Genesis 43

1 The famine in Canaan got worse.

١ وَتَفَاقَمَتِ الْمَجَاعَةُ فِي الأَرْضِ.

2 Finally, when Jacob and his family had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, Jacob said to them, “Go back to Egypt and buy some more grain for us!”

٢ وَلَمَّا اسْتَهْلَكُوا الْقَمْحَ الَّذِي أَحْضَرُوهُ مِنْ مِصْرَ، قَالَ لَهُمْ أَبُوهُمْ: «ارْجِعُوا وَاشْتَرُوا لَنَا قَلِيلاً مِنَ الطَّعَامِ».

3 But Judah said to him, “The man who sold us the grain warned us sternly, ‘I will not let you see me [SYN] again if you come and your younger brother is not with you.’

٣ فَقَالَ يَهُوذَا: «لَقَدْ حَذَّرَنَا الرَّجُلُ أَشَدَّ تَحْذِيرٍ وَقَالَ: لَنْ تَرَوْا وَجْهِي مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ أَخُوكُمْ مَعَكُمْ.

4 So, if you will send our younger brother with us, we will go down to Egypt and buy some grain for you.

٤ فَإِنْ كُنْتَ تُرْسِلُ أَخَانَا مَعَنَا، نَمْضِي وَنَشْتَرِي لَكَ طَعَاماً

5 But if you will not send him, we will not go down there, because that man said to us, ‘I will not let you see me again if your younger brother is not with you.’”

٥ وَإلَّا فَلَنْ نَذْهَبَ لأَنَّ الرَّجُلَ قَالَ لَنَا: لَا تَرَوْا وَجْهِي مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ أَخُوكُمْ مَعَكُمْ».

6 Jacob asked, “Why did you cause me to have this trouble by telling the man that you had a younger brother?”

٦ فَقَالَ إِسْرَائِيلُ: «لِمَاذَا أَسَأْتُمْ إِلَيَّ فَأَخْبَرْتُمُ الرَّجُلَ أَنَّ لَكُمْ أَخاً أَيْضاً؟»

7 One of them replied, “The man asked about us and about our family. He said, ‘Is your father still living? Do you have another brother?’ We had to answer his questions. (We could not know that he would say, ‘The next time that you come down here, bring your brother with you!’/How could we know that he would say, ‘The next time that you come down here, bring your brother with you!’)” [RHQ]

٧ فَأَجَابُوا: «إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ قَدْ دَقَّقَ فِي اسْتِجْوَابِنَا عَنْ أَنْفُسِنَا وَعَنْ عَشِيرَتِنَا سَائِلاً: هَلْ أَبُوكُمْ حَيٌّ بَعْدُ؟ هَلْ لَكُمْ أَخٌ؟ فَأَجَبْنَاهُ حَسَبَ أَسْئِلَتِهِ. فَمِنْ أَيْنَ لَنَا أَنْ نَعْرِفَ أَنَّهُ سَيَقُولُ: أَحْضِرُوا أَخَاكُمْ إِلَى هُنَا؟»

8 Then Judah said to his father Jacob, “Send the boy with me, and we will go immediately, in order that we and you and our children may get grain and not die from hunger.

٨ وَقَالَ يَهُوذَا لإِسْرَائِيلَ أَبِيهِ: «أَرْسِلِ الْغُلامَ مَعِي فَنَقُومَ وَنَذْهَبَ فَنَحْيَا وَلا نَمُوتَ نَحْنُ وَأَنْتَ وَأَوْلادُنَا جَمِيعاً.

9 I myself will guarantee that he will return. You can require me to do what I am promising [IDM]. If I do not bring him back to you safely, you can say forever that (I am to blame/it was my fault [that he did not return to you)].

٩ وَأَنَا ضَامِنٌ لَهُ. مِنْ يَدِي تَطْلُبُهُ. فَإِنْ لَمْ أَرُدَّهُ إِلَيْكَ وَأُوقِفْهُ أَمَامَكَ، أَكُنْ مُذْنِباً إِلَيْكَ كُلَّ الأَيَّامِ.

