1 Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, "Why do you look at one another?" 2 He said, "Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there, and buy for us from there, so that we may live, and not die." 3 Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. 4 But Jacob didn’t send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with his brothers; for he said, "Lest perhaps harm happen to him." 5 The sons of Israel came to buy among those who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan. 6 Joseph was the governor over the land. It was he who sold to all the people of the land. Joseph’s brothers came, and bowed themselves down to him with their faces to the earth. 7 Joseph saw his brothers, and he recognized them, but acted like a stranger to them, and spoke roughly with them. He said to them, "Where did you come from?"
They said, "From the land of Canaan, to buy food."
8 Joseph recognized his brothers, but they didn’t recognize him. 9 Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed about them, and said to them, "You are spies! You have come to see the nakedness of the land."
10 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 He said to them, "No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land!"
13 They said, "We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is today with our father, and one is no more."
14 Joseph said to them, "It is like I told you, saying, ‘You are spies!’ 15 By this you shall be tested. By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go out from here, unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one of you, and let him get your brother, and you shall be bound, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you, or else by the life of Pharaoh surely you are spies." 17 He put them all together into custody for three days.
18 Joseph said to them the third day, "Do this, and live, for I fear God. 19 If you are honest men, then let one of your brothers be bound in your prison; but you go, carry grain for the famine of your houses. 20 Bring your youngest brother to me; so will your words be verified, and you won’t die."
They did so. 21 They said to one another, "We are certainly guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us, and we wouldn’t listen. Therefore this distress has come upon us." 22 Reuben answered them, saying, "Didn’t I tell you, saying, ‘Don’t sin against the child,’ and you wouldn’t listen? Therefore also, behold, his blood is required." 23 They didn’t know that Joseph understood them; for there was an interpreter between them. 24 He turned himself away from them, and wept. Then he returned to them, and spoke to them, and took Simeon from among them, and bound him before their eyes. 25 Then Joseph gave a command to fill their bags with grain, and to restore each man’s money into his sack, and to give them food for the way. So it was done to them.
26 They loaded their donkeys with their grain, and departed from there. 27 As one of them opened his sack to give his donkey food in the lodging place, he saw his money. Behold, it was in the mouth of his sack. 28 He said to his brothers, "My money is restored! Behold, it is in my sack!" Their hearts failed them, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, "What is this that God has done to us?" 29 They came to Jacob their father, to the land of Canaan, and told him all that had happened to them, saying, 30 "The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly with us, and took us for spies of the country. 31 We said to him, ‘We are honest men. We are no spies. 32 We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is today with our father in the land of Canaan.’ 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 houses, and go your way. 34 Bring your youngest brother to me. Then I will know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. So I will deliver your brother to you, and you shall trade in the land.’"
35 As they emptied their sacks, behold, each man’s bundle of money was in his sack. When they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid. 36 Jacob, their father, said to them, "You have bereaved me of my children! Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin away. All these things are against me."
37 Reuben spoke to his father, saying, "Kill my two sons, if I don’t bring him to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him to you again."
38 He said, "My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left. If harm happens to him along the way in which you go, then you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol."
1 雅各见埃及有粮食， 就对儿子们说： "你们为什么彼此对望呢？"
2 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。"
3 于是， 约瑟的十个哥哥就下去了， 要从埃及买五谷。
4 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。"
5 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。
6 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。
7 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。"
8 约瑟认得他的哥哥们， 他们却不认得他。
9 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。
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： " 神向我们作的是什么呢？"
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。"