Genesis 37
1 Jacob continued to live in the Canaan region where his father had lived previously.
Yakobo akaishi Kanaani katika nchi ambayo baba yake alikuwa ameishi.
2 (This is/I will now tell you) what happened to Jacob’s family. When his son Joseph was 17 years old, he was taking care of the flocks of sheep and goats with some of his older brothers. They were sons of his father’s (concubines/female slaves that he had taken to be his secondary wives). Joseph sometimes told his father about bad things that his brothers were doing.
Zifuatazo ni habari za Yakobo. Yosefu, kijana wa miaka kumi na saba, alikuwa akichunga makundi ya kondoo na mbuzi pamoja na ndugu zake wa mama wengine, yaani wana wa Bilha na wana wa Zilpa wake za baba yake, naye akawa akimletea baba yake taarifa mbaya kuhusu hao ndugu zake.
3 Jacob loved Joseph more than he loved any of his other children, because Joseph had been born when Jacob was an old man. Jacob made for Joseph a long pretty robe that had long sleeves.
Basi, Israeli akampenda Yosefu kuliko yeyote miongoni mwa kaka zake, kwani ni mwanawe wa uzeeni, akamshonea joho lililorembwa vizuri sana.
4 When Joseph’s older brothers realized that their father loved him more than he loved any of them, they hated him. They never spoke kindly to him.
Ndugu zake walipoona kwamba baba yao anampenda Yosefu kuliko yeyote mwingine miongoni mwao, walimchukia na hawakusema naye neno lolote jema.
5 One night Joseph had a dream. He told his brothers about the dream.
Yosefu akaota ndoto, naye alipowaeleza ndugu zake, wakamchukia zaidi.
6 He said to them, “Listen to the dream I had!
Akawaambia, “Sikilizeni ndoto niliyoota:
7 In the dream, we were tying up bundles of wheat in the field. Suddenly my bundle stood up straight, and surprisingly, your bundles gathered around my bundle and bowed down to it!”
Tulikuwa tukifunga miganda ya nafaka shambani, ghafula mganda wangu ukasimama wima, wakati miganda yenu ikiuzunguka na kuuinamia.”
8 His brothers said to him, “Do you think that some day you will rule over us? Are you [saying that some day] you are going to be our king?” [RHQ] They hated him even more than before because of what he had told them about his dream.
Ndugu zake wakamwambia, “Wewe unakusudia kututawala? Hivi kweli wewe utatutawala sisi?” Wakaongeza kumchukia zaidi kwa sababu ya ndoto yake pamoja na yale aliyowaambia.
9 Later he had another dream, and again he told his older brothers about it. He said, “Listen to this! I had another dream. In this dream, the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me!”
Kisha akaota ndoto nyingine, akawaambia ndugu zake akisema, “Sikilizeni, nimeota ndoto nyingine, wakati huu jua, mwezi na nyota kumi na moja zilikuwa zinanisujudia.”
10 He also told his father about it. His father rebuked him, saying “What are you suggesting by that dream [RHQ]? Do you think it means that your mother and I and your older brothers will some day bow down to the ground in front of you?” [RHQ]
Alipomwambia baba yake pamoja na ndugu zake, baba yake akamkemea akisema, “Ni ndoto gani hii uliyoota? Hivi kweli mama yako na mimi na ndugu zako tutakuja kukusujudia wewe hadi nchi?”
11 Joseph’s older brothers were furious/angry with him, but his father just kept thinking about what the dream meant.
Ndugu zake wakamwonea wivu, lakini baba yake akaliweka jambo hilo moyoni.
12 One day Joseph’s older brothers went to take care of their father’s sheep and goats that were eating grass near Shechem.
