創世記 43
1 饑饉その地にはげしかりき
Now the famine was still severe in the land.
2 茲に彼等エジプトよりもちきたりし穀物を食つくせし時父かられらに再びゆきて少許の糧食を買きたれといひければ
So when Jacob’s sons had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”
3 ユダ父にかたりていひけるは彼人かたく我等をいましめていふ汝らの弟汝らとともにあるにあらざれば汝らはわが面をみるべからずと
But Judah replied, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’
4 汝もし弟をわれらとともに遣さば我等下て汝のために糧食を買ふべし
If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you.
5 されど汝もし彼をつかはさずば我等くだらざるべし其はかの人われらにむかひ汝等の弟なんぢらとともにあるにあらざれば汝ら吾面をみるべからずといひたればなりと
But if you will not send him, we will not go; for the man told us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’”
6 イスラエルいひけるは汝等なにゆゑに汝等に尚弟のあることを彼人につげて我を惡くなすや
“Why did you bring this trouble upon me?” Israel asked. “Why did you tell the man you had another brother?”
7 彼等いふ其人われらの模樣とわれらの親族を問ただして汝らの父は尚生存へをるや汝等は弟をもつやといひしにより其言の條々にしたがひて彼につげたるなり我等いかでか彼が汝等の弟をつれくだれといふならんとしるをえん
They replied, “The man questioned us in detail about ourselves and our family: ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ And we answered him accordingly. How could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother here’?”
8 ユダ父イスラエルにいひけるは童子をわれとともに遣はせ我等たちて往ん然らば我儕と汝およびわれらの子女生ることを得て死をまぬかるべし
And Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me, and we will go at once, so that we may live and not die—neither we, nor you, nor our children.
9 我彼の身を保はん汝わが手にかれを問へ我もし彼を汝につれかへりて汝のまへに置ずば我永遠に罪をおはん
I will guarantee his safety. You may hold me personally responsible. If I do not bring him back and set him before you, then may I bear the guilt before you all my life.
10 我儕もし濡滯ことなかりしならば必ずすでにゆきて再びかへりしならん
If we had not delayed, we could have come and gone twice by now.”
11 父イスラエル彼等にいひけるは然ば斯なせ汝等國の名物を器にいれ携へくだりて彼人に禮物とせよ乳香少許、蜜少許、香物、沒藥、胡桃および巴旦杏
Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and carry them down as a gift for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds.
12 又手に一倍の金を取りゆけ汝等の嚢の口に返してありし彼金を再び手にたづさへ行べし恐くは差謬にてありしならん
Take double the silver with you so that you may return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake.
13 且また汝らの弟を挈へ起てふたたたび其人の所にゆけ
Take your brother as well, and return to the man at once.
14 ねがはくは全能の神その人のまへにて汝等を矜恤みその人をして汝等の他の兄弟とベニヤミンを放ちかへさしめたまはんことを若われ子に別るべくあらば別れんと
May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother along with Benjamin. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”
15 是に於てかの人々その禮物を執り一倍の金を手に執りベニヤミンを携へて起てエジプトにくだりヨセフの前に立つ
So the men took these gifts, along with double the amount of silver, and Benjamin as well. Then they hurried down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.
16 ヨセフ、ベニヤミンの彼らと偕なるを見てその家宰にいひけるはこの人々を家に導き畜を屠て備へよこの人々卓午に我とともに食をなすべければなり
When Joseph saw Benjamin with his brothers, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for they shall dine with me at noon.”
17 其人ヨセフのいひしごとくなし其人この人々をヨセフの家に導けり
The man did as Joseph had commanded and took the brothers to Joseph’s house.
18 人々ヨセフの家に導かれたるによりて懼れいひけるは初めにわれらの嚢にかへりてありし金の事のために我等はひきいれらる是われらを抑留へて我等にせまり執へて奴隸となし且われらの驢馬を取んとするなりと
But the brothers were frightened that they had been taken to Joseph’s house. “We have been brought here because of the silver that was returned in our bags the first time,” they said. “They intend to overpower us and take us as slaves, along with our donkeys.”