10 If we had not (wasted so much time/waited so long), by now we could have gone there and returned two times!”

١٠ فَلَوْ لَمْ نَتَوَانَ فِي السَّفَرِ لَكُنَّا قَدْ رَجَعْنَا مَرَّتَيْنِ».

11 Then their father Jacob said to them, “If there is no other way, do this: Put in your sacks some of the best things that are grown in this land, and take them down to the man as a gift. Take some balm/perfume and honey and spices and myrrh/ointment, some pistachio nuts, and almonds.

١١ فَقَالَ لَهُمْ أَبُوهُمْ: «إِنْ كَانَ لابُدَّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَافْعَلُوا. وَخُذُوا مَعَكُمْ هَدِيَّةً لِلرَّجُلِ: وَامْلَأُوا أَوْعِيَتَكُمْ مِنْ أَحْسَنِ مَا تُنْتِجُهُ الأَرْضُ وَقَلِيلاً مِنَ الْبَلَسَانِ وَالْعَسَلِ وِالتَّوَابِلِ الْمُرِّ وَالْفُسْتُقِ وَاللَّوْزِ.

12 Take twice as much money as you took the previous time, because you must return the silver that someone put in the tops of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake that it was put in your sacks.

١٢ وَخُذُوا مَعَكُمْ فِضَّةً أُخْرَى، وَالْفِضَّةَ الْمَرْدُودَةَ فِي أَفْوَاهِ أَكْيَاسِكُمْ وَأَعِيدُوهَا. فَلَعَلَّ فِي الأَمْرِ سَهْواً.

13 Take your younger brother and go back to that man.

١٣ وَاسْتَصْحِبُوا مَعَكُمْ أَيْضاً أَخَاكُمْ وَقُومُوا ارْجِعُوا إِلَى الرَّجُلِ.

14 I will pray that God Almighty will cause that man to act mercifully toward you, so that he will let your other brother, as well as Benjamin, come back here with you. But as for me, if my sons are taken from me, then I will not have my sons!”

١٤ وَلْيُنْعِمْ عَلَيْكُمُ اللهُ الْقَدِيرُ بِالرَّحْمَةِ لَدَى الرَّجُلِ، فَيُطْلِقَ لَكُمْ أَخَاكُمُ الآخَرَ وَبَنْيَامِينَ أَيْضاً. وَأَنَا إِنْ ثَكِلْتُهُمَا، أَكُونُ قَدْ ثَكِلْتُهُمَا».

15 So the men took the gifts that Jacob said that they should take, and twice the amount of money that the grain would cost, and they also took Benjamin. They went down quickly to Egypt, and they stood in front of Joseph.

١٥ فَأَخَذَ الرِّجَالُ تِلْكَ الْهَدِيَّةَ، وَضِعْفَ الْفِضَّةِ، وَبَنْيَامِينَ، وَسَافَرُوا إِلَى مِصْرَ وَمَثَلُوا أَمَامَ يُوسُفَ.

16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the man who (was in charge of/supervised) things in his house, “Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare a meal, because I want them to eat with me at noon.” [And he told him in what order they were to be seated].

١٦ وَعِنْدَمَا شَاهَدَ يُوسُفُ بِنْيَامِينَ مَعَهُمْ قَالَ لِمُدَبِّرِ بَيْتِهِ: «أَدْخِلِ الرِّجَالَ إِلَى الْبَيْتِ وَاذْبَحْ ذَبِيحَةً وَهَيِّئْهَا، لأَنَّ هَؤُلاءِ الرِّجَالَ سَيَتَنَاوَلُونَ مَعِي الطَّعَامَ فِي سَاعَةِ الْغَذَاءِ».

17 The man did as Joseph said. And he took them to Joseph’s house.

١٧ فَفَعَلَ الرَّجُلُ كَمَا أَمَرَ يُوسُفُ، وَأَدْخَلَ الرِّجَالَ إِلَى بَيْتِ يُوسُفَ.

18 But they were afraid because he was taking them to Joseph’s house. They were thinking, “He is taking us here because of the silver that was put in our sacks the first time that we came here. While we are eating, he will have his servants attack us and seize us and cause us to become his slaves, and also take our donkeys.”

