Genesis 44
Christian Standard Bible
Joseph’s Final Test
44 Joseph commanded his steward, “Fill the men’s bags with as much food as they can carry, and put each one’s silver at the top of his bag.(A) 2 Put my cup, the silver one, at the top of the youngest one’s bag, along with the silver for his grain.” So he did as Joseph told him.
3 At morning light, the men were sent off with their donkeys. 4 They had not gone very far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, “Get up. Pursue the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good? 5 Isn’t this the cup that my master drinks from and uses for divination?(B) What you have done is wrong!’”
6 When he overtook them, he said these words to them. 7 They said to him, “Why does my lord say these things? Your servants could not possibly do such a thing. 8 We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found at the top of our bags. How could we steal silver or gold from your master’s house? 9 If it is found with one of us, your servants, he must die, and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves.”(C)
10 The steward replied, “What you have said is right, but only the one who is found to have it will be my slave, and the rest of you will be blameless.”
11 So each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. 12 The steward searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13 Then they tore their clothes,(D) and each one loaded his donkey and returned to the city.
14 When Judah and his brothers reached Joseph’s house, he was still there. They fell to the ground before him.(E) 15 “What have you done?” Joseph said to them. “Didn’t you know that a man like me could uncover the truth by divination?”
16 “What can we say to my lord?” Judah replied. “How can we plead? How can we justify ourselves? God has exposed your servants’ iniquity. We are now my lord’s slaves—both we and the one in whose possession the cup was found.”
17 Then Joseph said, “I swear that I will not do this. The man in whose possession the cup was found will be my slave. The rest of you can go in peace to your father.”
Judah’s Plea for Benjamin
18 But Judah approached him and said, “My lord, please let your servant speak personally to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, for you are like Pharaoh.(F) 19 My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’ 20 and we answered my lord, ‘We have an elderly father and a younger brother, the child of his old age.(G) The boy’s brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’ 21 Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him to me so that I can see him.’(H) 22 But we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father. If he were to leave, his father would die.’ 23 Then you said to your servants, ‘If your younger brother does not come down with you, you will not see me again.’(I)
24 “This is what happened when we went back to your servant my father: We reported to him the words of my lord. 25 But our father said, ‘Go again, and buy us a little food.’(J) 26 We told him, ‘We cannot go down unless our younger brother goes with us. If our younger brother isn’t with us, we cannot see the man.’ 27 Your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons. 28 One is gone from me—I said he must have been torn to pieces—and I have never seen him again.(K) 29 If you also take this one from me and anything happens to him, you will bring my gray hairs down to Sheol in sorrow.’(L)
30 “So if I come to your servant my father and the boy is not with us—his life is wrapped up with the boy’s life— 31 when he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die. Then your servants will have brought the gray hairs of your servant our father down to Sheol in sorrow. 32 Your servant became accountable to my father for the boy, saying, ‘If I do not return him to you, I will always bear the guilt for sinning against you, my father.’(M) 33 Now please let your servant remain here as my lord’s slave, in place of the boy. Let him go back with his brothers. 34 For how can I go back to my father without the boy? I could not bear to see the grief that would overwhelm my father.”
Olubereberye 44
Endagaano Enkadde nʼEndagaano Empya
Ekikopo kya Ffeeza Kibula
44 (A)Awo Yusufu n’alagira omuweereza mu nnyumba ye nti, “Jjuza ensawo z’abasajja emmere nga bwe basobola okugyetikka, era oteeke ensimbi za buli omu mu nsawo ye. 2 Era oteeke ekikopo kyange, ekya ffeeza, mu kamwa k’ensawo ya muto waabwe, wamu n’ensimbi ze ez’okugula emmere.” N’akola nga Yusufu bwe yamugamba.
3 Emmambya eba evaayo abasajja ne basiibulwa n’endogoyi zaabwe. 4 (B)Bwe baali baakava mu kibuga Yusufu n’agamba omuweereza we nti, “Golokoka obagoberere bw’obatuukako obabuuze nti, ‘Lwaki musasudde ekibi olw’ebirungi? Lwaki mubbye ekikopo kyange ekya ffeeza? 5 (C)Mu kino mukama wange si mwanywera, era si kyalaguza? Mu ekyo mukoze bubi.’ ”
6 Bwe yabatuukako n’abategeeza ebigambo ebyo. 7 Ne bamugamba nti, “Mukama waffe lwaki ayogedde ebigambo ebyo? Olowooza tuli bantu ba ngeri ki abayinza okukola ekintu ng’ekyo? 8 (D)Laba, ensimbi ze twasanga ku mimwa gy’ensawo zaffe twazikuddiza okuva mu nsi ya Kanani, kale twandisobodde tutya okubba ffeeza oba zaabu okuva mu nnyumba ya mukama wo? 9 (E)Oyo gw’onookisanga nakyo mu ffe abaddu bo, afe, era naffe tuliba baddu ba mukama wange.”
