuddamu mukama wange nti, ‘Tulina kitaffe, musajja mukulu, ne muganda waffe atusinga obuto, omwana gwe yazaala mu bukadde bwe, ne muganda wa muto waffe, yafa; muto waffe yekka y’aliwo, eyasigalawo yekka ku baana ba nnyina; era kitaawe amwagala nnyo.’
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 “N’olyoka ogamba abaddu bo nti, ‘Mumundeetere, mmulabeko.’
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 Twategeeza mukama wange nti, ‘Omulenzi tayinza kuva ku kitaawe, kubanga bw’amuvaako, kitaawe alifa bufi!’
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 N’oddamu abaddu bo nti, ‘Muto wammwe bw’ataliserengeta nammwe, temugenda kulaba maaso gange.’
But you told us, ‘If your youngest brother does not come back with you, I will not let you see me again!’
24 Bwe twaddayo eri omuddu wo kitaffe, twamutegeeza ebigambo ebyo, mukama wange.
When we returned to our father, we told him what you said.
25 Kale kitaffe bwe yagamba nti, ‘Muddeeyo mutugulire ku mmere,’
[Months later] our father said, ‘Go back to Egypt and buy some more grain!’
26 ne tumuddamu nti, ‘Tetusobola kuserengeta. Muto waffe bw’atagenda naffe tetujja kugenda kubanga tetusobola kulaba maaso ga musajja oli nga muto waffe tali naffe.’
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 “Awo omuddu wo, kitaffe n’atugamba nti, ‘Mumanyi, mukazi wange yanzaalira abaana abalenzi babiri;
Our father replied, ‘You know that my wife [Rachel] gave birth to two sons for me.
28 omu yambulako, ne njogera nti mazima yataagulwataagulwa; era siddangayo kumulaba.
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 Bwe muntwalako n’ono, akabi ne kamutuukako, muliserengesa envi zange emagombe nga nkungubaga.’ (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 “Kale kaakano, bwe nzirayo eri omuddu wo kitange ng’omulenzi tali naffe, obulamu bwe nga bwe bunyweredde ku bw’omulenzi,
“So please listen. My father will remain alive only if his youngest son remains alive.
31 bw’anaalaba ng’omulenzi tali naffe, ajja kufa, n’abaddu bo baliserengesa envi z’omuddu wo kitaffe emagombe ng’akyakungubagira omwana we. (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 Kubanga omuweereza wo yeeyimirira omulenzi eri kitange; nga ŋŋamba nti, ‘Bwe sirimuzza gy’oli ndiba n’obuvunaanyizibwa n’okunenyezebwa ennaku zonna ez’obulamu bwange.’
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 “Kale kaakano nkwegayirira, omuddu wo nsigale ng’omuddu wa mukama wange, mu kifo ky’omulenzi; omulenzi omuleke addeyo ne baganda be.
“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 Kale n’addayo ntya eri kitange ng’omulenzi tali nange? Ntya okulaba akabi akayinza okutuuka ku kitange.”
(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!”
