第四二章

¹Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, 'Why are you staring at one another?'

¹雅各見埃及有糧，就對兒子們說：你們為甚麼彼此觀望呢？

²He said, 'Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy [some] for us from that place, so that we may live and not die.'

²我聽見埃及有糧，你們可以下去，從那裡為我們糴些來，使我們可以存活，不至於死。

³Then ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain from Egypt.

³於是，約瑟的十個哥哥都下埃及糴糧去了。

⁴But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, 'I am afraid that harm may befall him.'

⁴但約瑟的兄弟便雅憫，雅各沒有打發他和哥哥們同去，因為雅各說：恐怕他遭害。

⁵So the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those who were coming, for the famine was in the land of Canaan [also].

⁵來糴糧的人中有以色列的兒子們，因為迦南地也有饑荒。

⁶Now Joseph was the ruler over the land; he was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brothers came and bowed down to him with [their] faces to the ground.

⁶當時治理埃及地的是約瑟；糶糧給那地眾民的就是他。約瑟的哥哥們來了，臉伏於地，向他下拜。

⁷When Joseph saw his brothers he recognized them, but he disguised himself to them and spoke to them harshly. And he said to them, 'Where have you come from?' And they said, 'From the land of Canaan, to buy food.'

⁷約瑟看見他哥哥們，就認得他們，卻裝作生人，向他們說些嚴厲話，問他們說：你們從那裡來？他們說：我們從迦南地來糴糧。

⁸But Joseph had recognized his brothers, although they did not recognize him.

⁸約瑟認得他哥哥們，他們卻不認得他。

⁹Joseph remembered the dreams which he had about them, and said to them, 'You are spies; you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land.'

⁹約瑟想起從前所做的那兩個夢，就對他們說：你們是奸細，來窺探這地的虛實。

¹⁰Then they said to him, 'No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food.

¹⁰他們對他說：我主阿，不是的。僕人們是糴糧來的。

¹¹'We are all sons of one man; we are honest men, your servants are not spies.'

¹¹我們都是一個人的兒子，是誠實人；僕人們並不是奸細。

¹²Yet he said to them, 'No, but you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land!'

¹²約瑟說：不然，你們必是窺探這地的虛實來的。

¹³But they said, 'Your servants are twelve brothers [in all], the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no longer alive.'

¹³他們說：僕人們本是弟兄十二人，是迦南地一個人的兒子，頂小的現今在我們的父親那裡，有一個沒有了。

¹⁴Joseph said to them, 'It is as I said to you, you are spies;

¹⁴約瑟說：我才說你們是奸細，這話實在不錯。

¹⁵by this you will be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here!

¹⁵我指著法老的性命起誓，若是你們的小兄弟不到這裡，你們就不得出這地方，從此就可以把你們證驗出來了。

¹⁶'Send one of you that he may get your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. But if not, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies.'

¹⁶須要打發你們中間一個人去，把你們的兄弟帶來。至於你們，都要囚在這裡，好證驗你們的話真不真，若不真，我指著法老的性命起誓，你們一定是奸細。

¹⁷So he put them all together in prison for three days.

¹⁷於是約瑟把他們都下在監裡三天。

¹⁸Now Joseph said to them on the third day, 'Do this and live, for I fear God:

¹⁸到了第三天，約瑟對他們說：我是敬畏神的；你們照我的話行就可以存活。

¹⁹if you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined in your prison; but as for [the rest of] you, go, carry grain for the famine of your households,

¹⁹你們如果是誠實人，可以留你們中間的一個人囚在監裡，但你們可以帶著糧食回去，救你們家裡的饑荒。

²⁰and bring your youngest brother to me, so your words may be verified, and you will not die.' And they did so.

²⁰把你們的小兄弟帶到我這裡來，如此，你們的話便有證據，你們也不至於死。他們就照樣而行。

²¹Then they said to one another, 'Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen; therefore this distress has come upon us.'