10 N’abaddamu nti, “Kale kibeere nga bwe mwogedde, oyo anaasangibwa nakyo abeere muddu wange, naye abalala mu mmwe tewaabe abaako ky’avunaanwa.” 11 Amangwago buli omu nassa ensawo ye wansi n’agisumulula. 12 (F)N’alyoka abaaza ng’asookera ku asinga obukulu okutuuka ku asembayo obuto; ekikopo ne kisangibwa mu nsawo ya Benyamini. 13 (G)Awo ne bayuza engoye zaabwe, buli omu n’atikka endogoyi ye, ne baddayo mu kibuga.
Baganda ba Yusufu Bamuvuunamira
14 (H)Yusufu yali akyali mu nju, Yuda ne baganda be bwe baatuuka gy’ali, ne bagwa mu maaso ge ne bamuvuunamira. 15 (I)Yusufu n’abagamba nti, “Kiki kino kye mukoze? Temumanyi nti omuntu ali nga nze asobola okuvumbula kye mukoze?”
16 (J)Yuda n’addamu nti, “Tunaddamu ki mukama wange? Tunaayogera ki? Oba tuneggyako tutya omusango? Katonda avumbudde obwonoonyi bw’abaddu bo, laba tuli baddu ba mukama wange, ffenna, ffe n’oyo asangiddwa n’ekikopo.” 17 Yusufu n’addamu nti, “Ekyo sijja kukikola, wabula oyo asangiddwa n’ekikopo, y’anaaba omuddu wange, naye mmwe mwambuke mirembe, mutuuke eri kitammwe.”
Yuda Yeegayirira olwa Benyamini
18 (K)Awo Yuda n’alaga eri Yusufu n’agamba nti, “Ayi mukama wange nkusaba omuddu wo abeeko kyayogera gy’oli, n’obusungu bwo buleme kubuubuuka eri omuddu wo; kubanga oli nga Falaawo yennyini. 19 (L)Mukama wange yabuuza abaweereza be nti, ‘Mulina kitammwe oba muganda wammwe?’ 20 (M)Ne tuddamu mukama wange nti, ‘Tulina kitaffe, musajja mukulu, ne muganda waffe atusinga obuto, omwana gwe yazaala mu bukadde bwe, ne muganda wa muto waffe, yafa; muto waffe yekka y’aliwo, eyasigalawo yekka ku baana ba nnyina; era kitaawe amwagala nnyo.’
21 (N)“N’olyoka ogamba abaddu bo nti, ‘Mumundeetere, mmulabeko.’ 22 (O)Twategeeza mukama wange nti, ‘Omulenzi tayinza kuva ku kitaawe, kubanga bw’amuvaako, kitaawe alifa bufi!’ 23 (P)N’oddamu abaddu bo nti, ‘Muto wammwe bw’ataliserengeta nammwe, temugenda kulaba maaso gange.’ 24 Bwe twaddayo eri omuddu wo kitaffe, twamutegeeza ebigambo ebyo, mukama wange. 25 (Q)Kale kitaffe bwe yagamba nti, ‘Muddeeyo mutugulire ku mmere,’ 26 ne tumuddamu nti, ‘Tetusobola kuserengeta. Muto waffe bw’atagenda naffe tetujja kugenda kubanga tetusobola kulaba maaso ga musajja oli nga muto waffe tali naffe.’
27 (R)“Awo omuddu wo, kitaffe n’atugamba nti, ‘Mumanyi, mukazi wange yanzaalira abaana abalenzi babiri; 28 (S)omu yambulako, ne njogera nti mazima yataagulwataagulwa; era siddangayo kumulaba. 29 (T)Bwe muntwalako n’ono, akabi ne kamutuukako, muliserengesa envi zange emagombe nga nkungubaga.’
30 (U)“Kale kaakano, bwe nzirayo eri omuddu wo kitange ng’omulenzi tali naffe, obulamu bwe nga bwe bunyweredde ku bw’omulenzi, 31 bw’anaalaba ng’omulenzi tali naffe, ajja kufa, n’abaddu bo baliserengesa envi z’omuddu wo kitaffe emagombe ng’akyakungubagira omwana we. 32 (V)Kubanga omuweereza wo yeeyimirira omulenzi eri kitange; nga ŋŋamba nti, ‘Bwe sirimuzza gy’oli ndiba n’obuvunaanyizibwa n’okunenyezebwa ennaku zonna ez’obulamu bwange.’
33 (W)“Kale kaakano nkwegayirira, omuddu wo nsigale ng’omuddu wa mukama wange, mu kifo ky’omulenzi; omulenzi omuleke addeyo ne baganda be. 34 (X)Kale n’addayo ntya eri kitange ng’omulenzi tali nange? Ntya okulaba akabi akayinza okutuuka ku kitange.”
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