1 Mose 42
1 Auch Jakob erfuhr, daß es in Ägypten Brotgetreide gebe; da sprach Jakob zu seinen Söhnen: "Warum zögert ihr?"
When someone told Jacob that there was grain in Egypt that people could buy, he said to his sons, “(Why do you just sit there looking at each other?/Do not just sit there looking at each other!) [RHQ] We need some grain!”
2 Und er sprach: "Ich habe gehört, daß in Ägypten ein Kornmarkt ist. Ziehet dorthin und holt uns von dort Getreide, daß wir am Leben bleiben und nicht sterben!"
He said to them, “Someone told me that there is grain for sale in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, in order that we will not die!”
3 Da zogen zehn der Brüder Josephs hinab, in Ägypten Getreide zu kaufen.
So Joseph’s ten [older] brothers went down to Egypt to buy some grain.
4 Den Benjamin aber, Josephs Vollbruder, hatte Jakob nicht mit seinen Brüdern ziehen lassen; denn er dachte, ihn könnte ein Unfall treffen.
But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph’s [younger] brother, to go with the others, because he was afraid/worried that something terrible might happen to him like what happened to Joseph.
5 So kamen Israels Söhne zum Markt inmitten der Herbeiströmenden; denn im Lande Kanaan war der Hunger.
So Jacob’s other sons went down from Canaan to Egypt to buy grain, and others from there went too, because there was a famine in Canaan also.
6 Joseph aber war der Gebieter des Landes; er war es, der jedem Volk der Erde Getreide verkaufte. So kamen auch Josephs Brüder und neigten sich vor ihm zu Boden.
At that time Joseph was the governor of Egypt. He was the one who sold grain to people who came from all over Egypt and from many other countries [HYP] to buy grain. So when Joseph’s brothers arrived, [they were told that it was necessary for them to talk with Joseph. So they went to him and] prostrated themselves before him with their faces to the ground.
7 Da sah Joseph seine Brüder und erkannte sie; aber er stellte sich fremd gegen sie, ließ sie hart an und fragte sie: "Woher kommt ihr?" Sie sagten: "Aus dem Lande Kanaan zum Getreidekauf."
As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them. But he pretended that he did not know them. He spoke harshly to them, saying, “Where do you come from?” One of them replied, “We have come from Canaan, to buy some grain.”
8 Joseph erkannte seine Brüder; sie aber hatten ihn nicht erkannt.
Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.
9 Da gedachte Joseph der Träume, die er ihretwegen gehabt. Er sprach zu ihnen: "Spione seid ihr. Ihr seid gekommen, die Blöße des Landes zu erspähen."
And then Joseph remembered what he had dreamed about them many years previously. [But he decided not to tell them yet that he was their younger brother]. He said to them, “You are spies! You have come to find out whether we will be able to defend ourselves [if you attack us]!”
10 Sie sprachen zu ihm: "Nein, Herr! Mundvorrat zu kaufen, sind deine Sklaven gekommen.
One of them replied, “No, sir! We have come to buy grain.
11 Wir alle sind eines Mannes Söhne. Wir sind ehrlich. Niemals waren deine Knechte Spione."
We are all sons of one man. We are honest men, not spies.”
12 Er sprach zu ihnen: "Nichts da! Die Blöße des Landes zu erspähen, seid ihr gekommen."
He said to them, “[I do not believe you]. You have come just to see whether we would be able to defend ourselves if we were attacked!”
13 Sie sprachen: "Deiner Sklaven sind es zwölf, lauter Brüder, Söhne eines gewissen Mannes im Lande Kanaan. Der jüngste aber ist jetzt noch bei unserem Vater, und einer ist nicht mehr."
But one of them replied, “No, that is not true! Originally there were twelve of us who were brothers, the sons of one man. Our younger brother is with our father. One [younger] brother has died. [EUP]”
14 Da sprach Joseph zu ihnen: "Dabei bleibt es, was ich zu euch gesagt: Spione seid ihr.
Joseph replied, “[You are lying! I think] it is just as I told you. You are spies!
15 Daran sollt ihr geprüft werden. Beim Leben Pharaos! Ihr dürft nicht eher von hier fort, bis euer jüngster Bruder herkommt.
