Genesis 44

1 When his brothers were ready to return home, Joseph said to the man who was in charge of things in his house, “Fill the sacks of those men with as much grain as they can carry [on their donkeys]. And put in the top of each man’s sack the silver that he paid for the grain.

Después dio José al mayordomo de su casa esta orden: “Llena de provisiones los costales de estos hombres cuanto puedan llevar y pon el dinero de cada uno en la boca de su costal.

2 Then put my silver cup in the top of the youngest brother’s sack, along with the silver that he paid for the grain.” So the servant did what Joseph told him to do.

Pon también mi copa, la copa de plata, en la boca del costal del menor, juntamente con el dinero de su trigo.” Y él hizo según la orden que José había dado.

3 The next morning at dawn the men started on the way home with their donkeys.

Al rayar el alba se despidieron los hombres con sus asnos.

4 When they had not gone far from the city, Joseph said to the servant in charge of things in his house, “Pursue those men immediately. When you catch up to them, say to them, ‘We did good things for you! Why have you paid us back by doing something bad to us?

Pero apenas habían salido de la ciudad, hallándose aún a poca distancia de ella, dijo José al mayordomo de su casa: “Levántate y corre tras esas gentes, y cuando los alcances, les dirás: “¿Por qué habéis devuelto mal por bien?

5 [You have stolen the cup] that my master drinks from [RHQ]! It is the cup that he uses to find out things that nobody knows! What you did was very wicked!’”

¿No es esta (la copa) en que bebe mi señor, y por medio de la cual suele adivinar? Habéis obrado mal en lo que hicisteis.”

6 The servant [left immediately and] when he caught up with them, he told them what Joseph had told him to say.

Y él, habiéndolos alcanzado, les repitió estas mismas palabras.

7 But one of them replied to him, “Sir, why do you say such things? We are your servants, and we would never do anything like that!

Contestáronle: “¿Por qué dice mi señor tal cosa? Lejos de tus siervos hacer algo semejante.

8 We even brought back to you from Canaan land the silver that we found inside the tops of our sacks! So (we certainly would not steal silver or gold from your master’s house!/Why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house?) [RHQ]

He aquí que hemos vuelto a traerte desde el país de Canaán el dinero que hallamos en la boca de nuestros costales; ¿cómo íbamos a robar de la casa de tu señor plata u oro?

9 If you discover that any of us has that cup, you can execute him, and the rest of us will become your slaves.”

Aquel de tus siervos en cuyo poder fuere hallada, muera, y en cuanto a nosotros seremos siervos de mi señor.”

10 The man replied, “Okay, I will do what you say. But the one who has the cup will not be executed. Instead, he will become my slave, and the rest of you may return home.”

Sea así como decís, respondió él. Aquel en cuyo poder fuere hallado será mi siervo; mas vosotros quedaréis sin culpa.”

11 Each of the men quickly lowered his sack down from the donkey to the ground and opened it.

Con esto se apresuraron a bajar cada uno su costal a tierra; y abrió cada cual su costal.

12 Then the servant started to search for the cup in each sack. He started with the oldest brother’s sack and ended with the youngest one’s sack. And he found the cup in Benjamin’s sack and showed it to them.

Y él (los) registró, empezando por el mayor, y acabando por el menor, y fue hallada la copa en el costal de Benjamín.

13 The brothers tore their clothes [because they were so dismayed]. They loaded the sacks on the donkeys again and returned to the city.

Rasgaron entonces sus vestidos, y cargando cada uno su asno, volvieron a la ciudad.

14 When Judah and his [older and younger] brothers entered Joseph’s house, Joseph was still there. The servant told Joseph what had happened. Then the brothers threw themselves down on the ground in front of Joseph.

Así llegó Judá con sus hermanos a la casa de José —este se hallaba todavía allí— y se echaron delante de él a tierra.

15 He said to them, “Why did you do this? Do you not know that a man like me can find out things that nobody knows?” [RHQ]

Díjoles José: “¿Qué es lo que habéis hecho? ¿No sabíais que un hombre como yo sabe adivinar?”

16 Judah replied, “Sir, what can we say? How can we prove that we (are innocent/did not steal the cup)? God has (paid us back/punished us) for the sins [we committed many years ago]. So now we will become your slaves—both we and the one in whose sack the cup was found.”

A lo cual respondió Judá: “¿Qué podemos decir a mi señor? ¿Qué vamos a hablar, o cómo nos justificaremos? Dios ha descubierto la iniquidad de tus siervos. Henos aquí, siervos somos de mi señor, tanto nosotros como aquel en cuyo poder fue hallada la copa.”

17 But Joseph replied, “No, I could never do anything like that. Only the man in whose sack the cup was found will become my slave. The rest of you can return to your father peacefully.”

