Joseph’s Brothers Go Down to Egypt
1Jacob found out that there was grain in Egypt. So he said to his sons, “Why do you just keep looking at one another?” 2He continued, “I’ve heard there’s grain in Egypt. Go down there. Buy some for us. Then we’ll live and not die.”
3So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to Egypt to buy grain there. 4But Jacob didn’t send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with them. He was afraid Benjamin might be harmed. 5Israel’s sons were among the people who went to buy grain. There wasn’t enough food in the land of Canaan.
6Joseph was the governor of the land. He was the one who sold grain to all its people. When Joseph’s brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. 7As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them. But he pretended to be a stranger. He spoke to them in a mean way. “Where do you come from?” he asked.
“From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We’ve come to buy food.”
8Joseph recognized his brothers, but they didn’t recognize him. 9Then Joseph remembered his dreams about them. So he said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see the places where our land isn’t guarded very well.”
10“No, sir,” they answered. “We’ve come to buy food. 11All of us are the sons of one man. We’re honest men. We aren’t spies.”
12“No!” he said to them. “You have come to see the places where our land isn’t guarded very well.”
13But they replied, “We were 12 brothers. All of us were the sons of one man. He lives in the land of Canaan. Our youngest brother is now with our father. And one brother is gone.”
14Joseph said to them, “I still say you are spies! 15So I’m going to test you. And here’s the test. You can be sure that you won’t leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. You can be just as sure of this as you are sure that Pharaoh lives. I give you my word that you won’t leave here unless your brother comes. 16Send one of you back to get your brother. The rest of you will be kept in prison. I’ll test your words. Then we’ll find out whether you are telling the truth. You can be sure that Pharaoh lives. And you can be just as sure that if you aren’t telling the truth, we’ll know that you are spies!” 17So Joseph kept all of them under guard for three days.
18On the third day, Joseph spoke to them again. He said, “Do what I say. Then you will live, because I have respect for God. 19If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison. The rest of you may go and take grain back to your hungry families. 20But you must bring your youngest brother to me. That will prove that your words are true. Then you won’t die.” So they did what he said.
21They said to one another, “God is surely punishing us because of our brother. We saw how upset he was when he begged us to let him live. But we wouldn’t listen. That’s why all this trouble has come to us.”
22Reuben replied, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn’t listen! Now we’re being paid back for killing him.” 23They didn’t realize that Joseph could understand what they were saying. He was using someone else to explain their words to him in the Egyptian language.
24Joseph turned away from his brothers and began to weep. Then he came back and spoke to them again. He had Simeon taken and tied up right there in front of them.
25Joseph gave orders to have their bags filled with grain. He had each man’s money put back into his sack. He also made sure they were given food for their journey. 26Then the brothers loaded their grain on their donkeys and left.
27When night came, they stopped. One of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey. He saw his money in the top of his sack. 28“My money has been given back,” he said to his brothers. “Here it is in my sack.”
They had a sinking feeling in their hearts. They began to tremble. They turned to one another and said, “What has God done to us?”
29They came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. They told him everything that had happened to them. They said, 30“The man who is the governor of the land spoke to us in a mean way. He treated us as if we were spying on the land. 31But we said to him, ‘We’re honest men. We aren’t spies. 32We were 12 brothers. All of us were the sons of one father. But now one brother is gone. And our youngest brother is with our father in Canaan.’
33“Then the man who is the governor of the land spoke to us. He said, ‘Here’s how I will know whether you are honest men. Leave one of your brothers here with me. Take food for your hungry families and go. 34But bring your youngest brother to me. Then I’ll know that you are honest men and not spies. I’ll give your brother back to you. And you will be free to trade in the land.’ ”
35They began emptying their sacks. There in each man’s sack was his bag of money! When they and their father saw the money bags, they were scared to death. 36Their father Jacob said to them, “You have taken my children away from me. Joseph is gone. Simeon is gone. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is going against me!”
