1 So Joseph took five of his brothers and went to the king. He told him, “My father and my brothers have come from Canaan with their flocks, their herds, and all that they own. They are now in the region of Goshen.” 2 He then presented his brothers to the king. 3 The king asked them, “What is your occupation?”
“We are shepherds, sir, just as our ancestors were,” they answered. 4 “We have come to live in this country, because in the land of Canaan the famine is so severe that there is no pasture for our flocks. Please give us permission to live in the region of Goshen.” 5 The king said to Joseph, “Now that your father and your brothers have arrived, 6 the land of Egypt is theirs. Let them settle in the region of Goshen, the best part of the land. And if there are any capable men among them, put them in charge of my own livestock.”
7 Then Joseph brought his father Jacob and presented him to the king. Jacob gave the king his blessing, 8 and the king asked him, “How old are you?”
9 Jacob answered, “My life of wandering has lasted a hundred and thirty years. Those years have been few and difficult, unlike the long years of my ancestors in their wanderings.” 10 Jacob gave the king a farewell blessing and left. 11 Then Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egypt, giving them property in the best of the land near the city of Rameses, as the king had commanded. 12 Joseph provided food for his father, his brothers, and all the rest of his father's family, including the very youngest.
The Famine
13 The famine was so severe that there was no food anywhere, and the people of Egypt and Canaan became weak with hunger. 14 As they bought grain, Joseph collected all the money and took it to the palace. 15 When all the money in Egypt and Canaan was spent, the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us food! Don't let us die. Do something! Our money is all gone.”
16 Joseph answered, “Bring your livestock; I will give you food in exchange for it if your money is all gone.” 17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, sheep, goats, cattle, and donkeys. That year he supplied them with food in exchange for all their livestock.
18 The following year they came to him and said, “We will not hide the fact from you, sir, that our money is all gone and our livestock belongs to you. There is nothing left to give you except our bodies and our lands. 19 Don't let us die. Do something! Don't let our fields be deserted. Buy us and our land in exchange for food. We will be the king's slaves, and he will own our land. Give us grain to keep us alive and seed so that we can plant our fields.”
20 Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for the king. Every Egyptian was forced to sell his land, because the famine was so severe; and all the land became the king's property. 21 Joseph made slaves of the people from one end of Egypt to the other. 22 The only land he did not buy was the land that belonged to the priests. They did not have to sell their lands, because the king gave them an allowance to live on. 23 Joseph said to the people, “You see, I have now bought you and your lands for the king. Here is seed for you to sow in your fields. 24 At the time of harvest you must give one-fifth to the king. You can use the rest for seed and for food for yourselves and your families.”
25 They answered, “You have saved our lives; you have been good to us, sir, and we will be the king's slaves.” 26 So Joseph made it a law for the land of Egypt that one-fifth of the harvest should belong to the king. This law still remains in force today. Only the lands of the priests did not become the king's property.
Jacob's Last Request
27 The Israelites lived in Egypt in the region of Goshen, where they became rich and had many children. 28 Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years, until he was a hundred and forty-seven years old. 29 When the time drew near for him to die, he called for his son Joseph and said to him, “Place your hand between my thighs and make a solemn vow that you will not bury me in Egypt. 30 I want to be buried where my fathers are; carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried.”
Joseph answered, “I will do as you say.”
31 Jacob said, “Make a vow that you will.” Joseph made the vow, and Jacob gave thanks there on his bed.
1 Josef otja karaera Farao na tja: “Tate nomarumbi wandje ve ya okuza kOkanaan nozonyanda nozongombe na avihe, mbi ve na vyo. Owo nambano ve ri morukondwa rwehi ra Gosen.” 2 Neye wa toorora omarumbi we vetano ne ve eta ku Farao. 3 Nu Farao we ve pura a tja: “Oviungura vyeṋu ovingeungura?”
Nowo ve mu zira nai: “Oweṱe ovarise, muhona, tjimuna ootate mukururume tji va ri. 4 Nu twe ya okutura mehi ndi otja ovozonganda, muhona, orondu mehi ra Kanaan mu nourumbu tjinene nu kamu nomaryo kovinamuinyo vyetu. Arikana, muhona, tu esa tu ture mehi ra Gosen.” 5 Farao arire tja tja ku Josef: “Iho nomarumbi woye ve ya kove. 6 Ehi ra Engipte kove ri ri kamwaha. Turisa iho nomarumbi woye komukuma mbu ri omuwamuwa mehi. Va pu pokukatura mehi ra Gosen. Nu tji mo tjiwa ovarumendu tjiva ovaṱakame mu wo, ve pa ve ṱakamise ovinamuinyo imbi ovyandje omuini.”
7 Nu Josef wa eta ihe Jakob komurungu wa Farao. Nu Jakob wa sera Farao ondaya. 8 Nu Farao wa pura Jakob a tja: “U nozombura ngapi?”
