The Missing Cup
1-2 Later, Joseph told the servant in charge of his house, “Fill the men's grain sacks with as much as they can hold and put their money in the sacks. Also put my silver cup in the sack of the youngest brother.” The servant did as he was told.
3 Early the next morning, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys. 4 But they had not gone far from the city when Joseph told the servant, “Go after those men! When you catch them, say, ‘My master has been good to you. So why have you stolen his silver cup? 5 Not only does he drink from his cup, but he also uses it to learn about the future. You have done a terrible thing.’ ”
6 When the servant caught up with them, he said exactly what Joseph had told him to say. 7 But they replied, “Sir, why do you say such things? We would never do anything like that! 8 We even returned the money we found in our grain sacks when we got back to Canaan. So why would we want to steal any silver or gold from your master's house? 9 If you find that one of us has the cup, then kill him, and the rest of us will become your slaves.”
10 “Good!” the man replied, “I'll do what you have said. But only the one who has the cup will become my slave. The rest of you can go free.”
11 Each of the brothers quickly put his sack on the ground and opened it. 12 Joseph's servant started searching the sacks, beginning with the one that belonged to the oldest brother. When he came to Benjamin's sack, he found the cup. 13 This upset the brothers so much that they began tearing their clothes in sorrow. Then they loaded their donkeys and returned to the city.
14 When Judah and his brothers got there, Joseph was still at home. So they bowed down to Joseph, 15 who asked them, “What have you done? Didn't you know I could find out?”
16 “Sir, what can we say?” Judah replied. “How can we say we are innocent, when God has shown we are guilty? And now all of us are your slaves, especially the one who had the cup.”
17 Joseph told them, “I would never punish all of you. Only the one who was caught with the cup will become my slave. The rest of you are free to go home to your father.”
Judah Pleads for Benjamin
18 Judah went over to Joseph and said:
Sir, you have as much power as the king himself, and I am only your slave. Please don't get angry if I speak. 19 You asked us if our father was still alive and if we had any more brothers. 20 So we told you, “Our father is a very old man. In fact, he was already old when Benjamin was born. Benjamin's brother is dead. Now Benjamin is the only one of the two brothers who is still alive, and our father loves him very much.”
21 You ordered us to bring him here, so you could see him for yourself. 22 We told you that our father would die if Benjamin left him. 23 But you warned us that we could never see you again, unless our youngest brother came with us. 24 So we returned to our father and reported what you had said.
25 Later our father sent us back here to buy more grain. 26 But we told him, “We can't go back to Egypt without our youngest brother. We will never be let in to see the governor, unless he is with us.”
27 Sir, our father then reminded us that his favorite wife had given birth to two sons. 28 One of them was already missing and had not been seen for a long time. My father thinks the boy was torn to pieces by some wild animal, 29 and he said, “I am an old man. If you take Benjamin from me, and something happens to him, I will die of a broken heart.”
30 That's why Benjamin must be with us when I go back to my father. He loves him so much 31 that he will die if Benjamin doesn't come back with me. 32 I promised my father that I would bring him safely home. If I don't, I told my father he could blame me the rest of my life.
33 Sir, I am your slave. Please let me stay here in place of Benjamin and let him return home with his brothers. 34 How can I face my father if Benjamin isn't with me? I couldn't bear to see my father in such sorrow.
Mila kwe kopi
1 Josefa kadwa ntjengeti we ng'umba iye kati, “Pakila balume ibaba zojiwa zwabangatubula senga mu hwomo dzabo, ube ulonga mari e mmwe ne mmwe wabo mu hwomo iye. 2 Ulonge kopi yangu mu hwomo ye nnung'una wabo kose ne mari e mathunde awe.” Ngono kathama sekwa adwiwa ndi Josefa. 3 Tjimuka mangwanana balume ibabo bakatola gwendo gwabo ne madonki abo. 4 Kukati batjadwa pa bhuda koga mu nzi basathu bakabe kule, Josefa kadwa ntjengeti we ng'umba iye kati, “Tobela balume ibabaje, uti ubabhata uti ku bali, ‘Mobuzililani ndulamo nge mbipo kene? 5 Apa ate ili iyo kopi inong'wa na tetshi wangu kabuya kakandila ndiyo kene? Mathama nlandu usinshoma!’ ”
6 Kati ebabhata mu zila kabgwilulula matama aapiwa ku bali. 7 Balume ibabo bakashandula beti, “Kwatini tetshi wedu etilebesa nge matama akajali? Iswi balanda benyu atingathame tjithu tjakajali! 8 Naiko takabuya tidwa ku Kanana tikazha ne mari atakawana mu milomo ye hwomo dzedu. Ndizo wali, tingakwiba siliva kene golide mu ng'umba ya tetshi wedu tjini? 9 Mmwe wedu ha angawang'wa anayo ngaabulawe, basala banowobe balanda benyu.”
