Joseph’s Dreams
1Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan.
2This is the account of Jacob’s family line.
Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them.
3Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate37:3 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain; also in verses 23 and 32. robe for him. 4When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.
5Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. 6He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: 7We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.”
8His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said.
9Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”
10When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?” 11His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.
Joseph Sold by His Brothers
12Now his brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem, 13and Israel said to Joseph, “As you know, your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I am going to send you to them.”
“Very well,” he replied.
14So he said to him, “Go and see if all is well with your brothers and with the flocks, and bring word back to me.” Then he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron.
When Joseph arrived at Shechem, 15a man found him wandering around in the fields and asked him, “What are you looking for?”
16He replied, “I’m looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are grazing their flocks?”
17“They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’ ”
So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan. 18But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.
19“Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other. 20“Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.”
21When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. “Let’s not take his life,” he said. 22“Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father.
23So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the ornate robe he was wearing— 24and they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it.
25As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt.
26Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.” His brothers agreed.
28So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels37:28 That is, about 8 ounces or about 230 grams of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.
29When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes. 30He went back to his brothers and said, “The boy isn’t there! Where can I turn now?”
31Then they got Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. 32They took the ornate robe back to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe.”
33He recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! Some ferocious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.”
34Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days. 35All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said, “I will continue to mourn until I join my son in the grave.” So his father wept for him.
36Meanwhile, the Midianites37:36 Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac (see also verse 28); Masoretic Text Medanites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.
Yosef Adaeso
1Yosef tenaa Kanaan asase a na nʼagya te so sɛ ɔhɔho no so.
2Yosef abusua ho asɛm ni:
Bere a Yakob ba Yosef dii mfirihyia dunson no, na ɔboa ne nuanom a wɔyɛ Bilha ne Silpa a wɔyɛ nʼagya yerenom no mmabarima no hwɛ wɔn agya nguan so. Na ɔtaa bɛka nneyɛe bɔne a ɛkɔ so fa ne nuanom no ho no kyerɛ wɔn agya.
3Na Israel pɛ ne ba Yosef asɛm sen ne mma a wɔaka no nyinaa, efisɛ ɔwoo no ne nkwakoraabere mu; ɛno nti, ɔpam batakari bi a ɛyɛ fɛ maa no. 4Bere a ne nuanom no huu sɛ wɔn agya pɛ nʼasɛm sen wɔn nyinaa no, wɔtan no a na wɔnka abodwosɛm nkyerɛ no.
5Da bi, Yosef soo dae. Ɔkaa dae a ɔsoo no kyerɛɛ ne nuanom mmarima no, wɔtan no sen kan no mpo. 6Yosef ka kyerɛɛ ne nuanom no se, “Muntie dae bi a maso. 7Mesoo dae, na yɛrekyekyere aburow afiafi wɔ afum. Bere a yegu so rekyekyere aburow no, amono mu hɔ ara, mʼafiafi a makyekyere no sɔre gyinaa ntenten. Mo afiafi a moakyekyere no nso twaa me de no ho hyia kotow no.”
8Yosef nuanom no bisaa no se, “Enti wʼadwene ne sɛ wubedi yɛn so ana? Wugye di sɛ, ampa ara, wubetumi aka yɛn ahyɛ?” Esiane ne dae a ɔsoo no ne asɛm a ɔkae no nti, ɛmaa ne nuanom no kyii no kɔkɔɔkɔ.
9Na ɔsoo dae bio. Ɔkaa dae a ɔsoo no kyerɛɛ ne nuanom no se, “Muntie: Maso dae foforo bio. Mesoo dae, na owia, ɔsram ne nsoromma dubaako rekotow me.”
10Ɔkaa dae no kyerɛɛ nʼagya ne ne nuabarimanom no, nʼagya kaa nʼanim se, “Dae bɛn na woaso yi? Wopɛ sɛ wokyerɛ sɛ ampa ara, wo na ne me ne wo nuabarimanom no bɛba abɛkotow wo ana?” 11Eyi maa ne nuabarimanom no ani beree no mmoroso. Nanso nʼagya de, ɔdwenee asɛm no ho kɔɔ akyiri.
Yosef Nuanom Bɔ Ne Ho Pɔw
12Da bi, Yosef nuabarimanom no de wɔn agya nguan kɔɔ adidi wɔ Sekem. 13Israel ka kyerɛɛ Yosef se, “Sɛnea wunim no, wo nuanom no de mmoa no kɔ adidi wɔ Sekem. Bra, na mensoma wo wɔn nkyɛn.”
Yosef buae se, “Yoo, agya, mate.”
14Enti Israel ka kyerɛɛ Yosef se, “Kɔ na kɔhwɛ sɛ wo nuanom ne nguan no ho te dɛn, na san bɛka biribi kyerɛ me.” Enti Israel somaa Yosef fii Hebron subon no mu.