9 Nu Jakob wa zira a tja: “Ozombura zouyenda wandje kombanda yehi za vaza esere nomirongo vitatu. Ozombura nḓa za ri ouṱiṱi, nu za ri neputi, kaze ṱeki pozombura inḓa zootate mukururume.” 10 Jakob arire tja virikiza Farao nokumusera ondaya, na i. 11 Josef arire tja turisa ihe nomarumbi we mehi ra Engipte, ne ve pe ovirongo momahi inga omawa mehi ra Ramses otja Farao punga a rakiza. 12 Josef wa yandja ovikurya ku ihe na komarumbi we na konganda aihe ya ihe otja kotjivaro tjozondekurona.
Ouhona wa Josef moruveze rwourumbu
13 Ourumbu wa ri ounene tjinene, nga tji pe ha ri ovikurya mehi arihe, novandu va Engipte nOvakanaan va ngundiparisiwa i ondjara. 14 Nu Josef wa wonga ovimariva vyovandu va Engipte nOvakanaan, mbi va randa na vyo ovikokotwa. Neye wa eta imbi ovimariva kondjuwo youhona ya Farao. 15 Novimariva avihe mOengipte na mOkanaan tji vya manuka, Ovaengipte avehe ve ya ku Josef nave tja: “Tu pao ovikurya, o tu tarere amatu koka; tjita otjiṋa! Ovimariva vyetu avihe vya manuka.”
16 Nu Josef wa tja: “Eteye ovinamuinyo vyeṋu, nu ami me mu pe mo ovikurya okupimbasana, ovimariva vyeṋu avihe tji vya manuka.” 17 Owo tji va eta ovinamuinyo vyawo ku Josef, eye we ve pa ovikurya mokupimbasana noukambe nozonḓu nozongombo nozongombe nousino. Ombura ndjo Josef we ve pa ovikurya mokupimbasana novinamuinyo vyawo avihe.
18 Ombura ndjo tji ya kapita ve ya ku Josef ave tja: “Eṱe katu nokuhoreka ouatjiri kove, muhona, kutja ovimariva vyetu avihe vya manuka, nokutja ovinamuinyo vyetu vya rire ovyoye. Kape na tji tja hupa okuyandja kove posi yotutu twetu novikunino vyetu. 19 Mo tu tarere tjike amatu koka nokupandjara ovikunino vyetu? Tjita otjiṋa! Tu randa puna ovikunino vyetu okupimbasana novikurya. Matu rire ovakarere va Farao, neye ma rire omuini wovikunino vyetu. Tu pao ozondwi kutja atu ha ṱondjara nehi ari ha ṱu.”
20 Josef wa randera Farao ovikunino avihe mOengipte. Omuengipte auhe wa randisa okuti kwe, ondjara tjinga aya ri onḓeu. Ehi arihe otji ra rira ora Farao. 21 Josef wa tjita imba ovandu avehe okurira ovakarere, okuza kotjikoro tja Engipte nga komayandero waro. 22 Ehi porwaro nde ha randere oro ndi nda ri orovapristeri. Orondu ovapristeri tjinga ave pewa ondjambi onḓikame i Farao, nowo ave hupu mondjambi ndji. Opuyave ha zu okurandisa ovikunino vyawo. 23 Josef arire tja tja kovandu: “Tareye, ami mbe mu randa puna ovikunino vyeṋu mu rire ova Farao. Ozondwi ozo nḓa, kuneye movikunino vyeṋu. 24 Moruveze rwomakondero mamu sokuyandja okarupa kemwe inga oketjatano ku Farao. Ovikokotwa mbya hupu, okutja oyeṋu vyokukuna nokurira ovikurya vyeṋu novymomuhoko novyovanatje veṋu.”
25 Owo va zira nave tja: “Ove wa yama ominyo vyetu. Nu arikana, ngatu mune otjari momeho womuhona wetu, neṱe matu rire ovakarere va Farao.” 26 Komuhingo mbwi Josef otja twa po etwako ezikame mehi ra Engipte ndi ri po nga ku ndinondi kutja okarupa oketjatano kovikondwa ma ke rire oka Farao. Ehi orini rovapristeri ondi ha ririre ora Farao.
Ombango osenina ya Jakob
27 Ovaisrael otji va tura mOengipte mehi ra Gosen. Owo va tumba nave kara novanatje ovengi. 28 Nu Jakob wa tura mehi ra Engipte ozombura omurongo na hambombari, nga tja kara notjiwondo tjozombura esere rimwe nomirongo vine na hambombari. 29 Noruveze rwokukoka kwa Israel tji rwa yenena wa isana omuzandu we Josef na tja ku ye: “Arikana ripeta ku ami; twa eke roye kevango randje nu ndji yanena kutja mo kara omunarusuvero nomuṱakame ku ami, no he ndji paka mOengipte. 30 Ami me vanga okukapakwa pootate; ndji toora okuza mehi ra Engipte nu u kendjipake pomaendo wawo.”
Josef wa zira na tja ku ye: “Ii, ami me tjiti otja pu mo hee.”
31 Israel wa tja ku ye: “Ndji yanena kutja otji mo tjiti.” Nu Josef we mu yanena, nu Israel we ripeta kotjiuru tjombete ye na kumbu.