١٨ وَلَمَّا أُدْخِلُوا إِلَى بَيْتِ يُوسُفَ اعْتَرَاهُمُ الْخَوْفُ وَقَالُوا: «لَقَدْ جِيءَ بِنَا إِلَى هُنَا لِيَهْجُمَ عَلَيْنَا وَيَقَعَ بِنَا وَيَسْتَعْبِدَنَا وَيَسْتَوْلِيَ عَلَى حَمِيرِنَا، بِسَبَبِ الْفِضَّةِ الأُولَى الْمَرْدُودَةِ فِي أَكْيَاسِنَا».

19 They went with the man who was in charge of things in Joseph’s house. When they arrived at the entrance of the house,

١٩ فَتَقَدَّمُوا إِلَى مُدَبِّرِ بَيْتِ يُوسُفَ وَقَالُوا لَهُ عِنْدَ مَدْخَلِ الْبَابِ:

20 one of them said to him, “Please, sir, listen to me. We came down here previously and bought some grain.

٢٠ «اسْتَمِعْ يَا سَيِّدِي، لَقَدْ قَدِمْنَا إِلَى هُنَا فِي الْمَرَّةِ الأُولَى لِنَشْتَرِيَ طَعَاماً،

21 But at the place where we stopped for the night as we were returning home, we opened our sacks. We were astonished to see that in the top of each of our sacks was the exact amount of silver that we had paid for the grain! So we have brought it back with us.

٢١ وَلَكِنَّنَا حِينَ نَزَلْنَا فِي الْخَانِ وَفَتَحْنَا أَكْيَاسَنَا عَثَرَ كُلُّ رَجُلٍ مِنَّا عَلَى فِضَّتِهِ بِكَامِلِ وَزْنِهَا فِي فَمِ كِيسِهِ، فَأَحْضَرْنَاهَا مَعَنَا لِنَرُدَّهَا.

22 We have also brought more silver with us to buy more grain. We do not know who put the silver in our sacks.”

٢٢ وَجِئْنَا مَعَنَا بِفِضَّةٍ أُخْرَى لِنَشْتَرِيَ طَعَاماً. وَلَسْنَا نَدْرِي مَنْ وَضَعَ فِضَّتَنَا فِي أَكْيَاسِنَا».

23 The man replied, [“Relax]! Do not worry about it! I received the silver that you brought. Your God, the God your father worships, must have put it in your sacks.” And then he brought Simeon to them from the prison.

٢٣ فَقَالَ: «سَلامٌ لَكُمْ، لَا تَخَافُوا، فَإِنَّ إِلَهَكُمْ وَإِلَهَ أَبِيكُمْ قَدْ وَهَبَكُمْ كَنْزاً فِي أَكْيَاسِكُمْ، أَمَّا فِضَّتُكُمْ فَقَدْ وَصَلَتْ إِلَيَّ». ثُمَّ أَخْرَجَ إِلَيْهِمْ شِمْعُونَ.

24 Then he took them into Joseph’s house. He gave them water to wash their feet and gave them food for the donkeys.

٢٤ وَأَدْخَلَ الرَّجُلُ الْقَوْمَ إِلَى بَيْتِ يُوسُفَ وَقَدَّمَ لَهُمْ مَاءً لِيَغْسِلُوا أَرْجُلَهُمْ، وَعَلِيقاً لِحَمِيرِهِمْ.

25 He told them that they were going to eat with Joseph at noon. So the men prepared their gifts to give to Joseph when he arrived.

٢٥ وَأَعَدُّوا الْهَدِيَّةَ فِي انْتِظَارِ مَجِيءِ يُوسُفَ عِنْدَ الظُّهْرِ، لأَنَّهُمْ سَمِعُوا أَنَّهُمْ سَيَتَنَاوَلُونَ الطَّعَامَ هُنَاكَ.

26 When Joseph came home, they presented to him the gifts that they had brought into the house. Then they bowed down to the ground in front of him.

