Senesi 37
1 Pea naʻe nofo ʻa Sēkope ʻi he fonua naʻe ʻāunofo ki ai ʻene tamai, ʻio, ʻi he fonua ko Kēnani.
Jacob continued to live in the Canaan region where his father had lived previously.
2 Ko e hako eni ʻo Sēkope naʻe hongofulu ma fitu ʻae taʻu ʻo Siosefa, pea naʻe tauhi ʻe ia ʻae fanga manu, ʻo fakataha mo hono ngaahi taʻokete; pea naʻe nofo ʻae tama mo e ongo tama ʻa Pila, pea mo e fānau ʻa Silipa, ko e ongo sinifu ʻo ʻene tamai: pea naʻe ʻomi ʻe Siosefa ki heʻene tamai ʻenau ongoongo kovi.
(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 Pea naʻe ʻofa lahi hake ʻa ʻIsileli kia Siosefa ʻi heʻene fānau kotoa pē, koeʻuhi ko hono foha ia ʻi heʻene motuʻa; pea ne ngaohi maʻana ʻae kofutuʻa pulepule.
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 Pea kuo mamata hono ngaahi taʻokete, ʻoku ʻofa lahi hake ʻenau tamai kiate ia, ʻi hono taʻokete kotoa pē, naʻa nau fehiʻa ai kiate ia, pea naʻe ʻikai te nau lea lelei kiate ia.
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 Pea misi ʻe Siosefa ʻae misi, pea ne tala ia ki hono ngaahi taʻokete; pea naʻe ʻāsili ai ʻenau fehiʻa kiate ia.
One night Joseph had a dream. He told his brothers about the dream.
6 Pea pehē ʻe ia kiate kinautolu, “ʻOku ou kole ke mou fanongo ki he misi ni, kuo u misi ʻaki;
He said to them, “Listen to the dream I had!
7 He naʻa tau nonoʻo ʻae ngaahi u koane ʻi he ngoue, pea vakai, naʻe tuʻu hake ʻeku u koane, ʻo tuʻu totonu; pea vakai, ko hoʻomou ngaahi u koane naʻa nau tutuʻu hake ʻo takatakai ia, ʻo nau punou ki heʻeku u koane.”
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 Pea pehē ʻe hono ngaahi taʻokete kiate ia, “He ko e moʻoni te ke pule kiate kimautolu? Pea te ke mālohi kiate kimautolu?” Pea ʻāsili ai ʻenau fehiʻa kiate ia ʻi heʻene misi, mo ʻene ngaahi lea.
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 Pea misi ia ʻae misi ʻe taha, pea ne tala ia ki hono ngaahi taʻokete, ʻo pehē, “Vakai, kuo u misi ʻae misi ʻe taha, pea vakai, ko e laʻā mo e māhina, mo e fetuʻu ʻe hongofulu ma taha, naʻa nau punou kiate au.”
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 Pea ne fakahā ki heʻene tamai, mo hono ngaahi taʻokete: pea valoki ia ʻe heʻene tamai, ʻo ne pehē kiate ia, “Ko e hā ʻae misi ni kuo ke misi ʻaki? Ko e moʻoni ʻe pehē au mo hoʻo faʻē, mo ho ngaahi taʻokete, ke mau punou ʻakimautolu kiate koe, ki he kelekele?”
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 Pea naʻe meheka ʻa hono ngaahi taʻokete kiate ia; ka naʻe tokanga ʻene tamai ki he lea.
Joseph’s older brothers were furious/angry with him, but his father just kept thinking about what the dream meant.
12 Pea naʻe ʻalu hono ngaahi taʻokete ki Sikemi, ke fafanga ʻae fanga manu ʻa ʻenau tamai.
One day Joseph’s older brothers went to take care of their father’s sheep and goats that were eating grass near Shechem.
13 Pea pehē ʻe ʻIsileli kia Siosefa, “ʻIkai ʻoku fafanga ʻe ho ngaahi taʻokete ʻae fanga manu ʻi Sikemi?” Haʻu, pea te u fekau koe kiate kinautolu. Pea pehē ʻe ia, “Ko au eni.”
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 Pea pehē ʻe ia kiate ia, “Ke ke ʻalu, ʻo vakai pe ʻoku lelei ʻa ho ngaahi taʻokete, pea lelei mo e fanga manu; pea ke haʻu ʻo tala mai.” Pea ne fekau ia mei he teleʻa ʻo Hepeloni ʻo ne hoko ki Sikemi.
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 Pea naʻe ʻilo ia ʻe he tangata ʻe taha, pea vakai, naʻe ʻalu he pe ia ʻi he fonua; pea fehuʻi ʻae tangata kiate ia, ʻo pehē, “Ko e hā ʻoku ke kumi?”
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 Pea ne pehē, “ʻOku ou kumi hoku ngaahi taʻokete; ʻoku ou kole kiate koe, fakahā kiate au ʻae potu ʻoku nau fafanga ai ʻae fanga manu.”
Joseph replied, “I am looking for my older brothers. Can you tell me where they are taking care of their sheep and goats?”
17 Pea pehēange ʻe he tangata, “Kuo nau ō, he naʻaku fanongo ki heʻenau pehē, Tau ō ki Totani.” Pea naʻe muimui ʻa Siosefa ki hono ngaahi taʻokete, pea ne ʻilo ʻakinautolu ʻi Totani.
