Genesis 43
1 But the famine, was severe in the land.
地上的饑荒仍然嚴重。
2 So it came to pass when they had made an end of eating the corn which they had brought in out of Egypt, that their father said unto them, —Return buy for us a little 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 Then spake Judah unto him saying, —The man, did protest, to us saying—Ye shall not see my face, except, 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 thou art sending our brother with us, we will certainly go down, and buy for thee food;
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 thou art not sending him, we will not go down, for the man, said unto us Ye shall not see my face, except, 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 And Israel said, Wherefore did ye ill to me, —to tell the man, there yet remained to you a 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 And they said, The man, did ask, concerning ourselves and concerning our kindred saying—Is your father yet alive? Have ye a brother? So we told him according to the tenor of these words. Could we, at all know, that he would say, Bring down your brother?
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 Then said Judah unto Israel his father—Come! send thou down the young man with me that we may arise and go our way, —and live and not die, both we and thou and our little ones.
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 be surety for him, at my hand, shalt thou require him, —as surely as I bring him not in unto thee, and set him down before thee, so surely will I be counted a sinner against thee all the days,
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 For, if we had not lingered, surely now, had we come back here a second time.
假使我們沒有遲延，現在第二次也回來了! 」
11 Then Israel their father said unto them—If so, then do this, —Take of the song of the land in your vessels, and carry down to the man a present, —A little balsam and a little honey, tragacanth gum and cistus gum, pistachio nuts, 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 And double silver, take in your hand, —also the silver that was put back in the mouth of your sacks, carry ye back in your hand, peradventure it was an error,
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 Your brother also, take ye, —and arise go again unto the man.
並且帶著你們的弟弟起身往那人那裏去。
14 And, God Almighty, give you compassion before the man, so shall he send with you, your other brother, and Benjamin. But, as for me, when 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 this present, double silver also, took they in their hand and Benjamin, —and arose and went down into 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 And Joseph saw—with them—Benjamin, so he said to him that was over his house Bring the men into the house, —and slay meat and make ready, for with me, shall the men eat 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 So the men did as Joseph had said, and the man brought the men into 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 Then were the men afraid because they had been brought into the house of Joseph, and they said—For the matter of the silver that came back in our sacks at the beginning, have, we, been brought in, —that he may turn round upon us and fall upon us, and take us for servants and our asses.
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 drew near unto the man that was over Joseph’s house, —and spake unto him at the entrance of 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 and said, May it please my lord! We, did indeed come down, at the beginning to buy food.
說：「我主，請原諒：我們上次下到這裏來購買糧食，
21 And it came to pass when we had entered into the inn, that we opened our sacks, and lo! the silver of each man, in the mouth of his sack, —our silver in its full weight, —so we have bought it back in our hand!
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 And, more silver, have we brought down in our hand, to buy food, —we know not 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 And he said—Peace to you do not fear! Your God, and the God of your father, hath given you secret treasure, in your sacks, as for your silver, it came in unto me. And he brought forth unto them Simeon.
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 So the man brought the men into Joseph’s house, —and gave them water and they bathed their feet, and he gave them provender for their asses.
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 And they made ready the present, against the coming in of Joseph at noon, —for they heard that it was there they should eat bread.
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 So when Joseph came into the house, they brought in to him the present which was in their hand into the house, —and bowed themselves down to him to the earth.
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 Then asked he after their welfare, and said—Is it well with your aged father, of whom ye spake? Is he yet 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 And they said—It is well with thy servant our father, he is yet alive. And they bent their heads and bowed them-selves down.
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 Then lifted he up his eyes, and saw Benjamin his brother son of his mother, and said—Is, this, your youngest brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God, grant thee favour 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 And Joseph made haste for his compassions towards his brother were pent up, and he sought to weep, —so he went into the inner chamber and wept there,
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 bathed he his face and came forth, —and restrained himself, and said Set on bread!
然後洗臉出來，勉強抑制自己，吩咐說：「擺飯罷! 」
32 So they set on for him—by himself, and for them—by themselves, —and for the Egyptians that were eating with him—by themselves, for the Egyptians might not eat, bread, with the Hebrews for an abomination, had that been to Egyptians.
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 So they took their seats before him, the firstborn, according to his birthright and the youngest, according to his youth, —and the men looked with amazement, each one at his companion.
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 And he sent portions from before him unto them, and the portion of Benjamin exceeded the portions of them all, five-fold. And they drank and made merry with him.
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。
