Joseph and His Brothers
1 Jacob lived in the land of Canaan, where his father Isaac had lived, 2 and this is the story of his family.
When Jacob's son Joseph was 17 years old, he took care of the sheep with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah. But he was always telling his father all sorts of bad things about his brothers.
3 Jacob loved Joseph more than he did any of his other sons, because Joseph was born when Jacob was very old. Jacob had even given Joseph a fancy coat 4 which showed that Joseph was his favorite son, and so Joseph's brothers hated him and would not be friendly to him.
5 One day, Joseph told his brothers what he had dreamed, and they hated him even more. 6 Joseph said, “Let me tell you about my dream. 7 We were out in the field, tying up bundles of wheat. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles gathered around and bowed down to it.”
8 His brothers asked, “Do you really think you are going to be king and rule over us?” Now they hated Joseph more than ever because of what he had said about his dream.
9 Joseph later had another dream, and he told his brothers, “Listen to what else I dreamed. The sun, the moon, and eleven stars bowed down to me.”
10 When he told his father about this dream, his father became angry and said, “What's that supposed to mean? Are your mother and I and your brothers all going to come and bow down to you?” 11 Joseph's brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept wondering about the dream.
Joseph Is Sold and Taken to Egypt
12 One day when Joseph's brothers had taken the sheep to a pasture near Shechem, 13 his father Jacob said to him, “I want you to go to your brothers. They are with the sheep near Shechem.”
“Yes, sir,” Joseph answered.
14 His father said, “Go and find out how your brothers and the sheep are doing. Then come back and let me know.” So he sent him from Hebron Valley.
Joseph was near Shechem 15 and wandering through the fields, when a man asked, “What are you looking for?”
16 Joseph answered, “I'm looking for my brothers who are watching the sheep. Can you tell me where they are?”
17 “They're not here anymore,” the man replied. “I overheard them say they were going to Dothan.”
Joseph left and found his brothers in Dothan. 18 But before he got there, they saw him coming and made plans to kill him. 19 They said to one another, “Look, here comes the hero of those dreams! 20 Let's kill him and throw him into a pit and say that some wild animal ate him. Then we'll see what happens to those dreams.”
21 Reuben heard this and tried to protect Joseph from them. “Let's not kill him,” he said. 22 “Don't murder him or even harm him. Just throw him into a well out here in the desert.” Reuben planned to rescue Joseph later and take him back to his father.
23 When Joseph came to his brothers, they pulled off his fancy coat 24 and threw him into a dry well.
25 As Joseph's brothers sat down to eat, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with all kinds of spices that they were taking to Egypt. 26 So Judah said, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and hide his body? 27 Let's sell him to the Ishmaelites and not harm him. After all, he is our brother.” And the others agreed.
28 When the Midianite merchants came by, Joseph's brothers took him out of the well, and for 20 pieces of silver they sold him to the Ishmaelites who took him to Egypt.
29 When Reuben returned to the well and did not find Joseph there, he tore his clothes in sorrow. 30 Then he went back to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone! What am I going to do?”
31 Joseph's brothers killed a goat and dipped Joseph's fancy coat in its blood. 32 After this, they took the coat to their father and said, “We found this! Look at it carefully and see if it belongs to your son.”
33 Jacob knew it was Joseph's coat and said, “It's my son's coat! Joseph has been torn to pieces and eaten by some wild animal.”
34 Jacob mourned for Joseph a long time, and to show his sorrow he tore his clothes and wore sackcloth. 35 All of Jacob's children came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said, “I will go to my grave, mourning for my son.” So Jacob kept on grieving.
36 Meanwhile, the Midianites had sold Joseph in Egypt to a man named Potiphar, who was the king's official in charge of the palace guard.
Eendjodi daJosef
1 Ndele Jakob okwa kala moshilongo shinya, xe a li mo omunailongo, medu laKaanan. 2 Eli ehepaululo lepata laJakob:
Josef eshi a wanifa omido omulongo naheyali okwa li ha lifa eedi pamwe novamwaxe. Ye okwa li omunyasha natango, nokwa kala pamwe novana vaBilha novaSilpa, ovalikadi vaxe. Ndele Josef okwa hepaululila xe eendjovo dii da popiwa kuvo. 3 Ndele Israel okwa li e hole Josef komesho yovana vaye aveshe ovamati. Osheshi ye okwa li omona waye womoukulupe waye, ndele Israel okwe mu hondjifila oshikutu shile shi nomaoko male. 4 Ovamwaxe eshi va mona nokutya, oku holike kuxe komesho yovamwaxe aveshe, vo ove mu tonda, ndele inava shiiva vali okupopya naye nombili.
5 Josef okwa twa yo ondjodi, ndee okwe i hepaululila ovamwaxe. Onghee tuu vo ve mu tonda unene. 6 Osheshi ye okwe va lombwela ta ti: “Pwilikineni ondjodi ei nda twa. 7 Taleni, fye otwa li twa manga oipandi yoilya mepya, opo divadiva oshipandi shange osha kala ofika, fimbo oipandi yeni ye uya ye shi dingilila, ndele yo oye linyongamena koshipandi shange.” 8 Opo nee ovamwaxe ove mu lombwela tava ti: “Ove oto ke tu pangela mbela ile oto ka ninga ohamba yetu?” Ndele ove mu tonda unene shi dule nale, molweendjodi daye nomolweendjovo daye. 9 Efiku limwe ye okwa twa vali ondjodi imwe, ndele te i hepaululile ovamwaxe ndele ta ti: “Taleni, ame onda twa vali ondjodi: etango nohani neenyofi omulongo naimwe de linyongamena koshipala shange.” 10 Ye eshi e shi hepaululila xe novamwaxe, xe okwe mu handukila ndele ta ti kuye: “Ondjodi oyo wa twa oya tya ngahelipi oyo? Fye nanyoko novamwaxo otu na mbela okuuya tu wile eombe koshipala shoye?” 11 Ndele ovamwaxe ove mu twila ondubo, ndelenee xe okwa dimbulukwa eendjovo odo.
