1
Yakobo akakaa katika nchi aliyosafiri baba yake, katika nchi ya Kanaani.
Now Jacob lived in the land where his father had resided, the land of Canaan.
2
Hivi ndivyo vizazi vya Yakobo. Yusufu, aliyekuwa mwenye miaka kumi na saba, alikuwa akichunga kondoo pamoja na ndugu zake; naye alikuwa kijana pamoja na wana wa Bilha, na wana wa Zilpa, wake wa baba yake. Yusufu akamletea baba yao habari zao mbaya.
This is the account of Jacob. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he was tending the flock with his brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah, and he brought their father a bad report about them.
3
Basi Israeli akampenda Yusufu kuliko wanawe wote, maana ni mwana wa uzee wake, akamfanyia kanzu ndefu.
Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons, because Joseph had been born to him in his old age; so he made him a robe of many colors.
4
Ndugu zake wakaona ya kuwa baba yao anampenda kuliko ndugu zake wote, wakamchukia, wala hawakuweza kusema naye kwa amani.
When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.
5
Yusufu akaota ndoto, akawapa ndugu zake habari, nao wakazidi kumchukia;
Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more.
6
akawaambia, Tafadhalini, sikieni ndoto hii niliyoiota.
He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had:
7
Tazama, sisi tulikuwa tukifunga miganda shambani, kumbe! Mganda wangu ukaondoka ukasimama, na tazama, miganda yenu ikazunguka ikainama mbele ya mganda wangu.
We were binding sheaves of grain in the field, and suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to mine.”
8
Ndugu zake wakamwambia, Je! Kweli wewe utatumiliki sisi? Nawe utatutawala sisi? Wakazidi kumchukia kwa ajili ya ndoto yake, na kwa maneno yake.
“Do you intend to reign over us?” his brothers asked. “Will you actually rule us?” So they hated him even more because of his dream and his statements.
9
Akaota tena ndoto nyingine, akawaambia ndugu zake, akasema, Angalieni, nimeota ndoto nyingine; na tazama, jua na mwezi na nyota kumi na moja zikaniinamia.
Then Joseph had another dream and told it to his brothers. “Look,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”
10
Akawaambia baba yake na ndugu zake; baba yake akamkemea akamwambia, Ni ndoto gani hii uliyoiota? Je! Mimi na mama yako na ndugu zako tutakuja tukusujudie hata nchi?
He told his father and brothers, but his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream that you have had? Will your mother and brothers and I actually come and bow down to the ground before you?”
11
Ndugu zake wakamhusudu; bali baba yake akalihifadhi neno hili.
And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept in mind what he had said.
12
Ndugu zake wakaenda kuchunga kondoo za baba yao huko Shekemu.
Some time later, Joseph’s brothers had gone to pasture their father’s flocks near Shechem.
13
Israeli akamwambia Yusufu, Je! Ndugu zako hawachungi kondoo katika Shekemu? Njoo, nikutume kwao. Akamwambia, Mimi hapa.
Israel said to him, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flocks at Shechem? Get ready; I am sending you to them.” “I am ready,” Joseph replied.
14
Akamwambia, Enenda, basi, ukaone kama ndugu zako hawajambo, na kundi nalo li salama, ukaniletee habari. Basi akampeleka kutoka bonde la Hebroni, akafika Shekemu.
Then Israel told him, “Go now and see how your brothers and the flocks are faring, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron. And when Joseph arrived in Shechem,
15
Mtu mmoja akamkuta, naye alikuwa anazunguka-zunguka katika nyika; yule mtu akamwuliza, akisema, Unatafuta nini?
a man found him wandering in the field and asked, “What are you looking for?”
16
Akasema, Nawatafuta ndugu zangu; tafadhali uniambie mahali wanakochunga.
“I am looking for my brothers,” Joseph replied. “Can you please tell me where they are pasturing their flocks?”
17
Yule mtu akasema, Wametoka hapa, maana niliwasikia wakisema, Twendeni Dothani. Basi Yusufu akawafuata ndugu zake akawakuta huko Dothani.
