Génesis 44

1 Mandó al administrador de su casa, diciendo: “Llena los sacos de los hombres con comida, toda la que puedan llevar, y pon el dinero de cada uno en la boca de su saco.

When his brothers were ready to return home, Joseph said to the man who was in charge of things in his house, “Fill the sacks of those men with as much grain as they can carry [on their donkeys]. And put in the top of each man’s sack the silver that he paid for the grain.

2 Pon mi copa, la copa de plata, en la boca del saco del más joven, con su dinero del grano”. Él hizo conforme a la palabra que José había dicho.

Then put my silver cup in the top of the youngest brother’s sack, along with the silver that he paid for the grain.” So the servant did what Joseph told him to do.

3 Tan pronto como amaneció, los hombres fueron despedidos, ellos y sus asnos.

The next morning at dawn the men started on the way home with their donkeys.

4 Cuando salieron de la ciudad y aún no estaban lejos, José dijo a su mayordomo: “Arriba, sigue a los hombres. Cuando los alcances, pregúntales: ‘¿Por qué habéis premiado el mal con el bien?

When they had not gone far from the city, Joseph said to the servant in charge of things in his house, “Pursue those men immediately. When you catch up to them, say to them, ‘We did good things for you! Why have you paid us back by doing something bad to us?

5 ¿No es esto de lo que bebe mi señor, y por lo que en verdad adivina? Habéis hecho el mal al hacerlo’”.

[You have stolen the cup] that my master drinks from [RHQ]! It is the cup that he uses to find out things that nobody knows! What you did was very wicked!’”

6 Los alcanzó y les dijo estas palabras.

The servant [left immediately and] when he caught up with them, he told them what Joseph had told him to say.

7 Le dijeron: “¿Por qué habla mi señor tales palabras? ¡Lejos están tus siervos de hacer tal cosa!

But one of them replied to him, “Sir, why do you say such things? We are your servants, and we would never do anything like that!

8 He aquí, el dinero que encontramos en la boca de nuestros sacos, te lo trajimos de la tierra de Canaán. ¿Cómo, pues, habríamos de robar plata u oro de la casa de tu señor?

We even brought back to you from Canaan land the silver that we found inside the tops of our sacks! So (we certainly would not steal silver or gold from your master’s house!/Why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house?) [RHQ]

9 Con cualquiera de tus siervos que se encuentre, que muera, y nosotros también seremos esclavos de mi señor”.

If you discover that any of us has that cup, you can execute him, and the rest of us will become your slaves.”

10 Dijo: “Ahora también sea según tus palabras. Aquel con quien se encuentre será mi esclavo; y tú serás irreprochable”.

The man replied, “Okay, I will do what you say. But the one who has the cup will not be executed. Instead, he will become my slave, and the rest of you may return home.”

11 Entonces se apresuraron, y cada uno bajó su saco al suelo, y cada uno abrió su saco.

Each of the men quickly lowered his sack down from the donkey to the ground and opened it.

12 Buscó, comenzando por el más viejo y terminando por el más joven. La copa se encontró en el saco de Benjamín.

Then the servant started to search for the cup in each sack. He started with the oldest brother’s sack and ended with the youngest one’s sack. And he found the cup in Benjamin’s sack and showed it to them.

13 Luego se rasgaron las vestiduras, y cada uno cargó su asno, y regresaron a la ciudad.

The brothers tore their clothes [because they were so dismayed]. They loaded the sacks on the donkeys again and returned to the city.

14 Judá y sus hermanos llegaron a la casa de José, y éste todavía estaba allí. Se postraron en el suelo ante él.

When Judah and his [older and younger] brothers entered Joseph’s house, Joseph was still there. The servant told Joseph what had happened. Then the brothers threw themselves down on the ground in front of Joseph.

15 José les dijo: “¿Qué obra es ésta que habéis hecho? ¿No sabéis que un hombre como yo sí puede hacer adivinación?”

He said to them, “Why did you do this? Do you not know that a man like me can find out things that nobody knows?” [RHQ]

16 Judá dijo: “¿Qué le diremos a mi señor? ¿Qué vamos a decir? ¿Cómo nos exculparemos? Dios ha descubierto la iniquidad de tus siervos. He aquí que somos esclavos de mi señor, tanto nosotros como aquel en cuya mano se encuentra la copa”.

Judah replied, “Sir, what can we say? How can we prove that we (are innocent/did not steal the cup)? God has (paid us back/punished us) for the sins [we committed many years ago]. So now we will become your slaves—both we and the one in whose sack the cup was found.”

17 Él dijo: “Lejos de mí el hacerlo. El hombre en cuya mano se encuentre la copa, será mi esclavo; pero en cuanto a ti, sube en paz a tu padre.”

