Genesis 43
Modern English Version
Joseph’s Brothers Return With Benjamin
43 Now the famine was severe in the land. 2 When they had eaten up the grain which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little food.”
3 Judah spoke to him, saying, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ 4 If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you. 5 But if you will not send him, we will not go down. For the man said to us, ‘You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ ”
6 Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly as to tell the man that you had another brother?”
7 And they said, “The man asked us directly about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ So we answered his questions. How could we even know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”
8 And Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go, so that we may live and not die, both we and you, and also our little ones. 9 I will be a surety for him. You may hold me personally responsible for him. If I fail to bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever. 10 For if we had not delayed, we could have returned twice.”
11 Their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, do this. Take some of the best fruits in the land in your bags, and carry down a present for the man: a little balm and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. 12 Take double the money with you, along with the money that was brought back in the mouths of your sacks. Carry it with you again. Perhaps it was a mistake. 13 Also, take your brother and arise, return to the man. 14 And may God Almighty give you mercy before the man, so that he may send away your other brother, along with Benjamin. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”
15 The men took the gift, and they took double the money with them, along with Benjamin. Then they went on their way down to Egypt and stood before Joseph. 16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the house steward, “Bring these men home, slaughter an animal and prepare it, for these men will dine with me at noon.”
17 The man did as Joseph ordered, so the man brought the men into Joseph’s house. 18 The men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph’s house. They said, “We have been brought in because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time, so that he may seek occasion against us and fall upon us and take us for slaves with our donkeys.”
The Feast With Joseph
19 They approached the steward of Joseph’s house, and they spoke with him at the entrance of the house. 20 They said, “My lord, we indeed came down the first time to buy food. 21 When we came to the lodging place, we opened our sacks and realized every man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight. So we have brought it again with us. 22 We have also brought additional money with us to buy food. We cannot tell who put our money in our sacks.”
23 He said, “Be at peace; do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks. I had your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.
24 The man brought the men into Joseph’s house and gave them water to wash their feet and gave feed to their donkeys. 25 Then they made ready the gift for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they would be eating a meal there.
26 When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present that they had with them and bowed themselves to him to the ground. 27 He asked them about their well-being and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”
28 And they answered, “Your servant our father is in good health. He is still alive.” And they bowed down their heads and prostrated themselves.
29 He lifted up his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your younger brother of whom you spoke to me?” And he said, “God be gracious to you, my son.” 30 Joseph hurried out, for he was deeply moved over his brother and sought a place to weep. So he entered into his chamber and wept there.
31 Then he washed his face and came out. Controlling himself, he said, “Serve the food.”
32 They served him by himself and them by themselves and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat a meal with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. 33 They sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth, and the men looked at one another in astonishment. 34 He gave them portions from his own table, but Benjamin’s serving was five times more than any of theirs. So they drank and feasted with him.
創世記 43
Chinese Union Version Modern Punctuation (Traditional)
雅各遣子再往糴糧
43 那地的饑荒甚大。 2 他們從埃及帶來的糧食吃盡了，他們的父親就對他們說：「你們再去給我糴些糧來。」 3 猶大對他說：「那人諄諄地告誡我們說：『你們的兄弟若不與你們同來，你們就不得見我的面。』 4 你若打發我們的兄弟與我們同去，我們就下去給你糴糧。 5 你若不打發他去，我們就不下去，因為那人對我們說：『你們的兄弟若不與你們同來，你們就不得見我的面。』」 6 以色列說：「你們為什麼這樣害我，告訴那人你們還有兄弟呢？」 7 他們回答說：「那人詳細問到我們和我們的親屬，說：『你們的父親還在嗎？你們還有兄弟嗎？』我們就按著他所問的告訴他，焉能知道他要說，必須把你們的兄弟帶下來呢？」 8 猶大又對他父親以色列說：「你打發童子與我同去，我們就起身下去，好叫我們和你，並我們的婦人孩子，都得存活，不至於死。 9 我為他作保，你可以從我手中追討。我若不帶他回來交在你面前，我情願永遠擔罪。 10 我們若沒有耽擱，如今第二次都回來了。」 11 他們的父親以色列說：「若必須如此，你們就當這樣行：可以將這地土產中最好的乳香、蜂蜜、香料、沒藥、榧子、杏仁都取一點，收在器具裡，帶下去送給那人做禮物。 12 又要手裡加倍地帶銀子，並將歸還在你們口袋內的銀子仍帶在手裡，那或者是錯了。 13 也帶著你們的兄弟，起身去見那人。 14 但願全能的神使你們在那人面前蒙憐憫，釋放你們的那弟兄和便雅憫回來。我若喪了兒子，就喪了吧！」 15 於是，他們拿著那禮物，又手裡加倍地帶銀子，並且帶著便雅憫，起身下到埃及，站在約瑟面前。
約瑟為弟兄設席
