Genesis 43

1 Interim fames omnem terram vehementer premebat.

In the mean time the famine was heavy upon all the land.

2 Consumptisque cibis quos ex Ægypto detulerant, dixit Jacob ad filios suos: Revertimini, et emite nobis pauxillum escarum.

And when they had eaten up all the corn, which they had brought out of Egypt, Jacob said to his sons: Go again and buy us a little food.

3 Respondit Judas: Denuntiavit nobis vir ille sub attestatione jurisjurandi, dicens: Non videbitis faciem meam, nisi fratrem vestrum minimum adduxeritis vobiscum.

Juda answered: The man declared unto us with the attestation of an oath, saying: You shall not see my face, unless you bring your youngest brother with you.

4 Si ergo vis eum mittere nobiscum, pergemus pariter, et ememus tibi necessaria:

If therefore thou wilt send him with us, we will set out together, and will buy necessaries for thee.

5 sin autem non vis, non ibimus: vir enim, ut sæpe diximus, denuntiavit nobis, dicens: Non videbitis faciem meam absque fratre vestro minimo.

But if thou wilt not, we will not go: for the man, as we have often said, declared unto us, saying: You shall not see my face without your youngest brother.

6 Dixit eis Israël: In meam hoc fecistis miseriam, ut indicaretis ei et alium habere vos fratrem.

Israel said to them: You have done this for my misery in that you told him you had also another brother.

7 At illi responderunt: Interrogavit nos homo per ordinem nostram progeniem: si pater viveret: si haberemus fratrem: et nos respondimus ei consequenter juxta id quod fuerat sciscitatus: numquid scire poteramus quod dicturus esset: Adducite fratrem vestrum vobiscum?

But they answered: The man asked us in order concerning our kindred: if our father lived: if we had a brother: and we answered him regularly, according to what he demanded: could we know that he would say: Bring hither your brother with you?

8 Judas quoque dixit patri suo: Mitte puerum mecum, ut proficiscamur, et possimus vivere: ne moriamur nos et parvuli nostri.

And Juda said to his father: Send the boy with me, that we may set forward, and may live: lest both we and our children perish.

9 Ego suscipio puerum: de manu mea require illum: nisi reduxero, et reddidero eum tibi, ero peccati reus in te omni tempore.

I take the boy upon me, require him at my hand: unless I bring him again, and restore him to thee, I will be guilty of sin against thee for ever.

10 Si non intercessisset dilatio, jam vice alter venissemus.

If delay had not been made, we had been here again the second time.

11 Igitur Israël pater eorum dixit ad eos: Si sic necesse est, facite quod vultis: sumite de optimis terræ fructibus in vasis vestris, et deferte viro munera, modicum resinæ, et mellis, et storacis, stactes, et terebinthi, et amygdalarum.

Then Israel said to them: If it must needs be so, do what you will: take of the best fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry down presents to the man, a little balm, and honey, and storax, myrrh, turpentine, and almonds.

12 Pecuniam quoque duplicem ferte vobiscum: et illam, quam invenistis in sacculis, reportate, ne forte errore factum sit:

And take with you double money, and carry back what you found in your sacks, lest perhaps it was done by mistake.

13 sed et fratrem vestrum tollite, et ite ad virum.

And take also your brother, and go to the man.

14 Deus autem meus omnipotens faciat vobis eum placabilem: et remittat vobiscum fratrem vestrum quem tenet, et hunc Benjamin: ego autem quasi orbatus absque liberis ero.

And may my almighty God make him favourable to you; and send back with you your brother, whom he keepeth, and this Benjamin: and as for me I shall be desolate without children.

15 Tulerunt ergo viri munera, et pecuniam duplicem, et Benjamin: descenderuntque in Ægyptum, et steterunt coram Joseph.

So the men took the presents, and double money, and Benjamin: and went down into Egypt, and stood before Joseph.

16 Quos cum ille vidisset et Benjamin simul, præcepit dispensatori domus suæ, dicens: Introduc viros domum, et occide victimas, et instrue convivium: quoniam mecum sunt comesturi meridie.

And when he had seen them, and Benjamin with them, he commanded the steward of his house, saying: Bring in the men into the house, and kill victims, and prepare a feast: because they shall eat with me at noon.

17 Fecit ille quod sibi fuerat imperatum, et introduxit viros domum.

He did as he was commanded, and brought the men into the house.

