Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt
1When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you just keep looking at each other?” 2He continued, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die.”
3Then ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. 4But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with the others, because he was afraid that harm might come to him. 5So Israel’s sons were among those who went to buy grain, for there was famine in the land of Canaan also.
6Now Joseph was the governor of the land, the person who sold grain to all its people. So 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 and spoke harshly to them. “Where do you come from?” he asked.
“From the land of Canaan,” they replied, “to buy food.”
8Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. 9Then he remembered his dreams about them and said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see where our land is unprotected.”
10“No, my lord,” they answered. “Your servants have come to buy food. 11We are all the sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies.”
12“No!” he said to them. “You have come to see where our land is unprotected.”
13But they replied, “Your servants were twelve brothers, the sons of one man, who lives in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.”
14Joseph said to them, “It is just as I told you: You are spies! 15And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be kept in prison, so that your words may be tested to see if you are telling the truth. If you are not, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!” 17And he put them all in custody for three days.
18On the third day, Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I fear God: 19If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison, while the rest of you go and take grain back for your starving households. 20But you must bring your youngest brother to me, so that your words may be verified and that you may not die.” This they proceeded to do.
21They said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that’s why this distress has come on us.”
22Reuben replied, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn’t listen! Now we must give an accounting for his blood.” 23They did not realize that Joseph could understand them, since he was using an interpreter.
24He turned away from them and began to weep, but then came back and spoke to them again. He had Simeon taken from them and bound before their eyes.
25Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to put each man’s silver back in his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. After this was done for them, 26they loaded their grain on their donkeys and left.
27At the place where they stopped for the night one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of his sack. 28“My silver has been returned,” he said to his brothers. “Here it is in my sack.”
Their hearts sank and they turned to each other trembling and said, “What is this that God has done to us?”
29When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them. They said, 30“The man who is lord over the land spoke harshly to us and treated us as though we were spying on the land. 31But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies. 32We were twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in Canaan.’
33“Then the man who is lord over the land said to us, ‘This is how I will know whether you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me, and take food for your starving households and go. 34But bring your youngest brother to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men. Then I will give your brother back to you, and you can trade42:34 Or move about freely in the land.’ ”
35As they were emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his pouch of silver! When they and their father saw the money pouches, they were frightened. 36Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me!”
37Then Reuben said to his father, “You may put both of my sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him back.”
38But Jacob said, “My son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in sorrow.”
Yosef Nuabarimanom Kɔ Misraim
1Bere a Yakob tee sɛ aburow wɔ Misraim no, ɔka kyerɛɛ ne mmabarima no se, “Adɛn nti na morehwehwɛhwehwɛ mo ho mo ho anim kɛkɛ yi?” 2Yakob toaa so se, “Mate sɛ aburow wɔ Misraim. Monkɔ hɔ, na monkɔtɔ bi mmra na ɔkɔm ankunkum yɛn.”
3Enti Yosef nuabarimanom mpanyimfo du no kɔɔ Misraim sɛ wɔrekɔtɔ aburow no bi. 4Nanso Yakob amma Benyamin a ɔyɛ Yosef nua kumaa no ankɔ bi, efisɛ na osuro sɛ biribi bɛyɛ no. 5Enti Israel mmabarima no de wɔn ho bɔɔ atɔfo a wofifi aman ahorow so kɔtɔ aburow wɔ Misraim no ho, efisɛ na ɔkɔm no atrɛw akodu Kanaan asase so mmaa nyinaa.
6Na Yosef yɛ amrado wɔ Misraim asase so. Ɔno na ɔtɔn aburow ma nnipa nyinaa wɔ ɔman no mu. Yosef nuabarimanom no koduu nʼanim no, wobuu no nkotodwe, de wɔn anim nso butubutuw fam. 7Bere a Yosef ani bɔɔ anuanom no so no, ohuu wɔn, nanso ɔyɛɛ ne ho sɛnea onnim wɔn ma ɔhaahaa nʼani kasa kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Mufi he?”
Anuanom no buaa no se, “Yefi Kanaan asase so, na yɛaba sɛ yɛrebɛtɔ aduan.”
8Na Yosef ahu ne nuanom no de, nanso wɔn de, na wonhuu no ɛ. 9Yosef kaee dae a mmere bi ɔso faa wɔn ho no ma ɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Moyɛ akwansrafo! Morebɛhwɛ baabi a yɛn asase yi nni bammɔ.”
10Anuanom no buae se, “Dabi da yɛn wura, wo nkoa bae sɛ yɛrebɛtɔ aduan. 11Yɛn nyinaa fi agya baako. Wo nkoa yɛ anokwafo, na yɛnyɛ akwansrafo.”
12Nanso Yosef tii mu se, “Dabi da, morebɛhwɛ baabi a yɛn asase yi nni bammɔ.”
13Anuanom no buae se, “Na wo nkoa yɛ anuanom dumien, ɔpanyin bi a ɔte Kanaan asase so mma. Mprempren, yɛn kaakyiri no wɔ yɛn agya nkyɛn, na ɔbaako nso afi mu.”
14Yosef ka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Asɛm no ara na meka kyerɛɛ mo no: Moyɛ akwansrafo! 15Ɔkwan a mɛfa so de asɔ mo ahwɛ ni: Sɛ Farao te ase yi, moremfi ha nkɔ da, kosi sɛ mode mo kaakyiri no bɛba. 16Monsoma mo mu baako, na ɔnkɔfa mo kaakyiri no mmra. Mede mo a moaka no nyinaa begu afiase. Ɛno na ɛbɛma yɛahu sɛ mo asɛm a moreka no yɛ nokware. Sɛ ɛnte saa a na Farao te ase yi, na moyɛ akwansrafo!” 17Na ɔde wɔn nyinaa guu afiase nnansa.