٢٦ فَلَمَّا أَقْبَلَ يُوسُفُ إِلَى الْبَيْتِ أَحْضَرُوا إِلَيْهِ الْهَدِيَّةَ الَّتِي حَمَلُوهَا مَعَهُمْ إِلَى الْبَيْتِ، وَانْحَنَوْا أَمَامَهُ إِلَى الأَرْضِ.

27 He asked them if they were (well/in good health), and then he asked, “How is the health of your old father, the one that you told me about? Is he still living?”

٢٧ فَسَأَلَهُمْ عَنْ أَحْوَالِهِمْ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: «هَلْ أَبُوكُمُ الشَّيْخُ الَّذِي أَخْبَرْتُمْ عَنْهُ بِخَيْرٍ؟ أَمَازَالَ حَيًّا؟»

28 One of them replied, “Yes, our father, [who is willing to be] your servant, is still alive, and he is well.” Then again they bowed down in front of him.

٢٨ فَأَجَابُوا: «عَبْدُكَ أَبُونَا بِخَيْرٍ، وَهُوَ مَازَالَ حَيًّا». وَانْحَنَوْا وَسَجَدُوا.

29 Then he saw his [younger] brother Benjamin, his own mother’s other son. He asked them, “Is this your youngest brother, the one whom you told me about?” After they said “Yes,” he said to Benjamin, “Young man, I pray that God will act kindly toward you.”

٢٩ وَتَلَفَّتَ فَرَأَى أَخَاهُ الشَّقِيقَ بِنْيَامِينَ، فَقَالَ: «أَهَذَا أَخُوكُمُ الأَصْغَرُ الَّذِي أَخْبَرْتُمُونِي عَنْهُ؟» ثُمَّ قَالَ: «لِيُنْعِمِ اللهُ عَلَيْكَ يَا ابْنِي».

30 Joseph quickly left the room. He realized that he was about to cry because he (was full of emotion about his younger brother/loved his younger brother so much). He went into his private room and cried there.

٣٠ وَانْدَفَعَ يُوسُفُ إِلَى مُخْدَعِهِ وَبَكَى هُنَاكَ لأَنَّ عَوَاطِفَهُ حَنَّتْ إِلَى أَخِيهِ.

31 Then, after he washed the tears from his face, he came out, and controlling his emotions, he said to the servants, “Serve the food!”

٣١ ثُمَّ غَسَلَ وَجْهَهُ وَخَرَجَ مُمْسِكاً نَفْسَهُ عَنْ الْبُكَاءِ، وَقَالَ: «قَدِّمُوا الطَّعَامَ».

32 The people of Egypt considered that it was disgraceful for them to eat with Hebrews, so the servants served food to Joseph by himself, and served the other people of Egypt who ate with him by themselves, and they served Joseph’s older brothers and younger brother by themselves.

٣٢ فَقَدَّمُوا لَهُ وَحْدَهُ، وَلَهُمْ وَحْدَهُمْ، وَلِلْمِصْرِيِّينَ الآكِلِينَ مَعَهُ وَحْدَهُمْ، إِذْ أَنَّهُ مَحْظُورٌ عَلَى الْمِصْرِيِّينَ أَنْ يَأْكُلُوا مَعَ الْعِبْرَانِيِّينَ، لأَنَّ ذَلِكَ رِجْسٌ عِنْدَهُمْ.

33 His brothers were astonished to see that their seats were arranged according to their ages, from the oldest to the youngest!

٣٣ فَجَلَسُوا فِي مَحْضَرِهِ، كُلٌّ وَفْقاً لِعُمْرِهِ، مِنَ الْبِكْرِ حَتَّى الصَّغِيرِ. فَنَظَرُوا بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ مُتَعَجِّبِين.

34 And when their portions of food were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as anyone else’s portion! So they ate food and drank wine with Joseph and became very cheerful.

٣٤ وَقَدَّمَ إِلَيْهِمْ حِصَصاً مِنْ مَائِدَتِهِ، فَكَانَتْ حِصَّةُ بِنْيَامِينَ خَمْسَةَ أَضْعَافِ حِصَصِ إِخْوَتِهِ. وَاحْتَفُوا وَشَرِبُوا مَعَهُ.