But Joseph replied, “No, I could never do anything like that. Only the man in whose sack the cup was found will become my slave. The rest of you can return to your father peacefully.”

18 Entonces Judá se acercó a él y le dijo: “Oh, señor mío, por favor, deja que tu siervo hable una palabra en los oídos de mi señor, y no dejes que tu ira arda contra tu siervo, porque eres como Faraón.

Then Judah came near to Joseph and said, “Sir, please let me say something to you. You are equal to the king himself, so you could command that I be executed; but do not be angry with me for speaking to you.

19 Mi señor preguntó a sus siervos, diciendo: “¿Tenéis padre o hermano?”

You asked us, ‘Is your father still living, and do you have another brother?’

20 Dijimos a mi señor: “Tenemos un padre, un anciano, y un hijo de su edad, un pequeño; y su hermano ha muerto, y sólo queda él de su madre; y su padre lo quiere.

We answered, ‘Our father is alive, but he is an old man. He has a young son who was born after our father became an old man. That son had an [older] brother, who is now dead. So the youngest son is the only one of his mother’s sons who is still alive, and his father loves him very much.’

21 Dijiste a tus siervos: ‘Tráiganlo a mí, para que ponga mis ojos en él’.

Then you said to us, ‘The next time you come here, bring your younger brother down to me, so that I can see him.’

22 Dijimos a mi señor: ‘El muchacho no puede dejar a su padre, pues si lo dejara, su padre moriría’.

We said to you, ‘No, we cannot do that, because the boy cannot leave his father. If he leaves his father, his father will die from sorrow.’

23 Dijiste a tus siervos: Si tu hermano menor no baja contigo, no verás más mi rostro’.

But you told us, ‘If your youngest brother does not come back with you, I will not let you see me again!’

24 Cuando subimos donde tu siervo mi padre, le contamos las palabras de mi señor.

When we returned to our father, we told him what you said.

25 Nuestro padre dijo: ‘Vuelve a comprarnos un poco de comida’.

[Months later] our father said, ‘Go back to Egypt and buy some more grain!’

26 Nosotros dijimos: ‘No podemos bajar. Si nuestro hermano menor está con nosotros, entonces bajaremos; porque no podremos ver el rostro del hombre, a menos que nuestro hermano menor esté con nosotros.’

But we said, ‘We cannot go back by ourselves. We will go only if our youngest brother is with us. We will not be able to see the man who sells grain if our youngest brother is not with us.’

27 Tu siervo, mi padre, nos dijo: ‘Ustedes saben que mi esposa me dio dos hijos.

Our father replied, ‘You know that my wife [Rachel] gave birth to two sons for me.

28 Uno salió de mí, y dije: “Seguramente está despedazado”; y no lo he vuelto a ver.

One of them disappeared, and I said, “A wild animal has surely torn him to pieces.” And I have not seen him since then.

29 Si me quitan a éste también, y le sucede algún daño, harán descender mis canas con dolor al Seol.’ (Sheol h7585)

I am an old gray-haired man. If you take this other one from me, too, and something harms him, you would cause me to die because of my sorrow.’ (Sheol h7585)

30 Ahora, pues, cuando vaya a ver a tu siervo mi padre, y el muchacho no esté con nosotros, ya que su vida está ligada a la del muchacho,

“So please listen. My father will remain alive only if his youngest son remains alive.

31 sucederá que cuando vea que el muchacho ya no está, morirá. Tus siervos harán descender las canas de tu siervo, nuestro padre, con dolor al Seol. (Sheol h7585)

If he sees that the boy is not with us when we return to him, he will die. We will cause our gray-haired father to die because of his sorrow. (Sheol h7585)

32 Porque tu siervo se hizo responsable del muchacho ante mi padre, diciendo: ‘Si no te lo traigo, entonces cargaré con la culpa ante mi padre para siempre’.

I guaranteed/promised to my father that the boy would return safely. I told him, ‘You can require me to do what I am promising. If I do not bring him back to you, you can say forever that (I am to blame/it is my fault) [for not bringing him back to you].’

33 Ahora, pues, por favor, deja que tu siervo se quede en lugar del muchacho, el esclavo de mi señor; y deja que el muchacho suba con sus hermanos.

“So, please let me remain here as your slave instead of my youngest brother, and let the boy return home with his other older brothers.

34 Porque ¿cómo voy a subir a mi padre si el muchacho no está conmigo? para que no vea el mal que le sobrevendrá a mi padre”.

(I cannot return to my father if the boy is not with me!/How can I return to my father if the boy is not with me?) [RHQ] I do not want to see how miserable/sad my father would become!”