1 Mose 42

1 Bere a Yakob tee sɛ aburow wɔ Misraim no, ɔka kyerɛɛ ne mmabarima no se, “Adɛn nti na morehwehwɛhwehwɛ mo ho mo ho anim kɛkɛ yi?”

Then Jacob, hearing that food was being sold in Egypt, said to his sons: “Why are you negligent?

2 Yakob toaa so se, “Mate sɛ aburow wɔ Misraim. Monkɔ hɔ, na monkɔtɔ bi mmra na ɔkɔm ankunkum yɛn.”

I have heard that wheat is being sold in Egypt. Go down and buy necessities for us, so that we may be able to live, and not be consumed by destitution.”

3 Enti Yosef nuabarimanom mpanyimfo du no kɔɔ Misraim sɛ wɔrekɔtɔ aburow no bi.

And so, when ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain in Egypt,

4 Nanso Yakob amma Benyamin a ɔyɛ Yosef nua kumaa no ankɔ bi, efisɛ na osuro sɛ biribi bɛyɛ no.

Benjamin was kept at home by Jacob, who said to his brothers, “Lest perhaps he may suffer harm on the journey.”

5 Enti Israel mmabarima no de wɔn ho bɔɔ atɔfo a wofifi aman ahorow so kɔtɔ aburow wɔ Misraim no ho, efisɛ na ɔkɔm no atrɛw akodu Kanaan asase so mmaa nyinaa.

And they entered into the land of Egypt with the others who traveled to buy. For the famine was in the land of Canaan.

6 Na Yosef yɛ amrado wɔ Misraim asase so. Ɔno na ɔtɔn aburow ma nnipa nyinaa wɔ ɔman no mu. Yosef nuabarimanom no koduu nʼanim no, wobuu no nkotodwe, de wɔn anim nso butubutuw fam.

And Joseph was governor in the land of Egypt, and grain was sold under his direction to the people. And when his brothers had reverenced him

7 Bere a Yosef ani bɔɔ anuanom no so no, ohuu wɔn, nanso ɔyɛɛ ne ho sɛnea onnim wɔn ma ɔhaahaa nʼani kasa kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Mufi he?” Anuanom no buaa no se, “Yefi Kanaan asase so, na yɛaba sɛ yɛrebɛtɔ aduan.”

and he had recognized them, he spoke harshly, as if to foreigners, questioning them: “Where did you come from?” And they responded, “From the land of Canaan, to buy necessary provisions.”

8 Na Yosef ahu ne nuanom no de, nanso wɔn de, na wonhuu no ɛ.

And although he knew his brothers, he was not known by them.

9 Yosef kaee dae a mmere bi ɔso faa wɔn ho no ma ɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Moyɛ akwansrafo! Morebɛhwɛ baabi a yɛn asase yi nni bammɔ.”

And remembering the dreams, which he had seen in another time, he said to them: “You are scouts. You have come in order to see which parts of the land are weaker.”

10 Anuanom no buae se, “Dabi da yɛn wura, wo nkoa bae sɛ yɛrebɛtɔ aduan.

And they said: “It is not so, my lord. But your servants have arrived in order to buy food.

11 Yɛn nyinaa fi agya baako. Wo nkoa yɛ anokwafo, na yɛnyɛ akwansrafo.”

We are all sons of one man. We have come in peace, nor do any of your subjects devise evil.”

12 Nanso Yosef tii mu se, “Dabi da, morebɛhwɛ baabi a yɛn asase yi nni bammɔ.”

And he answered them: “It is otherwise. You have come to examine the unguarded parts of this land.”

13 Anuanom no buae se, “Na wo nkoa yɛ anuanom dumien, ɔpanyin bi a ɔte Kanaan asase so mma. Mprempren, yɛn kaakyiri no wɔ yɛn agya nkyɛn, na ɔbaako nso afi mu.”

But they said: “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is with our father; the other is not living.”

14 Yosef ka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Asɛm no ara na meka kyerɛɛ mo no: Moyɛ akwansrafo!

He said: “This is just as I have said. You are scouts.

15 Ɔkwan a mɛfa so de asɔ mo ahwɛ ni: Sɛ Farao te ase yi, moremfi ha nkɔ da, kosi sɛ mode mo kaakyiri no bɛba.

