Genesis 42
New King James Version
Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt
42 When (A)Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?” 2 And he said, “Indeed I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down to that place and buy for us there, that we may (B)live and not die.”
3 So Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, (C)“Lest some calamity befall him.” 5 And the sons of Israel went to buy grain among those who journeyed, for the famine was (D)in the land of Canaan.
6 Now Joseph was governor (E)over the land; and it was he who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and (F)bowed down before him with their faces to the earth. 7 Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he acted as (G)a stranger to them and spoke [a]roughly to them. Then he said to them, “Where do you come from?”
And they said, “From the land of Canaan to buy food.”
8 So Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. 9 Then Joseph (H)remembered the dreams which he had dreamed about them, and said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see the [b]nakedness of the land!”
10 And they said to him, “No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. 11 We are all one man’s sons; we are honest men; your servants are not spies.”
12 But he said to them, “No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land.”
13 And they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and in fact, the youngest is with our father today, and one (I)is no more.”
14 But Joseph said to them, “It is as I spoke to you, saying, ‘You are spies!’ 15 In this manner you shall be tested: (J)By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one of you, and let him bring your brother; and you shall be [c]kept in prison, that your words may be tested to see whether there is any truth in you; or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies!” 17 So he [d]put them all together in prison (K)three days.
18 Then Joseph said to them the third day, “Do this and live, (L)for I fear God: 19 If you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined to your prison house; but you, go and carry grain for the famine of your houses. 20 And (M)bring your youngest brother to me; so your words will be verified, and you shall not die.”
And they did so. 21 Then they said to one another, (N)“We are truly guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not hear; (O)therefore this distress has come upon us.”
22 And Reuben answered them, saying, (P)“Did I not speak to you, saying, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; and you would not listen? Therefore behold, his blood is now (Q)required of us.” 23 But they did not know that Joseph understood them, for he spoke to them through an interpreter. 24 And he turned himself away from them and (R)wept. Then he returned to them again, and talked with them. And he took (S)Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.
The Brothers Return to Canaan
25 Then Joseph (T)gave a command to fill their sacks with grain, to (U)restore every man’s money to his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. (V)Thus he did for them. 26 So they loaded their donkeys with the grain and departed from there. 27 But as (W)one of them opened his sack to give his donkey feed at the encampment, he saw his money; and there it was, in the mouth of his sack. 28 So he said to his brothers, “My money has been restored, and there it is, in my sack!” Then their hearts [e]failed them and they were afraid, saying to one another, “What is this that God has done to us?”
29 Then they went to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan and told him all that had happened to them, saying: 30 “The man who is lord of the land (X)spoke [f]roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country. 31 But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies. 32 We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is with our father this day in the land of Canaan.’ 33 Then the man, the lord of the country, said to us, (Y)‘By this I will know that you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me, take food for the famine of your households, and be gone. 34 And bring your (Z)youngest brother to me; so I shall know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. I will grant your brother to you, and you may (AA)trade in the land.’ ”
35 Then it happened as they emptied their sacks, that surprisingly (AB)each man’s bundle of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid. 36 And Jacob their father said to them, “You have (AC)bereaved me: Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take (AD)Benjamin. All these things are against me.”
37 Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you.”
38 But he said, “My son shall not go down with you, for (AE)his brother is dead, and he is left alone. (AF)If any calamity should befall him along the way in which you go, then you would (AG)bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.”
