创世记 42
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
约瑟的哥哥们到埃及买粮
42 雅各知道埃及有粮食，就对儿子们说：“你们为什么还在这儿互相观望呢？ 2 我听说埃及有粮食，你们快到埃及去买些粮食回来吧，免得我们饿死。” 3 于是，约瑟的十个哥哥下到埃及买粮。 4 雅各不肯让约瑟的弟弟便雅悯与他们同去，恐怕他会遭害。 5 以色列的儿子们加入了买粮的行列，因为迦南也闹饥荒。
6 那时，约瑟治理埃及，负责卖粮。约瑟的哥哥们来到他面前，向他俯伏下拜。 7 约瑟一眼就认出了他们，却不动声色。他疾言厉色地问道：“你们从哪里来？”他们回答说：“我们是从迦南来买粮食的。” 8 约瑟认得他哥哥们，但他哥哥们却认不出他来。 9 约瑟想起了自己从前做的两个梦，就对他们说：“你们是奸细，是来探听我们虚实的！” 10 他们说：“我主啊，不是的！仆人们是来买粮的。 11 仆人们都是弟兄，是诚实人，不是奸细。”
12 约瑟说：“不对，你们是来探听我们虚实的。” 13 他们说：“仆人们共有弟兄十二人，父亲住在迦南，最年幼的弟弟留在父亲身边，还有一个已经去世。” 14 约瑟说：“我说你们是奸细一点不错。 15 我以法老的性命起誓，你们最小的弟弟不来这里，你们都不能走，这是对你们的验证。 16 你们派一个人回去把你们的弟弟带来，其他人都要被囚禁在这里，我要看看你们说的是真还是假。要是你们说的是假话，我以法老的性命起誓，你们一定是奸细。” 17 于是，约瑟把他们囚禁了三天。
18 到了第三天，约瑟对他们说：“我是敬畏上帝的人，你们照我的话做就能活命。 19 如果你们是诚实人，就把一个人留在监里，其他人带粮食回去接济你们的家人。 20 但你们一定要带你们最小的弟弟回来，以证实你们说的是实话，这样你们就不会被处死。”他们同意了， 21 彼此议论说：“我们一定是在遭报应。从前我们的弟弟苦苦地哀求我们，我们却不理会，现在这场痛苦临到我们了。” 22 吕便说：“我不是劝你们不要犯罪害那孩子吗？你们不听，现在我们必须偿还血债了。” 23 他们不知道约瑟听得懂他们的话，因为约瑟是通过翻译跟他们谈话。 24 约瑟听后转身出去哭了，然后又回来跟他们谈话，从他们中间选了西缅，当着他们的面把西缅捆绑起来。
25 约瑟又吩咐人把他们的袋子装满粮食，把各人买粮的钱放在他们的口袋中，还为他们预备了路上的食物。仆人一一办妥了。 26 约瑟的哥哥们把粮食驮在驴上，启程回去了。 27 他们来到一处住宿的地方，其中一人打开口袋拿饲料喂驴，却发现里面有钱， 28 就对其他弟兄说：“你们看，我的钱又回来了，在我的口袋里！”他们心惊胆战地彼此议论说：“上帝这样对待我们是什么意思呢？”
29 他们回到迦南父亲雅各那里，把事情的经过告诉了他， 30 说：“埃及的宰相对我们说话很凶，还把我们当成奸细。 31 我们对他说，‘我们是诚实人，不是奸细。 32 我们有十二个同胞弟兄，其中有一个已经去世，年纪最小的跟父亲留在迦南。’ 33 那人却对我们说，‘我要看看你们是不是诚实人，你们把一个弟兄留在我这里，其他人带粮食回去接济家人吧。 34 但你们要把最小的弟弟带来见我，这样我便知道你们不是奸细，是诚实人。我就会释放你们的弟兄，你们也可以在这里自由地买卖。’”
35 后来他们倒口袋时，发现每个人买粮的钱袋都在自己的口袋里，他们和父亲见此情形，都害怕起来。 36 雅各说：“你们使我连连失去儿子，约瑟没了，西缅没了，你们还要带走便雅悯！灾祸都落在了我头上！” 37 吕便对父亲说：“要是我不把便雅悯带回你身边，你就杀了我的两个儿子吧！请你把便雅悯放心地交给我，我一定会把他带回你身边。” 38 雅各说：“我的儿子不可跟你们去。他哥哥已经死了，现在只剩下他。要是他在路上遇到什么意外，你们会使我这白发苍苍的老人凄凄惨惨地进坟墓。”
Genesis 42
EasyEnglish Bible
Joseph's brothers go to Egypt[a]
42 Jacob heard that there was food in Egypt. So he said to his sons, ‘There is no food here, so why are you just sitting there? 2 I have heard that there is food in Egypt. Go there and buy some for us. Then we may continue to live and not die.’
3 So ten of Joseph's brothers went to Egypt to buy food. 4 But Jacob did not send his youngest son, Benjamin, with them. Jacob was afraid that something bad might happen to Benjamin. 5 Jacob's sons went to Egypt, as well as other people who went there to buy food. They all went to Egypt because there was a bad famine in Canaan.
