The Missing Cup
1-2 Later, Joseph told the servant in charge of his house, “Fill the men's grain sacks with as much as they can hold and put their money in the sacks. Also put my silver cup in the sack of the youngest brother.” The servant did as he was told.
3 Early the next morning, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys. 4 But they had not gone far from the city when Joseph told the servant, “Go after those men! When you catch them, say, ‘My master has been good to you. So why have you stolen his silver cup? 5 Not only does he drink from his cup, but he also uses it to learn about the future. You have done a terrible thing.’ ”
6 When the servant caught up with them, he said exactly what Joseph had told him to say. 7 But they replied, “Sir, why do you say such things? We would never do anything like that! 8 We even returned the money we found in our grain sacks when we got back to Canaan. So why would we want to steal any silver or gold from your master's house? 9 If you find that one of us has the cup, then kill him, and the rest of us will become your slaves.”
10 “Good!” the man replied, “I'll do what you have said. But only the one who has the cup will become my slave. The rest of you can go free.”
11 Each of the brothers quickly put his sack on the ground and opened it. 12 Joseph's servant started searching the sacks, beginning with the one that belonged to the oldest brother. When he came to Benjamin's sack, he found the cup. 13 This upset the brothers so much that they began tearing their clothes in sorrow. Then they loaded their donkeys and returned to the city.
14 When Judah and his brothers got there, Joseph was still at home. So they bowed down to Joseph, 15 who asked them, “What have you done? Didn't you know I could find out?”
16 “Sir, what can we say?” Judah replied. “How can we say we are innocent, when God has shown we are guilty? And now all of us are your slaves, especially the one who had the cup.”
17 Joseph told them, “I would never punish all of you. Only the one who was caught with the cup will become my slave. The rest of you are free to go home to your father.”
Judah Pleads for Benjamin
18 Judah went over to Joseph and said:
Sir, you have as much power as the king himself, and I am only your slave. Please don't get angry if I speak. 19 You asked us if our father was still alive and if we had any more brothers. 20 So we told you, “Our father is a very old man. In fact, he was already old when Benjamin was born. Benjamin's brother is dead. Now Benjamin is the only one of the two brothers who is still alive, and our father loves him very much.”
21 You ordered us to bring him here, so you could see him for yourself. 22 We told you that our father would die if Benjamin left him. 23 But you warned us that we could never see you again, unless our youngest brother came with us. 24 So we returned to our father and reported what you had said.
25 Later our father sent us back here to buy more grain. 26 But we told him, “We can't go back to Egypt without our youngest brother. We will never be let in to see the governor, unless he is with us.”
27 Sir, our father then reminded us that his favorite wife had given birth to two sons. 28 One of them was already missing and had not been seen for a long time. My father thinks the boy was torn to pieces by some wild animal, 29 and he said, “I am an old man. If you take Benjamin from me, and something happens to him, I will die of a broken heart.”
30 That's why Benjamin must be with us when I go back to my father. He loves him so much 31 that he will die if Benjamin doesn't come back with me. 32 I promised my father that I would bring him safely home. If I don't, I told my father he could blame me the rest of my life.
33 Sir, I am your slave. Please let me stay here in place of Benjamin and let him return home with his brothers. 34 How can I face my father if Benjamin isn't with me? I couldn't bear to see my father in such sorrow.
Otjinwino tja Josef mekutu ra Benjamin
1 Josef wa rakiza omukarere wondjuwo ye na tja: “Urisa omakutu wovarumendu mba novikurya otja pu mave sora okutjinda, nu twa ovimariva vyomurumendu auhe motjinyo tjekutu re. 2 Nungwari otjinwino tjandje otjisilveri twa motjinyo tjekutu ra ingwi omuangu puna ovimariva vyovikokotwa vye.” Neye wa tjita otja pa raerwa i Josef. 3 Omuhuka omunene tji pa tji, ovarumendu otji va isiwa okuyenda ondjira yawo nousino wawo. 4 Nowo ngunda ave hiya kaseka okuza motjihuro, Josef arire tja tja komukarere wondjuwo ye: “Rirongera u tezere ovarumendu mbo. Nu tji we kevevaza itja nai: ‘Okutjavi tji mwa yarura ouvi mouwa? 5 Okutjavi tji mwa vaka otjinwino otjisilveri tjomuhona wandje? Otjo otjinwino omuhona wandje me nwina, nu wina tje uka na tjo. Eṋe mwa tjiti navi.’ ”
6 Nomukarere tje ve vaza wa hungira omambo tjingewo nga. 7 Nowo ve mu zira nave tja: “Muhona, mo hee tjike tji mo hungire nai? Ovakarere voye kamaave ripura okutjita otjiṋa tji tja sana ngo. 8 Nu tara, eṱe twa kotora ovimariva kove mbi twa muna momakutu wetu okuza kOkanaan. Nu matu vakere tjike osilveri poo ongoldo mondjuwo yomuhona woye? 9 Tji pena umwe wovakarere voye ngwa vazewa na tjo, nga ṱe; nu eṱe imba ovarwe tu rire ovakarere vomuhona wetu.”