37Then Reuben spoke to his father. He said, “You can put both of my sons to death if I don’t bring Benjamin back to you. Trust me to take care of him. I’ll bring him back.”
38But Jacob said, “My son will not go down there with you. His brother is dead. He’s the only one left here with me. Suppose he’s harmed on the journey you are taking. Then I would die as a sad old man.”
Àwọn arákùnrin Josẹfu lọ sí Ejibiti
1Nígbà tí Jakọbu mọ̀ pé ọkà wà ní Ejibiti, ó wí fún àwọn ọmọ rẹ̀ ọkùnrin pé, “Èéṣe tí ẹ ń wo ara yín lásán?” 242.2: Ap 7.12.“Mo tí gbọ́ pé ọkà wà ní ilẹ̀ Ejibiti. Ẹ sọ̀kalẹ̀ lọ sí ibẹ̀ kí ẹ sì rà wá fún wa, kí a má ba à kú.”
3Nígbà náà ni mẹ́wàá nínú àwọn arákùnrin Josẹfu sọ̀kalẹ̀ lọ sí Ejibiti láti ra ọkà. 4Ṣùgbọ́n Jakọbu kò rán Benjamini àbúrò Josẹfu lọ pẹ̀lú wọn nítorí ẹ̀rù ń bà á kí aburú má ba à ṣẹlẹ̀ sí i. 542.5: Ap 7.11.Nítorí náà, àwọn ọmọ Israẹli wà lára àwọn tó lọ Ejibiti lọ ra oúnjẹ nítorí ìyàn náà mú ni ilẹ̀ Kenaani pẹ̀lú.
6Nísinsin yìí, Josẹfu ni alábojútó fún gbogbo ilẹ̀ Ejibiti, òun sì ni ó ń bojútó ọkà títà fún gbogbo ènìyàn ìlú náà. Nítorí náà nígbà tí àwọn arákùnrin Josẹfu dé, wọ́n tẹríba, wọ́n sì foríbalẹ̀ fún Josẹfu. 7Lọ́gán tí Josẹfu ti rí àwọn arákùnrin rẹ̀ ni ó ti dá wọn mọ̀, ṣùgbọ́n ó ṣe bí i wí pé kò mọ̀ wọ́n, ó sì sọ̀rọ̀ líle sí wọn. Ó béèrè pé, “Níbo ni ẹ ti wá?”
Wọ́n sì dáhùn pé, “Láti ilẹ̀ Kenaani ni a ti wá ra oúnjẹ.”
8Bí ó tilẹ̀ jẹ́ wí pé, Josẹfu mọ àwọn arákùnrin rẹ̀, síbẹ̀ àwọn arákùnrin rẹ̀ kò mọ̀ ọ́n. 942.9: Gẹ 37.5-10.Nígbà náà ni ó rántí àlá rẹ̀ tí ó lá sí wọn, ó sì wí fún wọn pé, “Ayọ́lẹ̀wò (Amí) ni yín, ẹ wá láti wo àṣírí ilẹ̀ wa ni.”
10Wọ́n dáhùn pé, “Bẹ́ẹ̀ kọ́ olúwa wa, àwọn ìránṣẹ́ rẹ wá láti ra oúnjẹ ni, 11Ọmọ baba ni wá, olóòtítọ́ ènìyàn sì ni wá pẹ̀lú, àwa kì í ṣe ayọ́lẹ̀wò.”
12Ó wí fún wọn pé, “Rárá! Ẹ wá láti wo àṣírí ilẹ̀ wa ni.”
13Ṣùgbọ́n wọ́n tún dáhùn pé, “Arákùnrin méjìlá ni àwa ìránṣẹ́ rẹ, ọmọ baba kan náà, tí ó ń gbé ní ilẹ̀ Kenaani. Èyí tí ó jẹ́ àbíkẹ́yìn wa ń bẹ lọ́dọ̀ baba wa, ọ̀kan sì ti kú.”
