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 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. 2Afei, 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.
3Adeɛ kyee anɔpa no, ɔgyaa anuanom no ne wɔn mfunumu no kwan. 4Wɔannuru 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? 5Ɛnyɛ saa kuruwa yi a me wura nom ano na ɔhwɛ mu ka nhunumusɛm no nie? Yei yɛ bɔne kɛseɛ a moayɛ.’ ”
6Ɔkɔtoo wɔn no, ɔtii saa asɛm korɔ yi ara mu kyerɛɛ wɔn. 7Nanso, anuanom no buaa no sɛ, “Adɛn enti na yɛn wura keka saa nsɛm yi? Ɛmpare wo nkoa sɛ wɔbɛyɛ adeɛ a ɛte saa! 8Sika 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? 9Sɛ 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.”
10Ɔsomfoɔ no buaa sɛ, “Ɛyɛ, na deɛ ɔwiaeɛ no nko na ɔbɛyɛ mʼakoa. Na mo a moaka no bɛfa mo ho adi.”
11Anuanom no nyinaa yiyii wɔn nnesoa no firii mfunumu no so, guu fam, sane sanee wɔn nkotokuo no ano. 12Afei, 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. 13Ɛbaa 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.
Anuanom No Bu Yosef Nkotodwe
14Ɛberɛ 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. 15Yosef bisaa wɔn sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn adeɛ na moayɛ yi? Monnim sɛ onipa a ɔte sɛ me nam nhunumusɛm so bɛtumi ahunu biribiara mu?”
16Yuda 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”.
17Nanso, 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.”
Yuda Srɛ Ma Benyamin
18Yuda 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. 19Me wura bisaa nʼasomfoɔ no sɛ, ‘Mowɔ agya anaa onuabarima bi?’ 20Na 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.’
21“Na ɔka kyerɛɛ wʼasomfoɔ sɛ, ‘Momfa no mmra, na menhwɛ no.’ 22Yɛka 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.’ 23Ɛnna woka kyerɛɛ wʼasomfoɔ sɛ. ‘Sɛ moamfa mo nua kumaa no anka mo ho amma a, monnsi mʼanim bio.’ 24Yɛsane kɔɔ wʼakoa, yɛn agya nkyɛn no, yɛkaa wo a woyɛ yɛn wura no nsɛm a woka kyerɛɛ yɛn no nyinaa kyerɛɛ no.
25“Ɛnna yɛn agya kaa sɛ, ‘Monsane nkɔ bio nkɔtɔ aduane kakra mmra.’ 26Nanso, 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.’
27“Afei, wo ɔsomfoɔ, yɛn agya ka kyerɛɛ yɛn sɛ, ‘Monim sɛ me ne me yere woo mmammarima baanu. 28Wɔn 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. 29Sɛ mofa yei firi me nkyɛn, na asiane bi kɔsiane no wɔ ɛkwan so a, me nso, mede awerɛhoɔ bɛwu bi.’
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, 31sɛ ɔhunu sɛ abɔfra no nka yɛn ho a, ɔbɛwu. Wo nkoa bɛma wɔn agya adi awerɛhoɔ, de ne tiri so dwono akɔ asaman. 32Wʼakoa 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.’
33“Afei, mesrɛ wo, ma wʼakoa nsi abɔfra no ananmu wɔ ha, na ma abɔfra no ne ne nuammarima no nsane nkɔ. 34Na 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.”