“Lejos de mí hacer tal cosa, contestó José. El hombre en cuyo poder fue hallada la copa, ese será siervo mío; vosotros, empero, subid en paz a casa de vuestro padre.”

18 Then Judah came near to Joseph and said, “Sir, please let me say something to you. You are equal to the king himself, so you could command that I be executed; but do not be angry with me for speaking to you.

Entonces Judá se acercó a él, y dijo: “Por favor, señor mío, permite que tu siervo diga una palabra a oídos de mi señor, y no se encienda tu ira contra tu siervo; porque tú eres igual al Faraón.

19 You asked us, ‘Is your father still living, and do you have another brother?’

Mi señor preguntó a sus siervos, diciendo: ‘¿Tenéis padre o hermano?’

20 We answered, ‘Our father is alive, but he is an old man. He has a young son who was born after our father became an old man. That son had an [older] brother, who is now dead. So the youngest son is the only one of his mother’s sons who is still alive, and his father loves him very much.’

Respondimos a mi señor: ‘Sí, tenemos un padre anciano, y un niño de su vejez, que es el menor y cuyo hermano murió, de modo que él solo le ha quedado de su madre, y su padre le ama’.

21 Then you said to us, ‘The next time you come here, bring your younger brother down to me, so that I can see him.’

Tú dijiste entonces a tus siervos: ‘Traédmelo, para que ponga mis ojos sobre él’.

22 We said to you, ‘No, we cannot do that, because the boy cannot leave his father. If he leaves his father, his father will die from sorrow.’

Mas nosotros respondimos a mi señor: ‘El joven no puede dejar a su padre; porque si lo dejare, su padre morirá’.

23 But you told us, ‘If your youngest brother does not come back with you, I will not let you see me again!’

Pero tú dijiste a tus siervos: ‘Si no baja con vosotros vuestro hermano menor, no volveréis a ver mi rostro’.

24 When we returned to our father, we told him what you said.

Subimos, pues a casa de tu siervo, mi padre, y le contamos las palabras de mi señor.

25 [Months later] our father said, ‘Go back to Egypt and buy some more grain!’

Y cuando dijo nuestro padre: ‘Volved a comprarnos algo para comer’,

26 But we said, ‘We cannot go back by ourselves. We will go only if our youngest brother is with us. We will not be able to see the man who sells grain if our youngest brother is not with us.’

contestamos nosotros: ‘No podemos bajar. Pero si nuestro hermano menor va con nosotros, bajaremos; pues no podremos ver el rostro de aquel hombre, a no ser que vaya con nosotros nuestro hermano menor’.

27 Our father replied, ‘You know that my wife [Rachel] gave birth to two sons for me.

Entonces nos dijo tu siervo, mi padre: ‘Vosotros sabéis que mi esposa me dio dos hijos.

28 One of them disappeared, and I said, “A wild animal has surely torn him to pieces.” And I have not seen him since then.

El uno desapareció de mi presencia, y yo dije: Sin duda ha sido devorado, y hasta ahora no le he visto más.

29 I am an old gray-haired man. If you take this other one from me, too, and something harms him, you would cause me to die because of my sorrow.’ (Sheol h7585)

Si lleváis también a este de mi presencia, y le sucede alguna desgracia, haréis descender con dolor mis canas al sepulcro’. (Sheol h7585)

30 “So please listen. My father will remain alive only if his youngest son remains alive.

Ahora, pues, si yo llego a tu siervo mi padre, y no está con nosotros el joven, de cuya vida depende la suya,

31 If he sees that the boy is not with us when we return to him, he will die. We will cause our gray-haired father to die because of his sorrow. (Sheol h7585)

sucederá que al ver que el joven no existe, morirá; y así tus siervos harán descender con dolor al sepulcro las canas de tu siervo, nuestro padre. (Sheol h7585)

32 I guaranteed/promised to my father that the boy would return safely. I told him, ‘You can require me to do what I am promising. If I do not bring him back to you, you can say forever that (I am to blame/it is my fault) [for not bringing him back to you].’

Porque tu siervo se hizo responsable por el joven ante mi padre, diciendo: ‘Si no te lo vuelvo a traer, seré para siempre reo de pecado contra mi padre’.

33 “So, please let me remain here as your slave instead of my youngest brother, and let the boy return home with his other older brothers.

Te ruego, pues, que tu siervo quede en lugar del joven por esclavo de mi señor, a fin de que el joven pueda volver con sus hermanos.

34 (I cannot return to my father if the boy is not with me!/How can I return to my father if the boy is not with me?) [RHQ] I do not want to see how miserable/sad my father would become!”

Pues ¿cómo podré yo subir a casa de mi padre, sin que el joven esté conmigo? ¡No vea yo el mal que vendrá sobre mi padre!”