19 彼等すなはちヨセフの家宰に進みよりて家の入口にて之にかたりて
So they approached Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house.
20 いひけるは主よ我等實に最初くだりて糧食を買たり
“Please, sir,” they said, “we really did come down here the first time to buy food.
21 しかるに我等旅邸に至りて嚢を啓き見るに各人の金その嚢の口にありて其金の量全かりし然ば我等これを手にもちかへれり
But when we came to the place we lodged for the night, we opened our sacks and, behold, each of us found his silver in the mouth of his sack! It was the full amount of our silver, and we have brought it back with us.
22 又糧食を買ふ他の金をも手にもちくだる我等の金を嚢にいれたる者は誰なるかわれらは知ざるなり
We have brought additional silver with us to buy food. We do not know who put our silver in our sacks.”
23 彼いひけるは汝ら安ぜよ懼るなかれ汝らの神汝らの父の神財寶を汝等の嚢におきて汝らに賜ひしなり汝らの金は我にとどけりと遂にシメオンを彼等の所にたづさへいだせり
“It is fine,” said the steward. “Do not be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, gave you the treasure that was in your sacks. I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.
24 かくて其人この人々をヨセフの家に導き水をあたへてその足を濯はしめ又その驢馬に飼草をあたふ
And the steward took the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet, and provided food for their donkeys.
25 彼等其處にて食をなすなりと聞しかば禮物を調へてヨセフの日午に來るをまつ
Since the brothers had been told that they were going to eat a meal there, they prepared their gift for Joseph’s arrival at noon.
26 茲にヨセフ家にかへりしかば彼等その手の禮物を家にもちきたりてヨセフの許にいたり地に伏てこれを拜す
When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought, and they bowed to the ground before him.
27 ヨセフかれらの安否をとふていふ汝等の父汝らが初にかたりしその老人は恙なきや尚いきながらへをるや
He asked if they were well, and then he asked, “How is your elderly father you told me about? Is he still alive?”
28 彼等こたへてわれらの父汝の僕は恙なくしてなほ生ながらへをるといひ身をかがめ禮をなす
“Your servant our father is well,” they answered. “He is still alive.” And they bowed down to honor him.
29 ヨセフ目をあげてその母の子なる己の弟ベニヤミンを見ていひけるは是は汝らが初に我にかたりし汝らの若き兄弟なるや又いふわが子よ願はくは神汝をめぐみたまはんことをと
When Joseph looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?” Then he declared, “May God be gracious to you, my son.”
30 ヨセフその弟のために心焚るがごとくなりしかば急ぎてその泣べきところを尋ね室にいりて其處に泣り
Joseph hurried out because he was moved to tears for his brother, and he went to a private room to weep.
31 而して面をあらひて出で自から抑へて食をそなへよといふ
Then he washed his face and came back out. Regaining his composure, he said, “Serve the meal.”
32 すなはちヨセフはヨセフ彼等は彼等陪食するエジプト人はエジプト人と別々に之を供ふ是はエジプト人ヘブル人と共に食することをえざるによる其事エジプト人の穢はしとするところなればなり
They separately served Joseph, his brothers, and the Egyptians. They ate separately because the Egyptians would not eat with the Hebrews, since that was detestable to them.
33 かくて彼等ヨセフの前に坐るに長子をばその長たるにしたがひて坐らせ若き者をばその幼少にしたがひてすわらせければその人々駭きあへり
They were seated before Joseph in order by age, from the firstborn to the youngest, and the men looked at one another in astonishment.
34 ヨセフ己のまへより皿を彼等に供ふベニヤミンの皿は他の人のよりも五倍おほかりきかれら飮てヨセフとともに樂めり
When the portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times larger than any of the others. So they feasted and drank freely with Joseph.
