1 Mosebog 43

1 Men Hungersnøden var hård i Landet;

But the famine prevailed in the land.

2 og da de havde fortæret det Korn, de havde hentet i Ægypten, sagde deres Fader til dem: "Køb os igen lidt Føde!"

And it came to pass, when they had finished eating the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, that their father said to them, Go again; buy us a little food.

3 Men Juda svarede ham: "Manden sagde os ganske afgjort: I bliver ikke stedt for mit Åsyn, medmindre eders Broder er med!

And Judas spoke to him, saying, The man, the lord of the country, positively testified to us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, unless your younger brother be with you.

4 Hvis du derfor vil sende vor Broder med os, vil vi rejse ned og købe dig Føde;

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

5 men sender du ham ikke med, så rejser vi ikke derned, thi Manden sagde til os: I bliver ikke stedt for mit Åsyn, medmindre eders Broder er med!"

but if thou send not our brother with us, we will not go: for the man spoke to us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, unless your younger brother be with you.

6 Så sagde Israel: "Hvorfor handlede I ilde imod mig og fortalte Manden, at I havde en Broder til?"

And Israel said, Why did ye harm me, inasmuch as ye told the man that ye had a brother?

7 De svarede: "Manden spurgte os nøje ud om os og vor Slægt og sagde: Lever eders Fader endnu? Har I en Broder til? Og vi svarede ham på hans Spørgsmål; kunde vi vide, at han vilde sige: Bring eders Broder herned!"

And they said, The man closely questioned us about our family also, saying, Does your father yet live, and have ye a brother? and we answered him according to this question: did we know that he would say to us, Bring your brother?

8 Men Juda sagde til sin Fader Israel: "Send dog Drengen med mig, så vi kan komme af Sted og blive i Live og undgå Døden, både vi og du og vore Børn!

And Judas said to his father Israel, Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and thou, and our store.

9 Jeg svarer for ham, af min Hånd må du kræve ham: bringer jeg ham ikke til dig og stiller ham for dit Åsyn, vil jeg være din Skyldner for bestandig;

And I engage for him; at my hand do thou require him; if I bring him not to thee, and place him before thee, I shall be guilty toward thee for ever.

10 havde vi nu ikke spildt Tiden, kunde vi have været tilbage to Gange!"

For if we had not tarried, we should now have returned twice.

11 Så sagde deres Fader Israel til dem: "Kan det ikke være anderledes, gør da i alt Fald således: Tag noget af det bedste, Landet frembringer, med i eders Sække og bring Manden en Gave, lidt Mastiksbalsam, lidt Honning, Tragakantgummi, Cistusharpiks, Pistacienødder og Mandler;

And Israel, their father, said to them, If it be so, do this; take of the fruits of the earth in your vessels, and carry down to the man presents of gum and honey, and frankincense, and stacte, and turpentine, and walnuts.

12 og tag dobbelt så mange Penge med, så I bringer de Penge tilbage, som var lagt oven i eders Sække; måske var det en Fejltagelse;

And take double money in your hands, and the money that was returned in your sacks, carry back with you, lest peradventure it is a mistake.

13 og tag så eders Broder og drag atter til Manden!

And take your brother; and arise, go down to the man.

14 Gud den Almægtige lade eder finde Barmhjertighed hos Manden, så han lader eders anden Broder og Benjamin fare - men skal jeg være barnløs, så lad mig da blive det!"

And my God give you favour in the sight of the man, and send away your other brother, and Benjamin, for I accordingly as I have been bereaved, am bereaved.

15 Så tog Mændene deres Gave og dobbelt så mange Penge med; også Benjamin tog de med, brød op og drog ned til Ægypten, hvor de fremstillede sig for Josef.

And the men having taken these presents, and the double money, took in their hands also Benjamin; and they rose up and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.

16 Da Josef så Benjamin iblandt dem, sagde han til sin Hushovmester: "Bring de Mænd ind i mit Hus, lad slagte og lave til, thi de skal spise til Middag hos mig."

And Joseph saw them and his brother Benjamin, born of the same mother; and he said to the steward of his household, Bring the men into the house, and slay beasts and make ready, for the men are to eat bread with me at noon.

