1 Mose 43
1 Saa ɛberɛ no mu no, na ɛkɔm no ano da so yɛ den wɔ asase no so nyinaa.
Now the famine was still severe in the land.
2 Enti, ɛberɛ a aduane a wɔkɔtɔ firii Misraim baeɛ no reyɛ asa no, wɔn agya Yakob ka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Monsane nkɔ, nkɔtɔ aduane kakra mmra bio.”
So when Jacob’s sons had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”
3 Nanso, Yuda ka kyerɛɛ nʼagya Yakob sɛ, “Owura no suae kyerɛɛ yɛn dendeenden sɛ, ‘Sɛ moamfa mo nua kumaa no anka mo ho amma a, monnsi mʼanim ha bio.’
But Judah replied, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’
4 Sɛ wobɛma yɛne yɛn nua kumaa no akɔ deɛ a, ɛnneɛ, yɛbɛsane akɔ akɔtɔ aduane no bi abrɛ wo.
If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you.
5 Nanso, sɛ woamma yɛamfa no ankɔ deɛ a, yɛrenkɔ, ɛfiri sɛ, owura no suaee dendeenden sɛ, ‘Sɛ mo nua kumaa no nka mo ho a, monnsi mʼanim bio.’”
But if you will not send him, we will not go; for the man told us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’”
6 Israel bisaa ne mma no sɛ, “Adɛn enti na moka kyerɛɛ owura no sɛ mowɔ nua kumaa bi wɔ hɔ, na mode saa ɔhaw yi abɛto me so?”
“Why did you bring this trouble upon me?” Israel asked. “Why did you tell the man you had another brother?”
7 Anuanom no buaa wɔn agya Israel sɛ, “Owura no nyaa adagyeɛ, too ne bo ara bisaa yɛn ne yɛn abusuafoɔ ho nsɛm nyinaa sɛ, ‘Mo agya da so te ase anaa? Mowɔ onua foforɔ bi ka mo ho?’ Nsɛm a ɔbisaa yɛn no na yɛbuaa no. Na yɛnnim sɛ ɔbɛka se, ‘Momfa mo nua kumaa no mmra.’”
They replied, “The man questioned us in detail about ourselves and our family: ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ And we answered him accordingly. How could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother here’?”
8 Ɛhɔ na Yuda ka kyerɛɛ nʼagya Israel sɛ, “Fa yɛn nua no hyɛ me nsa, na yɛnsi mu nkɔ ntɛm nkɔtɔ aduane no bi mmra, na ɛkɔm ankum yɛn ne wo ne yɛn mma.
And Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me, and we will go at once, so that we may live and not die—neither we, nor you, nor our children.
9 Mʼankasa mɛhwɛ abɔfra no so. Sɛ mamfa no amma a, bisa me. Sɛ mamfa no amma, ammɛgyina wʼanim ha, amma woanhunu sɛ wo ba no ni a, saa asodie no nna me so me nkwanna nyinaa.
I will guarantee his safety. You may hold me personally responsible. If I do not bring him back and set him before you, then may I bear the guilt before you all my life.
10 Sɛ yɛantwentwɛn yɛn nan ase a, anka saa ɛberɛ yi, yɛakɔ aba bɛyɛ mprenu.”
If we had not delayed, we could have come and gone twice by now.”
11 Afei, wɔn agya Israel ka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Sɛ meyɛ ho hwee na ɛrenyɛ yie deɛ a, ɛnneɛ, momfa asase yi so nnepa a ebi ne akyenkyennuro kakra, ɛwoɔ kakra, aduhwam, kurobo, nkateɛ ne sorɔno aba nhyɛ mo nkotokuo mu, nkɔyɛ owura no ayɛ.
Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and carry them down as a gift for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds.
12 Sika a mode rekɔ no nso, monyɛ no mmɔho mmienu, ɛfiri sɛ, ɛsɛ sɛ mosane de sika a kane no mode kɔeɛ na ɔsane de hyɛɛ mo nnesoa mu baeɛ no kɔma no. Ebia, na ɛyɛɛ no anifasoɔ.
