1 Mose 44
1 Afei, Yosef hyɛɛ ne ɔsomfoɔ panin no sɛ, “Fa aduane dodoɔ biara a mmarima no bɛtumi asoa no hyɛ wɔn nkotokuo no ma ma, na fa obiara sika nso hyɛ ne kotokuo mu ma no.
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 Afei, fa me dwetɛ kuruwa no ka akumaa no aduane no sika ho, na fa hyɛ ne kotokuo no mu.” Na ɔsomafoɔ panin no yɛɛ sɛdeɛ Yosef kaeɛ no pɛpɛɛpɛ.
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 Adeɛ kyee anɔpa no, ɔgyaa anuanom no ne wɔn mfunumu no kwan.
The next morning at dawn the men started on the way home with their donkeys.
4 Wɔannuru akyiri baabiara, na Yosef ka kyerɛɛ ne ɔsomfoɔ panin no sɛ, “Ti nkurɔfoɔ no ntɛm so, na sɛ woto wɔn a, bisa wɔn sɛ, ‘Adɛn enti na mode bɔne tua papa so ka? Adɛn enti na moawia me dwetɛ kuruwa?
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 Ɛnyɛ saa kuruwa yi a me wura nom ano na ɔhwɛ mu ka nhunumusɛm no nie? Yei yɛ bɔne kɛseɛ a moayɛ.’”
[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 Ɔkɔtoo wɔn no, ɔtii saa asɛm korɔ yi ara mu kyerɛɛ wɔn.
The servant [left immediately and] when he caught up with them, he told them what Joseph had told him to say.
7 Nanso, anuanom no buaa no sɛ, “Adɛn enti na yɛn wura keka saa nsɛm yi? Ɛmpare wo nkoa sɛ wɔbɛyɛ adeɛ a ɛte saa!
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 Sika a yɛhunuu wɔ yɛn nkotokuo mu no, yɛansane amfa amfiri Kanaan ammrɛ mo anaa? Adɛn enti na ɛsɛ sɛ yɛwia dwetɛ anaa sikakɔkɔɔ firi wo wura fie?
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 Sɛ wohunu saa kuruwa no wɔ wo nkoa no biara nkyɛn a, okum na ɛsɛ sɛ wokum saa onipa no. Na sɛ ɛba saa nso a, yɛn nyinaa bɛyɛ wo wura nkoa afebɔɔ.”
If you discover that any of us has that cup, you can execute him, and the rest of us will become your slaves.”
10 Ɔsomfoɔ no buaa sɛ, “Ɛyɛ, na deɛ ɔwiaeɛ no nko na ɔbɛyɛ mʼakoa. Na mo a moaka no bɛfa mo ho adi.”
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 Anuanom no nyinaa yiyii wɔn nnesoa no firii mfunumu no so, guu fam, sane sanee wɔn nkotokuo no ano.
Each of the men quickly lowered his sack down from the donkey to the ground and opened it.
12 Afei, ɔsomfoɔ panin no firii aseɛ, hwehwɛɛ wɔn nkotokuo no mu firi ɔpanin no so kɔsii akumaa no so. Wɔhunuu kuruwa no wɔ Benyamin kotokuo no mu.
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 Ɛbaa saa no, anuanom no sunsuanee wɔn ntadeɛ mu. Afei, wɔn nyinaa sane hyehyɛɛ wɔn nnesoa no wɔ wɔn mfunumu no so, sanee wɔn akyiri, kɔɔ kuro no mu bio.
The brothers tore their clothes [because they were so dismayed]. They loaded the sacks on the donkeys again and returned to the city.
14 Ɛberɛ a Yuda ne ne nuanom no kɔduruu kuro no mu hɔ no, na Yosef da so wɔ ne fie hɔ. Enti, wɔn nyinaa totoo wɔn ho guu fam wɔ nʼanim.
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 Yosef bisaa wɔn sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn adeɛ na moayɛ yi? Monnim sɛ onipa a ɔte sɛ me nam nhunumusɛm so bɛtumi ahunu biribiara mu?”
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 Yuda buaa sɛ, “Anoyie bɛn na yɛbɛtumi ayi wɔ me wura anim? Asɛm bɛn na yɛwɔ ka? Yɛbɛyɛ dɛn na yɛatumi ama woahunu sɛ yɛnni saa asɛm yi ho fɔ? Onyame ada yɛn wʼasomfoɔ afɔdie yi adi. Yɛne deɛ wɔhunuu kuruwa no wɔ no nkyɛn no nyinaa yɛ yɛn wura nkoa”.
