Genesis 42
1 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?”
雅各伯見埃及有糧食出售，便對自己的兒子們說：「你們為什麼彼此觀望﹖」
2 “Look,” he added, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die.”
繼而說：「我聽說在埃及有糧食出售，你們下到那裏，給我們購買些糧食，叫我們好活下去，不致餓死。」
3 So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.
於是若瑟的十個哥哥下到埃及買糧食去了。
4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “I am afraid that harm might befall him.”
至於若瑟的弟弟本雅明，雅各伯沒有叫他與哥哥們同去，因為他想：怕他遇害。
5 So the sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain, since the famine had also spread to the land of Canaan.
這樣以色列的兒子們也夾在前來購糧的人中，前來購糧，因為客納罕地也發生了飢荒。
6 Now Joseph was the ruler of the land; he was the one who sold grain to all its people. So when his brothers arrived, they bowed down before him with their faces to the ground.
當時在地方上執政的人是若瑟，給地方上所有人民配售糧食的也是他。若瑟的哥哥們來了，就俯首至地，向他下拜。
7 And when Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them as strangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where have you come from?” he asked. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We are here to buy food.”
若瑟一見他的哥哥們，就認出他們來，卻裝做生人，向他們說了一切嚴厲的話，問他們說：「你們是從那裏來的﹖」他們答說：「我們是從客納罕地來購買糧食的。」
8 Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.
若瑟認出哥哥們來，他們卻沒有認出他來。
9 Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said, “You are spies! You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.”
於是若瑟想起了他昔日關於他們所作的夢，便對他們說：「你們是探子，前來刺探本地的虛實。」
10 “Not so, my lord,” they replied. “Your servants have come to buy food.
他們回答說：「我主! 絕對不是：你的僕人們是來購買糧食的。
11 We are all sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies.”
我們全是一個人的兒子，我們是誠實人；你的僕人們從未做過探子。」
12 “No,” he told them. “You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.”
若瑟對他們說：「不，你們前來必是為刺探此地的虛實。」
13 But they answered, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.”
他們答說：「你的僕人們原是兄弟十二人，同是客納罕地一個人的兒子；最小的現今在父親那裏，另一個已不在了。」
14 Then Joseph declared, “Just as I said, you are spies!
若瑟對他們說：「我才說你們是探子；這話實在不錯。
15 And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here.
為此我要考驗你們：我指著法郎的生命起誓：如果你們最小的弟弟不到這裏來，你們莫想離開此地。
16 Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be confined so that the truth of your words may be tested. If they are untrue, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!”
你們可由你們中派一個人回去，帶你們的弟弟來，其他的人暫且拘留，以待證明你們的話是否誠實；如果不是真的，我只著法郎的生命起誓：你們必是探子。」
17 So Joseph imprisoned them for three days,
於是在拘留所內拘禁了他們三天。
18 and on the third day he said to them, “I fear God. So do this and you will live:
第三天，若瑟對他們說：「我原是個敬畏天主的人，你們願意保全性命，應這樣做：
19 If you are honest, leave one of your brothers in custody while the rest of you go and take back grain to relieve the hunger of your households.
如果你們是誠實人，叫你們兄弟中一個人留在拘留所內，其餘的人可帶糧食回去，解救家中的飢荒。
20 Then bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be verified, that you may not die.” And to this they consented.
然後給我帶你們的小弟弟來，好證實你們的話，你們也不致於死。」他們就這樣作了。
21 Then they said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.”
他們彼此說：「我們實在該賠補加害我們兄弟的罪，因為他向我們哀求時，我們見了他心靈痛苦，竟不肯聽；為此這場苦難才落到我們身上! 」
22 And Reuben responded, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you would not listen. Now we must account for his blood!”
勒烏本就對他們說：「我豈不是對你們說過：不要傷害那孩子嗎﹖你們卻不肯聽；看，現在要追討他的血了。」
23 They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them.
他們原不知道若瑟都聽得懂，因為在他們中有一翻譯員。
24 And he turned away from them and wept. When he turned back and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes.
若瑟就由他們前退出去哭了。然後又回來與他們交談，由他們中提出西默盎在他們眼前將他捆綁起來。
25 Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to return each man’s silver to his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out,
若瑟遂吩咐人將他們的布袋裝滿了糧食，將各人的銀錢仍放在各人的布袋內，並且還給了他們途中所需要的食物；人就對他們這樣做了。
26 and they loaded the grain on their donkeys and departed.
他們將購得的糧食馱在驢上，就從那裏起身走了。
27 At the place where they lodged for the night, one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of the sack.
到了客棧，他們中一人打開了布袋拿料餵驢，看見自己的銀錢仍在布袋口，
28 “My silver has been returned!” he said to his brothers. “It is here in my sack.” Their hearts sank, and trembling, they turned to one another and said, “What is this that God has done to us?”
遂對兄弟們說：「我的銀錢退回來了；看，仍在我的袋裏。」他們心驚起來，彼此戰慄地說：「天主對我們所作的，是怎麼一回事。」
29 When they reached their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they described to him all that had happened to them:
他們回到客納罕地，他們的父親雅各伯那裏，將所遇見的事全告訴他說：「
30 “The man who is lord of the land spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country.
那地方的主人對我們說了一些嚴厲的話，將我們視作刺探那地方的人。
31 But we told him, ‘We are honest men, not spies.
我們對他說：「我們是誠實人，決不是探子；
32 We are twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in the land of Canaan.’
我們原是兄弟十二人，同一父親的兒子，一個已不在了，最小的現在同我們的父親在客納罕地。
33 Then the man who is lord of the land said to us, ‘This is how I will know whether you are honest: Leave one brother with me, take food to relieve the hunger of your households, and go.
那地方的主人對我們說：為叫我知道你們是誠實人，你們兄弟中一人留在我這裏，其餘的人帶糧食回去解救家中的飢荒；
34 But bring your youngest brother back to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men. Then I will give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the land.’”
然後將你們的弟弟給我帶來，那時我才能知道你們不是探子，確是誠實人，我將你們的兄弟還給你們，你們可在這地方自由行動。」
35 As they began emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his bag of silver! And when they and their father saw the bags of silver, they were dismayed.
當他們倒自己的糧袋時，不料各人的錢囊仍在各人的袋內。他們和他們的父親，一見錢囊，都害怕起來。
36 Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my sons. Joseph is gone and Simeon is no more. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is going against me!”
他們的父親雅各伯對他們說：「你們總是使我喪失兒子：若瑟不在了，西默盎不在了，你們還要帶走本雅明! 這一切都落在我身上! 」
37 Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I fail to bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him.”
勒烏本對他父親說：「如果我不將他給你帶回來，你可殺死我的兩個兒子；只管將他交在我手裏，我必再還給你。」
38 But Jacob replied, “My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If any harm comes to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.” (Sheol h7585)
雅各伯答說：「我兒子不能和你們一同下去，因為他哥哥死了，只剩下了他獨自一個；如果他在你們行的路上遇到什麼不幸，那你們就要使我這白髮老人在憂苦中降入陰府了。」 (Sheol h7585)
