Mwanzo 37
1 Yakobo akaishi Kanaani katika nchi ambayo baba yake alikuwa ameishi.
Jacob lived in the land where his father had sojourned, in the land of Canaan.
2 Zifuatazo ni habari za Yakobo. Yosefu, kijana wa miaka kumi na saba, alikuwa akichunga makundi ya kondoo na mbuzi pamoja na ndugu zake wa mama wengine, yaani wana wa Bilha na wana wa Zilpa wake za baba yake, naye akawa akimletea baba yake taarifa mbaya kuhusu hao ndugu zake.
These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, tended the flock with his brothers; he was an assistant to the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives. And Joseph brought a bad report about them to their father.
3 Basi, Israeli akampenda Yosefu kuliko yeyote miongoni mwa kaka zake, kwani ni mwanawe wa uzeeni, akamshonea joho lililorembwa vizuri sana.
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he had been born to him in his old age. And he made a long ornamented robe for him.
4 Ndugu zake walipoona kwamba baba yao anampenda Yosefu kuliko yeyote mwingine miongoni mwao, walimchukia na hawakusema naye neno lolote jema.
His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, and they hated him, and couldn't speak a kind word to him.
5 Yosefu akaota ndoto, naye alipowaeleza ndugu zake, wakamchukia zaidi.
Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him all the more.
6 Akawaambia, “Sikilizeni ndoto niliyoota:
He said to them, "Please listen to this dream I had:
7 Tulikuwa tukifunga miganda ya nafaka shambani, ghafula mganda wangu ukasimama wima, wakati miganda yenu ikiuzunguka na kuuinamia.”
And look, we were binding sheaves in the field, and look, my sheaf arose and also stood upright. And look, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf."
8 Ndugu zake wakamwambia, “Wewe unakusudia kututawala? Hivi kweli wewe utatutawala sisi?” Wakaongeza kumchukia zaidi kwa sababu ya ndoto yake pamoja na yale aliyowaambia.
Then his brothers said to him, "Will you indeed reign over us? Or will you indeed rule over us?" So they hated him all the more for his dreams and for what he said.
9 Kisha akaota ndoto nyingine, akawaambia ndugu zake akisema, “Sikilizeni, nimeota ndoto nyingine, wakati huu jua, mwezi na nyota kumi na moja zilikuwa zinanisujudia.”
And he had another dream, and told it to his father and to his brothers, and said, "Look, I had yet another dream, and look, the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to me."
10 Alipomwambia baba yake pamoja na ndugu zake, baba yake akamkemea akisema, “Ni ndoto gani hii uliyoota? Hivi kweli mama yako na mimi na ndugu zako tutakuja kukusujudia wewe hadi nchi?”
When he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him, and said to him, "What is this dream that you had? Will I and your mother and your brothers indeed come and bow down to the ground in front of you?"
11 Ndugu zake wakamwonea wivu, lakini baba yake akaliweka jambo hilo moyoni.
His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept thinking about the matter.
12 Basi, ndugu zake walikuwa wamekwenda kuchunga makundi ya baba yao karibu na Shekemu,
Now his brothers went to pasture their father's flock near Shechem.
13 naye Israeli akamwambia Yosefu, “Kama ujuavyo, ndugu zako wanachunga makundi huko karibu na Shekemu. Njoo, nitakutuma kwao.” Yosefu akajibu, “Vema sana, niko tayari.”
And Israel said to Joseph, "Aren't your brothers pasturing the flock near Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them." And he said to him, "I am ready."
14 Kwa hiyo akamwambia, “Nenda uone kama mambo yote ni salama kwa ndugu zako na makundi, kisha uniletee habari.” Ndipo akamtuma Yosefu kutoka Bonde la Hebroni. Yosefu alipofika Shekemu,
So he said to him, "Go now, see whether it is well with your brothers and well with the flock, and report back to me." So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
15 mtu mmoja akamkuta akizungukazunguka mashambani na akamuuliza, “Unatafuta nini?”
And a man found him, and look, he was wandering in the field. And the man asked him, "What are you looking for?"
16 Akajibu, “Ninawatafuta ndugu zangu. Unaweza kuniambia wanachunga wapi makundi yao?”
He said, "I am looking for my brothers. Tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock."
17 Yule mtu akajibu, “Wamehama hapa. Nilisikia wakisema, ‘Twende Dothani.’” Kwa hiyo Yosefu akawafuatilia ndugu zake na kuwakuta karibu na Dothani.
The man said, "They have left here, for I heard them say, 'Let us go to Dothan.'" So Joseph went after his brothers, and found them in Dothan.
18 Ndugu zake walipomwona akiwa mbali, kabla hajawafikia, wakapanga shauri baya la kumuua.
Now they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them they plotted against him to kill him.
