Genesis 43

1 Interim fames omnem terram vehementer premebat.

And the famine was sore in the land.

2 Consumptisque cibis quos ex Aegypto detulerant, dixit Iacob ad filios suos: Revertimini, et emite nobis pauxillum escarum.

And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food.

3 Respondit Iudas: Denunciavit nobis vir ille sub attestatione iurisiurandi, dicens: Non videbitis faciem meam, nisi fratrem vestrum minimum adduxeritis vobiscum.

And Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.

4 Si ergo vis eum mittere nobiscum, pergemus pariter, et ememus tibi necessaria:

If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food:

5 sin autem non vis, non ibimus: vir enim, ut saepe diximus, denunciavit nobis, dicens: Non videbitis faciem meam absque fratre vestro minimo.

but if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down; for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.

6 Dixit eis Israel: In meam hoc fecistis miseriam, ut indicaretis ei et alium habere vos fratrem.

And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?

7 At illi responderunt: Interrogavit nos homo per ordinem nostram progeniem: si pater viveret: si haberemus fratrem: et nos respondimus ei consequenter iuxta id quod fuerat sciscitatus: numquid scire poteramus quod dicturus esset: Adducite fratrem vestrum vobiscum?

And they said, The man asked straitly concerning ourselves, and concerning our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye [another] brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we in any wise know that he would say, Bring your brother down?

8 Iudas quoque dixit patri suo: Mitte puerum mecum, ut proficiscamur, et possimus vivere: ne moriamur nos et parvuli nostri.

And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones.

9 Ego suscipio puerum: de manu mea require illum. nisi reduxero, et reddidero eum tibi, ero peccati reus in te omni tempore.

I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever:

10 Si non intercessisset dilatio, iam vice alter venissemus.

for except we had lingered, surely we had now returned a second time.

11 Igitur Israel pater eorum dixit ad eos: Si sic necesse est, facite quod vultis: sumite de optimis terrae frugibus in vasis vestris, et deferte viro munera, modicum resinae, et mellis, et storacis, stactes, et terebinthi, et amygdalarum.

And their father Israel said unto them, If it be so now, do this: take of the choice fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spicery and myrrh, nuts, and almonds;

12 Pecuniam quoque duplicem ferte vobiscum: et illam, quam invenistis in sacculis, reportate, ne forte errore factum sit:

and take double money in your hand; and the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks carry again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight:

13 sed et fratrem vestrum tollite, et ite ad virum.

take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man:

14 Deus autem meus omnipotens faciat vobis eum placabilem: et remittat vobiscum fratrem vestrum quem tenet in vinculis, et hunc Beniamin: ego autem quasi orbatus absque liberis ero.

and God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release unto you your other brother and Benjamin. And if I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.

15 Tulerunt ergo viri munera, et pecuniam duplicem, et Beniamin: descenderuntque in Aegyptum, et steterunt coram Ioseph.

And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.

16 Quos cum ille vidisset, et Beniamin simul, praecepit dispensatori domus suae, dicens: Introduc viros domum, et occide victimas, et instrue convivium: quoniam mecum sunt comesturi meridie.

And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, Bring the men into the house, and slay, and make ready; for the men shall dine with me at noon.

17 Fecit ille sicut fuerat imperatum, et introduxit viros domum.

And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men to Joseph’s house.

18 Ibique exterriti, dixerunt mutuo: Propter pecuniam, quam retulimus prius in saccis nostris, introducti sumus: ut devolvat in nos calumniam, et violenter subiiciat servituti et nos, et asinos nostros.

And 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 at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.

19 Quamobrem in ipsis foribus accedentes ad dispensatorem domus

And they came near to the steward of Joseph’s house, and they spake unto him at the door of the house,

20 locuti sunt: Oramus domine ut audias nos. Iam ante descendimus ut emeremus escas:

and said, Oh, my lord, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food:

21 quibus emptis, cum venissemus ad diversorium, aperuimus saccos nostros, et invenimus pecuniam in ore saccorum: quam nunc eodem pondere reportavimus.

and it came to pass, when we came to the lodging-place, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand.

22 Sed et aliud attulimus argentum, ut emamus quae nobis necessaria sunt: non est in nostra conscientia quis posuerit eam in marsupiis nostris.

And other money have we brought down in our hand to buy food: we know not who put our money in our sacks.

23 At ille respondit: Pax vobiscum, nolite timere: Deus vester, et Deus patris vestri dedit vobis thesauros in saccis vestris. nam pecuniam, quam dedistis mihi, probatam ego habeo. Eduxitque ad eos Simeon.

And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them.

24 Et introductis domum, attulit aquam, et laverunt pedes suos, deditque pabulum asinis eorum.

And the man brought the men into Joseph’s house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender.

25 Illi vero parabant munera, donec ingrederetur Ioseph meridie: audierant enim quod ibi comesturi essent panem.

And they made ready the present against Joseph’s coming at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.

26 Igitur ingressus est Ioseph domum suam, obtuleruntque ei munera, tenentes in manibus suis: et adoraverunt proni in terram.

And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed down themselves to him to the earth.

27 At ille, clementer resalutatis eis, interrogavit eos, dicens: Sanusne est pater vester senex, de quo dixeratis mihi? Adhuc vivit?

And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive?

28 Qui responderunt: Sospes est servus tuus pater noster, adhuc vivit. Et incurvati, adoraverunt eum.

And they said, Thy servant our father is well, he is yet alive. And they bowed the head, and made obeisance.

29 Attollens autem Ioseph oculos, vidit Beniamin fratrem suum uterinum, et ait: Iste est frater vester parvulus, de quo dixeratis mihi? Et rursum: Deus, inquit, misereatur tui, fili mi.

And he lifted up his eyes, and saw Benjamin his brother, his mother’s son, and said, Is this your youngest brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son.

30 Festinavitque quia commota fuerant viscera eius super fratre suo, et erumpebant lacrymae: et introiens cubiculum flevit.

And Joseph made haste; for his heart yearned over his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there.

31 Rursumque lota facie egressus, continuit se, et ait: Ponite panes.

And he washed his face, and came out; and he refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.

32 Quibus appositis, seorsum Ioseph, et seorsum fratribus, Aegyptiis quoque qui vescebantur simul, seorsum (illicitum est enim Aegyptiis comedere cum Hebraeis, et profanum putant huiuscemodi convivium)

And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, that did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

33 sederunt coram eo, primogenitus iuxta primogenita sua, et minimus iuxta aetatem suam. Et mirabantur nimis,

And they sat before him, the first-born according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one with another.

34 sumptis partibus quas ab eo acceperant: maiorque pars venit Beniamin, ita ut quinque partibus excederet. Biberuntque et inebriati sunt cum eo.

And he took [and sent] messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin’s mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.