“They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph set out after his brothers and found them at Dothan.
18
Wakamwona toka mbali, na kabla hajawakaribia, wakafanya shauri juu yake ili wamwue.
Now Joseph’s brothers saw him in the distance, and before he arrived, they plotted to kill him.
19
Wakasemezana wao kwa wao, Tazama, yule bwana wa ndoto anakuja.
“Here comes that dreamer!” they said to one another.
20
Haya, twende, tukamwue na kumtupa katika birika mojawapo, nasi tutasema, Mnyama mkali amemla; kisha tutaona zitakuwaje ndoto zake.
“Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. We can say that a vicious animal has devoured him. Then we shall see what becomes of his dreams!”
21
Reubeni akasikia akamwokoa katika mikono yao, akasema, Tusimwue.
When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue Joseph from their hands. “Let us not take his life,” he said.
22
Reubeni akawaambia, Msimwage damu; mtupeni katika birika hii iliyopo nyikani, wala msimguse; ili apate kumwokoa katika mikono yao, akamrudishe kwa baba yake.
“Do not shed his blood. Throw him into this pit in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this so that he could rescue Joseph from their hands and return him to his father.
23
Ikawa Yusufu alipofika kwa ndugu zake, wakamvua Yusufu kanzu yake, kanzu ile ndefu aliyoivaa,
So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the robe of many colors he was wearing—
24
wakamtwaa wakamtupa katika birika; na hiyo birika ilikuwa tupu, hamna maji.
and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, with no water in it.
25
Nao wakakaa kitako kula chakula; wakainua macho yao, wakaona, msafara wa Waishmaeli wanakuja wakitoka Gileadi na ngamia zao, wakichukua ubani na zeri na manemane, wakisafiri kuvichukua mpaka Misri.
And as they sat down to eat a meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh on their way down to Egypt.
26
Yuda akawaambia ndugu zake, Kwafaa nini kumwua ndugu yetu, na kuificha damu yake?
Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?
27
Haya, na tumwuze kwa hawa Waishmaeli, wala mikono yetu isimdhuru, maana yeye ni ndugu yetu, na damu yetu. Ndugu zake wakakubali.
Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay a hand on him; for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And they agreed.
28
Wakapita wafanya biashara Wamidiani; basi wakamtoa Yusufu, wakampandisha kumtoa katika birika, wakamwuza Yusufu kwa Waishmaeli kwa vipande vya fedha ishirini; nao wakamchukua Yusufu mpaka Misri.
So when the Midianite traders passed by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.
29
Akarudi Reubeni birikani, kumbe! Yusufu hayumo katika birika, akararua nguo zake.
When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes,
30
Akarudi kwa ndugu zake, akasema, Mtoto hayuko, nami niende wapi?
returned to his brothers, and said, “The boy is gone! What am I going to do?”
31
Wakaitwaa kanzu ya Yusufu, wakachinja mwana-mbuzi, na kuichovya kanzu katika damu.
Then they took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a young goat, and dipped the robe in its blood.
32
Wakaenda nayo ile kanzu ndefu, wakamletea baba yao, wakasema, Tumeona hii; basi, utambue kama kanzu hii ni ya mwanao, ama siyo.
They sent the robe of many colors to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe or not.”
33
Akaitambua, akasema, Ndiyo kanzu ya mwanangu, mnyama mkali amemla; bila shaka Yusufu ameraruliwa.
His father recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! A vicious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!”
34
Yakobo akararua mavazi yake, akajivika gunia viunoni, na kumlilia mwanawe siku nyingi.
Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days.
35
Wanawe wote, na binti zake wote, wakaondoka wamtulize, lakini akakataa kutulizwa, akasema, La! Nitamshukia mwanangu, nikisikitika, hata kuzimu. Baba yake akamlilia.
All his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said. “I will go down to Sheol mourning for my son.” So his father wept for him.
36
Nao Wamidiani wakamwuza huko Misri, kwa Potifa, akida wa Farao, mkuu wa askari. </p>
Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.