< Genesis 44 >

1 And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men’s sacks [with] food, as much as they can carry, and put every man’s money in his sack’s mouth.
然後若瑟吩咐自己的管家說:「將糧食裝滿這些人的布袋,他們能帶多少,就裝多少;將每人的銀錢仍放在他的布袋口處,
2 And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.
再將我的銀杯和內最年幼購糧的銀錢,一併放在他的布袋口處。」管家就照若瑟吩咐的話做了。
3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses.
清早天一發亮,就遣送這些人帶著他們的驢走了。
4 [And] when they were gone out of the city, [and] not [yet] far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good?
他們出了城,還不很遠,若瑟就對他的管家說:「你起身去追趕那些人,追上他們,就對他們說:你們為什麼以惡報善﹖
5 [Is] not this [it] in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.
為什麼偷去我的銀杯﹖這杯是我主人為飲酒占卜用的啊! 你們作的實在不對! 」
6 And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words.
管家追上他們,就對他們說了這些話。
7 And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing:
他們回答說:「我主怎麼說些這樣的話﹖你的僕人們決不敢做這樣的事!
8 Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks’ mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord’s house silver or gold?
你看! 我們在布袋口所發現的銀錢,還從客納罕地帶回來給了你,我們怎能偷你主人家的金銀呢﹖
9 With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord’s bondmen.
在你僕人中,不論在誰那裏搜出來,誰就該死,並且我們都該作我主的奴隸。」
10 And he said, Now also [let] it [be] according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant; and ye shall be blameless.
管家答說:「也好,就照你們的話做;只是在誰那裏搜出來,誰該作我的奴隸;你們其餘的人可自由離去。」
11 Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.
於是他們各人急忙將自己的布袋卸下,放在地上,各人打開自己的布袋。
12 And he searched, [and] began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.
管家便一一搜查,從年長的開始,到年幼的為止;結果那杯在本雅明的布袋裏搜了出來。
13 Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.
他們遂撕裂了自己的衣服,各人又使驢馱上重載,回城裏去了。
14 And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph’s house; for he [was] yet there: and they fell before him on the ground.
猶大和他的兄弟們進了若瑟的家,若瑟還在那裏,他們就在他面前俯伏在地。
15 And Joseph said unto them, What deed [is] this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?
若瑟對他們說:「你們作的是什麼事﹖難道你們不知道像我這樣的人會占卜嗎﹖」
16 And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we [are] my lord’s servants, both we, and [he] also with whom the cup is found.
猶大答說:「我們對我主還能說什麼﹖還有什麼話可說﹖我們如何能表白自己﹖天主已查出了你僕人們的罪惡。我們和在他手裏搜出杯來的,都應作我主的奴隸。」
17 And he said, God forbid that I should do so: [but] the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.
若瑟答說:「我決不這樣做;在誰手裏搜出杯來,誰就該作我的奴隸;至於你們,都可平安上去,回到你們父親那裏。」
18 Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou [art] even as Pharaoh.
猶大近前對若瑟說:「我主,請原諒,容你僕人向我主進一言,請不要對你僕人動怒,因為你原與法郎無異。
19 My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother?
我主以前曾問僕人們說:你們還有父親或兄弟嗎﹖
20 And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him.
我們曾回答我主說:還有老父和他老年生的幼兒;他的哥哥死了,他母親只剩下了他一個;為此父親非常疼愛他。
21 And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.
你就對你僕人們說:將他帶到我這裏來,我要親眼看看他。
22 And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for [if] he should leave his father, [his father] would die.
我們即對我主說:孩子是不能離開他父親的;如果離開了,他父親必會死去。
23 And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.
你對你僕人們說:如果你們的小弟弟不同你們一起下來,你們休想再見我的面。
24 And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.
我們一上到你僕人,我父親那裏,就將我主的話告訴了他。
25 And our father said, Go again, [and] buy us a little food.
後來我們的父親說:你們再去給我們買點糧食來。
26 And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man’s face, except our youngest brother [be] with us.
我們答說:我們不能下去;除非我們的小弟弟同我們一起,我們才下去;因為我們的小弟弟不同我們在一起,我們不能見那人的面。
27 And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare me two [sons: ]
你的僕人,我的父親就對我們說:你們知道,我的妻子給我只生了兩個兒子:
28 And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since:
其中一個離開我出去,我猜想,他是被猛獸撕裂了,到現在,再沒有見到他。
29 And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. (Sheol h7585)
如今你們連這一個也要由我面前帶走;倘若他遇到什麼不幸,你們就要使我這白髮老人在悲痛中下到陰府了! (Sheol h7585)
30 Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad [be] not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad’s life;
現在,如我回到你僕人,我父親那裏,孩童沒有與我們在一起,--他原與這孩童相依為命,--
31 It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad [is] not [with us], that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave. (Sheol h7585)
他一見孩童沒有與我們在一起,就必死無疑;那你的僕人們就要使你的僕人,我們的父親帶著白髮在憂苦中下入陰府了。 (Sheol h7585)
32 For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever.
況且你的僕人曾在我父面前為孩童擔保說:如果我不將他帶回來交給你,我終生在我父前負罪。
33 Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren.
現在請讓你的僕人留下,代替孩童給我主為奴,讓孩童跟他哥哥們回去。
34 For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad [be] not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.
如果孩童不與我在一起,我怎能上去見我父親﹖我怕看見我父親遭到不幸! 」

< Genesis 44 >