14Josẹfu wí fún wọn pé, “Bí mo ti wí fún un yín náà ni: Ayọ́lẹ̀wò ni yín! 15Èyí sì ni a ó fi dán an yín wò, èmi búra pé, níwọ̀n ìgbà tí Farao bá wà láààyè, ẹ kì yóò kúrò níbí, àyàfi bí arákùnrin yín kan tókù bá wá sí ibí. 16Ẹ rán ọ̀kan nínú yín lọ láti mú arákùnrin yín wá, àwa yóò fi ẹ̀yin tókù pamọ́ sínú túbú, kí àwa ba à lè mọ bóyá òtítọ́ ni ẹ̀yin ń wí. Ṣùgbọ́n bí ó bá jẹ́ pé irọ́ ni ẹ̀yin ń pa, ní òtítọ́ bí Farao ti ń bẹ láààyè ayọ́lẹ̀wò ni yín!” 17Ó sì fi gbogbo wọn sínú túbú fún ọjọ́ mẹ́ta.
18Ní ọjọ́ kẹta, Josẹfu wí fún wọn pé, “Èyí ni ẹ̀yin yóò ṣe kí ẹ̀yin ba à le yè nítorí mo bẹ̀rù Ọlọ́run: 19Tí ó bá jẹ́ pé olóòtítọ́ ènìyàn ni yín, ẹ jẹ́ kí ọ̀kan nínú yín dúró ni túbú ní ìhín, nígbà tí àwọn yòókù yín yóò gbé ọkà lọ fún àwọn ará ilé e yín tí ebi ń pa. 20Ṣùgbọ́n ẹ gbọdọ̀ mú arákùnrin tí ó jẹ́ àbíkẹ́yìn yín wá, kí n ba à le mọ òtítọ́ ohun ti ẹ ń wí, kí ẹ má ba à kú.” Wọn sì gbà láti ṣe èyí.
21Wọ́n ń sọ ọ́ láàrín ara wọn wí pé, “Àwa jẹ̀bi nítòótọ́ nípa ti arákùnrin wa. A rí ìbànújẹ́ ọkàn rẹ̀ nígbà tí ó ń bẹ̀ wá nítorí ẹ̀mí rẹ̀, ṣùgbọ́n a kò gbẹ́bẹ̀, nítorí náà ni ìdààmú yìí fi dé bá wa.”
2242.22: Gẹ 37.21,22.Reubeni dá wọn ní ohùn pé, “Èmi kò wí fún yín pé kí ẹ má se ṣẹ̀ sí ọmọdékùnrin náà? Ṣùgbọ́n ẹ kò gbọ́! ṣùgbọ́n nísinsin yìí a ń béèrè ẹ̀jẹ̀ rẹ̀ lọ́wọ́ wa.” 23Wọn kò sì mọ̀ pé, Josẹfu ń gbọ́ wọn ní àgbọ́yé nítorí ògbufọ̀ ni ó ń lò tẹ́lẹ̀.
24Ó yípadà kúrò lọ́dọ̀ wọn, ó sì bẹ̀rẹ̀ sí ní sọkún. Ó sì tún yí padà sí wọn, ó sì bẹ̀rẹ̀ sí ní sọ̀rọ̀. Ó mú Simeoni kúrò láàrín wọn, ó sì dè é ní ojú wọn.
25Josẹfu pàṣẹ pé kí wọn bu ọkà kún inú àpò wọn, kí wọn sì mú owó ẹnìkọ̀ọ̀kan padà sínú àpò rẹ̀, kí wọn sì fún wọn ní ohun tí wọn yóò lò nírín-àjò wọn padà sílé. Lẹ́yìn ìgbà tí a ti ṣe èyí fún wọn, 26Wọn gbé ẹrù wọn lé kẹ́tẹ́kẹ́tẹ́, wọn sì padà lọ sí ilé.
