Genesis 43
1 Now the famine was still severe in the land.
地上的饑荒仍然嚴重。
2 So when Jacob’s sons had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”
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! 」
3 But Judah replied, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’
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。
4 If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you.
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；
5 But if you will not send him, we will not go; for the man told us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’”
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。」
6 “Why did you bring this trouble upon me?” Israel asked. “Why did you tell the man you had another brother?”
以色列說：「你們為什麼這樣害我，告訴那人你們還有個弟弟﹖」
7 They replied, “The man questioned us in detail about ourselves and our family: ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ And we answered him accordingly. How could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother here’?”
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﹖」
8 And Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me, and we will go at once, so that we may live and not die—neither we, nor you, nor our children.
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。
9 I will guarantee his safety. You may hold me personally responsible. If I do not bring him back and set him before you, then may I bear the guilt before you all my life.
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。
10 If we had not delayed, we could have come and gone twice by now.”
假使我們沒有遲延，現在第二次也回來了! 」
11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and carry them down as a gift for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds.
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。
12 Take double the silver with you so that you may return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake.
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。
13 Take your brother as well, and return to the man at once.
並且帶著你們的弟弟起身往那人那裏去。
14 May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother along with Benjamin. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”
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! 」
15 So the men took these gifts, along with double the amount of silver, and Benjamin as well. Then they hurried down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.
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。
16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with his brothers, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for they shall dine with me at noon.”
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。」
17 The man did as Joseph had commanded and took the brothers to Joseph’s house.
管家就依照若瑟吩咐的做了，將這些人帶到若瑟家中。
18 But the brothers were frightened that they had been taken to Joseph’s house. “We have been brought here because of the silver that was returned in our bags the first time,” they said. “They intend to overpower us and take us as slaves, along with our donkeys.”
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。」
19 So they approached Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house.
他們於是走到若瑟的管家，前在房門口同他談起這事，
20 “Please, sir,” they said, “we really did come down here the first time to buy food.
說：「我主，請原諒：我們上次下到這裏來購買糧食，
21 But when we came to the place we lodged for the night, we opened our sacks and, behold, each of us found his silver in the mouth of his sack! It was the full amount of our silver, and we have brought it back with us.
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。
22 We have brought additional silver with us to buy food. We do not know who put our silver in our sacks.”
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。」
23 “It is fine,” said the steward. “Do not be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, gave you the treasure that was in your sacks. I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.
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。
24 And the steward took the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet, and provided food for their donkeys.
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。
25 Since the brothers had been told that they were going to eat a meal there, they prepared their gift for Joseph’s arrival at noon.
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。
26 When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought, and they bowed to the ground before him.
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。
27 He asked if they were well, and then he asked, “How is your elderly father you told me about? Is he still alive?”
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﹖」
28 “Your servant our father is well,” they answered. “He is still alive.” And they bowed down to honor him.
他們答說：「你的僕人，我們的父親還好，還健在。」遂又鞠躬下拜。
29 When Joseph looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?” Then he declared, “May God be gracious to you, my son.”
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! 」
30 Joseph hurried out because he was moved to tears for his brother, and he went to a private room to weep.
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；
31 Then he washed his face and came back out. Regaining his composure, he said, “Serve the meal.”
然後洗臉出來，勉強抑制自己，吩咐說：「擺飯罷! 」
32 They separately served Joseph, his brothers, and the Egyptians. They ate separately because the Egyptians would not eat with the Hebrews, since that was detestable to them.
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。
33 They were seated before Joseph in order by age, from the firstborn to the youngest, and the men looked at one another in astonishment.
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。
34 When the portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times larger than any of the others. So they feasted and drank freely with Joseph.
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。
