A Silver Cup in a Sack
1Now Joseph gave these instructions to the steward of his house: “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man’s silver in the mouth of his sack. 2Then put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the silver for his grain.” And he did as Joseph said.
3As morning dawned, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys. 4They had not gone far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, “Go after those men at once, and when you catch up with them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil? 5Isn’t this the cup my master drinks from and also uses for divination? This is a wicked thing you have done.’ ”
6When he caught up with them, he repeated these words to them. 7But they said to him, “Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to do anything like that! 8We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found inside the mouths of our sacks. So why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house? 9If any of your servants is found to have it, he will die; and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves.”
10“Very well, then,” he said, “let it be as you say. Whoever is found to have it will become my slave; the rest of you will be free from blame.”
11Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. 12Then the steward proceeded to search, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13At this, they tore their clothes. Then they all loaded their donkeys and returned to the city.
14Joseph was still in the house when Judah and his brothers came in, and they threw themselves to the ground before him. 15Joseph said to them, “What is this you have done? Don’t you know that a man like me can find things out by divination?”
16“What can we say to my lord?” Judah replied. “What can we say? How can we prove our innocence? God has uncovered your servants’ guilt. We are now my lord’s slaves—we ourselves and the one who was found to have the cup.”
17But Joseph said, “Far be it from me to do such a thing! Only the man who was found to have the cup will become my slave. The rest of you, go back to your father in peace.”
18Then Judah went up to him and said: “Pardon your servant, my lord, let me speak a word to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, though you are equal to Pharaoh himself. 19My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’ 20And we answered, ‘We have an aged father, and there is a young son born to him in his old age. His brother is dead, and he is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’
21“Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me so I can see him for myself.’ 22And we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father; if he leaves him, his father will die.’ 23But you told your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’ 24When we went back to your servant my father, we told him what my lord had said.
25“Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy a little more food.’ 26But we said, ‘We cannot go down. Only if our youngest brother is with us will we go. We cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’
27“Your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons. 28One of them went away from me, and I said, “He has surely been torn to pieces.” And I have not seen him since. 29If you take this one from me too and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in misery.’
30“So now, if the boy is not with us when I go back to your servant my father, and if my father, whose life is closely bound up with the boy’s life, 31sees that the boy isn’t there, he will die. Your servants will bring the gray head of our father down to the grave in sorrow. 32Your servant guaranteed the boy’s safety to my father. I said, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, I will bear the blame before you, my father, all my life!’
33“Now then, please let your servant remain here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers. 34How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? No! Do not let me see the misery that would come on my father.”
Yosef Amma Benyamin Ankɔ
1Afei, Yosef hyɛɛ ne somfo panyin no se, “Fa aduan dodow biara a mmarima no betumi asoa no hyɛ wɔn nkotoku no amaama, na fa obiara sika nso hyɛ ne kotoku mu ma no. 2Na fa me dwetɛ kuruwa no ka akumaa no aduan no sika ho, na fa hyɛ ne kotoku no mu.” Na ɔyɛɛ sɛnea Yosef kaa no pɛpɛɛpɛ.
3Ade kyee anɔpa no, ogyaa anuanom no ne wɔn mfurum no kwan. 4Wɔannu akyiri baabiara, na Yosef ka kyerɛɛ ne somfo panyin no se, “Tiw nkurɔfo no ntɛm, na sɛ woto wɔn a, bisa wɔn se, ‘Adɛn nti na mode bɔne tua papa ka? Adɛn nti na moawia me dwetɛ kuruwa? 5Ɛnyɛ saa kuruwa yi a me wura nom ano na ɔhwɛ mu ka nhumusɛm no ni? Eyi yɛ bɔne kɛse a moayɛ.’ ”
6Ɔkɔtoo wɔn no, otii saa asɛm koro yi ara mu kyerɛɛ wɔn. 7Nanso anuanom no buaa no se, “Adɛn nti na yɛn wura keka saa nsɛm yi? Ɛmpare wo nkoa sɛ wɔbɛyɛ ade a ɛte saa! 8Sika a yehuu wɔ yɛn nkotoku mu no, yɛansan amfa amfi Kanaan ammrɛ mo ana? Adɛn nti na ɛsɛ sɛ yewia dwetɛ anaa sikakɔkɔɔ fi wo wura fi? 9Sɛ wuhu saa kuruwa no wɔ wo nkoa no biara nkyɛn a, okum na ɛsɛ sɛ wukum saa onipa no. Na sɛ ɛba saa nso a, yɛn nyinaa bɛyɛ wo wura nkoa.”
10Ɔsomfo no buae se, “Eye, na nea owiae no nko na ɔbɛyɛ mʼakoa; na mo a moaka no bɛfa mo ho adi.”