10 Neye wa tja: “Osemba, ingwi ngwa vazewa na tjo ma rire omukarere wandje, nungwari imba ovarwe mave yaruka.” 11 Owo arire tji va hakahana okuherura omakutu wawo pehi, nomurumendu auhe arire tja paturura ekutu re. 12 Omukarere wa Josef arire tja paha nawa, a utire komunene na kasenina ku ingwi ongero; notjinwino tja vazewa mekutu ra Benjamin. 13 Nowo arire tji va nyondorora ozombanda zawo, nauhe wa kutira okasino ke nave yaruka kotjihuro.
14 Juda novangu ve tji ve ya mondjuwo ya Josef, eye tjandje ngunda ome ri. Narire tji va u kozongoro komurungu we. 15 Nu Josef we ve pura a tja: “Otjiṋa hi tji mwa tjiti, otjikeṋa? Kamu tjivirwe kutja omurumendu otja ami owami ombuke are?”
16 Juda wa zira na tja: “Eṱe ngatu tje vi kove, muhona? Ngatu hungire tjike? Nu ngatu rikohore vi oveni? Ndjambi wa raisa ondjo yetu. Eṱe na ingwi ngwa vazewa notjinwino atuhe oweṱe ovakarere voye.”
17 Josef arire tja tja: “Kako! Ami hi nokutjita nao. Omundu ngwi ngwa vazewa na ihi otjinwino ongu ma rire omukarere wandje. Eṋe imba ovarwe yarukeye nohange ku iho.”
Juda me riyarikaṋene Benjamin
18 Juda wa ryama popezu na Josef na tja: “Arikana, muhona, ndji yandjera okuhungira na ove nawa. O pindike na ami, muhona, ove tjinga au ṱeki pu Farao omuini. 19 Muhona, ove we tu pura no tja: ‘Eṋe ingee mu na iho poo mu nomuangu weṋu?’ 20 Neṱe twa zira nai komuhona wetu: ‘Eṱe tu natate ngwa kurupa, nomuangu wetu ngwa panduka moukurupe we. Nungwari erumbi re wa koka, neye ongwa hupa movanatje vaina; nu ihe otje mu suvera tjinene.’ 21 Nungwari ove we tu raya no tja: ‘Mu eteye nguno, mbi mu mune.’ 22 Nu eṱe twe ku zira, muhona, kutja omuzandu kamaa isa ihe; orondu tja tjiti nao, ihe ma koka. 23 Ove o tja: ‘Eṋe kamu nakuyandjerwa okuya komurungu wandje tjinangara kamu eterere omuangu weṋu.’
24 “Neṱe tji twa yaruka ku tate, omukarere woye, twe mu raera inga ngu wa hungira. 25 Nu tate arire tja tja: ‘Yarukeye mu keturandere ovikurya ouṱiṱi.’ 26 Neṱe twa zira natu tja: ‘Katu nakuyenda ngo; katu nakuyandjerwa okuya komurungu womurumendu ngo, ndovazu omuangu wetu ongero ke ri puna eṱe?’ 27 Nu tate arire tja tja ku eṱe: ‘Eṋe mamu tjiwa kutja omukazendu wandje we ndji pandukira ovazandu vevari. 28 Umwe wawo we ndji esa rukuru. Ami me tjangovasi wa nyondororwa i ovipuka vyokuti, orondu ami hi na pu mbe kemumuna rukwao. 29 Neṋe nambano tji mwa toora ingwi rukwao pu ami na kaṱa, mamu pundisa ozonḓi zandje noruhoze meyendo.’
30 “Nambano, muhona, ami tji mba yaruka ku tate nokuhina omuzandu ngwi, tjimanga eye tja munu kutja omuzandu puna ami ke po ma koka. Omutima we tjinga awe rihitisa momuzandu ngo. 31 Neṱe, muhona, matu pendura oruhoze mu tate, ndu maru mu zepa motjiwondo tjoukurundu we. 32 Wina, muhona, mba yandja omuinyo wandje ku tate mena romuzandu, tjinga ambe mu raera kutja ami tji mbi ha kotorere ingwi omuzandu, owami ngu me tjindi ondjo komurungu we oure womuinyo wandje. 33 Nu nambano, muhona, ami me kara mba otja omukarere woye moruveze rwomuzandu; nungwari ingwi omuzandu mu esa a yaruke puna omarumbi we. 34 Ami me sora vi okuyaruka ku tate tjinangara omuzandu ngo ke ri puna ami? Himee yenene okumuna oruhoze ndu maru ya kombanda ya tate.”