6 Joseph had authority to rule Egypt at that time. He was the man who sold food to all the Egyptians. When Joseph's brothers arrived there, they bent down in front of him, with their faces to the ground.[b]
7 As soon as Joseph saw the men, he knew that they were his brothers. But he spoke to them as if they were strangers. He did not speak to them in a kind way. He asked them, ‘Where do you come from?’ They replied, ‘We come from the land of Canaan. We have come here to buy food.’ 8 Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.[c]
9 Then Joseph remembered the dream that he had dreamed about his brothers. He said to them, ‘You have come here secretly to see how your people can attack our land.’ 10 They replied ‘No, my lord, that is not true! We are your servants and we have come to buy food. 11 We are all the sons of one man. We are honest men. We are not your enemies.’
12 But Joseph said, ‘No! You have come here to see if our country is weak so that you can attack us.’ 13 Joseph's brothers replied, ‘We belong to a family of 12 brothers. We are the sons of one man who lives in Canaan. Our youngest brother stayed at home with our father. One other brother is not with us any more.’ 14 Joseph said to them, ‘It is as I told you. You are our enemies! 15 I will see if what you say is true. This is what I will do. I promise by the life of Pharaoh himself, I will not let you leave this place.[d] You must first bring your youngest brother here. I will only let you go after that. 16 One of you must go to bring your brother here. I will keep you others in prison. In that way I will know if what you said is true. If your youngest brother does not come, then I will certainly know that you are enemies!’
17 Then Joseph put his brothers in prison for three days.
18 On the third day Joseph said to them, ‘Do what I say. Then you will stay alive, because I respect God.[e] 19 If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison. The other brothers can go back to Canaan. You may take food back with you, because your families are hungry. 20 But you must return to Egypt and you must bring your youngest brother to me. Then I will know that what you have said is true. Then you will not die.’ Joseph's brothers agreed to do what he told them.
21 The brothers said to each other, ‘This punishment is happening to us because of what we did to Joseph. We saw how upset he was when he asked us not to kill him. But we refused to be kind to him. That is why we have all this trouble.’ 22 Reuben said, ‘I told you not to do anything bad to the boy. But you would not agree! We killed him and now we must receive the punishment.’ 23 While they said all this, they did not know that Joseph could understand them. Joseph had been speaking in the Egyptian language and someone else told the brothers his message in Hebrew.[f]
24 Joseph went away from his brothers and he began to weep. But then he returned to speak to them again. While they watched, Joseph told his men to tie Simeon's hands and take him away. 25 Then Joseph told his servants to fill the brothers' bags with food. He also told them to put each man's money back into his bag.[g] He told them to give the brothers enough food for their journey. The servants did what Joseph told them. 26 Then the brothers put the bags of food on to their donkeys. Then they left.
27 They travelled until they reached a place to sleep that night. One of the brothers opened his bag to get food for his donkey. Then he saw his money inside his bag, at the top. 28 He said to his brothers, ‘They have given back my money! Here it is in my bag!’ All the brothers were upset and frightened. They asked each other, ‘What has God done to us?’
29 After some time they arrived back in Canaan. They went to their father, Jacob. They told him everything that had happened to them. 30 They said, ‘We met the man who is lord over Egypt. He spoke strong words to us. He thought that we were enemies who had come to find a way to attack Egypt. 31 But we said to him, “We are honest men. We are not your enemies. 32 We belong to a family of 12 brothers, all the sons of one father. One brother is not with us any more, and the youngest brother is at home with our father in Canaan.” 33 Then the man who is lord over Egypt said, “I want to know if you are honest men. This is what I will do. You must leave one of your brothers here, with me. Then take food for your hungry families and leave Egypt. 34 But then you must bring your youngest brother here to me. If you do that, I will know that you are really honest men. I will know that you are not our enemies. Then I will give your brother back to you. You will be able to stay in Egypt and you can buy and sell things here.” ’
35 The brothers started to take the food out of their bags. And in their bags, they found each man's money! When the brothers and their father saw the money, they were frightened. 36 Their father Jacob said to them, ‘You are taking my children away from me! Joseph is not here any more. Simeon also is not here. Now you want to take Benjamin away from me. Everything that happens is hurting me!’
37 Then Reuben said to his father, Jacob, ‘I will bring Benjamin back to you. If I do not, then you can kill both of my sons. Trust me to take care of him. I will bring him back.’ 38 But Jacob said, ‘My son will not go with you. His brother is already dead. Benjamin is the only one left. Something bad may happen to him on your journey. I am already an old man. If I lose Benjamin, I would be so sad that I would die.’[h]
Footnotes
- 42:1 Jacob is living in Canaan with his sons, except for Joseph. There is no food in Canaan, but Jacob knows that there is food in Egypt.
- 42:6 Joseph's first dream showed his brothers bending down to respect him.
- 42:8 Joseph was only 17 years old when they sold him as a slave. He now looked like an Egyptian. That is why they did not recognize him. Probably he spoke to his brothers in the language of Egypt. Then a man who could speak Hebrew told the brothers what Joseph had said.
- 42:15 Joseph made a promise ‘by the life of Pharaoh’. He wanted to show his brothers that he meant what he said.
- 42:18 Joseph showed his brothers that he was under God's authority, so he would not cheat them.
- 42:23 The brothers still did not know that the important officer was Joseph. They thought that he was an Egyptian. They did not know that he spoke Hebrew too.
- 42:25 The brothers had brought the money to pay for the food.
- 42:38 Benjamin is Jacob's youngest son. Benjamin's mother was Rachel. Jacob loved Rachel more than he loved his other wives. Jacob thinks that Joseph, Rachel's other son is dead. Jacob shows that he loves Benjamin more than he loves his other sons. Even when Simeon is in prison, Jacob does not want Benjamin to go to Egypt.
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