Génesis 43

1 El hambre era severa en la tierra.

Now the land was in bitter need of food.

2 Cuando se consumió el grano que habían sacado de Egipto, su padre les dijo: “Volved a comprarnos un poco más de comida”.

And when the grain which they had got in Egypt was all used up, their father said to them, Go again and get us a little food.

3 Judá le habló diciendo: “El hombre nos advirtió solemnemente, diciendo: ‘No veréis mi rostro, a menos que vuestro hermano esté con vosotros’.

And Judah said to him, The man said to us with an oath, You are not to come before me again without your brother.

4 Si envías a nuestro hermano con nosotros, bajaremos a comprarte comida;

If you will let our brother go with us, we will go down and get food:

5 pero si no lo envías, no bajaremos, porque el hombre nos dijo: ‘No veréis mi rostro, a menos que vuestro hermano esté con vosotros’”.

But if you will not send him, we will not go down: for the man said to us, You are not to come before me if your brother is not with you.

6 Israel dijo: “¿Por qué me trataste tan mal, diciéndole al hombre que tenías otro hermano?”

And Israel said, Why were you so cruel to me as to say to him that you had a brother?

7 Dijeron: “El hombre preguntó directamente por nosotros y por nuestros parientes, diciendo: ‘¿Vive aún tu padre? ¿Tenéis otro hermano? Nos limitamos a responder a sus preguntas. ¿Acaso podíamos saber que iba a decir: ‘Bajad a vuestro hermano’?”

And they said, The man put a number of questions to us about ourselves and our family, saying, Is your father still living? have you another brother? And we had to give him answers; how were we to have any idea that he would say, Come back with your brother?

8 Judá dijo a Israel, su padre: “Envía al muchacho conmigo, y nos levantaremos y nos iremos, para que vivamos y no muramos, tanto nosotros como tú, y también nuestros pequeños.

Then Judah said to Israel, his father, Send the boy with me, and let us be up and going, so that we and you and our little ones may not come to destruction.

9 Yo seré la garantía para él. De mi mano lo requerirás. Si no te lo traigo, y lo pongo delante de ti, entonces déjame cargar con la culpa para siempre;

Put him into my care and make me responsible for him: if I do not give him safely back to you, let mine be the sin for ever.

10 porque si no nos hubiéramos demorado, seguramente ya habríamos regresado por segunda vez.”

Truly, if we had not let the time go by, we might have come back again by now.

11 Su padre, Israel, les dijo: “Si ha de ser así, haced esto: Tomad de los frutos selectos de la tierra en vuestros sacos, y bajad un regalo para el hombre, un poco de bálsamo, un poco de miel, especias y mirra, nueces y almendras;

Then their father Israel said to them, If it has to be so, then do this: take of the best fruits of the land in your vessels to give the man, perfumes and honey and spices and nuts:

12 y tomad el doble de dinero en vuestra mano, y llevad el dinero que se os devolvió en la boca de vuestros sacos. Tal vez fue un descuido.

And take twice as much money with you; that is to say, take back the money which was put in your bags, for it may have been an error;

13 Toma también a tu hermano, levántate y vuelve con él.

And take your brother and go back to the man:

14 Que el Dios Todopoderoso te dé misericordia ante el hombre, para que te libere a tu otro hermano y a Benjamín. Si estoy desprovisto de mis hijos, estoy desprovisto”.

And may God, the Ruler of all, give you mercy before the man, so that he may give you back your other brother and Benjamin. If my children are to be taken from me; there is no help for it.

15 Los hombres aceptaron ese regalo, y tomaron el doble de dinero en su mano, y a Benjamín; se levantaron, bajaron a Egipto y se presentaron ante José.

So they took what their father said for the man, and twice as much money in their hands, and Benjamin, and went on their journey to Egypt, and came before Joseph.

16 Cuando José vio a Benjamín con ellos, le dijo al mayordomo de su casa: “Lleva a los hombres a la casa, descuartiza un animal y prepárate, porque los hombres cenarán conmigo al mediodía.”

And when Joseph saw Benjamin, he said to his chief servant, Take these men into my house, and make ready a meal, for they will take food with me in the middle of the day.

17 El hombre hizo lo que José le ordenó, y llevó a los hombres a la casa de José.

And the servant did as Joseph said, and took the men into Joseph's house.

