Joseph’s Brothers in Egypt

42 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt,(A) he said to his sons, “Why do you keep looking at each other? Listen,” he went on, “I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us so that we will live and not die.”(B) So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he thought, “Something might happen to him.”

The sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain, for the famine was in the land of Canaan. Joseph was in charge of the country; he sold grain to all its people. His brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the ground.(C) When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke harshly to them.

“Where do you come from?” he asked.

“From the land of Canaan to buy food,” they replied.

Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. Joseph remembered his dreams about them(D) and said to them, “You are spies. You have come to see the weakness[a] of the land.”

10 “No, my lord. Your servants have come to buy food,” they said. 11 “We are all sons of one man. We are honest; your servants are not spies.”

12 “No,” he said to them. “You have come to see the weakness of the land.”

13 But they replied, “We, your servants, were twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now[b] with our father, and one is no longer living.”

14 Then Joseph said to them, “I have spoken:[c] ‘You are spies!’ 15 This is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one from among you to get your brother. The rest of you will be imprisoned so that your words can be tested to see if they are true. If they are not, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!” 17 So Joseph imprisoned them together for three days.

18 On the third day Joseph said to them, “I fear God(E)—do this and you will live. 19 If you are honest, let one of you[d] be confined to the guardhouse, while the rest of you go and take grain to relieve the hunger of your households. 20 Bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be confirmed; then you won’t die.” And they consented to this.

21 Then they said to each other, “Obviously, we are being punished for what we did to our brother. We saw his deep distress when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this trouble has come to us.”(F)

22 But Reuben replied, “Didn’t I tell you not to harm the boy?(G) But you wouldn’t listen. Now we must account for his blood!” [e]

23 They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them. 24 He turned away from them and wept. When he turned back and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes. 25 Joseph then gave orders to fill their containers with grain, return each man’s silver to his sack, and give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out. 26 They loaded the grain on their donkeys and left there.

The Brothers Return Home

27 At the place where they lodged for the night, one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver there at the top of his bag. 28 He said to his brothers, “My silver has been returned! It’s here in my bag.” Their hearts sank. Trembling, they turned to one another and said, “What has God done to us?”

29 When they reached their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them: 30 “The man who is the lord of the country spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country. 31 But we told him, ‘We are honest and not spies. 32 We were twelve brothers, sons of the same[f] father. One is no longer living, and the youngest is now with our father in the land of Canaan.’ 33 The man who is the lord of the country said to us, ‘This is how I will know if you are honest: Leave one brother with me, take food to relieve the hunger of your households, and go. 34 Bring back your youngest brother to me, and I will know that you are not spies but honest men. I will then give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the country.’”

35 As they began emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his bag of silver! When they and their father saw their bags of silver, they were afraid.

36 Their father Jacob said to them, “It’s me that you make childless. Joseph is gone, and Simeon is gone. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything happens to me!”

37 Then Reuben said to his father, “You can kill my two sons if I don’t bring him back to you. Put him in my care,[g] and I will return him to you.”

38 But Jacob answered, “My son will not go down with you, for his brother is dead and he alone is left.(H) If anything happens to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hairs down to Sheol in sorrow.”(I)

Footnotes

  1. 42:9 Lit nakedness, also in v. 12
  2. 42:13 Or today, also in v. 32
  3. 42:14 Lit “That which I spoke to you saying:
  4. 42:19 Lit your brothers
  5. 42:22 Lit Even his blood is being sought!”
  6. 42:32 Lit of our
  7. 42:37 Lit hand

雅各差遣众子往埃及买粮

42 雅各见埃及有粮食,就对儿子们说:“你们为甚么彼此对望呢?” 他又说:“我听说埃及有粮食,你们下到那里去,给我们买些粮食,使我们可以活下去,不至饿死。” 于是,约瑟的十个哥哥就下去了,要从埃及买五谷。 但雅各并没有打发约瑟的弟弟便雅悯与哥哥们同去,因为雅各说:“恐怕他会遇到灾害。” 以色列的众子也在前来买粮的人群中,因为迦南地也有饥荒。 当时治理埃及地的官长是约瑟,卖粮给那地所有的人民的就是他。所以,约瑟的哥哥们来俯伏在地向他下拜。 约瑟看见他的哥哥们,就认得他们,可是他装作陌生人,对他们说严厉的话,问他们:“你们是哪里来的?”他们回答:“我们是迦南地来买粮食的。”