Josef ta landwa po kOvaismael
12 Ndele ovamwaxe va ya va ka life eedi daxe popepi naSekem. 13 Opo nee Israel okwa lombwela Josef ta ti: “Ovamwaxo otava lifa oimuna popepi naSekem.” Ila, ndi ku tume kuvo. Ndele ye okwe mu nyamukula ta ti: “Aame ou!” 14 Opo nee ye okwe mu lombwela ta ti: “Inda hano u ka tale ovamwaxo nhumbi ve li, noimuna nhumbi i li, opo u aluke u shiivifile nge.” Osho ngaha hano ye okwe mu tuma a dja mefilu laHebron ndele te uya kuSekem. 15 Omulumenhu umwe okwe mu shakeneka moixwa, nomulumenhu okwe mu pula ta ti: “Oto kongo shike?” 16 Ndele ye okwa nyamukula ta ti: “Ame ohandi kongo ovamwatate. Lombwele nge apa tava lifa oimuna.” 17 Opo nee omulumenhu okwe mu lombwela: “Vo ova dja po apa, osheshi ame nda uda tava ti: ‘Natu yeni kuDotan.’ ” Ndele Josef okwa shikula ovamwaxe nokwe va hanga muDotan. 18 Ndele vo ove mu monena kokule. Ndelenee fimbo ye ina fika kuvo, vo ova pangela omhangela mekengelelo ve mu dipae. 19 Ndele vo ova tongafana tava ti: “Omutwi weendjodi oyoo ta di oko! 20 Ne uye tu mu dipaeni fye tu mu ekele melambo, ndele hatu ti kutya oshifitukuti she mu lya po; tu tale nee eendjodi daye eshi tadi wanifwa.” 21 Opo nee Ruben eshi e shi uda okwe mu xupifa mo momake avo eshi a tya: “Inatu mu dipaeni.” 22 Ruben okwe va lombwela vali ta ti: “Inamu tilashi ohonde. Mu ekeleni melambo eli li li mofuka, ndelenee nye inamu mu kuma neke,” opo ye a shiive oku mu xupifa momake avo noku mu shunifa kuxe. 23 Ndele Josef eshi e uya kovamwaxe, ova dula Josef oshikutu shaye shi na omaoko male osho a li a djala. 24 Ndele vo ove mu kufa ndele ove mu ekela melambo.
25 Ndele tava kala omutumba tava li eendja. Ndele vo eshi va yelula omesho, ova mona divadiva osheendo shOvaismaeli tashi di kuGilead notashi yuka kuEgipiti. Eengamelo davo da li da humbata eka, nomaadi abalsam noidimba yomirha.Ova mona divadiva osheendo shOvaismaeli sha dja kuGilead nosha yuka kuEgipiti. 26 Opo nee Juda okwa lombwela ovamwaxe ta ti: “Otashi tu kwafa shike ngeenge hatu dipaa omumwatate, ndele hatu holeke ohonde yaye? 27 Ileni, natu mu landife po kOvaismael, ndelenee inatu mu kumeni nomake, osheshi ye omumwatate, onhumba yetu.” Novamwaxe ve mu uda. 28 Ndele ovashingifi vokuMidian eshi va enda po, vo ova kufa Josef melambo ndele ve mu landifa po kOvaismael neesekeli doshisiliveli omilongo mbali. Ndele vo ova twala Josef kuEgipiti.
29 Opo nee Ruben eshi e uya kelambo, Josef ine mu hanga mo melambo! Onghee ye okwa pombaula oshikutu shaye, 30 ndele ye okwa ya kovamwaxe ndele ta ti: “Omumati ke mo! Ame ohandi yuka peni?”
Jakob ta lili eefya daJosef
31 Opo nee vo ova kufa oshikutu shaJosef ndee va dipaa oshikombo ndele va dedaula oshikutu mohonde, 32 ndele vo ova kufa oshikutu eshi shile ndele tave shi tumine xe neendjovo edi: “Oshikutu eshi otwe shi toola. Tala nawa, ngeenge osho oshikutu shomumwoye.” 33 Ndele ye eshi e shi tala okwa tya: “Oshikutu oshomumwange! Oshifitukuti she mu lya! A nyanyaulwa. Josef a nyanyaulwa!” 34 Opo nee Jakob okwa pombaula oikutu yaye ndee okwa djala oshikutu sheefya moshiya. Ndele ye okwa lila omona waye omafiku mahapu. 35 Novana vaye ovamati aveshe noukadona vaye aveshe va kendabala oku mu hekeleka, ndele ye okwa anya okuhekelekwa, ndele ta ti: “Ahowe, ohandi ka ya komumwange moshovafi nokunyika oluhodi!” Osho ngaha xe okwe mu lila. 36 Ovamidian ova twala Josef kuEgipiti ndele tave mu landifa po kuPotifar, elenga ekulunhu lomatanga ovanangeli vaFarao.