I will now continue to put you to the test. By the health of Pharaoh, you will not depart from here, until your youngest brother arrives.

16 Monsoma mo mu baako, na ɔnkɔfa mo kaakyiri no mmra. Mede mo a moaka no nyinaa begu afiase. Ɛno na ɛbɛma yɛahu sɛ mo asɛm a moreka no yɛ nokware. Sɛ ɛnte saa a na Farao te ase yi, na moyɛ akwansrafo!”

Send one of you and bring him. But you will be in chains, until what you have said is proven to be either true or false. Otherwise, by the health of Pharaoh, you are scouts.”

17 Na ɔde wɔn nyinaa guu afiase nnansa.

Therefore, he delivered them into custody for three days.

18 Nnansa so no, Yosef ka kyerɛɛ ne nuanom no se, “Meyɛ onyamesuroni. Ɛno nti, monyɛ eyi na moanya nkwa.

Then, on the third day, he brought them out of prison, and he said: “Do as I have said, and you will live. For I fear God.

19 Sɛ moyɛ nokwafo ampa ara a, momma mo nua baako nna afiase ha na mo a moaka no nso nkɔtɔ aburow no bi nkɔma mo fifo a ɔkɔm rekum wɔn no.

If you are peaceful, let one of your brothers be bound in prison. Then you may go away and carry the grain that you have bought to your houses.

20 Nanso nea ɛte biara no, momfa mo nua kumaa no mmɛkyerɛ me. Ɛno na ɛbɛma mahu mo nsɛm no mu nokware na moanwuwu.” Wɔyɛɛ nea ɔkaa no.

And bring your youngest brother to me, so that I may be able to test your words, and you may not die.” They did as he had said,

21 Wɔkeka kyerɛkyerɛɛ wɔn ho wɔn ho se, “Nokware, yɛn nuabarima yi nti na wɔretwe yɛn aso. Yehuu sɛnea ɔpaa yɛn kyɛw sɛ yenyaa no nanso yɛantie no; ɛno nti na saa amanehunu yi aba yɛn so no.”

and they spoke to one another: “We deserve to suffer these things, because we have sinned against our brother, seeing the anguish of his soul, when he begged us and we would not listen. For that reason, this tribulation has come upon us.”

22 Ruben buae se, “Manka ankyerɛ mo sɛ monnyɛ bɔne biara ntia abarimaa no? Nanso moantie! Afei na ɛsɛ sɛ yebu ne mogya ho akontaa”

And Reuben, one of them, said: “Did not I say to you, ‘Do not sin against the boy,’ and you would not listen to me? See, his blood is exacted.”

23 Esiane sɛ na obi kyerɛ nsɛm a Yosef ka no ase kyerɛ wɔn no nti, na wonnim sɛ Yosef te wɔn kasa no.

But they did not know that Joseph understood, because he was speaking to them through an interpreter.

24 Yosef sɔre fii wɔn nkyɛn kosui. Ɔsan bae ne wɔn bɛkasae bio. Oyii Simeon fii wɔn mu, maa wɔkyekyeree no wɔ wɔn anim.

And he turned himself away briefly and wept. And returning, he spoke to them.

25 Yosef hyɛɛ sɛ, wɔnhyɛ wɔn nkotoku no aburow amaama, na wɔnsan mfa obiara sika a anka ɔde rebɛtɔ aburow no nhyɛ ne kotoku mu, na wɔmma wɔn akwansoduan nso nka ho. Wɔyɛɛ eyi maa wɔn.

And taking Simeon, and binding him in their presence, he ordered his ministers to fill their sacks with wheat, and to replace each one’s money in their sacks, and to give them, in addition, provisions for the way. And they did so.

26 Wɔhyehyɛɛ wɔn aburow nkotoku no wɔ wɔn mfurum no so ma wofii hɔ.

Then, having loaded their donkeys with the grain, they set out.

27 Wɔrekɔ no ara, wogyinaa kwan so anadwo homee. Ɛhɔ na wɔn mu baako san ne kotoku sɛ ɔrema nʼafurum aduan adi. Ɔsan ne kotoku no, ohuu sɛ ne sika a anka ɔde rekɔtɔ aburow no hyɛ kotoku no fa baabi.

