The Missing Cup
1 Joseph commanded the servant in charge of his house, “Fill the men's sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man's money in the top of his sack. 2 Put my silver cup in the top of the youngest brother's sack, together with the money for his grain.” He did as he was told. 3 Early in the morning the brothers were sent on their way with their donkeys. 4 When they had gone only a short distance from the city, Joseph said to the servant in charge of his house, “Hurry after those men. When you catch up with them, ask them, ‘Why have you paid back evil for good? 5 Why did you steal my master's silver cup? It is the one he drinks from, the one he uses for divination. You have committed a serious crime!’”
6 When the servant caught up with them, he repeated these words. 7 They answered him, “What do you mean, sir, by talking like this? We swear that we have done no such thing. 8 You know that we brought back to you from the land of Canaan the money we found in the top of our sacks. Why then should we steal silver or gold from your master's house? 9 Sir, if any one of us is found to have it, he will be put to death, and the rest of us will become your slaves.”
10 He said, “I agree; but only the one who has taken the cup will become my slave, and the rest of you can go free.” 11 So they quickly lowered their sacks to the ground, and each man opened his sack. 12 Joseph's servant searched carefully, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. 13 The brothers tore their clothes in sorrow, loaded their donkeys, and returned to the city.
14 When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, he was still there. They bowed down before him, 15 and Joseph said, “What have you done? Didn't you know that a man in my position could find you out by practicing divination?”
16 “What can we say to you, sir?” Judah answered. “How can we argue? How can we clear ourselves? God has uncovered our guilt. All of us are now your slaves and not just the one with whom the cup was found.”
17 Joseph said, “Oh, no! I would never do that! Only the one who had the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go back safe and sound to your father.”
Judah Pleads for Benjamin
18 Judah went up to Joseph and said, “Please, sir, allow me to speak with you freely. Don't be angry with me; you are like the king himself. 19 Sir, you asked us, ‘Do you have a father or another brother?’ 20 We answered, ‘We have a father who is old and a younger brother, born to him in his old age. The boy's brother is dead, and he is the only one of his mother's children still alive; his father loves him very much.’ 21 Sir, you told us to bring him here, so that you could see him, 22 and we answered that the boy could not leave his father; if he did, his father would die. 23 Then you said, ‘You will not be admitted to my presence again unless your youngest brother comes with you.’
24 “When we went back to our father, we told him what you had said. 25 Then he told us to return and buy a little food. 26 We answered, ‘We cannot go; we will not be admitted to the man's presence unless our youngest brother is with us. We can go only if our youngest brother goes also.’ 27 Our father said to us, ‘You know that my wife Rachel bore me only two sons. 28 One of them has already left me. He must have been torn to pieces by wild animals, because I have not seen him since he left. 29 If you take this one from me now and something happens to him, the sorrow you would cause me would kill me, as old as I am.’
30-31 “And now, sir,” Judah continued, “if I go back to my father without the boy, as soon as he sees that the boy is not with me, he will die. His life is wrapped up with the life of the boy, and he is so old that the sorrow we would cause him would kill him. 32 What is more, I pledged my life to my father for the boy. I told him that if I did not bring the boy back to him, I would bear the blame all my life. 33 And now, sir, I will stay here as your slave in place of the boy; let him go back with his brothers. 34 How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I cannot bear to see this disaster come upon my father.”
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.”
