創世記 44
1 茲にヨセフその家宰に命じていふこの人々の嚢にその負うるほど糧食を充せ各人の金をその嚢の口に置れ
Then Joseph instructed his steward: “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each one’s silver in the mouth of his sack.
2 またわが杯すなはち銀の杯を彼の少き者の嚢の口に置てその穀物の金子とともにあらしめよと彼がヨセフがいひし言のごとくなせり
Put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the silver for his grain.” So the steward did as Joseph had instructed.
3 かくて夜のあくるにおよびてその人々と驢馬をかへしけるが
At daybreak, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys.
4 かれら城邑をいでてなほ程とほからぬにヨセフ家宰にいひけるは起てかの人々の後を追ひおひつきし時之にいふべし汝らなんぞ惡をもて善にむくゆるや
They had not gone far from the city when Joseph told his steward, “Pursue the men at once, and when you overtake them, ask, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil?
5 其はわが主がもちひて飮み又用ひて常に卜ふ者にあらずや汝らかくなすは惡しと
Is this not the cup my master drinks from and uses for divination? What you have done is wicked!’”
6 是に於て家宰かれらにおひつきてこの言をかれらにいひければ
When the steward overtook them, he relayed these words to them.
7 かれら之にいふ主なにゆゑに是事をいひたまふや僕等きはめてこの事をなさず
“Why does my lord say these things?” they asked. “Your servants could not possibly do such a thing.
8 視よ我らの嚢の口にありし金はカナンの地より汝の所にもちかへれり然ば我等いかで汝の主の家より金銀をぬすまんや
We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found in the mouths of our sacks. Why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house?
9 僕等の中誰の手に見あたるも其者は死べし我等またわが主の奴隸となるべし
If any of your servants is found to have it, he must die, and the rest will become slaves of my lord.”
10 彼いひけるはさらば汝らの言のごとくせん其の見あたりし者はわが奴隸となるべし汝等は咎なしと
“As you say,” replied the steward. “But only the one who is found with the cup will be my slave, and the rest of you shall be free of blame.”
11 是において彼等急ぎて各その嚢を地におろし各その嚢をひらきしかば
So each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.
12 彼すなはち索し長者よりはじめて少者にをはるに杯はベニヤミンの嚢にありき
The steward searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest—and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.
13 斯有しかば彼等その衣を裂きおのおのその驢馬に荷を負せて邑にかへる
Then they all tore their clothes, loaded their donkeys, and returned to the city.
14 しかしてユダとその兄弟等ヨセフの家にいたるにヨセフなほ其處にをりしかばその前に地に伏す
When Judah and his brothers arrived at Joseph’s house, he was still there, and they fell to the ground before him.
15 ヨセフかれらにいひけるは汝等がなしたるこの事は何ぞや我のごとき人は善く卜ひうる者なるをしらざるや
“What is this deed you have done?” Joseph declared. “Do you not know that a man like me can surely divine the truth?”
16 ユダいひけるは我等主に何をいはんや何をのべんや如何にしてわれらの正直をあらはさんや神僕等の罪を摘發したまへり然ば我等およびこの杯の見あたりし者倶に主の奴隸となるべし
“What can we say to my lord?” Judah replied. “How can we plead? How can we justify ourselves? God has exposed the iniquity of your servants. We are now my lord’s slaves—both we and the one who was found with the cup.”
17 ヨセフいひけるはきはめて然せじ杯の手に見あたりし人はわが奴隸となるべし汝等は安然に父にかへりのぼるべし
But Joseph replied, “Far be it from me to do this. The man who was found with the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may return to your father in peace.”
18 時にユダかれに近よりていひけるはわが主よ請ふ僕をして主の耳に一言いふをえせしめよ僕にむかひて怒を發したまふなかれ汝はパロのごとくにいますなり
Then Judah approached Joseph and said, “Sir, please let your servant speak personally to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, for you are equal to Pharaoh himself.
19 昔にわが主僕等に問て汝等は父あるや弟あるやといひたまひしかば
My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’
20 我等主にいへり我等にわが父あり老人なり又その老年子なる少者ありその兄は死てその母の遺せるは只是のみ故に父これを愛すと
And we answered, ‘We have an elderly father and a younger brother, the child of his old age. The boy’s brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’
21 汝また僕等にいひたまはく彼を我許につれくだり我をして之に目をつくることをえせしめよと
Then you told your servants, ‘Bring him down to me so that I can see him for myself.’
22 われら主にいへり童子父を離るをえず若父をはなるるならば父死べしと
So we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father. If he were to leave, his father would die.’
23 汝また僕等にいひたまはく汝らの季の弟汝等とともに下るにあらざれば汝等ふたたたびわが面を見るべからずと
But you said to your servants, ‘Unless your younger brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’
24 我等すなはちなんぢの僕わが父の所にかへりのぼりて主の言をこれに告たり
Now when we returned to your servant my father, we relayed your words to him.
25 我らの父再びゆきて少許の糧食を買きたれといひければ
Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy us some food.’
26 我らいふ我らくだりゆくことをえずわれらの季の弟われらと共にあらば下りゆくべし其は季の弟われらと共にあるにあらざれば彼人の面をみるをえざればなりと
But we answered, ‘We cannot go down there unless our younger brother goes with us. So if our younger brother is not with us, we cannot see the man.’
27 なんぢの僕わが父われらにいふ汝らのしるごとく吾妻われに二人を生しが
And your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons.
28 その一人出てわれをはなれたれば必ず裂ころされしならんと思へり我今にいたるまで彼を見ず
When one of them was gone, I said: “Surely he has been torn to pieces.” And I have not seen him since.
Now if you also take this one from me and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.’ (Sheol h7585)
30 抑父の生命と童子の生命とは相結びてあれば我なんぢの僕わが父に歸りいたらん時に童子もしわれらと共に在ずば如何ぞや
So if the boy is not with us when I return to your servant, and if my father, whose life is wrapped up in the boy’s life,
sees that the boy is not with us, he will die. Then your servants will have brought the gray hair of your servant our father down to Sheol in sorrow. (Sheol h7585)
32 僕わが父に童子の事を保ひて我もし是を汝につれかへらずば永久に罪を父に負んといへり
Indeed, your servant guaranteed the boy’s safety to my father, saying, ‘If I do not return him to you, I will bear the guilt before you, my father, all my life.’
33 されば請ふ僕をして童子にかはりをりて主の奴隸とならしめ童子をしてその兄弟とともに歸りのぼらしめたまへ
Now please let your servant stay here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy. Let him return with his brothers.
34 我いかでか童子を伴はずして父の許に上りゆくべけん恐くは災害の父におよぶを見ん
For how can I go back to my father without the boy? I could not bear to see the misery that would overwhelm him.”
