創世記 43
1 ききんはその地に激しかった。
Now the land was in bitter need of food.
2 彼らがエジプトから携えてきた穀物を食い尽した時、父は彼らに言った、「また行って、われわれのために少しの食糧を買ってきなさい」。
And when the grain which they had got in Egypt was all used up, their father said to them, Go again and get us a little food.
3 ユダは父に答えて言った、「あの人はわれわれをきびしく戒めて、弟が一緒でなければ、わたしの顔を見てはならないと言いました。
And Judah said to him, The man said to us with an oath, You are not to come before me again without your brother.
4 もしあなたが弟をわれわれと一緒にやってくださるなら、われわれは下って行って、あなたのために食糧を買ってきましょう。
If you will let our brother go with us, we will go down and get food:
5 しかし、もし彼をやられないなら、われわれは下って行きません。あの人がわれわれに、弟が一緒でなければわたしの顔を見てはならないと言ったのですから」。
But if you will not send him, we will not go down: for the man said to us, You are not to come before me if your brother is not with you.
6 イスラエルは言った、「なぜ、もうひとりの弟があるとあの人に言って、わたしを苦しめるのか」。
And Israel said, Why were you so cruel to me as to say to him that you had a brother?
7 彼らは言った、「あの人がわれわれと一族とのことを問いただして、父はまだ生きているか、もうひとりの弟があるかと言ったので、問われるままに答えましたが、その人が、弟を連れてこいと言おうとは、どうして知ることができたでしょう」。
And they said, The man put a number of questions to us about ourselves and our family, saying, Is your father still living? have you another brother? And we had to give him answers; how were we to have any idea that he would say, Come back with your brother?
8 ユダは父イスラエルに言った、「あの子をわたしと一緒にやってくだされば、われわれは立って行きましょう。そしてわれわれもあなたも、われわれの子供らも生きながらえ、死を免れましょう。
Then Judah said to Israel, his father, Send the boy with me, and let us be up and going, so that we and you and our little ones may not come to destruction.
9 わたしが彼の身を請け合います。わたしの手から彼を求めなさい。もしわたしが彼をあなたのもとに連れ帰って、あなたの前に置かなかったら、わたしはあなたに対して永久に罪を負いましょう。
Put him into my care and make me responsible for him: if I do not give him safely back to you, let mine be the sin for ever.
10 もしわれわれがこんなにためらわなかったら、今ごろは二度も行ってきたでしょう」。
Truly, if we had not let the time go by, we might have come back again by now.
11 父イスラエルは彼らに言った、「それではこうしなさい。この国の名産を器に入れ、携え下ってその人に贈り物にしなさい。すなわち少しの乳香、少しの蜜、香料、もつやく、ふすだしう、あめんどう。
Then their father Israel said to them, If it has to be so, then do this: take of the best fruits of the land in your vessels to give the man, perfumes and honey and spices and nuts:
12 そしてその上に、倍額の銀を手に持って行きなさい。また袋の口に返してあった銀は持って行って返しなさい。たぶんそれは誤りであったのでしょう。
And take twice as much money with you; that is to say, take back the money which was put in your bags, for it may have been an error;
13 弟も連れ、立って、またその人の所へ行きなさい。
And take your brother and go back to the man:
14 どうか全能の神がその人の前であなたがたをあわれみ、もうひとりの兄弟とベニヤミンとを、返させてくださるように。もしわたしが子を失わなければならないのなら、失ってもよい」。
And may God, the Ruler of all, give you mercy before the man, so that he may give you back your other brother and Benjamin. If my children are to be taken from me; there is no help for it.
15 そこでその人々は贈り物を取り、また倍額の銀を携え、ベニヤミンを連れ、立ってエジプトへ下り、ヨセフの前に立った。
So they took what their father said for the man, and twice as much money in their hands, and Benjamin, and went on their journey to Egypt, and came before Joseph.
16 ヨセフはベニヤミンが彼らと共にいるのを見て、家づかさに言った、「この人々を家に連れて行き、獣をほふって、したくするように。この人々は昼、わたしと一緒に食事をします」。
And when Joseph saw Benjamin, he said to his chief servant, Take these men into my house, and make ready a meal, for they will take food with me in the middle of the day.
17 その人はヨセフの言ったようにして、この人々をヨセフの家へ連れて行った。
And the servant did as Joseph said, and took the men into Joseph's house.