18 Los hombres tuvieron miedo de que los llevaran a la casa de José, y dijeron: “Por el dinero que se devolvió en nuestros sacos la primera vez, nos han traído, para que busque ocasión contra nosotros, nos ataque y nos tome como esclavos, junto con nuestros asnos.”

Now the men were full of fear because they had been taken into Joseph's house and they said, It is because of the money which was put back in our bags the first time; he is looking for something against us, so that he may come down on us and take us and our asses for his use.

19 Se acercaron al mayordomo de la casa de José, y le hablaron a la puerta de la casa,

So they went up to Joseph's chief servant at the door of the house,

20 y le dijeron: “Oh, señor mío, la primera vez bajamos a comprar comida.

And said, O my lord, we only came down the first time to get food;

21 Cuando llegamos al lugar de alojamiento, abrimos nuestros sacos, y he aquí que el dinero de cada uno estaba en la boca de su saco, nuestro dinero en su totalidad. Lo hemos traído en nuestra mano.

And when we came to our night's resting-place, on opening our bags we saw that every man's money was in the mouth of his bag, all our money in full weight: and we have it with us to give it back;

22 Hemos bajado otro dinero en nuestra mano para comprar comida. No sabemos quién puso nuestro dinero en nuestros sacos”.

As well as more money, with which to get food: we have no idea who put our money in our bags.

23 Dijo: “La paz sea con vosotros. No tengáis miedo. Tu Dios, y el Dios de tu padre, te ha dado un tesoro en tus sacos. He recibido vuestro dinero”. Hizo salir a Simeón hacia ellos.

Then the servant said, Peace be with you: have no fear: your God, even the God of your father, has put wealth in your bags for you: I had your money. Then he let Simeon come out to them.

24 El hombre llevó a los hombres a la casa de José, les dio agua y les lavó los pies. Les dio forraje a sus burros.

And the servant took them into Joseph's house, and gave them water for washing their feet; and he gave their asses food.

25 Prepararon el regalo para la llegada de José al mediodía, pues se enteraron de que debían comer pan allí.

And they got ready the things for Joseph before he came in the middle of the day: for word was given to them that they were to have a meal there.

26 Cuando José volvió a casa, le llevaron el regalo que tenían en la mano a la casa, y se postraron en tierra ante él.

And when Joseph came in, they gave him the things which they had for him, and went down to the earth before him.

27 Él les preguntó por su bienestar y les dijo: “¿Está bien vuestro padre, el anciano del que habéis hablado? ¿Aún vive?”

And he said, How are you? is your father well, the old man of whom you were talking to me? is he still living?

28 Ellos dijeron: “Tu siervo, nuestro padre, está bien. Todavía está vivo”. Se inclinaron humildemente.

And they said, Your servant, our father, is well, he is still living. And they went down on their faces before him.

29 Él levantó los ojos y vio a Benjamín, su hermano, hijo de su madre, y dijo: “¿Es éste tu hermano menor, del que me hablaste?” Y él respondió: “Que Dios se apiade de ti, hijo mío”.

Then, lifting up his eyes, he saw Benjamin, his brother, his mother's son, and he said, Is this your youngest brother of whom you gave me word? And he said, God be good to you, my son.

30 José se apresuró, pues su corazón anhelaba a su hermano, y buscó un lugar para llorar. Entró en su habitación y lloró allí.

Then Joseph's heart went out to his brother, and he went quickly into his room, for he was overcome with weeping.

31 Se lavó la cara y salió. Se controló y dijo: “Sirve la comida”.

Then, after washing his face, he came out, and controlling his feelings said, Put food before us.

32 Le servían a él solo, y a ellos solos, y a los egipcios que comían con él solos, porque los egipcios no comen con los hebreos, pues eso es una abominación para los egipcios.

And they put a meal ready for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians who were with him by themselves; because the Egyptians may not take food with the Hebrews, for that would make them unclean.

33 Se sentaron delante de él, el primogénito según su primogenitura y el menor según su juventud, y los hombres se maravillaron entre sí.

And they were all given their seats before him in order of birth, from the oldest to the youngest: so that they were looking at one another in wonder.

34 Les mandó porciones de delante, pero la porción de Benjamín fue cinco veces mayor que la de cualquiera de ellos. Bebieron y se alegraron con él.

And Joseph sent food to them from his table, but he sent five times as much to Benjamin as to any of the others. And they took wine freely with him.