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 Nanso, Yosef kaa sɛ, “Ɛmpare me sɛ mɛyɛ adeɛ a ɛte saa. Onipa a wɔhunuu kuruwa no wɔ ne nkyɛn no nko ara na ɔbɛyɛ mʼakoa. Mo a moaka no deɛ, monsane nkɔ mo agya nkyɛn asomdwoeɛ mu.”
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 Yuda sɔre kɔɔ Yosef anim, ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Ma me a meyɛ wʼakoa no ɛkwan na me ne wo, me wura, nkasa. Ɛwom sɛ, wo ne Farao yɛ pɛ deɛ, nanso mesrɛ wo, nya aboterɛ ma wo ɔsomfoɔ.
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 Me wura bisaa nʼasomfoɔ no sɛ, ‘Mowɔ agya anaa onuabarima bi?’
You asked us, ‘Is your father still living, and do you have another brother?’
20 Na yɛbuaa sɛ, ‘Yɛwɔ agya a wabɔ akɔkoraa ne yɛn kaakyire a ɔwoo no ne nkɔkoraaberɛ mu. Ne nuabarima a ɔka ne ho no awu. Na ɔno nko ara ne ne maame ba a waka. Nʼagya pɛ nʼasɛm yie.’
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 “Na ɔka kyerɛɛ wʼasomfoɔ sɛ, ‘Momfa no mmra, na menhwɛ no.’
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 Yɛka kyerɛɛ me wura sɛ, ‘Abarimaa no rentumi nte ne ho mfiri nʼagya ho. Na sɛ ɛba sɛ ɔte ne ho firi nʼagya ho a, nʼagya no bɛwu.’
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 Ɛnna woka kyerɛɛ wʼasomfoɔ sɛ. ‘Sɛ moamfa mo nua kumaa no anka mo ho amma a, monnsi mʼanim bio.’
But you told us, ‘If your youngest brother does not come back with you, I will not let you see me again!’
24 Yɛsane kɔɔ wʼakoa, yɛn agya nkyɛn no, yɛkaa wo a woyɛ yɛn wura no nsɛm a woka kyerɛɛ yɛn no nyinaa kyerɛɛ no.
When we returned to our father, we told him what you said.
25 “Ɛnna yɛn agya kaa sɛ, ‘Monsane nkɔ bio nkɔtɔ aduane kakra mmra.’
[Months later] our father said, ‘Go back to Egypt and buy some more grain!’
26 Nanso, yɛka kyerɛɛ yɛn agya sɛ, ‘Yɛrentumi nkɔ, gye sɛ yɛn nua kumaa no ka yɛn ho. Sɛ yɛamfa yɛn nua kumaa no anka yɛn ho ankɔ a, yɛrentumi nkɔ owura no anim.’
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 “Afei, wo ɔsomfoɔ, yɛn agya ka kyerɛɛ yɛn sɛ, ‘Monim sɛ me ne me yere woo mmammarima baanu.
Our father replied, ‘You know that my wife [Rachel] gave birth to two sons for me.
28 Wɔn mu baako firii me nkyɛn kɔeɛ a, manhunu no bio, ma mekaa sɛ, “Aboa bi atete no pasaa.” Ɛfiri saa ɛberɛ no, menhunuu no bio.
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 Sɛ mofa yei firi me nkyɛn, na asiane bi kɔsiane no wɔ ɛkwan so a, me nso, mede awerɛhoɔ bɛwu bi.’ (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 “Enti, saa ɛberɛ yi, sɛ yɛkɔpue firi wʼakoa, yɛn agya, anim na abɔfra yi nka yɛn ho a, ɛnneɛ, sɛdeɛ nʼakoma da abɔfra no ho fa no,
“So please listen. My father will remain alive only if his youngest son remains alive.
31 sɛ ɔhunu sɛ abɔfra no nka yɛn ho a, ɔbɛwu. Wo nkoa bɛma wɔn agya adi awerɛhoɔ, de ne tiri so dwono akɔ asaman. (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 Wʼakoa a ɔde ne ho dii abɔfra no agyinamu sɛ ɔde no bɛba kaa sɛ, ‘Sɛ mamfa no ansane ammrɛ wo a, ɛho asodie no mmɛda me so, me nkwanna nyinaa.’
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 “Afei, mesrɛ wo, ma wʼakoa nsi abɔfra no ananmu wɔ ha, na ma abɔfra no ne ne nuammarima no nsane nkɔ.
“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 Na sɛ abɔfra no anka me ho ankɔ a, mɛyɛ dɛn makɔpue mʼagya anim. Dabi! Merentumi nnyina ahohiahia a ɛbɛto mʼagya wɔ saa asɛm yi ho no ano.”
(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!”
