< Genesis 44 >

1 Præcepit autem Joseph dispensatori domus suæ, dicens: Imple saccos eorum frumento, quantum possunt capere: et pone pecuniam singulorum in summitate sacci.
Then he instructed the manager of his house, saying, "Fill the men's sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man's silver in the mouth of his sack.
2 Scyphum autem meum argenteum, et pretium quod dedit tritici, pone in ore sacci junioris. Factumque est ita.
Put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, along with the silver for his grain." So he did according to the word that Joseph had told him.
3 Et orto mane, dimissi sunt cum asinis suis.
As soon as the morning dawned, the men were sent off along with their donkeys.
4 Jamque urbem exierant, et processerant paululum: tunc Joseph accersito dispensatore domus, Surge, inquit, et persequere viros: et apprehensis dicito: Quare reddidistis malum pro bono?
When they were far from the city, Joseph said to his manager, "Up, go after the men, and when you overtake them, ask them, 'Why have you repaid evil for good?
5 scyphus, quem furati estis, ipse est in quo bibit dominus meus, et in quo augurari solet: pessimam rem fecistis.
Why have you stolen my silver cup? Isn't it from this that my lord drinks and by which he indeed uses for divination? You have done evil in doing this.'"
6 Fecit ille ut jusserat: et apprehensis per ordinem locutus est.
And he caught up with them and spoke these words to them.
7 Qui responderunt: Quare sic loquitur dominus noster, ut servi tui tantum flagitii commiserint?
But they said to him, "Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing.
8 pecuniam, quam invenimus in summitate saccorum, reportavimus ad te de terra Chanaan: et quomodo consequens est ut furati simus de domo domini tui aurum vel argentum?
Look, the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord's house?
9 apud quemcumque fuerit inventum servorum tuorum quod quæris, moriatur, et nos erimus servi domini nostri.
With whomever of your servants it is found, he must die, and we also will be my lord's slaves."
10 Qui dixit eis: Fiat juxta vestram sententiam: apud quemcumque fuerit inventum, ipse sit servus meus, vos autem eritis innoxii.
And he said, "Very well, then, it will be as you say. The one with whom it is found will be my slave, but you will be blameless."
11 Itaque festinato deponentes in terram saccos, aperuerunt singuli.
Then they hurried, and each man lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack.
12 Quos scrutatus, incipiens a majore usque ad minimum, invenit scyphum in sacco Benjamin.
And he searched, beginning with the oldest, and ending at the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.
13 At illi, scissis vestibus, oneratisque rursum asinis, reversi sunt in oppidum.
Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city.
14 Primusque Judas cum fratribus ingressus est ad Joseph (necdum enim de loco abierat) omnesque ante eum pariter in terram corruerunt.
So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, and he was still there, and they fell to the ground before him.
15 Quibus ille ait: Cur sic agere voluistis? an ignoratis quod non sit similis mei in augurandi scientia?
And Joseph said to them, "What is this deed that you have done? Didn't you know that a man like me can indeed practice divination?"
16 Cui Judas: Quid respondebimus, inquit, domino meo? vel quid loquemur, aut juste poterimus obtendere? Deus invenit iniquitatem servorum tuorum: en omnes servi sumus domini mei, et nos, et apud quem inventus est scyphus.
Then Judah said, "What can we say to my lord? What can we speak? And how can we clear ourselves? God has uncovered the guilt of your servants. Look, we are my lord's slaves, both we, and the one in whose possession the cup was found."
17 Respondit Joseph: Absit a me ut sic agam: qui furatus est scyphum, ipse sit servus meus: vos autem abite liberi ad patrem vestrum.
But he said, "Far be it from me that I should do so. The man in whose possession the cup was found, he will be my slave. But as for you, go up to your father in peace."
18 Accedens autem propius Judas, confidenter ait: Oro, domine mi, loquatur servus tuus verbum in auribus tuis, et ne irascaris famulo tuo: tu es enim post Pharaonem
Then Judah approached him, and said, "My lord, please allow your servant to speak a word in the ears of my lord, and do not become angry with your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself.
19 dominus meus. Interrogasti prius servos tuos: Habetis patrem aut fratrem?
My lord asked his servants, saying, 'Do you have a father or a brother?'
20 et nos respondimus tibi domino meo: Est nobis pater senex, et puer parvulus, qui in senectute illius natus est: cujus uterinus frater mortuus est: et ipsum solum habet mater sua, pater vero tenere diligit eum.
And we said to my lord, 'We have a father, an old man, and a child born when he was old, a little one, and his brother is dead, and he is his mother's only child, and his father loves him.'
21 Dixistique servis tuis: Adducite eum ad me, et ponam oculos meos super illum.
Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me, so that I can see him myself.'
22 Suggessimus domino meo: Non potest puer relinquere patrem suum: si enim illum dimiserit, morietur.
And we said to my lord, 'The boy can't leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.'
23 Et dixisti servis tuis: Nisi venerit frater vester minimus vobiscum, non videbitis amplius faciem meam.
But you said to your servants, 'Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.'
24 Cum ergo ascendissemus ad famulum tuum patrem nostrum, narravimus ei omnia quæ locutus est dominus meus.
And it happened when we came up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.
25 Et dixit pater noster: Revertimini, et emite nobis parum tritici.
But our father said, 'Go again, buy us a little food.'
26 Cui diximus: Ire non possumus: si frater noster minimus descenderit nobiscum, proficiscemur simul: alioquin illo absente, non audemus videre faciem viri.
We said, 'We can't go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down, for we cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.'
27 Ad quæ ille respondit: Vos scitis quod duos genuerit mihi uxor mea.
Then your servant my father said to us, 'You know that my wife bore me two sons.
28 Egressus est unus, et dixistis: Bestia devoravit eum: et hucusque non comparet.
And the one disappeared from me, and I said, "Surely he is torn in pieces." And I haven't seen him since.
29 Si tuleritis et istum, et aliquid ei in via contigerit, deducetis canos meos cum mœrore ad inferos. (Sheol h7585)
If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
30 Igitur si intravero ad servum tuum patrem nostrum, et puer defuerit (cum anima illius ex hujus anima pendeat),
So now, when I come to your servant my father and the boy is not with us, since his life is bound up in the boy's life,
31 videritque eum non esse nobiscum, morietur, et deducent famuli tui canos ejus cum dolore ad inferos. (Sheol h7585)
it will happen, when he sees that the boy is not with us, that he will die. Your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
32 Ego proprie servus tuus sim qui in meam hunc recepi fidem, et spopondi dicens: Nisi reduxero eum, peccati reus ero in patrem meum omni tempore.
For your servant became collateral for the boy to my father, saying, 'If I do not bring him to you, then I will bear the blame to my father forever.'
33 Manebo itaque servus tuus pro puero in ministerio domini mei, et puer ascendat cum fratribus suis.
So now, please let your servant remain instead of the boy, a slave to my lord, and let the boy go up with his brothers.
34 Non enim possum redire ad patrem meum, absente puero: ne calamitatis, quæ oppressura est patrem meum, testis assistam.
For how will I go up to my father if the boy isn't with me? I could not bear to see the misery that would come on my father."

< Genesis 44 >