Genesis 42
1 When Jacob found out grain was available in Egypt, he asked his sons, “Why do you keep on looking at each other to do something?
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 I've heard there's grain in Egypt. Go there and buy some for us so we can stay alive—if not, we're going to 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 to Egypt to buy grain.
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 other brothers, for he said, “I'm afraid something bad might happen to 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 Israel's sons went to buy grain along with everyone else, because there was famine in Canaan too.
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 Joseph was the governor of the country and he sold grain to all the people there. So Joseph's brothers went to him, and bowed low 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 Joseph recognized them as soon as he saw them, but he acted like a stranger towards them and spoke to them in a severe way, saying, “Where are you from?” “From the country of Canaan,” they replied. “We've come 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 Even though Joseph recognized his brothers, they didn't recognize him.
若瑟認出哥哥們來，他們卻沒有認出他來。
9 Joseph thought back to the dreams he'd had about them, and told them, “No! You're spies! You've come to discover our country's weaknesses!”
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 “That's not true, my lord!” they responded. “We, your servants, have just 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're all the sons of one man and we're honest. We're 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! You've come to find our country's weaknesses!” he insisted.
若瑟對他們說：「不，你們前來必是為刺探此地的虛實。」
13 “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man living in the country of Canaan,” they explained. “The youngest is right now with our father, and one has passed away.”
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 “As I said before, you're spies!” Joseph declared.
若瑟對他們說：「我才說你們是探子；這話實在不錯。
15 “This is how your story will be checked. I swear on Pharaoh's life that you'll never leave this country unless your younger 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 One of you go back and bring your other brother here. The others of you will be kept here in prison until it's clear that you're telling the truth. If not, then I swear on Pharaoh's life it proves you're 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 put all of them in prison for three days.
於是在拘留所內拘禁了他們三天。
18 On the third day he told them, “Since I'm someone who respects God, do as I tell you and you'll 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're truly honest, choose one of your brothers to stay here in prison. The rest of you can go back home with grain for your hungry families.
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 But you must bring your youngest brother here to me to prove what you're saying is true. If not, you will all die.” They agreed to do this.
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 “Clearly we're being punished for what we did to our brother,” they said to each other. “We watched him in agony pleading with us for mercy, but we refused to listen to him. That's why we're in all this trouble.”
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 Reuben said to them, “Didn't I tell you, ‘Don't harm the boy!’ But you didn't listen to me. Now we're paying the price for what we did to him.”
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 didn't realize that Joseph understood what they were saying because they were talking to him through an interpreter.
他們原不知道若瑟都聽得懂，因為在他們中有一翻譯員。
24 Joseph stepped away from them because he started crying. He came back when he was able to speak to them again. He chose Simeon and had him tied up as they watched.
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 Joseph gave the order to fill up their sacks with grain, and also to return the money they had paid by placing it in the sacks as well. He also ordered that they should be provided with food for their journey home. All this was done.
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 The brothers loaded the grain onto their donkeys and then set off.
他們將購得的糧食馱在驢上，就從那裏起身走了。
27 On their way they stopped for the night, and one of them opened up his sack to give his donkey something to eat and saw his money there at the top 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 He told his brothers, “My money's been returned to me. It's right here at the top of my sack!” They were horrified! Trembling with fear they asked each other, “What is this that God's 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 arrived home in Canaan, they told their father Jacob everything that had happened.
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 the country's governor spoke to us in a severe way, and accused us of spying on the land,” they explained.
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 “We told him, ‘We are honest men. We're not spies!
我們對他說：「我們是誠實人，決不是探子；
32 We are twelve brothers, the sons of one father. One has passed away and the youngest is right now with our father in the country 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 the country's governor said to us, ‘This is how I'll find out if you're telling the truth: you are to leave one of your brothers here with me while the rest take grain home for your hungry families.
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 Then bring your youngest brother to me. That way I'll know you're not spies but you're telling the truth. I'll release your brother to you, and you can stay in the country and trade.’”
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 emptied their sacks, each one's money bag was there in his sack! When they and their father saw the money bags, they were horrified.
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 Jacob their father accused them, “You have taken Joseph from me—he's gone! Simeon is gone too! Now you want to take Benjamin away! I'm the one who's suffering from all of this!”
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 “You can kill my two sons if I don't bring him back to you,” Reuben assured him. “Trust me with him, and I will bring him home to you myself.”
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 “My son won't go there with you!” Jacob declared. “His brother is dead, and he's the only one I have left. If anything bad happens to him on the journey you're planning, you'll send this old man to his grave in grief.” (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)