Footnotes
- Genesis 42:7 harshly
- Genesis 42:9 Exposed parts
- Genesis 42:16 Lit. bound
- Genesis 42:17 Lit. gathered
- Genesis 42:28 sank
- Genesis 42:30 harshly
创世记 42
Chinese New Version (Traditional)
雅各差遣眾子往埃及買糧
42 雅各見埃及有糧食，就對兒子們說：“你們為甚麼彼此對望呢？” 2 他又說：“我聽說埃及有糧食，你們下到那裡去，給我們買些糧食，使我們可以活下去，不至餓死。” 3 於是，約瑟的十個哥哥就下去了，要從埃及買五穀。 4 但雅各並沒有打發約瑟的弟弟便雅憫與哥哥們同去，因為雅各說：“恐怕他會遇到災害。” 5 以色列的眾子也在前來買糧的人群中，因為迦南地也有饑荒。 6 當時治理埃及地的官長是約瑟，賣糧給那地所有的人民的就是他。所以，約瑟的哥哥們來俯伏在地向他下拜。 7 約瑟看見他的哥哥們，就認得他們，可是他裝作陌生人，對他們說嚴厲的話，問他們：“你們是哪裡來的？”他們回答：“我們是迦南地來買糧食的。”
8 約瑟認得他的哥哥們，他們卻不認得他。 9 約瑟想起從前所作關於他們的兩個夢，就對他們說：“你們是間諜，是來偵察本地的虛實。” 10 他們對他說：“我主啊，不是這樣，僕人們實在是來買糧食的。 11 我們都是一個人的兒子，是誠實人；僕人們並不是間諜。” 12 約瑟對他們說：“不是的，你們實在是來偵察本地的虛實。” 13 他們說：“僕人們本是兄弟十二人，我們都是迦南地一個人的兒子。最小的現在與我們的父親在一起，還有一個不在了。” 14 約瑟對他們說：“我剛才對你們說：‘你們是間諜。’這話實在不錯。 15 我要這樣試試你們：我指著法老的性命起誓，如果你們最小的弟弟不到這裡來，你們就決不得離開這裡。 16 你們可以派你們中間一個人回去，把你們的弟弟帶來；其餘的人都要囚禁起來，好證明你們的話真實不真實。如果不真實，我指著法老的性命起誓，你們就是間諜。” 17 於是，約瑟把他們收在監房裡三天。
18 到了第三天，約瑟對他們說：“我是敬畏 神的，你們要這樣作，就可以活著； 19 如果你們是誠實人，就叫你們兄弟中一個人囚禁在監裡，你們其餘的人可以帶著糧食回去，解救你們家人的饑荒。 20 然後把你們最小的弟弟帶到我這裡來，這樣，就可以證明你們的話是真實的，你們就不必死了。”他們就照樣作了。 21 他們彼此說：“我們在對待弟弟的事上實在有罪。他向我們求情的時候，我們看見他心裡的痛苦，卻不肯聽他，所以這次苦難臨到我們身上了。” 22 流本回答他們，說：“我不是對你們說過：‘不要傷害那孩子’嗎？可是你們不肯聽，現在流他血的罪要向我們追討。” 23 他們不知道約瑟聽得明白，因為他們中間有人當傳譯。 24 約瑟轉身離開他們，哭了一陣，又回到他們那裡，與他們說話。然後從他們中間拉出西緬來，在他們眼前把他捆綁起來。
雅各的眾子返回迦南
25 約瑟吩咐人把五穀裝滿他們的袋，把他們的銀子放回各人的布袋裡；又給他們路上用的食物。一切就照樣辦了。 26 他們把糧食馱在他們的驢上，離開那裡去了。 27 到了住宿的地方，他們其中的一個人打開了布袋，要拿飼料餵驢的時候，才發現自己的銀子還在袋口那裡。 28 於是對兄弟們說：“我的銀子都歸還了。你們看，就在我的布袋裡。”他們就心裡驚慌，彼此戰戰兢兢地說：“ 神向我們作的是甚麼呢？”
29 他們回到迦南地他們的父親雅各那裡，把他們遭遇的一切事都告訴了他，說： 30 “那地的主人對我們說了一些嚴厲的話，把我們當作偵察那地的間諜。 31 我們對他說：‘我們是誠實人，並不是間諜。 32 我們本是兄弟十二人，都是一個父親的兒子；有一個不在了，最小的現在與我們的父親一起在迦南地。’ 33 那地的主人對我們說：‘我用這個辦法就可以知道你們是不是誠實人：你們兄弟中要留下一人在我這裡，其餘的人可以帶著糧食回去，解救你們家人的饑荒。 34 然後把你們最小的弟弟帶到我這裡來，我就知道你們不是間諜，而是誠實人了。這樣，我就把你們的兄弟交還給你們，你們也可以在這地自由來往。’”
35 後來他們倒布袋的時候，不料各人的銀包仍然在各人的布袋裡。他們和他們的父親看見了銀包，就都懼怕起來。 36 他們的父親雅各對他們說：“你們總是使我喪失兒子：約瑟沒有了，西緬也沒有了，你們還要把便雅憫帶走；每一件事都是針對我。” 37 流本對他父親說：“如果我不把他帶回來給你，你可以殺死我的兩個兒子；只管把他交給我吧，我必把他帶回來給你。” 38 雅各說：“我的兒子不可與你們一同下去，因為他的哥哥死了，只剩下他一個；如果他在你們所走的路上遇到不幸，你們就使我這白髮老人愁愁苦苦地下陰間去了。”
Genesis 42
Contemporary English Version
Joseph's Brothers Go to Egypt To Buy Grain
42 When Jacob found out there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you just sitting here, staring at one another? 2 (A) I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Go down and buy some, so we won't starve to death.”
