Joseph and His Brothers
1 Jacob continued to live in the land of Canaan, where his father had lived, 2 and this is the story of Jacob's family.
Joseph, a young man of seventeen, took care of the sheep and goats with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's concubines. He brought bad reports to his father about what his brothers were doing.
3 Jacob loved Joseph more than all his other sons, because he had been born to him when he was old. He made a long robe with full sleeves for him. 4 When his brothers saw that their father loved Joseph more than he loved them, they hated their brother so much that they would not speak to him in a friendly manner.
5 One time Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him even more. 6 He said, “Listen to the dream I had. 7 We were all in the field tying up sheaves of wheat, when my sheaf got up and stood up straight. Yours formed a circle around mine and bowed down to it.”
8 “Do you think you are going to be a king and rule over us?” his brothers asked. So they hated him even more because of his dreams and because of what he said about them.
9 Then Joseph had another dream and told his brothers, “I had another dream, in which I saw the sun, the moon, and eleven stars bowing down to me.”
10 He also told the dream to his father, and his father scolded him: “What kind of a dream is that? Do you think that your mother, your brothers, and I are going to come and bow down to you?” 11 Joseph's brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept thinking about the whole matter.
Joseph Is Sold and Taken to Egypt
12 One day when Joseph's brothers had gone to Shechem to take care of their father's flock, 13 Jacob said to Joseph, “I want you to go to Shechem, where your brothers are taking care of the flock.”
Joseph answered, “I am ready.”
14 His father told him, “Go and see if your brothers are safe and if the flock is all right; then come back and tell me.” So his father sent him on his way from Hebron Valley.
Joseph arrived at Shechem 15 and was wandering around in the country when a man saw him and asked him, “What are you looking for?”
16 “I am looking for my brothers, who are taking care of their flock,” he answered. “Can you tell me where they are?”
17 The man said, “They have already left. I heard them say that they were going to Dothan.” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.
18 They saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted against him and decided to kill him. 19 They said to one another, “Here comes that dreamer. 20 Come on now, let's kill him and throw his body into one of the dry wells. We can say that a wild animal killed him. Then we will see what becomes of his dreams.”
21 Reuben heard them and tried to save Joseph. “Let's not kill him,” he said. 22 “Just throw him into this well in the wilderness, but don't hurt him.” He said this, planning to save him from them and send him back to his father. 23 When Joseph came up to his brothers, they ripped off his long robe with full sleeves. 24 Then they took him and threw him into the well, which was dry.
25 While they were eating, they suddenly saw a group of Ishmaelites traveling from Gilead to Egypt. Their camels were loaded with spices and resins. 26 Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain by killing our brother and covering up the murder? 27 Let's sell him to these Ishmaelites. Then we won't have to hurt him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.” His brothers agreed, 28 and when some Midianite traders came by, the brothers pulled Joseph out of the well and sold him for twenty pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.
29 When Reuben came back to the well and found that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes in sorrow. 30 He returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is not there! What am I going to do?”
31 Then they killed a goat and dipped Joseph's robe in its blood. 32 They took the robe to their father and said, “We found this. Does it belong to your son?”
33 He recognized it and said, “Yes, it is his! Some wild animal has killed him. My son Joseph has been torn to pieces!” 34 Jacob tore his clothes in sorrow and put on sackcloth. He mourned for his son a long time. 35 All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, “I will go down to the world of the dead still mourning for my son.” So he continued to mourn for his son Joseph.
36 Meanwhile, in Egypt the Midianites had sold Joseph to Potiphar, one of the king's officers, who was the captain of the palace guard.
Josef nomarumbi we
1 Nu Jakob wa tura mehi ra Kanaan mu mwa turire ihe otja owozonganda. 2 Indi oro ehungi romuhoko wa Jakob.
Josef tja ri nozombura omurongo na hambombari, aa risa ozonyanda zaihe puna omarumbi we, ovazandu va Bilha na Silpa, ovakazendu vaihe; eye wa ri omuṱiṱi mokati komarumbi we. Eye aa kaṋangera ko ihe ngamwa okaṋa okavi kuya ke tjitwa i omarumbi we.
3 Nu Israel wa suverere Josef tjinene povazandu ve avehe, eye tjinga e mu panduka moukurundu we. Neye we mu ya tatera ombanda ombwa yapeke onde nu ndja ri nomaoko omare. 4 Nomarumbi we tji va muna kutja ihe wa suvera Josef okukapita wo, arire tji ve mu humisa, nga tji yave ha vanga okuhungira kuna ye momuano omuwa.
5 Otjikando tjimwe Josef wa rota oruroto, ne ru serekarere komarumbi we. Nowo otji ve mu humisira ko. 6 Eye wa tja ku wo: “Purateneye oruroto ndu mba rota. 7 Tareye, atuhe twa ri mehi romakunino amatu kutu omikuta vyovikootwa. Nomukuta imbwi owandje wa kurama oseka, nu imbi ovyeṋu vya kurama okukondoroka imbwi owandje navi ripete ku wo.”
