1 Mose 43

1 Saa bere no mu no, na ɔkɔm no ano da so yɛ den wɔ asase no so nyinaa.

The famine in Canaan got worse.

2 Enti bere a aduan a wɔkɔtɔ fii Misraim bae no reyɛ asa no, wɔn agya Yakob ka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Monsan nkɔ nkɔtɔ aduan kakra mmra bio.”

Finally, when Jacob and his family had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, Jacob said to them, “Go back to Egypt and buy some more grain for us!”

3 Nanso Yuda ka kyerɛɛ nʼagya Yakob se, “Owura no sua kyerɛɛ yɛn denneennen se, ‘Sɛ moamfa mo nua kumaa no anka mo ho amma a, munnsi mʼanim ha bio.’

But Judah said to him, “The man who sold us the grain warned us sternly, ‘I will not let you see me [SYN] again if you come and your younger brother is not with you.’

4 Sɛ wobɛma yɛne yɛn nua kumaa no akɔ de a, ɛno de, yɛbɛsan akɔ akɔtɔ aduan no bi abrɛ wo.

So, if you will send our younger brother with us, we will go down to Egypt and buy some grain for you.

5 Nanso sɛ woamma yɛamfa no ankɔ de a, yɛrenkɔ, efisɛ owura no suaa denneennen se, ‘Sɛ mo nua kumaa no nka mo ho a, munnsi mʼanim bio.’”

But if you will not send him, we will not go down there, because that man said to us, ‘I will not let you see me again if your younger brother is not with you.’”

6 Israel bisaa ne mma no se, “Adɛn nti na moka kyerɛɛ owura no se mowɔ nua kumaa bi wɔ hɔ, na mode saa ɔhaw yi abɛto me so?”

Jacob asked, “Why did you cause me to have this trouble by telling the man that you had a younger brother?”

7 Anuanom no buaa wɔn agya Israel se, “Owura no nyaa adagyew, tɔɔ ne bo ase bisaa yɛn ne yɛn abusuafo ho nsɛm nyinaa se, ‘Mo agya da so te ase ana? Mowɔ onua foforo bi ka mo ho?’ Nsɛm a obisaa yɛn no na yebuaa no. Na yennim sɛ ɔbɛka se, ‘Momfa mo nua kumaa no mmra.’”

One of them replied, “The man asked about us and about our family. He said, ‘Is your father still living? Do you have another brother?’ We had to answer his questions. (We could not know that he would say, ‘The next time that you come down here, bring your brother with you!’/How could we know that he would say, ‘The next time that you come down here, bring your brother with you!’)” [RHQ]

8 Ɛhɔ na Yuda ka kyerɛɛ nʼagya Israel se, “Fa yɛn nua no hyɛ me nsa, na yensi mu nkɔ ntɛm nkɔtɔ aduan no bi mmra, na ɔkɔm ankum yɛn ne wo ne yɛn mma.

Then Judah said to his father Jacob, “Send the boy with me, and we will go immediately, in order that we and you and our children may get grain and not die from hunger.

9 Mʼankasa mɛhwɛ abofra no so. Sɛ mamfa no amma a, bisa me. Sɛ mamfa no amma, ammegyina wʼanim ha, amma woanhu sɛ wo ba no ni a, saa asodi no nna me so me nkwanna nyinaa.

I myself will guarantee that he will return. You can require me to do what I am promising [IDM]. If I do not bring him back to you safely, you can say forever that (I am to blame/it was my fault [that he did not return to you)].

10 Sɛ yɛantwentwɛn yɛn nan ase a, anka saa bere yi, yɛakɔ aba bɛyɛ mprenu.”

If we had not (wasted so much time/waited so long), by now we could have gone there and returned two times!”

11 Afei, wɔn agya Israel ka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Sɛ meyɛ ho hwee na ɛrenyɛ yiye de a, ɛno de, momfa asase yi so nnepa a bi ne akyenkyennuru kakra, ɛwo kakra, aduhuam, kurobow, nkate ne ɔsonkoran aba nhyɛ mo nkotoku mu, nkɔyɛ owura no ayɛ.

Then their father Jacob said to them, “If there is no other way, do this: Put in your sacks some of the best things that are grown in this land, and take them down to the man as a gift. Take some balm/perfume and honey and spices and myrrh/ointment, some pistachio nuts, and almonds.