16 約瑟見便雅憫和他們同來，就對家宰說：「將這些人領到屋裡，要宰殺牲畜，預備筵席，因為晌午這些人同我吃飯。」 17 家宰就遵著約瑟的命去行，領他們進約瑟的屋裡。 18 他們因為被領到約瑟的屋裡，就害怕，說：「領我們到這裡來，必是因為頭次歸還在我們口袋裡的銀子，找我們的錯縫，下手害我們，強取我們為奴僕，搶奪我們的驢。」 19 他們就挨近約瑟的家宰，在屋門口和他說話， 20 說：「我主啊，我們頭次下來實在是要糴糧。 21 後來到了住宿的地方，我們打開口袋，不料，各人的銀子分量足數，仍在各人的口袋內，現在我們手裡又帶回來了。 22 另外又帶下銀子來糴糧。不知道先前誰把銀子放在我們的口袋裡。」 23 家宰說：「你們可以放心，不要害怕，是你們的神和你們父親的神賜給你們財寶在你們的口袋裡。你們的銀子我早已收了。」他就把西緬帶出來，交給他們。 24 家宰就領他們進約瑟的屋裡，給他們水洗腳，又給他們草料餵驢。 25 他們就預備那禮物，等候約瑟晌午來，因為他們聽見要在那裡吃飯。
26 約瑟來到家裡，他們就把手中的禮物拿進屋去給他，又俯伏在地向他下拜。 27 約瑟問他們好，又問：「你們的父親，就是你們所說的那老人家，平安嗎？他還在嗎？」 28 他們回答說：「你僕人我們的父親平安，他還在。」於是他們低頭下拜。 29 約瑟舉目看見他同母的兄弟便雅憫，就說：「你們向我所說那頂小的兄弟就是這位嗎？」又說：「小兒啊，願神賜恩給你！」 30 約瑟愛弟之情發動，就急忙尋找可哭之地，進入自己的屋裡，哭了一場。 31 他洗了臉出來，勉強隱忍，吩咐人擺飯。 32 他們就為約瑟單擺了一席，為那些人又擺了一席，也為和約瑟同吃飯的埃及人另擺了一席，因為埃及人不可和希伯來人一同吃飯，那原是埃及人所厭惡的。 33 約瑟使眾弟兄在他面前排列坐席，都按著長幼的次序，眾弟兄就彼此詫異。 34 約瑟把他面前的食物分出來，送給他們，但便雅憫所得的比別人多五倍。他們就飲酒，和約瑟一同宴樂。
Genesis 43
Living Bible
43 But there was no relief from the terrible famine throughout the land. 2 When the grain they had brought from Egypt was almost gone, their father said to them, “Go again and buy us a little food.”
3-5 But Judah told him, “The man wasn’t fooling one bit when he said, ‘Don’t ever come back again unless your brother is with you.’ We cannot go unless you let Benjamin go with us.”
6 “Why did you ever tell him you had another brother?” Israel moaned. “Why did you have to treat me like that?”
7 “But the man specifically asked us about our family,” they told him. “He wanted to know whether our father was still living and he asked us if we had another brother, so we told him. How could we know that he was going to say, ‘Bring me your brother’?”
8 Judah said to his father, “Send the lad with me and we will be on our way; otherwise we will all die of starvation—and not only we, but you and all our little ones. 9 I guarantee his safety. If I don’t bring him back to you, then let me bear the blame forever. 10 For we could have gone and returned by this time if you had let him come.”
11 So their father Israel finally said to them, “If it can’t be avoided, then at least do this. Load your donkeys with the best products of the land. Take them to the man as gifts—balm, honey, spices, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds. 12 Take double money so that you can pay back what was in the mouths of your sacks, as it was probably someone’s mistake, 13 and take your brother and go. 14 May God Almighty give you mercy before the man, so that he will release Simeon and return Benjamin. And if I must bear the anguish of their deaths, then so be it.”
15 So they took the gifts and double money and went to Egypt, and stood before Joseph. 16 When Joseph saw that Benjamin was with them, he said to the manager of his household, “These men will eat with me this noon. Take them home and prepare a big feast.” 17 So the man did as he was told and took them to Joseph’s palace. 18 They were badly frightened when they saw where they were being taken.
“It’s because of the money returned to us in our sacks,” they said. “He wants to pretend we stole it and seize us as slaves, with our donkeys.”
19 As they arrived at the entrance to the palace, they went over to Joseph’s household manager, 20 and said to him, “O sir, after our first trip to Egypt to buy food, 21 as we were returning home, we stopped for the night and opened our sacks, and the money was there that we had paid for the grain. Here it is; we have brought it back again, 22 along with additional money to buy more grain. We have no idea how the money got into our sacks.”
23 “Don’t worry about it,” the household manager told them; “your God, even the God of your fathers, must have put it there, for we collected your money all right.”
Then he released Simeon and brought him out to them. 24 They were then conducted into the palace and given water to refresh their feet; and their donkeys were fed. 25 Then they got their presents ready for Joseph’s arrival at noon, for they were told that they would be eating there. 26 When Joseph came home they gave him their presents, bowing low before him.
27 He asked how they had been getting along. “And how is your father—the old man you spoke about? Is he still alive?”
28 “Yes,” they replied. “He is alive and well.” Then again they bowed before him.
29 Looking at his brother Benjamin,[a] he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about? How are you, my son? God be gracious to you.” 30 Then Joseph made a hasty exit, for he was overcome with love for his brother and had to go out and cry. Going into his bedroom, he wept there. 31 Then he washed his face and came out, keeping himself under control. “Let’s eat,” he said.
32 Joseph ate by himself, his brothers were served at a separate table, and the Egyptians at still another; for Egyptians despise Hebrews and never eat with them. 33 He told each of them where to sit, and seated them in the order of their ages, from the oldest to the youngest, much to their amazement! 34 Their food was served to them from his own table. He gave the largest serving to Benjamin—five times as much as to any of the others! They had a wonderful time bantering back and forth, and the wine flowed freely!
Footnotes
- Genesis 43:29 his brother Benjamin, literally, “his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son.”
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
Copyright © 2011 by Global Bible Initiative
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.