Senesi 44
1 Pea fekau ʻe ia ki he tauhi ʻo hono fale ʻo pehē, “Fakapito ʻaki ʻae meʻakai ʻae ngaahi tangai ʻae kau tangata ni, ʻo fakatatau mo ia te nau faʻa fua, pea ai ʻae paʻanga ʻae tangata taki taha ki he ngutu ʻo ʻene tangai.
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 Pea ai ʻeku ipu, ʻae ipu siliva ki he ngutuʻi tangai ʻae kimui, pea mo e paʻanga totongi ʻo ʻene koane.” Pea ne fai ʻe ia ʻo hangē ko e fekau ʻa Siosefa.
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 Pea pongipongi hake ʻi he maʻa ʻae ʻaho, naʻe tuku ʻae kau tangata ke ʻalu, ʻakinautolu mo e nau fanga ʻasi.
The next morning at dawn the men started on the way home with their donkeys.
4 Pea kuo nau ʻalu mei he kolo, pea naʻe teʻeki ai mamaʻo fau, pea pehē ʻe Siosefa ki heʻene tauhi, “Tuʻu, ʻo tuli ʻae kau tangata; pea ʻoka ke ka maʻu ʻakinautolu, pea ke lea pehē kiate kinautolu, ‘Ko e hā kuo mou totongi kovi ai ki he lelei?’
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 ʻIkai ko ia ia ʻoku inu mei ai ʻa ʻeku ʻeiki, mo ia ʻoku ne fai ai ʻene ʻilo meʻa? Kuo mou fai kovi ʻi he meʻa ni.”
[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 Pea naʻa ne maʻu ʻakinautolu, ʻo ne lea ʻaki kiate kinautolu ʻae ngaahi lea ko ia.
The servant [left immediately and] when he caught up with them, he told them what Joseph had told him to say.
7 Pea nau pehēange kiate ia, “Ko e hā ʻoku lea pehē ai homauʻeiki? Ke mamaʻo ʻaupito mei hoʻo kau tamaioʻeiki ʻae fai ha meʻa pehē.
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 Vakai, ko e ngaahi paʻanga naʻa mau ʻilo ʻi he ngutu ʻoe mau tangai, kuo mau toe ʻomi ia kiate koe, mei he fonua ko Kēnani: pea ʻe fēfeeʻi ʻemau kaihaʻa ha siliva pe ha koula mei he fale ʻo homauʻeiki?
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 Ko ia te ke ʻilo ia ki ai ʻi hoʻo kau tamaioʻeiki, tuku ke mate ia, pea te mau nofo ko e kau pōpula ki heʻemau ʻeiki foki.”
If you discover that any of us has that cup, you can execute him, and the rest of us will become your slaves.”
10 Pea pehē ʻe ia, “Ko eni, ke hoko ʻo tatau mo hoʻomou lea: ko ia ʻe ʻilo ai ia, ko ʻeku tamaioʻeiki ia, pea ʻe taʻehalaia ʻakinautolu.”
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 Pea naʻa nau fakatoʻotoʻo ʻo tuku hifo, taki taha ʻae tangata ʻa ʻene tangai ki he kelekele, pea toʻo taki taha ʻa ʻene tangai.
Each of the men quickly lowered his sack down from the donkey to the ground and opened it.
12 Pea ne kumi ia, ʻo kamata ʻi he ʻuluaki, ʻo aʻu ki he kimui; pea naʻe ʻilo ʻae ipu ʻi he tangai ʻa Penisimani.
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 Pea naʻa nau haehae honau kofu, ʻo toe ʻai ʻae kavenga taki taha ʻae tangata ki he ʻasi, ʻo nau foki ki he kolo.
The brothers tore their clothes [because they were so dismayed]. They loaded the sacks on the donkeys again and returned to the city.
14 Pea naʻe haʻu ʻa Siuta mo hono ngaahi tokoua ki he fale ʻo Siosefa; he naʻe kei ʻi ai ia; pea nau foʻohifo ʻi hono ʻao ki he kelekele.
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 Pea pehē ʻe Siosefa kiate kinautolu, “Ko e hā ʻae meʻa ni kuo mou fai? He naʻe ʻikai te mou mahalo, ko e tangata hangē ko au, te u faʻa ʻiloʻi.”
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 Pea pehēange ʻe Siuta, “Ko e hā te mau lea ʻaki ki homauʻeiki? Pea te mau pehē ko e hā? Pea ʻe fēfē ʻemau fakatonuhia ʻakimautolu? Kuo ʻafioʻi ʻe he ʻOtua ʻae halaia ʻo hoʻo kau tamaioʻeiki; vakai, ko e kau tamaioʻeiki ʻakimautolu ʻa homauʻeiki, ʻakimautolu mo ia foki kuo ʻilo ki ai ʻae ipu ni.”
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 Pea pehē ʻe ia, “Tapu mo e ʻOtua ʻa ʻeku fai pehē: ka ko e tangata kuo ʻilo ʻi hono nima ʻae ipu ni, ko ʻeku tamaioʻeiki ia; ka ko kimoutolu, mou ʻalu fiemālie pe ki hoʻomou tamai.”