12 Sika a mode rekɔ no nso, monyɛ no mmɔho efisɛ ɛsɛ sɛ mosan de sika a kan no mode kɔe na ɔsan de hyɛɛ mo nnesoa mu bae no kɔma no. Ebia na ɛyɛɛ no anipaso.

Take twice as much money as you took the previous time, because you must return the silver that someone put in the tops of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake that it was put in your sacks.

13 Momfa mo nua no nso nka mo ho, na munsi mu ntɛmntɛm nkɔ.

Take your younger brother and go back to that man.

14 Otumfo Nyankopɔn nnyina mo akyi, na owura no nhu mo mmɔbɔ, na onyaa mo nua panyin Simeon, na ɔmfa Benyamin nso nka mo ho, na mo nyinaa nsan mmra. Sɛ ɛsɛ sɛ midi wɔn wu ho awerɛhow nso a, minni asɛm biara ka.”

I will pray that God Almighty will cause that man to act mercifully toward you, so that he will let your other brother, as well as Benjamin, come back here with you. But as for me, if my sons are taken from me, then I will not have my sons!”

15 Enti Israelmma no faa akyɛde ahorow a wɔde rekɔ akɔyɛ owura no ayɛ no, ne wɔn sika mmɔho abien, ne wɔn nua kumaa Benyamin kaa wɔn ho, sii mu kɔe. Woduu Misraim no, wokoyii wɔn ho adi kyerɛɛ Yosef.

So the men took the gifts that Jacob said that they should take, and twice the amount of money that the grain would cost, and they also took Benjamin. They went down quickly to Egypt, and they stood in front of Joseph.

16 Bere a Yosef huu sɛ Benyamin ka wɔn ho no, ɔka kyerɛɛ ne fi somfo panyin no se, “Fa nkurɔfo no kɔ me fi, na kum aboa bi, na wɔmfa nnoa aduan, na awia me ne wɔn bedidi.”

When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the man who (was in charge of/supervised) things in his house, “Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare a meal, because I want them to eat with me at noon.” [And he told him in what order they were to be seated].

17 Ɔsomfo panyin no yɛɛ sɛnea Yosef kae no ma ɔde nkurɔfo no kɔɔ Yosef fi.

The man did as Joseph said. And he took them to Joseph’s house.

18 Ɔde wɔn duu Yosef fi no, wosuroe. Wɔkae se, “Gyama esiane dwetɛ a yɛbɛtɔɔ aduan a edi kan no wɔde hyehyɛɛ yɛn nkotoku mu no nti na ɔde yɛn aba ha. Ɔpɛ sɛ ɔde korɔn to yɛn so, na ɔfa yɛn sɛ ne nkoa, na ɔsan fa yɛn mfurum no nyinaa.”

But they were afraid because he was taking them to Joseph’s house. They were thinking, “He is taking us here because of the silver that was put in our sacks the first time that we came here. While we are eating, he will have his servants attack us and seize us and cause us to become his slaves, and also take our donkeys.”

19 Woduu Yosef fi kwan no ano no, wɔkɔɔ Yosef somfo panyin no nkyɛn.

They went with the man who was in charge of things in Joseph’s house. When they arrived at the entrance of the house,

20 Wɔka kyerɛɛ no se, “Yɛn wura, yɛsrɛ wo, yɛbaa ha bere bi a atwa mu bɛtɔɔ aduan.

one of them said to him, “Please, sir, listen to me. We came down here previously and bought some grain.

21 Bere a yɛresan akɔ yɛn kurom a ade sae, na yɛsoɛsoɛɛ no, asoɛe hɔ na yebuebuee yɛn nkotoku ano, na yehuu sɛ obiara sika a okurae a anka ɔde rekɔtɔ aburow no hyɛ ne kotoku no mu pɛpɛɛpɛ. Ɛno nti, yɛasan de aba.

But at the place where we stopped for the night as we were returning home, we opened our sacks. We were astonished to see that in the top of each of our sacks was the exact amount of silver that we had paid for the grain! So we have brought it back with us.

22 Yɛasan de sika foforo aba sɛ yɛde rebɛtɔ aduan. Yennim onipa ko a ɔde saa sika no hyehyɛɛ yɛn nkotoku no mu.”

We have also brought more silver with us to buy more grain. We do not know who put the silver in our sacks.”