Bere a Yosef duu Sekem no, 15ɔbarima bi huu no sɛ ɔnenam wura no mu. Ɔbarima no bisaa no se, “Worehwehwɛ dɛn?”
16Yosef buaa no se, “Merehwehwɛ me nuabarimanom. Mesrɛ wo, wubetumi akyerɛ me baabi a wɔde wɔn nguan no kɔ adidi?”
17Ɔbarima no buaa no se, “Wo nuabarimanom no afi ha kɔ. Metee sɛ wɔreka se, ‘Momma yɛnkɔ Dotan.’ ”
Enti Yosef tiw ne nuanom no, kɔtoo wɔn wɔ Dotan hɔ. 18Bere a Yosef puei no, wohuu no wɔ akyirikyiri sɛ ɔreba. Ansa na ɔredu wɔn nkyɛn no, wɔbɔɔ ne ho pɔw sɛ wobekum no.
19Wɔkeka kyerɛkyerɛɛ wɔn ho wɔn ho se, “Monhwɛ! Ɔdaesofo no na ɔreba no! 20Mommra mprempren ara mma yenkum no, na yɛntow no nkyene amoa no bi mu, na yɛnkɔka nkyerɛ yɛn agya se, aboa bi akyere no awe, na yɛnhwɛ sɛ biribi befi ne dae ahorow no mu aba ana.”
21Ruben a ɔyɛ wɔn nua panyin tee saa asɛm no, ɔbɔɔ mmɔden sɛ obegye Yosef nkwa. Ɔkae se, “Mommma yenkum no. 22Munnhwie mogya ngu. Momma yɛntow no nkyene amoa a ɛwɔ sare yi so no bi mu. Na mommma yɛmfa yɛn nsa nka no.” Ruben kaa saa asɛm yi de gyee no fii wɔn nsam, sɛnea obenya kwan de no akɔhyɛ wɔn agya nsa.
23Yosef beduu ne nuabarimanom no nkyɛn no, wɔworɔw ne batakari fɛfɛ a na ɔhyɛ no, 24na wɔtow no kyenee amoa bi mu. Na nsu biara nni amoa no mu.
Wɔtɔn Yosef
25Bere a anuanom no tenaa ase sɛ wɔredidi no, wɔtoo wɔn ani huu sɛ yoma bebree sa so reba faako a na wɔrebedidi hɔ no. Wohuu sɛ saa nkurɔfo no yɛ Ismaelfo aguadifo bi a wɔsoso atomude, akyenkyennuru ne kurobow a wɔde fi Gilead rekɔtɔn no wɔ Misraim asase so.
26Yuda ka kyerɛɛ ne nuanom no se, “Sɛ yekum yɛn nua yi, kata ne mogya so a, mfaso bɛn na yebenya? 27Momma yenyi no, na yɛntɔn no mma Ismaelfo aguadifo yi, sen sɛ yebekum no. Ɛdan dɛn ara a, ɔyɛ yɛn nua kumaa, yɛn ankasa yɛn mogya.” Ne nuanom no penee so.
28Bere a Midian aguadifo no beduu hɔ no, Yosef nuanom no yii no fii amoa no mu, tɔn no maa Ismaelfo no gyee dwetɛ gram ahannu aduonu awotwe (228) ma wɔde no kɔɔ Misraim.
29Ruben san nʼakyi baa amoa no ho, na ohuu sɛ Yosef nni amoa no mu no, osunsuan ne ntade mu. 30Ɔkɔɔ ne nuabarimanom no hɔ, kɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Abarimaa no nni hɔ oo! Enti mprempren menyɛ me ho dɛn?”
31Na anuanom no faa Yosef batakari no, kum abirekyi, de batakari no nuu ne mogya no mu. 32Wɔde Yosef batakari fɛfɛ no kɔɔ wɔn agya nkyɛn kɔka kyerɛɛ no se, “Yehuu saa atade yi wɔ wura mu hɔ baabi. Hwɛ sɛ ɛyɛ Yosef atade ana?”
33Wɔn agya hui, na ɔkae se, “Nokware, ɛyɛ me ba Yosef atade! Aboa bɔne bi akyere no awe. Ampa ara, aboa ko no atetew Yosef nam pasaa.”
34Na Yakob sunsuan ne ntade mu, hyɛɛ atweaatam, suu ne ba no nna bebree. 35Ne mmabarima ne ne mmabea nyinaa betwaa ne ho hyia kyekyee ne werɛ, nanso ankosi hwee. Yakob kae se, “Dabi, mede awerɛhow bewu akɔto me ba no wɔ asaman.” Enti nʼagya Yakob suu no.
36Nea ɛbae ne sɛ, Midianfo no nso kɔtɔn Yosef maa Potifar wɔ Misraim. Saa Potifar no na ɔyɛ ɔhene Farao dabehene ne nʼawɛmfo so panyin.
