Genesis 42
1 Now Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, and Jacob said unto his sons: 'Why do ye look one upon 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 And he said: 'Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt. Get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; 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 And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn from Egypt.
於是若瑟的十個哥哥下到埃及買糧食去了。
4 But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said: 'Lest peradventure harm 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 And the sons of Israel came to buy among those that came; for the famine was in the land of Caanan.
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 And Joseph was the governor over the land; he it was that sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down to him with their faces to the earth.
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 Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spoke roughly with them; and he said unto them: 'Whence come ye?' And they said: 'From the land of Canaan 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 And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew him not.
若瑟認出哥哥們來，他們卻沒有認出他來。
9 And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them: 'Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.'
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 And they said unto him: 'Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.
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 one man's sons; we are upright men, thy servants are no 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 And he said unto them: 'Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.'
若瑟對他們說：「不，你們前來必是為刺探此地的虛實。」
13 And they said: 'We thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.'
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 And Joseph said unto them: 'That is it that I spoke unto you, saying: Ye are spies.
若瑟對他們說：「我才說你們是探子；這話實在不錯。
15 Hereby ye shall be proved, as Pharaoh liveth, ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.
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 you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be bound, that your words may be proved, whether there be truth in you; or else, as Pharaoh liveth, surely ye 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 And he put them all together into ward three days.
於是在拘留所內拘禁了他們三天。
18 And Joseph said unto them the third day. 'This do, and live; for I fear God:
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 ye be upright men, let one of your brethren be bound in your prison-house; but go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses;
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 and bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die.' And they did so.
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 And they said one to another: 'We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress 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 answered them, saying: 'Spoke I not unto you, saying: Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore also, behold, his blood is required.'
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 And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for the interpreter was 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 himself about from them, and wept; and he returned to them, and spoke to them, and took Simeon from among them, and bound him 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 commanded to fill their vessels with corn, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way; and thus was it done unto them.
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 laded their asses with their corn, and departed thence.
他們將購得的糧食馱在驢上，就從那裏起身走了。
27 And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the lodging-place, he espied his money; and, behold, it was in the mouth of his 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 And he said unto his brethren: 'My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack.' And their heart failed them, and they turned trembling one to another, saying: 'What is this that God hath done unto 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 And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that had befallen them, saying:
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, the lord of the land, spoke roughly with us, and took us for spies of 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 And we said unto him: We are upright men; we are no spies.
我們對他說：「我們是誠實人，決不是探子；
32 We are twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day 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 And the man, the lord of the land, said unto us: Hereby shall I know that ye are upright men: leave one of your brethren with me, and take corn for the famine of your houses, and go your way.
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 And bring your youngest brother unto me; then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are upright men; so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffic 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 And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid.
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 And Jacob their father said unto them: 'Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away; upon me are all these things come.'
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 And Reuben spoke unto his father, saying: 'Thou shalt slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee; deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him back to thee.'
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 And he said: 'My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left; if harm befall him by the way in which ye go, then will ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. (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)