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 Pea kuo nau mamata kiate ia, ʻi heʻene kei mamaʻo, ʻi he teʻeki ke ne ofi kiate kinautolu, naʻa nau alea fakataha, ke tāmateʻi ia.
But they saw him when he was still far away, and they decided to kill him.
19 Pea naʻa nau fealēleaʻaki, ʻo pehē, “Vakai, ʻoku haʻu ʻae faʻa misi ni.”
They said to each other [things like], “Here comes that dreamer!”
20 Pea ko ia ke tau tāmateʻi ia pea lī ia ki ha luo, pea te tau pehē, kuo kai ia ʻe ha manu fekai; pea te tau vakai, pe ʻe hoko ʻo fēfē ʻene ngaahi misi.
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 Pea fanongo ki ai ʻa Lupeni, ʻo ne fakahaofi ia mei honau nima; ʻo ne pehē, “ʻOua naʻa tau tāmateʻi ia.”
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 Pea pehē ʻe Lupeni kiate kinautolu, “ʻOua naʻa lingi toto, kae lī ia ki he luo ni, ʻoku ʻi he toafa, pea ʻoua naʻa ala ha nima kiate ia;” naʻa ne pehē koeʻuhi ke ne toʻo ia mei honau nima, ke toe ʻatu ia ki heʻene tamai.
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 Pea kuo hoko atu ʻa Siosefa ki hono ngaahi taʻokete, pea pehē, naʻa nau toʻo ʻae kofutuʻa ʻo Siosefa meiate ia, ʻae kofutuʻa pulepule naʻe ʻiate ia;
So when Joseph arrived where his older brothers were, they seized him and ripped off his pretty robe with long sleeves.
24 Pea nau ʻave ia ʻo lī ki he luo; pea naʻe maha pe ʻae luo, naʻe ʻikai ʻi ai ha vai.
Then they took him and threw him into the pit/cistern. But the pit/cistern was dry; there was no water in it.
25 Pea nau nofo ki lalo ke kai mā: pea ʻi he hanga hake honau mata ʻo sio, pea vakai, naʻe haʻu ʻae fononga ʻoe kakai ʻIsimeʻeli, naʻe haʻu mei Kiliate, mo e nau fanga kāmeli, naʻe fakaheka ki ai ʻae ngaahi ʻakau namu lelei, mo e pulu mo e pulu nanamu, ko e nau fetuku ia ki ʻIsipite.
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 Pea lea ʻa Siuta, ʻo pehē ki hono ngaahi taʻokete, “Ko e hā hono ʻaonga, ʻo ʻetau tāmateʻi hotau tehina, pea fufū hono toto?
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 Haʻu, ke tau fakatau ia ki he kau ʻIsimeʻeli, kaeʻoua naʻa ʻiate ia hotau nima: he ko hotau tehina ia mo hotau kakano.” Pea loto ki ai ʻa hono ngaahi taʻokete.
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 Pea ʻalu ʻo ofi ki ai ʻae kakai Mitiani ko e kau fakatau: pea naʻa nau toho hake ʻa Siosefa mei he luo, pea nau fakatau ʻa Siosefa ki he kau ʻIsimeʻeli, ʻaki ʻae konga siliva ʻe uofulu; pea naʻa nau ʻave ʻa Siosefa ki ʻIsipite.
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 Pea toe ʻalu ʻa Lupeni ki he luo pea vakai, naʻe ʻikai ʻi he luo ʻa Siosefa pea haehae ʻe ia hono ngaahi kofu.
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 Pea toe haʻu ia ki hono ngaahi tokoua, ʻo ne pehē, “Kuo ʻikai ʻae tama; pea ko au, te u ʻalu ki fē?”
He went back to his [younger] brothers and said, “The boy is not in the pit/cistern! What can I do now?” [RHQ]
31 Pea naʻa nau toʻo ʻae kofutuʻa ʻo Siosefa, ʻo nau tāmateʻi ʻae ʻuhikiʻi kosi, ʻo nau unu ʻae kofutuʻa ʻi he toto:
[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 Pea nau fekau ke ʻave ʻae kofutuʻa pulepule ki heʻenau tamai; ʻo nau pehē, “Kuo mau ʻilo ʻae meʻa ni; pea ke vakai, pe ko e kofutuʻa ʻo ho foha pe ʻikai.”
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 Pea ne ʻilo ia, ʻo ne pehē, “Ko e kofutuʻa ia ʻo hoku foha; kuo kai ia ʻe he manu fekai; kuo haehae nai, ʻo fakaikiiki ʻa Siosefa.”
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 Pea haehae ʻe Sēkope hono ngaahi kofu, pea ne ai ʻae tauangaʻa, pea ne tēngihia hono foha ʻo ʻaho lahi.
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 Pea tuʻu hake hono ngaahi foha mo hono ngaahi ʻofefine ke nau fakafiemālieʻi ia; ka naʻe ʻikai te ne tali ʻae fakafiemālie; pea ne pehē, “He te u ʻalu hifo tangi pe ki he faʻitoka ki hoku foha.” Naʻe pehē ʻae tangi ʻa ʻene tamai koeʻuhi ko ia. (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 Pea naʻe fakatau ia ʻe he kakai Mitiani ki ʻIsipite, kia Potifa, ko e matāpule ʻa Felo, ko e pule ʻoe kau leʻo.
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.
