Genesis 43
1 Interim fames omnem terram vehementer premebat.
Now the famine was still severe in the land.
2 Consumptisque cibis quos ex Aegypto detulerant, dixit Iacob ad filios suos: Revertimini, et emite nobis pauxillum escarum.
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 Respondit Iudas: Denunciavit nobis vir ille sub attestatione iurisiurandi, dicens: Non videbitis faciem meam, nisi fratrem vestrum minimum adduxeritis vobiscum.
But Judah replied, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’
4 Si ergo vis eum mittere nobiscum, pergemus pariter, et ememus tibi necessaria:
If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you.
5 sin autem non vis, non ibimus: vir enim, ut saepe diximus, denunciavit nobis, dicens: Non videbitis faciem meam absque fratre vestro minimo.
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 Dixit eis Israel: In meam hoc fecistis miseriam, ut indicaretis ei et alium habere vos fratrem.
“Why did you bring this trouble upon me?” Israel asked. “Why did you tell the man you had another brother?”
7 At illi responderunt: Interrogavit nos homo per ordinem nostram progeniem: si pater viveret: si haberemus fratrem: et nos respondimus ei consequenter iuxta id quod fuerat sciscitatus: numquid scire poteramus quod dicturus esset: Adducite fratrem vestrum vobiscum?
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 Iudas quoque dixit patri suo: Mitte puerum mecum, ut proficiscamur, et possimus vivere: ne moriamur nos et parvuli nostri.
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 Ego suscipio puerum: de manu mea require illum. nisi reduxero, et reddidero eum tibi, ero peccati reus in te omni tempore.
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 Si non intercessisset dilatio, iam vice alter venissemus.
If we had not delayed, we could have come and gone twice by now.”
11 Igitur Israel pater eorum dixit ad eos: Si sic necesse est, facite quod vultis: sumite de optimis terrae frugibus in vasis vestris, et deferte viro munera, modicum resinae, et mellis, et storacis, stactes, et terebinthi, et amygdalarum.
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 Pecuniam quoque duplicem ferte vobiscum: et illam, quam invenistis in sacculis, reportate, ne forte errore factum sit:
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 sed et fratrem vestrum tollite, et ite ad virum.
Take your brother as well, and return to the man at once.
14 Deus autem meus omnipotens faciat vobis eum placabilem: et remittat vobiscum fratrem vestrum quem tenet in vinculis, et hunc Beniamin: ego autem quasi orbatus absque liberis ero.
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 Tulerunt ergo viri munera, et pecuniam duplicem, et Beniamin: descenderuntque in Aegyptum, et steterunt coram Ioseph.
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 Quos cum ille vidisset, et Beniamin simul, praecepit dispensatori domus suae, dicens: Introduc viros domum, et occide victimas, et instrue convivium: quoniam mecum sunt comesturi meridie.
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 Fecit ille sicut fuerat imperatum, et introduxit viros domum.
The man did as Joseph had commanded and took the brothers to 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 subiiciat servituti et nos, et asinos nostros.
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 Quamobrem in ipsis foribus accedentes ad dispensatorem domus
So they approached Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house.
20 locuti sunt: Oramus domine ut audias nos. Iam ante descendimus ut emeremus escas:
“Please, sir,” they said, “we really did come down here 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.
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 Sed et aliud attulimus argentum, ut emamus quae nobis necessaria sunt: non est in nostra conscientia quis posuerit eam in marsupiis nostris.
We have brought additional silver with us to buy food. We do not know who put our silver 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.
“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 Et introductis domum, attulit aquam, et laverunt pedes suos, deditque pabulum asinis eorum.
And the steward took the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet, and provided food for their donkeys.
25 Illi vero parabant munera, donec ingrederetur Ioseph meridie: audierant enim quod ibi comesturi essent panem.
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 Igitur ingressus est Ioseph domum suam, obtuleruntque ei munera, tenentes in manibus suis: et adoraverunt proni in terram.
When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought, and they bowed to the ground before him.
27 At ille, clementer resalutatis eis, interrogavit eos, dicens: Sanusne est pater vester senex, de quo dixeratis mihi? Adhuc vivit?
He asked if they were well, and then he asked, “How is your elderly father you told me about? Is he still alive?”
28 Qui responderunt: Sospes est servus tuus pater noster, adhuc vivit. Et incurvati, adoraverunt eum.
“Your servant our father is well,” they answered. “He is still alive.” And they bowed down to honor him.
29 Attollens autem Ioseph oculos, vidit Beniamin fratrem suum uterinum, et ait: Iste est frater vester parvulus, de quo dixeratis mihi? Et rursum: Deus, inquit, misereatur tui, fili mi.
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 Festinavitque quia commota fuerant viscera eius super fratre suo, et erumpebant lacrymae: et introiens cubiculum flevit.
Joseph hurried out because he was moved to tears for his brother, and he went to a private room to weep.
31 Rursumque lota facie egressus, continuit se, et ait: Ponite panes.
Then he washed his face and came back out. Regaining his composure, he said, “Serve the meal.”
32 Quibus appositis, seorsum Ioseph, et seorsum fratribus, Aegyptiis quoque qui vescebantur simul, seorsum (illicitum est enim Aegyptiis comedere cum Hebraeis, et profanum putant huiuscemodi convivium)
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 sederunt coram eo, primogenitus iuxta primogenita sua, et minimus iuxta aetatem suam. Et mirabantur nimis,
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 sumptis partibus quas ab eo acceperant: maiorque pars venit Beniamin, ita ut quinque partibus excederet. Biberuntque et inebriati sunt cum eo.
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.