Take double the silver with you so that you may return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake.
13 Momfa mo nua no nso nka mo ho, na monsim ntɛm ntɛm nkɔ.
Take your brother as well, and return to the man at once.
14 Otumfoɔ Onyankopɔn nnyina mo akyiri, na owura no nhunu mo mmɔbɔ, na ɔnnyaa mo nua panin Simeon, na ɔmfa Benyamin nso nka mo ho, na mo nyinaa nsane mmra. Sɛ ɛsɛ sɛ medi wɔn wuo ho awerɛhoɔ nso a, menni asɛm biara ka.”
May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother along with Benjamin. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”
15 Enti, Israel mma no faa akyɛdeɛ ahodoɔ a wɔde rekɔ akɔyɛ owura no ayɛ no, ne wɔn sika mmɔho mmienu, ne wɔn nua kumaa Benyamin kaa wɔn ho, siim kɔeɛ. Wɔduruu Misraim no, wɔkɔyii wɔn ho adi kyerɛɛ Yosef.
So the men took these gifts, along with double the amount of silver, and Benjamin as well. Then they hurried down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.
16 Ɛberɛ a Yosef hunuu sɛ Benyamin ka wɔn ho no, ɔka kyerɛɛ ne fie ɔsomfoɔ panin no sɛ, “Fa nkurɔfoɔ no kɔ me fie, na kum aboa bi, na wɔmfa nnoa aduane, na awia me ne wɔn bɛdidi.”
When Joseph saw Benjamin with his brothers, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for they shall dine with me at noon.”
17 Ɔsomfoɔ panin no yɛɛ sɛdeɛ Yosef kaeɛ no pɛpɛɛpɛ. Ɔde nkurɔfoɔ no kɔɔ Yosef fie.
The man did as Joseph had commanded and took the brothers to Joseph’s house.
18 Ɔde wɔn duruu Yosef fie no, wɔsuroeɛ. Wɔkaa sɛ, “Gyama ɛsiane dwetɛ a wɔde hyehyɛɛ yɛn nkotokuo mu no enti na ɔde yɛn aba ha. Ɔpɛ sɛ ɔde korɔno to yɛn so, na ɔfa yɛn sɛ ne nkoa, na ɔsane fa yɛn mfunumu no nyinaa.”
But the brothers were frightened that they had been taken to Joseph’s house. “We have been brought here because of the silver that was returned in our bags the first time,” they said. “They intend to overpower us and take us as slaves, along with our donkeys.”
19 Wɔduruu Yosef fie kwan no ano no, wɔkɔɔ Yosef ɔsomfoɔ panin no nkyɛn.
So they approached Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house.
20 Wɔka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Yɛn wura, yɛsrɛ wo, yɛbaa ha ɛberɛ bi a atwam bɛtɔɔ aduane.
“Please, sir,” they said, “we really did come down here the first time to buy food.
21 Ɛberɛ a yɛresane akɔ yɛn kurom a adeɛ saeɛ, na yɛsoɛsoɛɛ no, asoeɛ hɔ na yɛbuebuee yɛn nkotokuo ano, na yɛhunuu sɛ obiara sika a ɛkura no a anka ɔde rekɔtɔ aburoo no hyɛ ne kotokuo no mu pɛpɛɛpɛ. Ɛno enti, yɛasane de aba.
But when we came to the place we lodged for the night, we opened our sacks and, behold, each of us found his silver in the mouth of his sack! It was the full amount of our silver, and we have brought it back with us.
22 Yɛasane de sika foforɔ aba sɛ yɛde rebɛtɔ aduane. Yɛnnim onipa ko a ɔde saa sika no hyehyɛɛ yɛn nkotokuo no mu.”
We have brought additional silver with us to buy food. We do not know who put our silver in our sacks.”