But this is how I will determine whether what you are saying is true. I think that as surely as the king lives, you are spies. And you will not leave this place until your youngest brother comes here!
16 Schicket von euch einen, daß er euren Bruder hole! Ihr aber bleibt gefangen. So werden eure Aussagen geprüft, ob Wahrheit bei euch ist oder nicht. Beim Leben Pharaos! Ihr seid Spione."
Send one of your group to go and get your younger brother and bring him here. I will put the rest of you in prison, in order that I may test what you have said to find out whether what you are telling me is true. If the one who goes does not bring your younger brother here, then, just as surely as the king lives, it will be clear that you are lying and that you are spies.”
17 Und er ließ sie drei Tage in Gewahrsam legen.
Then Joseph put them all in prison for three days.
18 Am dritten Tage sprach Joseph zu ihnen: "Tut dies, dann bleibt ihr am Leben! Denn ich bin gottesfürchtig:
On the third day, Joseph went to the prison and said to them, “I am a man who fears that God [will punish me if I do not do what I promise]. So do what I tell you, and I will spare your lives.
19 Seid ihr ehrliche Leute, so bleibe von euch einer im Hause, darin ihr in Gewahrsam wart! Ihr anderen aber geht und bringt Korn für den Hunger eurer Familien heim!
If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison, and the rest of you can take some grain back to your families who are very hungry because of the famine.
20 Euren jüngsten Bruder aber müßt ihr mir bringen, daß sich eure Worte bewahrheiten und ihr nicht sterben müßt! Tut also!"
But if you come back here again, you must bring your youngest brother to me, so that you can prove that what you told me is true, and as a result I will not have you executed.” So they agreed to do that.
21 Da sprachen sie zueinander: "Leider haben wir dies an unserem Bruder verschuldet. Wir haben seine Angst gesehen, wie er uns anflehte, und wir haben nicht darauf geachtet. Deshalb ist diese Not über uns gekommen."
They said to each other, “It is surely because of what we did to our [younger] brother that (we are being punished/God is punishing us)! We saw that he [SYN] was very distressed when he pleaded with us not to harm him. But we did not pay any attention to him, and that is why we are having this trouble!”
22 Da antwortete ihnen Ruben und sprach: "Habe ich euch nicht gesagt: 'Versündigt euch nicht an dem Kinde!' Ihr aber habt nicht gehört. Nun wird sein Blut gefordert."
Reuben said to them, “I told you not to harm the boy [RHQ], but you did not pay attention to what I said! Now we are being (paid back/punished) for killing him [MTY]!”
23 Sie aber wußten nicht, daß Joseph zuhörte; denn der Dolmetscher war zwischen ihnen.
While they were talking with Joseph, they were speaking through (an interpreter/someone who knew their language and the Egyptian language), but when they said these things among themselves, they were speaking in their own language, and they did not know that Joseph could understand their language, and that he could understand what they were saying.
24 Und er wandte sich von ihnen und weinte. Dann wandte er sich ihnen zu und redete mit ihnen. Hierauf ließ er Simeon aus ihrer Mitte greifen und vor ihren Augen fesseln.
[Because of what they said, Joseph realized that they admitted that what they had done to him many years previously was wrong]. He could not keep from crying, [and he did not want them to see him crying], so he left them and went outside the room and began to cry. But then he returned to them and talked to them again. Then he took Simeon, and while they were watching, he told his servants to tie him up. He left Simeon in the prison and told the others that they could go.
25 Joseph befahl aber, ihre Geräte mit Korn zu füllen und jedem sein Geld wieder in seinen Sack zu legen und ihnen Zehrung auf den Weg zu geben. Man tat so.
Joseph told his servants to fill the men’s sacks with grain, but he also told them to put the money that each one had paid for the grain in the top of his sack. He also told them to give them food to eat along the way. After the servants did those things for Joseph’s older brothers,
26 Sie luden nun ihr Korn auf ihre Esel und zogen von dannen.
his older brothers loaded the sacks of grain on their donkeys and left.