11Anuanom no nyinaa yiyii wɔn nnesoa no fii mfurum no so guu fam, sansan wɔn nkotoku no ano. 12Na ɔsomfo no fii ase, hwehwɛɛ wɔn nkotoku no mu fi ɔpanyin no so kosii akumaa no so. Wohuu kuruwa no wɔ Benyamin kotoku no mu. 13Ɛbaa saa no, anuanom no sunsuan wɔn ntade mu. Afei, wɔn nyinaa san hyehyɛɛ wɔn nnesoa no wɔ wɔn mfurum no so, san kɔɔ kurow no mu.
Anuanom No Bu Yosef Nkotodwe
14Bere a Yuda ne ne nuanom no koduu kurow no mu hɔ no, na Yosef da so wɔ ne fi hɔ. Enti wɔn nyinaa totow wɔn ho guu fam wɔ nʼanim. 15Yosef bisaa wɔn se, “Dɛn ade na moayɛ yi? Munnim sɛ onipa a ɔte sɛ me nam nhumusɛm so betumi ahu biribiara mu ana?”
16Yuda buae se, “Anoyi bɛn na yebetumi ayi wɔ me wura anim? Asɛm bɛn na yɛwɔ ka? Yɛbɛyɛ dɛn na yɛatumi ama woahu sɛ yenni saa asɛm yi ho fɔ? Onyame ada yɛn wʼasomfo afɔdi yi adi. Yɛne nea wohuu kuruwa no wɔ no nkyɛn no nyinaa yɛ yɛn wura nkoa.”
17Nanso Yosef kae se, “Ɛmpare me sɛ mɛyɛ ade a ɛte saa. Onipa a wohuu kuruwa no wɔ ne nkyɛn no nko ara na ɔbɛyɛ mʼakoa. Mo a moaka no de, monsan nkɔ mo agya nkyɛn asomdwoe mu.”
Yuda Srɛ Ma Benyamin
18Yuda sɔre kɔɔ Yosef anim, ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Ma me a meyɛ wʼakoa no kwan na me ne wo, me wura, nkasa. Ɛwɔ mu sɛ wo ne Farao yɛ pɛ de, nanso mesrɛ wo, nya ntoboase ma wʼakoa. 19Me wura bisaa nʼasomfo no se, ‘Mowɔ agya anaa onuabarima bi?’ 20Na yebuae se, ‘Yɛwɔ agya a wabɔ akwakoraa ne yɛn kaakyiri a ɔwoo no ne nkwakoraabere mu. Ne nuabarima a ɔka ne ho no awu. Na ɔno nko ara ne ne na ba a waka. Nʼagya pɛ nʼasɛm yiye.’
21“Na ɔka kyerɛɛ wʼasomfo se, ‘Momfa no mmra, na menhwɛ no.’ 22Yɛka kyerɛɛ me wura se, ‘Abarimaa no rentumi ntew ne ho mfi nʼagya ho. Na sɛ ɛba sɛ ɔtew ne ho fi nʼagya ho a, nʼagya no bewu.’ 23Ɛnna woka kyerɛɛ wʼasomfo se. ‘Sɛ moamfa mo nua kumaa no anka mo ho amma a, munnsi mʼanim bio.’ 24Yɛsan kɔɔ wʼakoa, yɛn agya nkyɛn no, yɛkaa wo a woyɛ yɛn wura no nsɛm a woka kyerɛɛ yɛn no nyinaa kyerɛɛ no.
25“Na yɛn agya kae se, ‘Monsan nkɔ bio nkɔtɔ aduan kakra mmra.’ 26Nanso yɛka kyerɛɛ yɛn agya se, ‘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.’
27“Wʼakoa, yɛn agya, ka kyerɛɛ yɛn se, ‘Munim sɛ me ne me yere woo mmabarima baanu. 28Wɔn mu baako fii me nkyɛn kɔe a manhu no bio ma mekae se, “Aboa bi atetew no pasaa.” Efi saa bere no, minhuu no bio. 29Sɛ mofa oyi fi me nkyɛn, na asiane bi kosiane no wɔ kwan so a, me nso, mede awerɛhow bewu bi.’
30“Enti saa bere yi, sɛ yekopue fi wʼakoa, yɛn agya, anim na abofra yi nka yɛn ho, ne sɛnea ne koma da abofra no so fa no, 31sɛ ohu sɛ abofra no nka yɛn ho a, obewu. Wo nkoa bɛma wɔn agya de ne ti so dwen akɔ asaman awerɛhow mu. 32Wʼakoa a ɔde ne ho dii abofra no akagyinamu sɛ ɔde no bɛba no kae se, ‘Sɛ mamfa no ansan ammrɛ wo a, ɛho asodi no mmɛda me so, me nkwanna nyinaa.’
33“Afei, mesrɛ wo, ma wʼakoa nsi abofra no anan mu wɔ ha, na ma abofra no ne ne nuabarimanom no nsan nkɔ. 34Na sɛ abofra no anka me ho ankɔ a, mɛyɛ dɛn na makopue wɔ mʼagya anim? Dabi! Merentumi nnyina ahohia a ɛbɛto mʼagya wɔ saa asɛm yi ho no ano.”