18 ところがこの人々はヨセフの家へ連れて行かれたので恐れて言った、「初めの時に袋に返してあったあの銀のゆえに、われわれを引き入れたのです。そしてわれわれを襲い、攻め、捕えて奴隷とし、われわれのろばをも奪うのです」。
Now the men were full of fear because they had been taken into Joseph's house and they said, It is because of the money which was put back in our bags the first time; he is looking for something against us, so that he may come down on us and take us and our asses for his use.
19 彼らはヨセフの家づかさに近づいて、家の入口で、言った、
So they went up to Joseph's chief servant at the door of the house,
20 「ああ、わが主よ、われわれは最初、食糧を買うために下ってきたのです。
And said, O my lord, we only came down the first time to get food;
21 ところが宿に行って袋をあけて見ると、めいめいの銀は袋の口にあって、銀の重さは元のままでした。それでわれわれはそれを持って参りました。
And when we came to our night's resting-place, on opening our bags we saw that every man's money was in the mouth of his bag, all our money in full weight: and we have it with us to give it back;
22 そして食糧を買うために、ほかの銀をも持って下ってきました。われわれの銀を袋に入れた者が、だれであるかは分りません」。
As well as more money, with which to get food: we have no idea who put our money in our bags.
23 彼は言った、「安心しなさい。恐れてはいけません。その宝はあなたがたの神、あなたがたの父の神が、あなたがたの袋に入れてあなたがたに賜わったのです。あなたがたの銀はわたしが受け取りました」。そして彼はシメオンを彼らの所へ連れてきた。
Then the servant said, Peace be with you: have no fear: your God, even the God of your father, has put wealth in your bags for you: I had your money. Then he let Simeon come out to them.
24 こうしてその人はこの人々をヨセフの家へ導き、水を与えて足を洗わせ、また、ろばに飼葉を与えた。
And the servant took them into Joseph's house, and gave them water for washing their feet; and he gave their asses food.
25 彼らはその所で食事をするのだと聞き、贈り物を整えて、昼にヨセフの来るのを待った。
And they got ready the things for Joseph before he came in the middle of the day: for word was given to them that they were to have a meal there.
26 さてヨセフが家に帰ってきたので、彼らはその家に携えてきた贈り物をヨセフにささげ、地に伏して、彼を拝した。
And when Joseph came in, they gave him the things which they had for him, and went down to the earth before him.
27 ヨセフは彼らの安否を問うて言った、「あなたがたの父、あなたがたがさきに話していたその老人は無事ですか。なお生きながらえておられますか」。
And he said, How are you? is your father well, the old man of whom you were talking to me? is he still living?
28 彼らは答えた、「あなたのしもべ、われわれの父は無事で、なお生きながらえています」。そして彼らは、頭をさげて拝した。
And they said, Your servant, our father, is well, he is still living. And they went down on their faces before him.
29 ヨセフは目をあげて同じ母の子である弟ベニヤミンを見て言った、「これはあなたがたが前にわたしに話した末の弟ですか」。また言った、「わが子よ、どうか神があなたを恵まれるように」。
Then, lifting up his eyes, he saw Benjamin, his brother, his mother's son, and he said, Is this your youngest brother of whom you gave me word? And he said, God be good to you, my son.
30 ヨセフは弟なつかしさに心がせまり、急いで泣く場所をたずね、へやにはいって泣いた。
Then Joseph's heart went out to his brother, and he went quickly into his room, for he was overcome with weeping.
31 やがて彼は顔を洗って出てきた。そして自分を制して言った、「食事にしよう」。
Then, after washing his face, he came out, and controlling his feelings said, Put food before us.
32 そこでヨセフはヨセフ、彼らは彼ら、陪食のエジプトびとはエジプトびと、と別々に席に着いた。エジプトびとはヘブルびとと共に食事することができなかった。それはエジプトびとの忌むところであったからである。
And they put a meal ready for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians who were with him by themselves; because the Egyptians may not take food with the Hebrews, for that would make them unclean.
33 こうして彼らはヨセフの前に、長子は長子として、弟は弟としてすわらせられたので、その人々は互に驚いた。
And they were all given their seats before him in order of birth, from the oldest to the youngest: so that they were looking at one another in wonder.
34 またヨセフの前から、めいめいの分が運ばれたが、ベニヤミンの分は他のいずれの者の分よりも五倍多かった。こうして彼らは飲み、ヨセフと共に楽しんだ。
And Joseph sent food to them from his table, but he sent five times as much to Benjamin as to any of the others. And they took wine freely with him.
