創世記 43
1 地上的饑荒仍然嚴重。
And the famine was sore in the land.
2 他們吃完了由埃及帶來的糧食，父親對他們說：「你們再去給我們買點糧食來吃! 」
And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food.
3 猶大立即回答父親說：「那人明明告訴我們說：你們若不帶弟弟一起來，你們休想見我的面。
And Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.
4 你若讓我們的弟弟與我們一同去，我們下去給你買些糧食來；
If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food:
5 你若不讓他去，我們也不下去；因為那人對我們說過：你們若不帶弟弟與你們一同來，你們休想見我的面。」
but if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down; for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.
6 以色列說：「你們為什麼這樣害我，告訴那人你們還有個弟弟﹖」
And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?
7 他們回答說：「那人再三再四問我們和我們的家庭說：你們的父親是否還活著﹖你們是否另有個兄弟﹖我們只得照這些話答覆他。那裏會知道他要說：帶你們的兄弟一同下來﹖」
And they said, The man asked straitly concerning ourselves, and concerning our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye [another] brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we in any wise know that he would say, Bring your brother down?
8 猶大又對他父親以色列說：「你叫孩童與我同去，我們就起身前去；這樣，我們和你並我們的幼兒，可以生活，不致餓死。
And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones.
9 我為他擔保，你可由我手中要人；如果我不將他帶回，交在你面前，我在你前終生負罪。
I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever:
10 假使我們沒有遲延，現在第二次也回來了! 」
for except we had lingered, surely we had now returned a second time.
11 他們的父親以色列對他們說：「如果必須如此，你們就這樣做：在行李內帶些本地最好的出產，一些香液、蜂蜜、樹膠、香料、榧子和杏仁，下去送給那人當作禮物。
And their father Israel said unto them, If it be so now, do this: take of the choice fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spicery and myrrh, nuts, and almonds;
12 手中多帶一倍銀錢，將那放在你們糧袋口的銀錢，也一併帶上，這或者是出於一時的錯誤。
and take double money in your hand; and the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks carry again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight:
13 並且帶著你們的弟弟起身往那人那裏去。
take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man:
14 願全能的天主使你們在那人面前蒙恩，放回你們那個兄弟和本雅明；至於我，如要喪子，就喪子罷! 」
and God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release unto you your other brother and Benjamin. And if I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.
15 這一夥人於是帶了那些禮物，手中帶上雙倍銀錢，帶本雅明起身下道埃及去，到了若瑟面前。
And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.
16 若瑟一看見他們和本雅明，就對自己的管家說：「帶這些人到家裏去，宰殺設宴，中午這些人要與我一起吃飯。」
And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, Bring the men into the house, and slay, and make ready; for the men shall dine with me at noon.
17 管家就依照若瑟吩咐的做了，將這些人帶到若瑟家中。
And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men to Joseph’s house.
18 這些人一進入了若瑟的家，就害怕起來，心裏想：「他帶我們到這裏來，定是為了上次放回我們袋裏銀錢的事，想找我們的錯處，加害我們，拿住我們當奴隸，奪取我們的驢。」
And the men were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph’s house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.
19 他們於是走到若瑟的管家，前在房門口同他談起這事，
And they came near to the steward of Joseph’s house, and they spake unto him at the door of the house,
20 說：「我主，請原諒：我們上次下到這裏來購買糧食，
and said, Oh, my lord, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food:
21 當我們到了客棧，打開我們的布袋時，發見各人的銀錢仍在各人的布袋口，我們的銀錢一分不少；現在我們又親手帶回來了。
and it came to pass, when we came to the lodging-place, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand.
22 此外我們手中又帶了些銀錢，來購買糧食；我們不知道是誰將我們的銀錢放在我們的布袋內。」
And other money have we brought down in our hand to buy food: we know not who put our money in our sacks.
23 管家答說：「請你們放心，不必害怕! 是你們的天主，你們祖先的天主，在你們的布袋裏給你們放上了財寶；你們的銀錢我已經收了。」以後給他們領出西默盎來。
And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them.
24 管家卡領這些人到了若瑟家裏，先給他們拿水洗了腳，然後拿草料餵了驢。
And the man brought the men into Joseph’s house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender.
25 他們遂將禮物預備好，等候若瑟中午回來；因為聽說，他們要在那裏吃午飯。
And they made ready the present against Joseph’s coming at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.
26 若瑟回到家裏，他們就將手中的禮物獻給他，俯首至地向他下拜。
And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed down themselves to him to the earth.
27 若瑟先向他們問安，然後說：「你們以前所說的老父好麼﹖還健在麼﹖」
And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive?
28 他們答說：「你的僕人，我們的父親還好，還健在。」遂又鞠躬下拜。
And they said, Thy servant our father is well, he is yet alive. And they bowed the head, and made obeisance.
29 若瑟舉目，見了他母親生的弟弟本雅明，就問說：「這就是你們對我說的那小弟弟嗎﹖」繼而說：「孩子，願天主保佑你! 」
And he lifted up his eyes, and saw Benjamin his brother, his mother’s son, and said, Is this your youngest brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son.
30 若瑟愛弟情切，想要流淚，趕快進了自己的內室，在那裏哭了一場；
And Joseph made haste; for his heart yearned over his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there.
31 然後洗臉出來，勉強抑制自己，吩咐說：「擺飯罷! 」
And he washed his face, and came out; and he refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.
32 人就給若瑟擺了一席，為他們擺了一席，為與若瑟一起吃飯的埃及人另擺了一席；因為埃及人不能同希伯來人一起吃飯，這為他們是個恥辱。
And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, that did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
33 他們便在若瑟前，安排就坐，全按長幼的次序，長者在上，幼者在下；眾兄弟彼此相看，驚奇不已。
And they sat before him, the first-born according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one with another.
34 若瑟將自己面前的食物分開，分給他們；但本雅明的一分，比其餘的人多五倍。他們遂與若瑟飲酒宴樂。
And he took [and sent] messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin’s mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.
