< 創世記 44 >
1 然後若瑟吩咐自己的管家說:「將糧食裝滿這些人的布袋,他們能帶多少,就裝多少;將每人的銀錢仍放在他的布袋口處,
He commanded the steward of his house, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in his sack’s mouth.
2 再將我的銀杯和內最年幼購糧的銀錢,一併放在他的布袋口處。」管家就照若瑟吩咐的話做了。
Put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, with his grain money.” He did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.
As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys.
4 他們出了城,還不很遠,若瑟就對他的管家說:「你起身去追趕那些人,追上他們,就對他們說:你們為什麼以惡報善﹖
When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, “Up, follow after the men. When you overtake them, ask them, ‘Why have you rewarded evil for good?
5 為什麼偷去我的銀杯﹖這杯是我主人為飲酒占卜用的啊! 你們作的實在不對! 」
Isn’t this that from which my lord drinks, and by which he indeed divines? You have done evil in so doing.’”
He overtook them, and he spoke these words to them.
7 他們回答說:「我主怎麼說些這樣的話﹖你的僕人們決不敢做這樣的事!
They said to him, “Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing!
8 你看! 我們在布袋口所發現的銀錢,還從客納罕地帶回來給了你,我們怎能偷你主人家的金銀呢﹖
Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks’ mouths, we brought again to you out of the land of Canaan. How then should we steal silver or gold out of your lord’s house?
9 在你僕人中,不論在誰那裏搜出來,誰就該死,並且我們都該作我主的奴隸。」
With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.”
10 管家答說:「也好,就照你們的話做;只是在誰那裏搜出來,誰該作我的奴隸;你們其餘的人可自由離去。」
He said, “Now also let it be according to your words. He with whom it is found will be my slave; and you will be blameless.”
11 於是他們各人急忙將自己的布袋卸下,放在地上,各人打開自己的布袋。
Then they hurried, and each man took his sack down to the ground, and each man opened his sack.
12 管家便一一搜查,從年長的開始,到年幼的為止;結果那杯在本雅明的布袋裏搜了出來。
He searched, beginning with the oldest, and ending at the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.
13 他們遂撕裂了自己的衣服,各人又使驢馱上重載,回城裏去了。
Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey, and returned to the city.
14 猶大和他的兄弟們進了若瑟的家,若瑟還在那裏,他們就在他面前俯伏在地。
Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there. They fell on the ground before him.
15 若瑟對他們說:「你們作的是什麼事﹖難道你們不知道像我這樣的人會占卜嗎﹖」
Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Don’t you know that such a man as I can indeed do divination?”
16 猶大答說:「我們對我主還能說什麼﹖還有什麼話可說﹖我們如何能表白自己﹖天主已查出了你僕人們的罪惡。我們和在他手裏搜出杯來的,都應作我主的奴隸。」
Judah said, “What will we tell my lord? What will we speak? How will we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Behold, we are my lord’s slaves, both we and he also in whose hand the cup is found.”
17 若瑟答說:「我決不這樣做;在誰手裏搜出杯來,誰就該作我的奴隸;至於你們,都可平安上去,回到你們父親那裏。」
He said, “Far be it from me that I should do so. The man in whose hand the cup is found, he will be my slave; but as for you, go up in peace to your father.”
18 猶大近前對若瑟說:「我主,請原諒,容你僕人向我主進一言,請不要對你僕人動怒,因為你原與法郎無異。
Then Judah came near to him, and said, “Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and don’t let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even as Pharaoh.
19 我主以前曾問僕人們說:你們還有父親或兄弟嗎﹖
My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father, or a brother?’
20 我們曾回答我主說:還有老父和他老年生的幼兒;他的哥哥死了,他母親只剩下了他一個;為此父親非常疼愛他。
We said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother; and his father loves him.’
21 你就對你僕人們說:將他帶到我這裏來,我要親眼看看他。
You said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’
22 我們即對我主說:孩子是不能離開他父親的;如果離開了,他父親必會死去。
We said to my lord, ‘The boy can’t leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’
23 你對你僕人們說:如果你們的小弟弟不同你們一起下來,你們休想再見我的面。
You said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will see my face no more.’
24 我們一上到你僕人,我父親那裏,就將我主的話告訴了他。
When we came up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.
25 後來我們的父親說:你們再去給我們買點糧食來。
Our father said, ‘Go again and buy us a little food.’
26 我們答說:我們不能下去;除非我們的小弟弟同我們一起,我們才下去;因為我們的小弟弟不同我們在一起,我們不能見那人的面。
We said, ‘We can’t go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down: for we may not see the man’s face, unless our youngest brother is with us.’
27 你的僕人,我的父親就對我們說:你們知道,我的妻子給我只生了兩個兒子:
Your servant, my father, said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons.
28 其中一個離開我出去,我猜想,他是被猛獸撕裂了,到現在,再沒有見到他。
One went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn in pieces;” and I haven’t seen him since.
29 如今你們連這一個也要由我面前帶走;倘若他遇到什麼不幸,你們就要使我這白髮老人在悲痛中下到陰府了! (Sheol )
If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my grey hairs with sorrow to Sheol.’ (Sheol )
30 現在,如我回到你僕人,我父親那裏,孩童沒有與我們在一起,--他原與這孩童相依為命,--
Now therefore when I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us; since his life is bound up in the boy’s life;
31 他一見孩童沒有與我們在一起,就必死無疑;那你的僕人們就要使你的僕人,我們的父親帶著白髮在憂苦中下入陰府了。 (Sheol )
it will happen, when he sees that the boy is no more, that he will die. Your servants will bring down the grey hairs of your servant, our father, with sorrow to Sheol. (Sheol )
32 況且你的僕人曾在我父面前為孩童擔保說:如果我不將他帶回來交給你,我終生在我父前負罪。
For your servant became collateral for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I don’t bring him to you, then I will bear the blame to my father forever.’
33 現在請讓你的僕人留下,代替孩童給我主為奴,讓孩童跟他哥哥們回去。
Now therefore, please let your servant stay instead of the boy, my lord’s slave; and let the boy go up with his brothers.
34 如果孩童不與我在一起,我怎能上去見我父親﹖我怕看見我父親遭到不幸! 」
For how will I go up to my father, if the boy isn’t with me?—lest I see the evil that will come on my father.”