And one of them, opening a sack to give his beast of burden fodder at the inn, looked upon the money at the sack’s mouth,

28 Ɔka kyerɛɛ ne nuanom no se, “Wɔde me sika no asan ahyɛ me kotoku no mu. Monhwɛ. Ɛno ni!” Saa asɛm yi maa wɔn koma tutui. Enti wɔhwehwɛɛ wɔn ho wɔn ho anim kae se, “Dɛn na Onyankopɔn ayɛ yɛn yi?”

and he said to his brothers: “My money has returned to me. See, it is held in the sack.” And they were astonished and troubled, and they said to one another, “What is this that God has done to us?”

29 Woduu wɔn agya Yakob nkyɛn wɔ Kanaan no, wɔbɔɔ no nsɛm a asisi no nyinaa ho amanneɛ. Wɔkae se,

And they went to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, and they explained to him all the things that had befallen them, saying:

30 “Yeduu Misraim asase so no, ɔbarima a ɔhwɛ asase no so no poopoo nʼani, kyerɛɛ yɛn sɛ yɛyɛ akwansrafo.

“The lord of the land spoke harshly to us, and he considered us to be scouts of the province.

31 Nanso yebuaa no se, ‘Yɛyɛ nnipa pa, na yɛnyɛ akwansrafo.

And we answered him: ‘We are peaceful, and we do not intend any treachery.

32 Yɛyɛ anuanom dumien a yefi agya baako. Ɔbaako afi mu. Mprempren, yɛn kaakyiri no wɔ yɛn agya nkyɛn wɔ Kanaan.’

We are twelve brothers conceived of one father. One is not living; the youngest is with our father in the land of Canaan.’

33 “Na ɔbarima a ɔhwɛ asase no so ka kyerɛɛ yɛn se, ‘Ɔkwan a mepɛ sɛ mefa so sɔ mo hwɛ ni: Munnyaw mo nuanom baako wɔ me nkyɛn ha, na monkɔtɔ aburow no bi nkɔma mo fifo a ɔkɔm rekum wɔn no.

And he said to us: ‘Thus will I prove that you are peaceful. Release one of your brothers to me, and take necessary provisions for your houses, and go away,

34 Nanso momfa mo nua kumaa no mmɛkyerɛ me. Ɛno na ɛbɛma mahu sɛ monyɛ akwansrafo na moyɛ nnipa pa. Na mede mo nua no bɛma mo, na mubetumi adi gua wɔ asase yi so.’”

and bring your youngest brother to me, so that I may know that you are not scouts. And this one, who is held in chains, you may be able to receive again. And thereafter, you shall have permission to buy what you want.’”

35 Bere a wɔrehwiehwie wɔn aburow no afi wɔn nkotoku no mu no, obiara huu ne sika a anka ɔde rekotua aburow no ka wɔ ne kotoku no ano. Wɔne wɔn agya huu sika no, wɔn koma tutui.

Having said this, when they poured out their grain, each found his money tied to the mouth of his sack. And all were terrified together.

36 Ɛyɛɛ saa maa wɔn agya Yakob ka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Moama mahwere me mma. Yosef nni hɔ; Simeon nso nni hɔ; afei mopɛ sɛ mofa Benyamin nso ka ho! Biribiara ko tia me.”

Their father Jacob said, “You have caused me to be without children. Joseph is not living, Simeon is held in chains, and Benjamin you would carry away. All these evils have fallen back upon me.”

37 Ruben ka kyerɛɛ nʼagya se, “Sɛ mamfa Benyamin ansan amma a, wowɔ ho kwan sɛ wukum me mmabarima baanu no si anan. Fa no hyɛ me nsa, na mɛsan de no abrɛ wo.”

And Reuben answered him, “Put my two sons to death, if I do not lead him back to you. Deliver him into my hand, and I will restore him to you.”

38 Nanso Yakob buae se, “Me babarima no ne morenkɔ hɔ, efisɛ ne nuabarima awu ama aka ɔno nko. Sɛ saa kwan a morebetu yi, asiane bi kosiane no a, mewu.” (Sheol h7585)

But he said: “My son will not go down with you. His brother is dead, and he is left alone. If any adversity will befall him in the land to which you travel, you would lead my grey hairs down with sorrow to the grave.” (Sheol h7585)