10 Ntjengeti kabe eti, “Kwakalulwama, ngakube sekwa maleba. Iye unowowang'wa anayo unowobe nlanda wangu, bamwe ibo banowobe basununguka.” 11 Tjinyolotjo mmwe ne mmwe wabo kabelesenula hwomo iye kaigadza pasi kaizhula. 12 Ipapo ntjengeti katangisa kafunyungudza kudwa mu hwola yabo kunoti mu ntjetjana pabali bose. Ngono kopi ikawang'wa mu hwomo ya Bhenjamini. 13 Balume ibabo bakapalula zwiambalo zwabo. Bakabelesa donki dzabo bakabgwilila ku nzi.
14 Juda ne bakulu babe ne banung'una babe bakaswika bewana Josefa atjiyapo mu ng'umba. Ngono bakanthigamila. 15 Josefa kati ku bali, “Ini ikoku kwamathama? Amutoziba kuti nlume unonga imi ungabona zwithu nge kukandila?”
16 Juda kashandula eti, “Tingatini dumbu kuna tetshi wedu? Tingatini? Tingalakidza tjini kusabe nlandu kwedu? Ndzimu wazumbunula nlandu we balanda benyu. Tabe balanda ba tetshi wedu ngwenu, iswi tose ne wawang'wa ana kopi.” 17 Koga Josefa kabe eti, “Aa! Andingashinge tjithu tjakajalo! Nthu wawang'wa ana kopi koga ndiye unowobe nlanda wangu. Imwi bamwe mose bgwililani kuna tate benyu nge mbakiso.”
Juda unokumbilila Bhenjamini
18 Ipapo Juda kasedzela panli kati, “Ndomukumbila tetshi, letjani nlanda wenyu alebeleke namwi. Nenguba mulizana na Faro musitongo gwadzila moyo nlanda wenyu. 19 Tetshi wedu wakabhuzwa balanda babe kati, ‘Apa muna tate kene nnung'una?’ 20 Tikadabila titi, ‘Tina tate bakwegula ne nnung'una wedu wakazwagwa tate bakula. Nkulu uwe wakatjinyika, ndizo iye ndiye yega mwana wa mmeyabe wakasala. Tate babe banon'da kwazo.’ 21 Ndiko imwi mukabe muti ku balanda benyu, ‘Kazheni naye kuti ndizwibonegwe.’ 22 Ngono iswi tikashandula tetshi wedu titi, ‘Mbisana iwoyu aangathubukane na tate babe ngoti ha angathubukana na tate babe banowofa.’ 23 Ndizo imwi mukabe muti, ‘Ha musabuya ne nnung'una wenyu anditoda ne kumubona.’
24 “Takati tabgwilila kuna tate bangu nlanda wenyu, tikababudza tjalebgwa ndimwi tetshi wedu. 25 Kwakati tate bedu beti, ‘Bgwililani munotengela zojiwa zwishomanana,’ 26 iswi tikadabila titi, ‘Atingayende. Tingayenda koga nnung'una wedu anaswi. Nlume iwouje aatoshaka kutibona nge mesho ha tisina nnung'una wedu.’ 27 Nlanda wenyu tate bedu bakabe beti ku tili, ‘Moziba kuti nkadzi wangu Rahele wakandizwalila bakololo babili. 28 Mmwe wabo wakandisiya ngono abe nditi, “Wakazandabugwa.” Ndizo andizodwa ambona kudwa ipapo. 29 Ha munditolela iwoyu kakale tjimwe tjibi tjibe tjinshingikalila, mowobe mathama kuti nsholo wangu ntjena unongina mu ikumbu nge shungu.’
30 “Ha tibgwilila kuna tate bedu, mbisana asinaswi, se butjilo gwabo guli mbisana, 31 bangafa ha basingambone. 32 Imi nlanda wenyu ndakatuna kuna tate nditi, ‘Ha ndingasabuya naye ndowobe nlandu kumuli bupenyu gwangu gose.’ 33 Ndizo ndokumbila kuti imi nlanda wenyu ndisale ndili nlanda wenyu mu bumo gwe mbisana, iye abgwilile ne bakulu babe. 34 Ndingabgwilila tjini ndisina mbisana? Andingamilane nge kubona tate bali mu zogwadza.”