27Níbi tí wọ́n ti dúró láti sùn lóru ọjọ́ náà, ọ̀kan nínú wọn tú àpò rẹ̀ láti mú oúnjẹ fún kẹ́tẹ́kẹ́tẹ́ rẹ̀, ó sì rí owó rẹ̀ ní ẹnu àpò rẹ̀. 28Ó sì wí fún àwọn arákùnrin rẹ̀ pé, “a ti dá owó mi padà, òun nìyí ní ẹnu àpò mi.”
Ẹ̀rù bà wọ́n, wọ́n sì ń gbọ̀n, wọ́n sì wí pé, “Èwo nìyí tí Ọlọ́run ṣe sí wa yìí.”
29Nígbà tí wọ́n padà dé ọ̀dọ̀ Jakọbu baba wọn ní ilẹ̀ Kenaani, wọ́n ròyìn gbogbo ohun tí ó ṣẹlẹ̀ fún un wí pé, 30“Ọkùnrin náà tí í ṣe alábojútó ilẹ̀ náà, sọ̀rọ̀ líle sí wa, ó sì fi ẹ̀sùn kàn wá pé a wá yọ́ ilẹ̀ náà wò ni. 31Ṣùgbọ́n, a wí fún un pé, ‘Rárá o, olóòtítọ́ ènìyàn ni wá, a kì í ṣe ayọ́lẹ̀wò. 32Arákùnrin méjìlá ni wá, ọmọ baba kan náà, ọ̀kan ti kú, èyí tí ó jẹ́ àbíkẹ́yìn wà lọ́dọ̀ baba wa ni ilẹ̀ Kenaani.’
33“Nígbà náà ni ọkùnrin tí ó jẹ́ alábojútó ilẹ̀ náà wí fún wa pé, ‘Báyìí ni n ó ṣe mọ̀ bóyá olóòtítọ́ ènìyàn ni yín; Ẹ fi ọ̀kan nínú àwọn arákùnrin yín sílẹ̀ níbí, pẹ̀lú mi, ẹ sì mú oúnjẹ lọ fún àwọn ará ilé yín tí ebi ń pa kú lọ, lọ́wọ́ ìyàn. 34Ṣùgbọ́n ẹ mú arákùnrin yín tí ó kéré jùlọ wá fún mi kí n le mọ̀ pé dájúdájú ẹ kì í ṣe ayọ́lẹ̀wò bí kò ṣe ènìyàn tòótọ́. Nígbà náà ni n ó mú arákùnrin yín padà fún un yín, lẹ́yìn náà ẹ le máa wá ṣe òwò bí ó ti wù yín ní ilẹ̀ yìí.’ ”
35Bí wọ́n sì ti ń tú àpò ẹrù wọn, ẹnìkọ̀ọ̀kan bá owó tí ó san fún ọjà náà lẹ́nu àpò rẹ̀! Ẹ̀rù sì bà wọ́n gidigidi, àwọn àti baba wọn. 36Jakọbu baba wọn wí fún wọn pé, “Ẹ ti mú mi pàdánù àwọn ọmọ mi. N kò rí Josẹfu mọ́, bẹ́ẹ̀ ni n kò sì rí Simeoni náà mọ. Ẹ sì tún fẹ́ mú Benjamini lọ! Èmi ni gbogbo ohun búburú yìí wá ń ṣẹlẹ̀ sí.”
37Nígbà náà ni Reubeni wí fún baba rẹ̀ pé, “Pa àwọn ọmọ mi méjèèjì bí n kò bá mú Benjamini padà wá fún ọ, èmi ni kí o fà á lé lọ́wọ́, n ó sì mu un padà wá.”
38Ṣùgbọ́n Jakọbu wí pé, “Ọmọ mi kì yóò bá a yín lọ, ẹ̀gbọ́n rẹ̀ ti kú, òun nìkan sì ni ó kù nínú àwọn ọmọ ìyá rẹ̀. Bí ohunkóhun bá ṣẹlẹ̀ sí i, ìbànújẹ́ ni yóò sì pa mi kú ni ọjọ́ ogbó mi yìí.”