Basi, ndugu zake walikuwa wamekwenda kuchunga makundi ya baba yao karibu na Shekemu,
13 Some time later, Jacob said to Joseph, “Your brothers are taking care of the sheep and goats near Shechem [RHQ]. I am going to send you there to see them.” Joseph replied, “Okay.”
naye Israeli akamwambia Yosefu, “Kama ujuavyo, ndugu zako wanachunga makundi huko karibu na Shekemu. Njoo, nitakutuma kwao.” Yosefu akajibu, “Vema sana, niko tayari.”
14 Jacob said, “Go and see if they are doing okay, and if the flocks are doing okay. Then come back and give me a report.” So Jacob sent Joseph from [the valley where they were living], the valley where Hebron is located, [to go north] to find his brothers. When Joseph arrived near Shechem [city],
Kwa hiyo akamwambia, “Nenda uone kama mambo yote ni salama kwa ndugu zako na makundi, kisha uniletee habari.” Ndipo akamtuma Yosefu kutoka Bonde la Hebroni. Yosefu alipofika Shekemu,
15 while he was wandering around in the fields looking/searching for his brothers, a man saw him and asked him, “Whom are you looking/searching for?”
mtu mmoja akamkuta akizungukazunguka mashambani na akamuuliza, “Unatafuta nini?”
16 Joseph replied, “I am looking for my older brothers. Can you tell me where they are taking care of their sheep and goats?”
Akajibu, “Ninawatafuta ndugu zangu. Unaweza kuniambia wanachunga wapi makundi yao?”
17 The man replied, “They are not here any more. I heard one of them saying, ‘Let’s take the sheep and goats and go to Dothan [town].’” So Joseph left there and went north, and found his older brothers near Dothan.
Yule mtu akajibu, “Wamehama hapa. Nilisikia wakisema, ‘Twende Dothani.’” Kwa hiyo Yosefu akawafuatilia ndugu zake na kuwakuta karibu na Dothani.
18 But they saw him when he was still far away, and they decided to kill him.
Ndugu zake walipomwona akiwa mbali, kabla hajawafikia, wakapanga shauri baya la kumuua.
19 They said to each other [things like], “Here comes that dreamer!”
Wakaambiana, “Yule mwota ndoto anakuja!
20 and “Hey, let’s kill him, and then throw his body into one of the pits/cisterns. Then we will tell people that a ferocious/wild animal attacked and killed him and ate him. And then we will (find out whether his dreams come true/make sure that his dreams do not come true)!”
Njooni sasa, tumuue na kumtupa katika shimo mojawapo na tuseme kwamba mnyama mkali amemrarua. Kisha tutaona matokeo ya ndoto zake.”
21 Reuben heard what they were saying, so he tried to persuade them not to kill [MTY] Joseph. He said, “No, we should not kill him.
Reubeni aliposikia jambo hili, akajaribu kumwokoa kutoka mikononi mwao akasema, “Tusiutoe uhai wake.
22 Do not even shed his blood! We can throw him into this pit/cistern in the desert, but we should not harm him [MTY].” He said that, and then left them, planning to rescue Joseph later and take him back to his father.
Tusimwage damu yoyote. Mtupeni katika shimo lililoko hapa jangwani, lakini msimguse.” Reubeni alisema hivyo ili amwokoe kutoka mikononi mwao, kisha amrudishe nyumbani kwa baba yake.
23 So when Joseph arrived where his older brothers were, they seized him and ripped off his pretty robe with long sleeves.
Kwa hiyo Yosefu alipowafikia ndugu zake, walimvua lile joho lake, lile joho lililorembwa vizuri alilokuwa amevaa.
24 Then they took him and threw him into the pit/cistern. But the pit/cistern was dry; there was no water in it.
Kisha wakamchukua wakamtupa katika shimo. Wakati huo shimo lilikuwa tupu, halikuwa na maji ndani yake.
25 After they sat down to eat some food, they looked up and saw a (caravan/group [of traders]), descendants of Ishmael, coming from the Gilead area. Their camels were loaded with bags of spices and nice-smelling resins. They were going down to Egypt to sell those things there.