27 Da öffnete der eine seinen Sack, um seinen Esel in der Herberge zu füttern, und erblickte sein Geld. Obenan lag es in seinem Sack.
At the place where they stopped to sleep that night, one of them opened his sack to get some grain for his donkey. He was amazed to see his money in the top of the sack.
28 Da sprach er zu seinen Brüdern: "Mein Geld ist wieder da. Hier liegt es in meinem Sack." Da entsank ihnen der Mut, und bebend sahen sie einander an und sprachen: "Was hat uns Gott da getan?"
He exclaimed to his brothers, “Someone has returned my money! Here it is in my sack!” They started shaking with fear, and said to each other, “What is this that God has done to us?”
29 Und sie kamen zu ihrem Vater Jakob ins Land Kanaan und berichteten ihm alles, was ihnen begegnet war, und sprachen:
When they returned to their father in Canaan land, they told him all that had happened to them. One of them said,
30 "Hart hat uns der Mann, der Herr des Landes, angelassen; er stellte uns hin wie Auskundschafter seines Landes."
“The man who governs the whole land of Egypt talked very harshly to us. He acted toward us as though we were spying on his country.
31 Wir sagten ihm: "Wir sind ehrliche Leute; nie waren wir Spione.
But we told him, ‘We are honest men! We are not spies.
32 Zwölf Brüder sind wir, lauter Söhne unseres Vaters. Einer ist nicht mehr. Der jüngste aber ist jetzt noch bei unserem Vater im Lande Kanaan.
Originally there were twelve of us who were brothers, the sons of one father. One has died [EUP], and our youngest brother is with our father in Canaan.’
33 Aber der Mann, der Herr des Landes, sprach zu uns: 'Daran werde ich erkennen, ob ihr ehrliche Leute seid: Laßt einen von euch Brüdern hier bei mir! Den Bedarf für den Hunger eurer Familien nehmt mit und zieht ab!
The man who is the governor of the land [did not believe us], so he said to us, ‘This is how I will know if you are truly honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me. Then the rest of you can take some grain for your families that are starving from hunger and go.
34 Doch bringt mir euren jüngsten Bruder, daß ich erkenne, daß ihr keine Spione seid, sondern ehrliche Leute! Ich werde euch dann euren Bruder zurückgeben, und ihr dürft im Lande umherziehen!'"
But when you return, bring your youngest brother to me, in order that I will know that you are not spies, but instead, that you are honest men. Then I will release your brother for you. And then you can buy whatever you want in this country.’”
35 Wie sie nun ihre Säcke leerten, war eines jeden Geldbeutel in seinem Sack. Sie erblickten samt ihrem Vater ihre Geldbeutel und erschraken.
As they were emptying their sacks, they were surprised that in each man’s sack was his pouch of money! When they and their father saw all the pouches of money, they were frightened.
36 Da sprach ihr Vater Jakob zu ihnen: "Ihr beraubt mich der Kinder! Joseph ist nicht mehr, Simeon nicht mehr. Nun wollt ihr Benjamin fortnehmen. Über mich kommt alles."
Their father Jacob said to them, “You have caused two of my children to be taken from me! Joseph is dead, and Simeon is gone! And now you want to take Benjamin from me! It is I who am suffering because of all these things that are happening!”
37 Da sprach Ruben zu seinem Vater: "Töte meine beiden Söhne, wenn ich ihn nicht zurückbringe! Vertraue ihn mir an! Ich bringe ihn dir wieder."
Reuben said to his father, “I will be responsible for Benjamin. [I will take him to Egypt and] bring him back to you. Let me take care of him. If I do not bring Benjamin back to you, you may kill both of my sons.”
38 Er sprach: "Niemals darf mein Sohn mit euch reisen. Denn sein Bruder ist tot; er allein ist übrig. Träfe ihn ein Leid auf dem Weg, den ihr ziehen müßt, so senktet ihr mein graues Haupt mit Kummer in die Unterwelt." (Sheol h7585)
But Jacob said, “No, I will not let my son go down there with you. His [older] brother is dead, and he is the only [one of my wife Rachel’s] sons who is left! If something harms him while you are traveling, you would cause me, a gray-haired old man, to die because of sorrow.” (Sheol h7585)
