1 Mosebog 43

1 Men Hungersnøden var hård i Landet;

And the famine was sore in the land.

2 og da de havde fortæret det Korn, de havde hentet i Ægypten, sagde deres Fader til dem: "Køb os igen lidt Føde!"

And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, that their father said unto them: 'Go again, buy us a little food.'

3 Men Juda svarede ham: "Manden sagde os ganske afgjort: I bliver ikke stedt for mit Åsyn, medmindre eders Broder er med!

And Judah spoke unto him, saying: 'The man did earnestly forewarn us, saying: Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.

4 Hvis du derfor vil sende vor Broder med os, vil vi rejse ned og købe dig Føde;

If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food;

5 men sender du ham ikke med, så rejser vi ikke derned, thi Manden sagde til os: I bliver ikke stedt for mit Åsyn, medmindre eders Broder er med!"

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 Så sagde Israel: "Hvorfor handlede I ilde imod mig og fortalte Manden, at I havde en Broder til?"

And Israel said: 'Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?'

7 De svarede: "Manden spurgte os nøje ud om os og vor Slægt og sagde: Lever eders Fader endnu? Har I en Broder til? Og vi svarede ham på hans Spørgsmål; kunde vi vide, at han vilde sige: Bring eders Broder herned!"

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 Men Juda sagde til sin Fader Israel: "Send dog Drengen med mig, så vi kan komme af Sted og blive i Live og undgå Døden, både vi og du og vore Børn!

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 Jeg svarer for ham, af min Hånd må du kræve ham: bringer jeg ham ikke til dig og stiller ham for dit Åsyn, vil jeg være din Skyldner for bestandig;

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 havde vi nu ikke spildt Tiden, kunde vi have været tilbage to Gange!"

For except we had lingered, surely we had now returned a second time.'

11 Så sagde deres Fader Israel til dem: "Kan det ikke være anderledes, gør da i alt Fald således: Tag noget af det bedste, Landet frembringer, med i eders Sække og bring Manden en Gave, lidt Mastiksbalsam, lidt Honning, Tragakantgummi, Cistusharpiks, Pistacienødder og Mandler;

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 ladanum, nuts, and almonds;

12 og tag dobbelt så mange Penge med, så I bringer de Penge tilbage, som var lagt oven i eders Sække; måske var det en Fejltagelse;

and take double money in your hand; and the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks carry back in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight;

13 og tag så eders Broder og drag atter til Manden!

take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man;

14 Gud den Almægtige lade eder finde Barmhjertighed hos Manden, så han lader eders anden Broder og Benjamin fare - men skal jeg være barnløs, så lad mig da blive det!"

and God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release unto you your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.'

15 Så tog Mændene deres Gave og dobbelt så mange Penge med; også Benjamin tog de med, brød op og drog ned til Ægypten, hvor de fremstillede sig for Josef.

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 Da Josef så Benjamin iblandt dem, sagde han til sin Hushovmester: "Bring de Mænd ind i mit Hus, lad slagte og lave til, thi de skal spise til Middag hos mig."

And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house: 'Bring the men into the house, and kill the beasts, and prepare the meat; for the men shall dine with me at noon.'

17 Manden gjorde, som Josef bød, og førte Mændene ind i Josefs Hus.

And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph's house.

18 Men Mændene blev bange, da de førtes ind i Josefs Hus, og sagde: "Det er for de Penges Skyld, der forrige Gang kom tilbage i vore Sække, at vi føres herind, for at de kan vælte sig ind på os og kaste sig over os, gøre os til Trælle og tage vore Æsler."

And the men were afraid, because they were brought into 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 Derfor trådte de hen til Josefs Hushovmester ved Døren til Huset

And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they spoke unto him at the door of the house,

20 og sagde: "Hør os, Herre! Vi drog en Gang før herned for at købe Føde,

and said: 'Oh my lord, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food.

21 og da vi kom til vort Natteherberge og åbnede vore Sække, se. da lå vore Penge oven i hver enkelts Sæk, vore Penge til sidste Hvid. Men nu har vi bragt dem med tilbage

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 back in our hand.

22 og desuden andre Penge for at købe Føde. Vi ved ikke, hvem der har lagt Pengene i vore Sække!"

And other money have we brought down in our hand to buy food. We know not who put our money in our sacks.'

23 Men han svarede: "Vær ved godt Mod, frygt ikke! Eders Gud og eders Faders Gud har lagt en Skat i eders Sække - eders Penge har jeg modtaget!" Og han førte Simeon ud til dem.

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 Så førte Manden dem ind i Josefs Hus og gav dem Vand til at tvætte deres Fødder og Foder til Æslerne.

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 Og de fremtog deres Gave, før Josef kom hjem ved Middagstid, thi de hørte, at de skulde spise der.

And they made ready the present against Joseph's coming at noon; for they heard that they should eat bread there.

26 Da Josef trådte ind i Huset, bragte de ham den Gave, de havde med, og kastede sig til Jorden for ham.

And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed down to him to the earth.

27 Han hilste på dem og spurgte: "Går det eders gamle Fader vel, ham, I talte om? Lever han endnu?"

And he asked them of their welfare, and said: 'Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spoke? Is he yet alive?'

28 De svarede: "Det går din Træl, vor Fader, vel; han lever endnu!" Og de bøjede sig og kastede sig til Jorden.

And they said: 'Thy servant our father is well, he is yet alive.' And they bowed the head, and made obeisance.

29 Da han så fik Øje på sin kødelige Broder Benjamin, sagde han: "Er det så eders yngste Broder, som I talte til mig om?" Og han sagde: "Gud være dig nådig, min Søn!"

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 spoke unto me?' And he said: 'God be gracious unto thee, my son.'

30 Men Josef brød hurtigt af, thi Kærligheden til Broderen blussede op i ham, og han kæmpede med Gråden; derfor gik han ind i sit Kammer og græd der.

And Joseph made haste; for his heart yearned toward his brother; and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there.

31 Men da han havde badet sit Ansigt, kom han ud, og han beherskede sig og sagde: "Sæt Maden frem!"

And he washed his face, and came out; and he refrained himself, and said: 'Set on bread.'

32 Så blev Maden sat frem særskilt for ham og for dem og for de Ægyptere, der spiste hos ham; thi Ægypterne kan ikke spise sammen med Hebræere, det er dem en Vederstyggelighed.

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 De blev bænket foran ham efter Alder, den førstefødte øverst og den yngste nederst, og Mændene undrede sig og så på hverandre;

And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth; and the men marvelled one with another.

34 og han lod dem bringe Mad fra sit eget Bord, og Benjamin fik fem Gange så meget som hver af de andre. Og de drak og blev lystige sammen med ham.

And portions were taken unto them from before him; but Benjamin's portion was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.