1 Mose 43

1 Saa ɛberɛ no mu no, na ɛkɔm no ano da so yɛ den wɔ asase no so nyinaa.

The famine in Canaan got worse.

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.”

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 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 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 deɛ a, ɛnneɛ, yɛbɛsane akɔ akɔtɔ aduane 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 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 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 sɛ, “Adɛn enti na moka kyerɛɛ owura no sɛ 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 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.’”

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 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.

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 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 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 ɛberɛ 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 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 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 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 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 monsim ntɛm ntɛm nkɔ.

Take your younger brother and go back to that man.

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.”

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, 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 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 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 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 Ɔsomfoɔ panin no yɛɛ sɛdeɛ Yosef kaeɛ no pɛpɛɛpɛ. Ɔde nkurɔfoɔ no kɔɔ Yosef fie.

The man did as Joseph said. And he took them 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 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 Wɔduruu Yosef fie kwan no ano no, wɔkɔɔ Yosef ɔsomfoɔ panin 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 sɛ, “Yɛn wura, yɛsrɛ wo, yɛbaa ha ɛberɛ bi a atwam bɛtɔɔ aduane.

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

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 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 Yɛasane de sika foforɔ aba sɛ yɛde rebɛtɔ aduane. Yɛnnim onipa ko a ɔde saa sika no hyehyɛɛ yɛn nkotokuo 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 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.

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 Ɔsomfoɔ panin no de wɔn kɔɔ Yosef fie, maa wɔn nsuo hohoroo wɔn nan ase, ɛnna ɔmaa wɔn mfunumu no nso aduane diiɛ.

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 akyɛdeɛ a wɔde bɛma Yosef no ano de twɛn no, ɛfiri sɛ, na wɔate sɛ wɔbɛdidi wɔ efie 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 Ɛberɛ a Yosef baeɛ no, anuanom no buu no nkotodwe, de wɔn akyɛdeɛ 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 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 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 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.

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 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!”

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 hunuu ne nua kumaa Benyamin no, ne werɛ hoeɛ enti, ɔyɛɛ ntɛm firii adi kɔhyɛɛ ne piam, kɔsuiɛ.

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 Ɔsu wieeɛ no, ɔhohoroo nʼanim, sane baeɛ de animia kaa sɛ, “Momma yɛnnidi!”

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 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.

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 mpanin mu. Ɛyɛɛ saa maa anuanom no de ahodwirie hwehwɛhwehwɛɛ 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 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.

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.