1 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 again, buy us a little more food."

3 Judah spoke to him, saying, "The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.’ 4 If you’ll send our brother with us, we’ll go down and buy you food; 5 but if you don’t send him, we won’t go down, for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.’"

6 Israel said, "Why did you treat me so badly, telling the man that you had another brother?"

7 They said, "The man asked directly concerning ourselves, and concerning our relatives, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ We just answered his questions. Is there any way we could know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down?’"

8 Judah said to Israel, his father, "Send the boy with me, and we’ll get up and go, so that we may live, and not die, both we, and you, and also our little ones. 9 I’ll be collateral for him. From my hand will you require him. If I don’t bring him to you, and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever; 10 for if we hadn’t delayed, surely we would have returned a second time by now."

11 Their father, Israel, said to them, "If it must be so, then do this: Take from the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry down a present for the man, a little balm, a little honey, spices and myrrh, nuts, and almonds; 12 and take double money in your hand, and take back the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. Perhaps it was an oversight. 13 Take your brother also, get up, and return to the man. 14 May God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release to you your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved."

15 The men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and got up, went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph. 16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, "Bring the men into the house, and butcher an animal, and prepare; for the men will dine with me at noon."

17 The man did as Joseph commanded, and the man brought the men to Joseph’s house. 18 The men were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph’s house; and they said, "Because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time, we’re brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, attack us, and seize us as slaves, along with our donkeys." 19 They came near to the steward of Joseph’s house, and they spoke to him at the door of the house, 20 and said, "Oh, 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 behold, each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight. We have brought it back in our hand. 22 We have brought down other money in our hand to buy food. We don’t know who put our money in our sacks."

23 He said, "Peace be to you. Don’t be afraid. Your God, and the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks. I received your money." He brought Simeon out to them. 24 The man brought the men into Joseph’s house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet. He gave their donkeys fodder. 25 They prepared the present for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread there.

26 When Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves down to the earth before him. 27 He asked them of their welfare, and said, "Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he yet alive?"

28 They said, "Your servant, our father, is well. He is still alive." They bowed down humbly. 29 He lifted up his eyes, and saw Benjamin, his brother, his mother’s son, and said, "Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?" He said, "God be gracious to you, my son." 30 Joseph hurried, for his heart yearned over his brother; and he sought a place to weep. He entered into his room, and wept there. 31 He washed his face, and came out. He controlled himself, and said, "Serve the meal."

32 They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians don’t eat 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 marveled with one another. 34 He sent portions to them from before him, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. They drank, and were merry with him.

1 那地的饥荒十分严重。

2 他们把从埃及带回来的粮食都吃完了。他们的父亲就对他们说： "你们再去替我们买些粮食回来吧。"

3 犹大对他说： "那人认真地警告我们说： ‘如果你们的弟弟不与你们一起来， 你们就不得见我的面。’

4 如果你让我们的弟弟与我们同去， 我们就下去替你买粮食。

5 如果你不让他去， 我们也不下去， 因为那人对我们说： ‘如果你们的弟弟不与你们一起来， 你们就不得见我的面。’"

6 以色列说： "你们为什么这样害我， 告诉那人你们还有个弟弟呢？"

7 他们回答： "那人确实查问有关我们和我们亲属的事， 说： ‘你们的父亲还活着吗？你们还有其他的兄弟吗？’我们就照着这些话回答他。我们怎么知道他会说： ‘你们必要把你们的弟弟带下来’呢？"

8 犹大对他父亲以色列说： "你若打发那孩子与我同去， 我们就立刻起程， 好叫我们和你， 以及我们的孩子都可以存活， 不至饿死。

9 我愿意亲自担保他的安全， 你可以从我手里追回他。如果我不把他带回来给你， 交在你面前， 我愿终生承担这罪。

10 要不是我们耽延， 现在第二次也回来了。"

11 他们的父亲以色列对他们说： "如果必须如此， 你们就这样作： 你们把本地最好的出产放在袋里， 带下去给那人作礼物， 就是一点乳香、一点蜂蜜、香料、没药、粟子和杏仁。

12 你们手里要多带一倍银子， 因为你们要把那放回在你们袋口里的银子带回去， 那可能是弄错了的。

13 你们带着你们的弟弟， 起程再到那人那里去吧。

14 愿全能的 神使那人怜悯你们， 给你们释放你们那个兄弟和便雅悯。至于我， 如果要丧失儿子， 就丧失了吧。"

15 于是， 他们带着这些礼物， 手里拿着多一倍的银子， 并且带着便雅悯， 起程下到埃及去， 站在约瑟面前。

16 约瑟见便雅悯与他们同来， 就对管家说： "把这些人带到我家里， 要宰杀牲畜， 预备筵席， 因为在正午的时候， 这些人要与我一起吃饭。"

17 管家就照着约瑟所吩咐的去作， 把这些人带到约瑟的家里。

18 他们因为被领到约瑟的家里， 就害怕起来， 说： "我们被领到这里来， 必定是为了头一次放回在我们袋里的银子， 现在他们想攻击我们， 制伏我们， 逼我们作奴仆， 又夺去我们的驴。"

19 他们于是走近约瑟的管家， 在屋门口与他说话。

20 他们说： "先生啊， 我们头一次下来， 实在是要买粮食的。

21 后来我们来到住宿的地方， 打开布袋的时候， 不料各人的银子仍然在各人的袋口里， 分文不少； 现在我们手里又带回来了。

22 我们手里又另外带来银子， 是买粮食用的。我们不知道头一次谁把我们的银子放在我们的布袋里。"

23 管家说： "你们可以放心， 不要害怕， 是你们的 神， 你们父亲的 神， 把财宝赐给你们， 放在你们的布袋里。你们的银子我早已收到了。"接着他把西缅带出来交给他们。

24 管家把他们领到约瑟的家里， 给他们水洗脚， 又给他们饲料喂驴。

25 于是， 他们预备好了礼物， 等候约瑟中午到来， 因为他们听说他们要在那里吃饭。

26 约瑟回到家里， 他们就把手中的礼物带进屋里送给他， 又俯伏在地向他下拜。

27 约瑟先向他们问安， 然后又问： "你们的父亲， 就是你们所说的那老人家平安吗？他还在吗？"

28 他们回答： "你仆人我们的父亲平安， 他还在。"于是他们低头下拜。

29 约瑟举目观看， 看见自己同母所生的弟弟便雅悯， 就问： "这就是你们向我提过那最小的弟弟吗？"又说： "我儿啊， 愿 神赐恩给你。"

30 约瑟爱弟弟之情激动起来， 就急忙去找个可哭的地方。于是他进了自己的内室， 在那里哭了一阵。

31 他洗了面， 然后出来， 抑制着自己的感情， 吩咐人说： "开饭吧。"

32 他们就给约瑟单独摆了一席， 给那些人另外摆了一席， 又给那些与约瑟一同吃饭的埃及人摆了一席， 因为埃及人不能与希伯来人一同吃饭， 这是埃及人所厌恶的。

33 约瑟使众兄弟在他面前排列坐下， 都是照着他们长幼的次序。众兄弟就彼此对望， 惊奇不已。

34 约瑟拿起自己面前的食物， 分给他们， 但是便雅悯分得的食物， 比别人多五倍。他们就与约瑟一同喝酒宴乐。