Walipokaa ili wale chakula chao, wakainua macho wakaona msafara wa Waishmaeli ukija kutoka Gileadi. Ngamia wao walikuwa wamepakizwa mizigo ya vikolezo, uvumba na manemane, nao walikuwa njiani kuvipeleka Misri.
26 Judah said to his [older and younger] brothers, “If we kill our younger brother and hide his body, (what will we gain?/we will not gain anything!) [RHQ]
Yuda akawaambia ndugu zake, “Tutafaidi nini ikiwa tutamuua ndugu yetu na kuificha damu yake?
27 So, instead of harming him, let’s sell him to these men who are descendants of Ishmael. Don’t forget, he is our own younger brother!” So they all agreed to do that.
Njooni, tumuuze kwa hawa Waishmaeli. Tusimguse, kwa kuwa hata hivyo yeye ni ndugu yetu, nyama yetu na damu yetu wenyewe.” Ndugu zake wakakubali.
28 When those traders from the Midian area came near, Joseph’s brothers pulled him up out of the pit/cistern. Then they sold him to the men from Midian for 20 pieces of silver. The traders then took Joseph to Egypt.
Kwa hiyo wale wafanyabiashara Wamidiani walipofika pale, ndugu zake wakamtoa Yosefu kutoka kwenye lile shimo, na kumuuza kwa shekeli ishirini za fedha kwa wale Waishmaeli, ambao walimpeleka Misri.
29 When Reuben returned to the pit/cistern, he saw that his younger brother was not there. He was so grieved that he tore his clothes.
Reubeni aliporudi kutazama kwenye lile shimo na kuona kwamba Yosefu hayupo, alirarua nguo zake.
30 He went back to his [younger] brothers and said, “The boy is not in the pit/cistern! What can I do now?” [RHQ]
Akawarudia ndugu zake na kusema, “Kijana hayuko mle! Nielekee wapi sasa?”
31 [Joseph’s brothers did not dare to tell their father what they had done. So, they decided to invent a story about what had happened]. They got Joseph’s robe. Then they killed a goat and dipped the robe in the goat’s blood.
Kisha wakalichukua lile joho la Yosefu, wakachinja mbuzi na kulichovya katika damu.
32 They took that pretty robe back to their father and said, “We found this robe! Look at it. Is it your son’s robe?”
Wakalichukua lile joho lililorembwa vizuri na kulipeleka kwa baba yao na kusema, “Tumeliokota hili joho. Uchunguze uone kama ni la mwanao.”
33 He recognized it, and he said, “Yes, it is my son’s robe! Some ferocious/wild animal must have attacked and killed him! I am sure that the animal has torn Joseph to pieces!”
Baba yao akalitambua akasema, “Hili ni joho la mwanangu! Mnyama mkali amemrarua. Hakika Yosefu ameraruliwa vipande vipande.”
34 Jacob was so grieved that he tore his clothes. He put on (sackcloth/clothes that people wear when they are mourning for someone who has died). He mourned/cried for his son for many days.
Kisha Yakobo akararua nguo zake, akavaa nguo ya gunia na kumwombolezea mwanawe kwa siku nyingi.
35 All of his children came to try to comfort him, but he did not pay attention to what they said. He said, “No, I will still be mourning/crying when I die and go to be with my son.” So Joseph’s father continued to cry because of what had happened to his son. (Sheol h7585)
Wanawe wote na binti zake wakaja kumfariji, lakini hakukubali kufarijiwa. Akasema, “Hapana, nitamwombolezea mwanangu mpaka nimfikie kaburini.” Kwa hiyo baba yake akaendelea kumlilia. (Sheol h7585)
36 In the meantime, the men/traders from Midian took Joseph to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar, who was one of the king’s officials. He was the captain of the soldiers who protected the king.
Wakati ule ule, Wamidiani wakamuuza Yosefu huko Misri kwa Potifa, mmojawapo wa maafisa wa Farao, aliyekuwa mkuu wa ulinzi.