18Nnansa so no, Yosef ka kyerɛɛ ne nuanom no se, “Meyɛ onyamesuroni. Ɛno nti, monyɛ eyi na moanya nkwa. 19Sɛ moyɛ nokwafo ampa ara a, momma mo nua baako nna afiase ha na mo a moaka no nso nkɔtɔ aburow no bi nkɔma mo fifo a ɔkɔm rekum wɔn no. 20Nanso nea ɛte biara no, momfa mo nua kumaa no mmɛkyerɛ me. Ɛno na ɛbɛma mahu mo nsɛm no mu nokware na moanwuwu.” Wɔyɛɛ nea ɔkaa no.
21Wɔkeka kyerɛkyerɛɛ wɔn ho wɔn ho se, “Nokware, yɛn nuabarima yi nti na wɔretwe yɛn aso. Yehuu sɛnea ɔpaa yɛn kyɛw sɛ yenyaa no nanso yɛantie no; ɛno nti na saa amanehunu yi aba yɛn so no.”
22Ruben buae se, “Manka ankyerɛ mo sɛ monnyɛ bɔne biara ntia abarimaa no? Nanso moantie! Afei na ɛsɛ sɛ yebu ne mogya ho akontaa” 23Esiane sɛ na obi kyerɛ nsɛm a Yosef ka no ase kyerɛ wɔn no nti, na wonnim sɛ Yosef te wɔn kasa no.
24Yosef sɔre fii wɔn nkyɛn kosui. Ɔsan bae ne wɔn bɛkasae bio. Oyii Simeon fii wɔn mu, maa wɔkyekyeree no wɔ wɔn anim.
25Yosef hyɛɛ sɛ, wɔnhyɛ wɔn nkotoku no aburow amaama, na wɔnsan mfa obiara sika a anka ɔde rebɛtɔ aburow no nhyɛ ne kotoku mu, na wɔmma wɔn akwansoduan nso nka ho. Wɔyɛɛ eyi maa wɔn. 26Wɔhyehyɛɛ wɔn aburow nkotoku no wɔ wɔn mfurum no so ma wofii hɔ.
27Wɔrekɔ no ara, wogyinaa kwan so anadwo homee. Ɛhɔ na wɔn mu baako san ne kotoku sɛ ɔrema nʼafurum aduan adi. Ɔsan ne kotoku no, ohuu sɛ ne sika a anka ɔde rekɔtɔ aburow no hyɛ kotoku no fa baabi. 28Ɔka kyerɛɛ ne nuanom no se, “Wɔde me sika no asan ahyɛ me kotoku no mu. Monhwɛ. Ɛno ni!”
Saa asɛm yi maa wɔn koma tutui. Enti wɔhwehwɛɛ wɔn ho wɔn ho anim kae se, “Dɛn na Onyankopɔn ayɛ yɛn yi?”
29Woduu wɔn agya Yakob nkyɛn wɔ Kanaan no, wɔbɔɔ no nsɛm a asisi no nyinaa ho amanneɛ. Wɔkae se, 30“Yeduu Misraim asase so no, ɔbarima a ɔhwɛ asase no so no poopoo nʼani, kyerɛɛ yɛn sɛ yɛyɛ akwansrafo. 31Nanso yebuaa no se, ‘Yɛyɛ nnipa pa, na yɛnyɛ akwansrafo. 32Yɛyɛ anuanom dumien a yefi agya baako. Ɔbaako afi mu. Mprempren, yɛn kaakyiri no wɔ yɛn agya nkyɛn wɔ Kanaan.’
33“Na ɔbarima a ɔhwɛ asase no so ka kyerɛɛ yɛn se, ‘Ɔkwan a mepɛ sɛ mefa so sɔ mo hwɛ ni: Munnyaw mo nuanom baako wɔ me nkyɛn ha, na monkɔtɔ aburow no bi nkɔma mo fifo a ɔkɔm rekum wɔn no. 34Nanso momfa mo nua kumaa no mmɛkyerɛ me. Ɛno na ɛbɛma mahu sɛ monyɛ akwansrafo na moyɛ nnipa pa. Na mede mo nua no bɛma mo, na mubetumi adi gua wɔ asase yi so.’ ”
35Bere a wɔrehwiehwie wɔn aburow no afi wɔn nkotoku no mu no, obiara huu ne sika a anka ɔde rekotua aburow no ka wɔ ne kotoku no ano. Wɔne wɔn agya huu sika no, wɔn koma tutui. 36Ɛyɛɛ saa maa wɔn agya Yakob ka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Moama mahwere me mma. Yosef nni hɔ; Simeon nso nni hɔ; afei mopɛ sɛ mofa Benyamin nso ka ho! Biribiara ko tia me.”
37Ruben ka kyerɛɛ nʼagya se, “Sɛ mamfa Benyamin ansan amma a, wowɔ ho kwan sɛ wukum me mmabarima baanu no si anan. Fa no hyɛ me nsa, na mɛsan de no abrɛ wo.”
38Nanso Yakob buae se, “Me babarima no ne morenkɔ hɔ, efisɛ ne nuabarima awu ama aka ɔno nko. Sɛ saa kwan a morebetu yi, asiane bi kosiane no a, mewu.”