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 Pea naʻe ʻunuʻunu mai ʻa Siuta kiate ia, ʻo ne pehē, “Ko ʻeku ʻeiki, ʻoku ou kole kiate koe, ke ke tuku ke lea siʻi pe ʻa hoʻo tamaioʻeiki ki he fofonga ʻo hoku ʻeiki, pea ʻoua naʻa ke tuputāmaki mai ki hoʻo tamaioʻeiki: he ʻoku ke tatau mo Felo.
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 Naʻe fehuʻi ʻa homauʻeiki ki heʻene kau tamaioʻeiki, ʻo pehē, ‘ʻOku ai hoʻomou tamai, pe ha tehina?’
You asked us, ‘Is your father still living, and do you have another brother?’
20 Pea naʻa mau tala ki homauʻeiki, ‘ʻOku ai ʻemau tamai ko e tangata motuʻa, pea mo e tama ʻo ʻene motuʻa, ko e tamasiʻi siʻi; pea kuo pekia hono tokoua, pea ko ia tokotaha pe kuo toe ʻi heʻene fale, pea ʻoku ʻofa ʻene tamai kiate ia.’
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 Pea naʻa ke pehē ki hoʻo kau tamaioʻeiki, ‘Omi ia ki heni kiate au, koeʻuhi ke u sio fakapapau kiate ia.’
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 Pea naʻa mau tala ki heʻemau ʻeiki, ‘ʻE ʻikai faʻa māvae ʻae tama mo ʻene tamai: he kapau te ne tuku ʻene tamai, ʻe pekia ai ʻene tamai:’
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 Pea naʻa ke pehē ki hoʻo kau tamaioʻeiki, ‘Kapau ʻe ʻikai ʻiate kimoutolu homou tehina, ʻe ʻikai te mou toe mamata ki hoku mata.’
But you told us, ‘If your youngest brother does not come back with you, I will not let you see me again!’
24 Pea ʻi heʻemau hoko ki hoʻo tamaioʻeiki ko ʻemau tamai, naʻa mau fakahā kiate ia ʻae ngaahi lea ʻa homauʻeiki.
When we returned to our father, we told him what you said.
25 Pea pehē ʻe heʻemau tamai, ‘Toe ʻalu ʻo fakatau ʻetau meʻakai siʻi.’
[Months later] our father said, ‘Go back to Egypt and buy some more grain!’
26 “Pea naʻa mau pehē, ‘ʻE ʻikai te mau faʻa ʻalu: kapau ʻe ʻiate kimautolu homau tehina, te mau ʻalu hifo: koeʻuhi ʻe ʻikai te mau mamata ki he mata ʻoe tangata, ʻo kapau ʻe ʻikai ʻiate kimautolu homau tehina.’
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 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe hoʻo tamaioʻeiki ko ʻemau tamai, kiate kimautolu, ‘ʻOku mou ʻilo naʻe fanauʻi kiate au ʻe hoku uaifi ʻae tama ʻe toko ua:’
Our father replied, ‘You know that my wife [Rachel] gave birth to two sons for me.
28 Pea naʻe ʻalu ʻae tokotaha ʻiate au, pea naʻaku pehē, ‘Ko e moʻoni kuo haehae ke iikiiki ia; pea talu mei ai naʻe ʻikai te u toe mamata kiate ia:’
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 Pea kapau te mou ʻave eni ʻiate au foki, pea hoko ha kovi kiate ia, te mou ō hifo hoku ʻuluhinā ʻi he mamahi ki he faʻitoka. (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 Pea ko eni, ʻoka hoko ʻa hoʻo tamaioʻeiki ko au ki heʻeku tamai, pea ʻikai ʻiate kimautolu ʻae tama; ko e meʻa ʻi he feohi fakataha ʻene moʻui mo e moʻui ʻae tama;
“So please listen. My father will remain alive only if his youngest son remains alive.
31 ʻE hoko ʻo pehē, ʻoka mamata ia ʻoku ʻikai ʻiate kimautolu ʻae tama, ʻe pekia ia; pea ko hoʻo kau tamaioʻeiki te mau fakahifo ʻae ʻuluhinā ʻo hoʻo tamaioʻeiki ko ʻemau tamai ʻi he mamahi, ki he faʻitoka. (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 He naʻe hoko ʻa hoʻo tamaioʻeiki, ko e fetongi ʻoe tama ki heʻene tamai, ʻo pehē, Kapau ʻe ʻikai te u toe ʻomi ia kiate koe, pea ke ʻiate au hono kovi ki heʻeku tamai ʻo taʻengata.
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 Pea ko eni, ʻoku ou kole kiate koe, tuku ke nofo ʻa hoʻo tamaioʻeiki ko e pōpula ki heʻeku ʻeiki, ko e fetongi ʻoe tama; kae tuku ke ʻalu ʻae tama mo hono ngaahi taʻokete.
“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 He koeʻuhi, ʻe fēfeeʻi ʻeku faʻa ʻalu ki heʻeku tamai, kae ʻikai ʻiate au ʻae tama? Telia naʻaku mamata ki he kovi ʻe hoko ki heʻeku tamai.”
(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!”