18 Ibique exterriti, dixerunt mutuo: Propter pecuniam, quam retulimus prius in saccis nostris, introducti sumus: ut devolvat in nos calumniam, et violenter subjiciat servituti et nos, et asinos nostros.

And they being much afraid, said there one to another: Because of the money, which we carried back the first time in our sacks, we are brought in: that he may bring upon us a false accusation, and by violence make slaves of us and our asses.

19 Quam ob rem in ipsis foribus accedentes ad dispensatorem domus,

Wherefore going up to the steward of the house, at the door,

20 locuti sunt: Oramus, domine, ut audias nos. Jam ante descendimus ut emeremus escas:

They said: Sir, we desire thee to hear us: We came down once before to buy food:

21 quibus emptis, cum venissemus ad diversorium, aperuimus saccos nostros, et invenimus pecuniam in ore saccorum: quam nunc eodem pondere reportavimus.

And when we had bought, and come to the inn, we opened our sacks, and found our money in the mouths of the sacks: which we have now brought again in the same weight.

22 Sed et aliud attulimus argentum, ut emamus quæ nobis necessaria sunt: non est in nostra conscientia quis posuerit eam in marsupiis nostris.

And we have brought other money besides, to buy what we want: we cannot tell who put it in our bags.

23 At ille respondit: Pax vobiscum, nolite timere: Deus vester, et Deus patris vestri, dedit vobis thesauros in saccis vestris: nam pecuniam, quam dedistis mihi, probatam ego habeo. Eduxitque ad eos Simeon.

But he answered: Peace be with you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father hath given you treasure in your sacks. For the money, which you gave me, I have for good. And he brought Simeon out to them.

24 Et introductis domum, attulit aquam, et laverunt pedes suos, deditque pabulum asinis eorum.

And having brought them into the house, he fetched water, and they washed their feet, and he gave provender to their asses.

25 Illi vero parabant munera, donec ingrederetur Joseph meridie: audierant enim quod ibi comesturi essent panem.

But they made ready the presents, against Joseph came at noon: for they had heard that they should eat bread there.

26 Igitur ingressus est Joseph domum suam, obtuleruntque ei munera, tenentes in manibus suis: et adoraverunt proni in terram.

Then Joseph came into his house, and they offered him the presents holding them in their hands, and they bowed down with their face to the ground.

27 At ille, clementer resalutatis eis, interrogavit eos, dicens: Salvusne est pater vester senex, de quo dixeratis mihi? adhuc vivit?

But he, courteously saluting them again, asked them, saying: Is the old man your father in health, of whom you told me? Is he yet living?

28 Qui responderunt: Sospes est servus tuus pater noster, adhuc vivit. Et incurvati, adoraverunt eum.

And they answered: Thy servant our father is in health, he is yet living. And bowing themselves they made obeisance to him.

29 Attollens autem Joseph oculos, vidit Benjamin fratrem suum uterinum, et ait: Iste est frater vester parvulus, de quo dixeratis mihi? Et rursum: Deus, inquit, misereatur tui, fili mi.

And Joseph lifting up his eyes, saw Benjamin his brother, by the same mother, and said: Is this your young brother, of whom you told me? And he said: God be gracious to thee, my son.

30 Festinavitque, quia commota fuerant viscera ejus super fratre suo, et erumpebant lacrimæ: et introiens cubiculum flevit.

And he made haste because his heart was moved upon his brother, and tears gushed out: and going into his chamber he wept.

31 Rursumque lota facie egressus, continuit se, et ait: Ponite panes.

And when he had washed his face, coming out again, he refrained himself, and said: Set bread on the table.

32 Quibus appositis, seorsum Joseph, et seorsum fratribus, Ægyptiis quoque qui vescebantur simul, seorsum (illicitum est enim Ægyptiis comedere cum Hebræis, et profanum putant hujuscemodi convivium)

And when it was set on, for Joseph apart, and for his brethren apart, for the Egyptians also that ate with him, apart, (for it is unlawful for the Egyptians to eat with the Hebrews, and they think such a feast profane):

33 sederunt coram eo, primogenitus juxta primogenita sua, et minimus juxta ætatem suam. Et mirabantur nimis,

They sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his age. And they wondered very much:

34 sumptis partibus quas ab eo acceperant: majorque pars venit Benjamin, ita ut quinque partibus excederet. Biberuntque et inebriati sunt cum eo.

Taking the messes which they received of him: and the greater mess came to Benjamin, so that it exceeded by five parts. And they drank, and were merry with him.