8 Nomarumbi we ve mu pura nave tja: “Ove mo tjangovasi mo rire ombara pu eṱe, nu mo honaparere eṱe are?” Nowo arire tji ve mu humisire ko tjinene mena roruroto rwe na imbi mbya hungire.
9 Nu Josef wa rota rukwao, na raere komarumbi we a tja: “Tareye, ami mba roto nai rukwao: Eyuva nomueze nozonyose omurongo na imwe vye ripete ku ami.”
10 Neye tja raera oruroto rwe ku ihe na komarumbi we, ihe we mu tena a tja: “Oruroto rwatjike ndu wa roto? Ove mo ripura kutja ami na nyoko nomarumbi woye nomuangu woye matu ya okuripeta kove?” 11 Omarumbi wa Josef va ṱeruru na ye, nungwari ihe wa kara pokuripura notjiṋa hi atjihe.
Josef ma randisiwa kOvaengipte
12 Nomarumbi we va karisa ozonyanda zaihe kOsikem. 13 Nu Israel arire tja tja ku Josef: “Omarumbi woye ve risa ozonyanda kOsikem; indjo, mbi ku hinde ku wo.”
Nu Josef arire tja ziri na tja: “Owami ngwi!”
14 Nu ihe arire tja tja ku ye: “Twende u katare omarumbi woye kutja ve ri nawa nozonyanda, nu u kotoke okundjiraera.” Neye we mu hinda okuza korutjandja rwa Hebron.
Nu Josef wa kavaza kOsikem. 15 Neye ngunda ama yaraara mokuti otja munikwa i omurumendu worive ngwe mu pura na tja: “Mo paha tjike?”
16 Nu Josef we mu zira nai: “Me paha omarumbi wandje. Arikana, ndji raera ku ve risira ozonyanda.”
17 Nomurumendu arire tja tja: “Owo va tjinda; ami mbe ve zuva amave tja mave i kOdotan.” Nu Josef wa tezera omarumbi we, ne kevevaza kOdotan.
18 Nowo ve mu mwina kokure. Nu ngunda e hiya vaza popezu na wo va zuvasana mongumumu kutja ve mu zepe. 19 Nowo verihungirire oveni ave tja: “Tareye, omurote eye ngo weya! 20 Indjeye tu mu zepe, nu tu yumbe orurova rwe mu imwe yozondjombo, nu tu tje: ‘Eye wa ṱu i otjipuka tjokuti.’ Tjazumba tu tarere kutja oturoto twe matu yanda pi.”
21 Ruben tja zuva ihi wa vanga okuyama Josef ku wo na tja: “Atu mu zepa, kako! 22 Amu tirahi ombinḓu, nungwari mu yumbeye mondjombo ndji, ndji ri mokuti onguza. Nu amu mu tjiti otjiṋa.” Ruben wa hungirira kutja e mu yame ne mu yarure ku ihe. 23 Nu Josef tja vaza pomarumbi we, owo ve mu hukura indji ombanda onde yomaoko, 24 nave mu yumbu mondjombo ndja pwira.
25 Nu ngunda amave ri, tjimanga va muna otjimbumba tjOvaismael amave zu kOgilead. Nozongamero zawo aza kutirwa ovyomoro omuwa nomaze omerihuwa nomapya, mbyaa ve twara kOengipte. 26 Juda arire tja tja komarumbi novangu ve: “Matu mwine po tjike okuzepa omuangu wetu nokumuhoreka? 27 Ngatu mu randise kOvaismael mba, nu atu mu hihamisa; eye omuangu wetu, nonyama nombinḓu yetu.” Nomarumbi novangu ve va zuva ku ye. 28 Nu tji pe ya Ovamidian ovarandise otji ve mu nana mondjombo, nave mu randisa kovisilveri omirongo vivari kOvaismael, nowo va twara Josef kOengipte.
29 Nu Ruben tja kotoka kondjombo nu tja muna kutja Josef ke mo mondjombo, arire tja taura ozombanda ze okuraisa oruhoze rwe. 30 Eye arire tja yaruka kovangu ve na tja: “Omuzandu ke mo mondjombo! Nu hi yende pi?”
31 Nowo va toora ombanda ya Josef, nave zepa ongombo nave tjaveke ombanda ndji mombinḓu yayo. 32 Owo va tuma indji ombanda onde ku ihe nave tja: “Eṱe twe ripumu mombanda ndji. Kotji tara kutja oyomuatje woye.”
33 Neye we i zemburuka a tja: “Ii, oyo oyomuzandu wandje! Eye wa nyondororwa i otjipuka tjokuti.” 34 Jakob wa taura ozombanda ze na kutu otjipiriko okukondorokisa omavango we. Neye wa rira omuzandu we oruveze orure. 35 Ovazandu novasuko ve avehe ve ya okumuyarura omutima pehi. Nungwari wa panḓa okuyarurwa omutima pehi na tja: “Ami me riri omuzandu wandje, nga tji me pundu motjovakoke.” Ihe otja rira omuzandu we Josef. 36 Nu imba Ovamidian va karandisa Josef ku Potifar mOengipte, umwe movahongore va Farao, ngwa ri otjiuru tjovatjevere vondjuwo youhona.