23 Ɔsomfo panyin no ka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Ɛnyɛ asɛm biara. Munnsuro. Onyame a mosom no ne mo agya Nyame a ɔsom no no na ɔde saa sika no hyehyɛɛ mo nkotoku no mu maa mo. Na mo sika no de, yegyei.” Afei, oyii Simeon fii afiase hɔ de no brɛɛ wɔn.

The man replied, [“Relax]! Do not worry about it! I received the silver that you brought. Your God, the God your father worships, must have put it in your sacks.” And then he brought Simeon to them from the prison.

24 Ɔsomfo panyin no de wɔn kɔɔ Yosef fi, maa wɔn nsu hohoroo wɔn anan ase, na ɔmaa wɔn mfurum no nso aduan dii.

Then he took them into Joseph’s house. He gave them water to wash their feet and gave them food for the donkeys.

25 Wɔboaboaa akyɛde a wɔde bɛma Yosef no ano de twɛn no, efisɛ na wɔate sɛ wobedidi wɔ fie hɔ awia no.

He told them that they were going to eat with Joseph at noon. So the men prepared their gifts to give to Joseph when he arrived.

26 Bere a Yosef bae no, anuanom no buu no nkotodwe, de wɔn akyɛde no maa no.

When Joseph came home, they presented to him the gifts that they had brought into the house. Then they bowed down to the ground in front of him.

27 Yosef bisaa wɔn sɛnea wɔn ho te. Ɔtoaa so se, “Mo agya akwakoraa a mokaa ne ho asɛm no ho te dɛn? Ɔda so te ase ana?”

He asked them if they were (well/in good health), and then he asked, “How is the health of your old father, the one that you told me about? Is he still living?”

28 Wobuaa no se, “Wʼakoa a ɔyɛ yɛn agya no ho ye. Ɔda so te ase.” Wɔde obu ne nidi bɔɔ wɔn mu ase wɔ nʼanim.

One of them replied, “Yes, our father, [who is willing to be] your servant, is still alive, and he is well.” Then again they bowed down in front of him.

29 Bere a nʼani tɔɔ ne na ba Benyamin anim no, obisae se, “Oyi ne mo nua kumaa a mokaa ne ho asɛm kyerɛɛ me no ana?” Ɔtoaa so se, “Me ba, Onyankopɔn nnom wo!”

Then he saw his [younger] brother Benjamin, his own mother’s other son. He asked them, “Is this your youngest brother, the one whom you told me about?” After they said “Yes,” he said to Benjamin, “Young man, I pray that God will act kindly toward you.”

30 Yosef huu ne nua kumaa Benyamin no, ne werɛ howee, enti ɔyɛɛ ntɛm fii adi kɔhyɛɛ ne pia mu kosui.

Joseph quickly left the room. He realized that he was about to cry because he (was full of emotion about his younger brother/loved his younger brother so much). He went into his private room and cried there.

31 Osu wiee no, ɔhohoroo nʼanim, san bae de animia kae se, “Momma yennidi!”

Then, after he washed the tears from his face, he came out, and controlling his emotions, he said to the servants, “Serve the food!”

32 Wɔtoo Yosef pon wɔ baabi, na wɔtoo anuanom no nso pon wɔ baabi wɔ ɔdan koro no ara mu. Misraimfo a wɔyɛ Yosef asomfo no nso didii wɔ baabi foforo, efisɛ Misraimfo no mmu Hebrifo, na wɔne wɔn ato nsa adidi.

The people of Egypt considered that it was disgraceful for them to eat with Hebrews, so the servants served food to Joseph by himself, and served the other people of Egypt who ate with him by themselves, and they served Joseph’s older brothers and younger brother by themselves.

33 Wɔde Yosef nuanom no tenatenaa ase mpanyin mu. Ɛyɛɛ saa maa anuanom no de ahodwiriw hwehwɛɛ wɔn ho wɔn ho anim.

His brothers were astonished to see that their seats were arranged according to their ages, from the oldest to the youngest!

34 Wotitii nnuan no fi Yosef pon so kɔmaa wɔn no, na Benyamin de no dɔɔso sen ne nua biara de mpɛn anum. Ɛmaa wɔne Yosef de anigye ne ahosɛpɛw didi nomee.

And when their portions of food were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as anyone else’s portion! So they ate food and drank wine with Joseph and became very cheerful.