3 Ten of Joseph's brothers went to Egypt to buy grain. 4 But Jacob did not send Joseph's younger brother Benjamin with them; he was afraid that something might happen to him. 5 So Jacob's sons joined others from Canaan who were going to Egypt because of the terrible famine.
6 Since Joseph was governor of Egypt and in charge of selling grain, his brothers came to him and bowed with their faces to the ground. 7-8 They did not recognize Joseph, but at once he knew who they were, though he pretended not to know. Instead, he spoke harshly and asked, “Where do you come from?”
“From the land of Canaan,” they answered. “We've come here to buy grain.”
9 (B) Joseph remembered what he had dreamed about them and said, “You're spies! You've come here to find out where our country is weak.”
10 “No sir,” they replied. “We're your servants, and we have only come to buy grain. 11 We're honest men, and we come from the same family—we're not spies.”
12 “That isn't so!” Joseph insisted. “You've come here to find out where our country is weak.”
13 But they explained, “Sir, we come from a family of twelve brothers. The youngest is still with our father in Canaan, and one of our brothers is dead.”
14 Joseph replied:
It's like I said. You're spies, 15 and I'm going to find out the truth. I swear by the life of the king that you won't leave this place until your youngest brother comes here. 16 Choose one of you to go after your brother, while the rest of you stay here in jail. That will show whether you are telling the truth. But if you are lying, I swear by the life of the king that you are spies!
17 Joseph kept them all under guard for three days, 18 before saying to them:
Since I respect God, I'll give you a chance to save your lives. 19 If you are honest men, one of you must stay here in jail, and the rest of you can take the grain back to your starving families. 20 But you must bring your youngest brother to me. Then I'll know that you are telling the truth, and you won't be put to death.
Joseph's brothers agreed 21 and said to one another, “We're being punished because of Joseph. We saw the trouble he was in, but we refused to help him when he begged us. That's why these terrible things are happening.”
22 (C) Reuben spoke up, “Didn't I tell you not to harm the boy? But you wouldn't listen, and now we have to pay the price for killing him.”
23 They did not know that Joseph could understand them, since he was speaking through an interpreter. 24 Joseph turned away from them and cried, but soon he turned back and spoke to them again. Then he had Simeon tied up and taken away while they watched.
Joseph's Brothers Return to Canaan
25 Joseph gave orders for his brothers' grain sacks to be filled with grain and for their money[a] to be put in their sacks. He also gave orders for them to be given food for their journey home. After this was done, 26 they each loaded the grain on their donkeys and left.
27 When they stopped for the night, one of them opened his sack to get some grain for his donkey, and at once he saw his moneybag. 28 “Here's my money!” he told his brothers. “Right here in my sack.”
They were trembling with fear as they stared at one another and asked themselves, “What has God done to us?”[b]
29 When they returned to the land of Canaan, they told their father Jacob everything that had happened to them:
30 The governor of Egypt was rude and treated us like spies. 31 But we told him, “We're honest men, not spies. 32 We come from a family of twelve brothers. The youngest is still with our father in Canaan, and the other is dead.”
33 Then the governor of Egypt told us, “I'll find out if you really are honest. Leave one of your brothers here with me, while you take the grain to your starving families. 34 But bring your youngest brother to me, so I can be certain that you are honest men and not spies. After that, I'll let your other brother go free, and you can stay here and trade.”
35 When the brothers started emptying their sacks of grain, they found their moneybags in them. They were frightened, and so was their father Jacob, 36 who said, “You have already taken my sons Joseph and Simeon from me. And now you want to take away Benjamin! Everything is against me.”
37 Reuben spoke up, “Father, if I don't bring Benjamin back, you can kill both of my sons. Trust me with him, and I'll bring him back.”
38 But Jacob said, “I won't let my son Benjamin go down to Egypt with the rest of you. His brother is already dead, and he is the only son I have left.[c] I am an old man, and if anything happens to him on the way, I'll die from sorrow, and all of you will be to blame.”
Footnotes
- 42.25 money: Probably in the form of small pieces of silver and/or other precious or semi-precious metals; there were no coins or paper money at this time.
- 42.28 What has God … us: They thought God had put the money in their bags, so they would be caught and punished.
- 42.38 only son I have left: Jacob had only two sons by Rachel, his favorite wife.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.
