Genesis 43

1 Interim fames omnem terram vehementer premebat.

And the famine [was] sore in the land.

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

And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, 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.

And Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother [be] with you.

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

If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food:

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 send [him], we will not go down: for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother [be] with you.

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

And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye [so] ill with me, [as] to tell the man whether ye had yet a 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?

And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, [Is] your father yet alive? have ye [another] brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down?

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

And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, [and] also our little ones.

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

I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever:

10 Si non intercessisset dilatio, jam vice alter venissemus.

For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this 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.

And their father Israel said unto them, If [it must be] so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:

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

And take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry [it] again in your hand; peradventure it [was] an oversight:

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

Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto 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 God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved [of my children], I am bereaved.

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

And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to 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 Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, Bring [these] men home, and slay, and make ready; for [these] men shall dine with me at noon.

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

And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph’s 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 the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.

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

And they came near to the steward of Joseph’s house, and they communed with him at the door of the house,

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

And said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time 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 it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, [every] man’s money [was] in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand.

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

And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks.

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.

And he said, Peace [be] to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them.

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

And the man brought the men into Joseph’s house, and gave [them] water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender.

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

And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they 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.

And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which [was] in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth.

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

And he asked them of [their] welfare, and said, [Is] your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? [Is] he yet alive?

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

And they answered, Thy servant our father [is] in good health, he [is] yet alive. And they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance.

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 he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, [Is] this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son.

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

And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought [where] to weep; and he entered into [his] chamber, and wept there.

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

And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.

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 they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that [is] an abomination unto the Egyptians.

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

And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one at another.

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

And he took [and sent] messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin’s mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.