约瑟认得他的哥哥们,他们却不认得他。 约瑟想起从前所作关于他们的两个梦,就对他们说:“你们是间谍,是来侦察本地的虚实。” 10 他们对他说:“我主啊,不是这样,仆人们实在是来买粮食的。 11 我们都是一个人的儿子,是诚实人;仆人们并不是间谍。” 12 约瑟对他们说:“不是的,你们实在是来侦察本地的虚实。” 13 他们说:“仆人们本是兄弟十二人,我们都是迦南地一个人的儿子。最小的现在与我们的父亲在一起,还有一个不在了。” 14 约瑟对他们说:“我刚才对你们说:‘你们是间谍。’这话实在不错。 15 我要这样试试你们:我指着法老的性命起誓,如果你们最小的弟弟不到这里来,你们就决不得离开这里。 16 你们可以派你们中间一个人回去,把你们的弟弟带来;其余的人都要囚禁起来,好证明你们的话真实不真实。如果不真实,我指着法老的性命起誓,你们就是间谍。” 17 于是,约瑟把他们收在监房里三天。

18 到了第三天,约瑟对他们说:“我是敬畏 神的,你们要这样作,就可以活着; 19 如果你们是诚实人,就叫你们兄弟中一个人囚禁在监里,你们其余的人可以带着粮食回去,解救你们家人的饥荒。 20 然后把你们最小的弟弟带到我这里来,这样,就可以证明你们的话是真实的,你们就不必死了。”他们就照样作了。 21 他们彼此说:“我们在对待弟弟的事上实在有罪。他向我们求情的时候,我们看见他心里的痛苦,却不肯听他,所以这次苦难临到我们身上了。” 22 流本回答他们,说:“我不是对你们说过:‘不要伤害那孩子’吗?可是你们不肯听,现在流他血的罪要向我们追讨。” 23 他们不知道约瑟听得明白,因为他们中间有人当传译。 24 约瑟转身离开他们,哭了一阵,又回到他们那里,与他们说话。然后从他们中间拉出西缅来,在他们眼前把他捆绑起来。

雅各的众子返回迦南

25 约瑟吩咐人把五谷装满他们的袋,把他们的银子放回各人的布袋里;又给他们路上用的食物。一切就照样办了。 26 他们把粮食驮在他们的驴上,离开那里去了。 27 到了住宿的地方,他们其中的一个人打开了布袋,要拿饲料喂驴的时候,才发现自己的银子还在袋口那里。 28 于是对兄弟们说:“我的银子都归还了。你们看,就在我的布袋里。”他们就心里惊慌,彼此战战兢兢地说:“ 神向我们作的是甚么呢?”

29 他们回到迦南地他们的父亲雅各那里,把他们遭遇的一切事都告诉了他,说: 30 “那地的主人对我们说了一些严厉的话,把我们当作侦察那地的间谍。 31 我们对他说:‘我们是诚实人,并不是间谍。 32 我们本是兄弟十二人,都是一个父亲的儿子;有一个不在了,最小的现在与我们的父亲一起在迦南地。’ 33 那地的主人对我们说:‘我用这个办法就可以知道你们是不是诚实人:你们兄弟中要留下一人在我这里,其余的人可以带着粮食回去,解救你们家人的饥荒。 34 然后把你们最小的弟弟带到我这里来,我就知道你们不是间谍,而是诚实人了。这样,我就把你们的兄弟交还给你们,你们也可以在这地自由来往。’”

35 后来他们倒布袋的时候,不料各人的银包仍然在各人的布袋里。他们和他们的父亲看见了银包,就都惧怕起来。 36 他们的父亲雅各对他们说:“你们总是使我丧失儿子:约瑟没有了,西缅也没有了,你们还要把便雅悯带走;每一件事都是针对我。” 37 流本对他父亲说:“如果我不把他带回来给你,你可以杀死我的两个儿子;只管把他交给我吧,我必把他带回来给你。” 38 雅各说:“我的儿子不可与你们一同下去,因为他的哥哥死了,只剩下他一个;如果他在你们所走的路上遇到不幸,你们就使我这白发老人愁愁苦苦地下阴间去了。”