23 Ɔsomfoɔ panin no ka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Ɛnyɛ asɛm biara. Monnsuro. Onyame a mosom no ne mo agya Onyame a ɔsom no na ɔde saa sika no hyehyɛɛ mo nkotokuo no mu maa mo. Na mo sika no deɛ, yɛgyeeɛ.” Afei, ɔyii Simeon firii afiase hɔ de no brɛɛ wɔn.
“It is fine,” said the steward. “Do not be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, gave you the treasure that was in your sacks. I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.
24 Ɔsomfoɔ panin no de wɔn kɔɔ Yosef fie, maa wɔn nsuo hohoroo wɔn nan ase, ɛnna ɔmaa wɔn mfunumu no nso aduane diiɛ.
And the steward took the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet, and provided food for their donkeys.
25 Wɔboaboaa akyɛdeɛ a wɔde bɛma Yosef no ano de twɛn no, ɛfiri sɛ, na wɔate sɛ wɔbɛdidi wɔ efie hɔ awia no.
Since the brothers had been told that they were going to eat a meal there, they prepared their gift for Joseph’s arrival at noon.
26 Ɛberɛ a Yosef baeɛ no, anuanom no buu no nkotodwe, de wɔn akyɛdeɛ no maa no.
When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought, and they bowed to the ground before him.
27 Yosef bisaa wɔn sɛdeɛ wɔn ho te. Ɔtoaa so sɛ, “Mo agya akɔkoraa a mokaa ne ho asɛm no ho te sɛn? Ɔda so te ase anaa?”
He asked if they were well, and then he asked, “How is your elderly father you told me about? Is he still alive?”
28 Wɔbuaa no sɛ, “Wʼakoa a ɔyɛ yɛn agya no ho yɛ. Ɔda so te ase.” Wɔde obuo ne anidie bɔɔ wɔn mu ase wɔ nʼanim.
“Your servant our father is well,” they answered. “He is still alive.” And they bowed down to honor him.
29 Ɛberɛ a nʼani tɔɔ ne maame ba Benyamin anim no, ɔbisaa sɛ, “Yei ne mo nua kumaa a mokaa ne ho asɛm kyerɛɛ me no anaa?” Ɔtoaa so sɛ, “Me ba, Onyankopɔn nnom wo!”
When Joseph looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?” Then he declared, “May God be gracious to you, my son.”
30 Yosef hunuu ne nua kumaa Benyamin no, ne werɛ hoeɛ enti, ɔyɛɛ ntɛm firii adi kɔhyɛɛ ne piam, kɔsuiɛ.
Joseph hurried out because he was moved to tears for his brother, and he went to a private room to weep.
31 Ɔsu wieeɛ no, ɔhohoroo nʼanim, sane baeɛ de animia kaa sɛ, “Momma yɛnnidi!”
Then he washed his face and came back out. Regaining his composure, he said, “Serve the meal.”
32 Wɔtoo Yosef ɛpono wɔ baabi, ɛnna wɔtoo anuanom no nso ɛpono wɔ baabi wɔ ɛdan korɔ no ara mu. Misraimfoɔ a wɔyɛ Yosef asomfoɔ no nso didii wɔ baabi foforɔ, ɛfiri sɛ, Misraimfoɔ ne Hebrifoɔ nto nsa nnidi, ɛyɛ wɔn akyiwadeɛ.
They separately served Joseph, his brothers, and the Egyptians. They ate separately because the Egyptians would not eat with the Hebrews, since that was detestable to them.
33 Wɔde Yosef nuanom no tenatenaa ase mpanin mu. Ɛyɛɛ saa maa anuanom no de ahodwirie hwehwɛhwehwɛɛ wɔn ho wɔn ho anim.
They were seated before Joseph in order by age, from the firstborn to the youngest, and the men looked at one another in astonishment.
34 Wɔtetee nnuane no firi Yosef ɛpono so kɔmaa wɔn, nanso Benyamin deɛ, na ne deɛ no dɔɔso sene ne nua biara deɛ mprenum. Ɛmaa wɔne Yosef de anigyeɛ ne ahosɛpɛ didi nomeeɛ.
When the portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times larger than any of the others. So they feasted and drank freely with Joseph.