19 Wakaambiana, “Yule mwota ndoto anakuja!
And they said to one another, "Look, this dreamer is coming.
20 Njooni sasa, tumuue na kumtupa katika shimo mojawapo na tuseme kwamba mnyama mkali amemrarua. Kisha tutaona matokeo ya ndoto zake.”
Come now, and let's kill him and throw him into one of the cisterns, and we will say that a vicious animal has devoured him. Then we will see what will become of his dreams."
21 Reubeni aliposikia jambo hili, akajaribu kumwokoa kutoka mikononi mwao akasema, “Tusiutoe uhai wake.
But Reuben heard it, and delivered him out of their hands, and said, "Let's not take his life."
22 Tusimwage damu yoyote. Mtupeni katika shimo lililoko hapa jangwani, lakini msimguse.” Reubeni alisema hivyo ili amwokoe kutoka mikononi mwao, kisha amrudishe nyumbani kwa baba yake.
Reuben said to them, "Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him"—that he might deliver him out of their hands, to restore him to his father.
23 Kwa hiyo Yosefu alipowafikia ndugu zake, walimvua lile joho lake, lile joho lililorembwa vizuri alilokuwa amevaa.
It happened, when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped Joseph of his robe, the long ornamented robe that he was wearing.
24 Kisha wakamchukua wakamtupa katika shimo. Wakati huo shimo lilikuwa tupu, halikuwa na maji ndani yake.
And they took him and threw him into the cistern. (Now the pit was empty. There was no water in it.)
25 Walipokaa ili wale chakula chao, wakainua macho wakaona msafara wa Waishmaeli ukija kutoka Gileadi. Ngamia wao walikuwa wamepakizwa mizigo ya vikolezo, uvumba na manemane, nao walikuwa njiani kuvipeleka Misri.
Then they sat down to eat a meal. And they looked up, and look, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing aromatic gum and balm and myrrh on their way to carry them down to Egypt.
26 Yuda akawaambia ndugu zake, “Tutafaidi nini ikiwa tutamuua ndugu yetu na kuificha damu yake?
Then Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?
27 Njooni, tumuuze kwa hawa Waishmaeli. Tusimguse, kwa kuwa hata hivyo yeye ni ndugu yetu, nyama yetu na damu yetu wenyewe.” Ndugu zake wakakubali.
Come, and let's sell him to the Ishmaelites, and not lay a hand on him, for he is our brother, our flesh." And his brothers agreed.
28 Kwa hiyo wale wafanyabiashara Wamidiani walipofika pale, ndugu zake wakamtoa Yosefu kutoka kwenye lile shimo, na kumuuza kwa shekeli ishirini za fedha kwa wale Waishmaeli, ambao walimpeleka Misri.
So the Midianites merchants passed by, and they pulled him up and lifted Joseph out of the cistern, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they brought Joseph to Egypt.
29 Reubeni aliporudi kutazama kwenye lile shimo na kuona kwamba Yosefu hayupo, alirarua nguo zake.
And Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph wasn't in the cistern; and he tore his clothes.
30 Akawarudia ndugu zake na kusema, “Kijana hayuko mle! Nielekee wapi sasa?”
He went back to his brothers and said, "The boy is gone. Now, what am I to do?"
31 Kisha wakalichukua lile joho la Yosefu, wakachinja mbuzi na kulichovya katika damu.
They took Joseph's robe and killed a male goat and dipped the robe in the blood.
32 Wakalichukua lile joho lililorembwa vizuri na kulipeleka kwa baba yao na kusema, “Tumeliokota hili joho. Uchunguze uone kama ni la mwanao.”
And they sent the long ornamented robe and they brought it to their father, and said, "We found this. Please examine it to see whether it is your son's robe or not."
33 Baba yao akalitambua akasema, “Hili ni joho la mwanangu! Mnyama mkali amemrarua. Hakika Yosefu ameraruliwa vipande vipande.”
And he recognized it, and said, "It is my son's robe. A vicious animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces."
34 Kisha Yakobo akararua nguo zake, akavaa nguo ya gunia na kumwombolezea mwanawe kwa siku nyingi.
Then Jacob tore his clothes, and put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days.
35 Wanawe wote na binti zake wakaja kumfariji, lakini hakukubali kufarijiwa. Akasema, “Hapana, nitamwombolezea mwanangu mpaka nimfikie kaburini.” Kwa hiyo baba yake akaendelea kumlilia. (Sheol h7585)
All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. And he said, "Indeed, I will go down to Sheol to my son mourning." And his father wept for him. (Sheol h7585)
36 Wakati ule ule, Wamidiani wakamuuza Yosefu huko Misri kwa Potifa, mmojawapo wa maafisa wa Farao, aliyekuwa mkuu wa ulinzi.
Now the Midianites sold him into Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.