²¹他們彼此說：我們在兄弟身上實在有罪。他哀求我們的時候，我們見他心裡的愁苦，卻不肯聽，所以這場苦難臨到我們身上。

²²Reuben answered them, saying, 'Did I not tell you, 'Do not sin against the boy'; and you would not listen? Now comes the reckoning for his blood.'

²²流便說：我豈不是對你們說過，不可傷害那孩子麼？只是你們不肯聽，所以流他血的罪向我們追討。

²³They did not know, however, that Joseph understood, for there was an interpreter between them.

²³他們不知道約瑟聽得出來，因為在他們中間用通事傳話。

²⁴He turned away from them and wept. But when he returned to them and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.

²⁴約瑟轉身退去，哭了一場，又回來對他們說話，就從他們中間挑出西緬來，在他們眼前把他捆綁。

²⁵Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain and to restore every man's money in his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. And thus it was done for them.

²⁵約瑟吩咐人把糧食裝滿他們的器具，把各人的銀子歸還在各人的口袋裡，又給他們路上用的食物，人就照他的話辦了。

²⁶So they loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed from there.

²⁶他們就把糧食馱在驢上，離開那裡去了。

²⁷As one [of them] opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his money; and behold, it was in the mouth of his sack.

²⁷到了住宿的地方，他們中間有一個人打開口袋，要拿料餵驢，才看見自己的銀子仍在口袋裡，

²⁸Then he said to his brothers, 'My money has been returned, and behold, it is even in my sack.' And their hearts sank, and they [turned] trembling to one another, saying, 'What is this that God has done to us?'

²⁸就對弟兄們說：我的銀子歸還了，看哪，仍在我口袋裡！他們就提心吊膽，戰戰兢兢的彼此說：這是神向我們做甚麼呢？

²⁹When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them, saying,

²⁹他們來到迦南地、他們的父親雅各那裡，將所遭遇的事都告訴他，說：

³⁰'The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly with us, and took us for spies of the country.

³⁰那地的主對我們說嚴厲的話，把我們當作窺探那地的奸細。

³¹'But we said to him, 'We are honest men; we are not spies.

³¹我們對他說：我們是誠實人，並不是奸細。

³²'We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no longer alive, and the youngest is with our father today in the land of Canaan.'

³²我們本是弟兄十二人，都是一個父親的兒子，有一個沒有了，頂小的如今同我們的父親在迦南地。

³³'The man, the lord of the land, said to us, 'By this I will know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me and take [grain for] the famine of your households, and go.

³³那地的主對我們說：若要我知道你們是誠實人，可以留下你們中間的一個人在我這裡，你們可以帶著糧食回去，救你們家裡的饑荒。

³⁴'But bring your youngest brother to me that I may know that you are not spies, but honest men. I will give your brother to you, and you may trade in the land.''

³⁴把你們的小兄弟帶到我這裡來，我便知道你們不是奸細，乃是誠實人。這樣，我就把你們的弟兄交給你們，你們也可以在這地做買賣。

³⁵Now it came about as they were emptying their sacks, that behold, every man's bundle of money [was] in his sack; and when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were dismayed.

³⁵後來他們倒口袋，不料，各人的銀包都在口袋裡；他們和父親看見銀包就都害怕。

³⁶Their father Jacob said to them, 'You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and you would take Benjamin; all these things are against me.'

³⁶他們的父親雅各對他們說：你們使我喪失我的兒子：約瑟沒有了，西緬也沒有了，你們又要將便雅憫帶去；這些事都歸到我身上了。

³⁷Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, 'You may put my two sons to death if I do not bring him [back] to you; put him in my care, and I will return him to you.'

³⁷流便對他父親說：我若不帶他回來交給你，你可以殺我的兩個兒子。只管把他交在我手裡，我必帶他回來交給你。

³⁸But Jacob said, 'My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If harm should befall him on the journey you are taking, then you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.'

³⁸雅各說：我的兒子不可與你們一同下去；他哥哥死了，只剩下他，他若在你們所行的路上遭害，那便是你們使我白髮蒼蒼、悲悲慘慘的下陰間去了。