17 Manden gjorde, som Josef bød, og førte Mændene ind i Josefs Hus.

And the man did as Joseph said; and he brought the men into the house of Joseph.

18 Men Mændene blev bange, da de førtes ind i Josefs Hus, og sagde: "Det er for de Penges Skyld, der forrige Gang kom tilbage i vore Sække, at vi føres herind, for at de kan vælte sig ind på os og kaste sig over os, gøre os til Trælle og tage vore Æsler."

And the men, when they perceived that they were brought into the house of Joseph, said, We are brought in because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first; even in order to inform against us, and lay it to our charge; to take us for servants, and our asses.

19 Derfor trådte de hen til Josefs Hushovmester ved Døren til Huset

And having approached the man who was over the house of Joseph, they spoke to him in the porch of the house,

20 og sagde: "Hør os, Herre! Vi drog en Gang før herned for at købe Føde,

saying, We pray [thee], Sir; we came down at first to buy food.

21 og da vi kom til vort Natteherberge og åbnede vore Sække, se. da lå vore Penge oven i hver enkelts Sæk, vore Penge til sidste Hvid. Men nu har vi bragt dem med tilbage

And it came to pass, when we came to unlade, and opened our sacks, [there was] also this money of each in his sack; we have now brought back our money by weight in our hands.

22 og desuden andre Penge for at købe Føde. Vi ved ikke, hvem der har lagt Pengene i vore Sække!"

And we have brought other money with us to buy food; we know not who put the money into our sacks.

23 Men han svarede: "Vær ved godt Mod, frygt ikke! Eders Gud og eders Faders Gud har lagt en Skat i eders Sække - eders Penge har jeg modtaget!" Og han førte Simeon ud til dem.

And he said to them, [God deal] mercifully with you; be not afraid; your God, and the God of your fathers, has given you treasures in your sacks, and I have enough of your good money. And he brought Symeon out to them.

24 Så førte Manden dem ind i Josefs Hus og gav dem Vand til at tvætte deres Fødder og Foder til Æslerne.

And he brought water to wash their feet; and gave provender to their asses.

25 Og de fremtog deres Gave, før Josef kom hjem ved Middagstid, thi de hørte, at de skulde spise der.

And they prepared their gifts, until Joseph came at noon, for they heard that he was going to dine there.

26 Da Josef trådte ind i Huset, bragte de ham den Gave, de havde med, og kastede sig til Jorden for ham.

And Joseph entered into the house, and they brought him the gifts which they had in their hands, into the house; and they did him reverence with their face to the ground.

27 Han hilste på dem og spurgte: "Går det eders gamle Fader vel, ham, I talte om? Lever han endnu?"

And he asked them, How are ye? and he said to them, Is your father, the old man of whom ye spoke, well? Does he yet live?

28 De svarede: "Det går din Træl, vor Fader, vel; han lever endnu!" Og de bøjede sig og kastede sig til Jorden.

And they said, Thy servant our father is well; he is yet alive. And he said, Blessed be that man by God; —and they bowed, and did him reverence.

29 Da han så fik Øje på sin kødelige Broder Benjamin, sagde han: "Er det så eders yngste Broder, som I talte til mig om?" Og han sagde: "Gud være dig nådig, min Søn!"

And Joseph lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, born of the same mother; and he said, Is this your younger brother, whom ye spoke of bringing to me? and he said, God have mercy on thee, my son.

30 Men Josef brød hurtigt af, thi Kærligheden til Broderen blussede op i ham, og han kæmpede med Gråden; derfor gik han ind i sit Kammer og græd der.

And Joseph was troubled, for his bowels yearned over his brother, and he sought to weep; and he went into his chamber, and wept there.

31 Men da han havde badet sit Ansigt, kom han ud, og han beherskede sig og sagde: "Sæt Maden frem!"

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

32 Så blev Maden sat frem særskilt for ham og for dem og for de Ægyptere, der spiste hos ham; thi Ægypterne kan ikke spise sammen med Hebræere, det er dem en Vederstyggelighed.

And they set on [bread] for him alone, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians feasting with him by themselves, for the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews, for it is an abomination to the Egyptians.

33 De blev bænket foran ham efter Alder, den førstefødte øverst og den yngste nederst, og Mændene undrede sig og så på hverandre;

And they sat before him, the first-born according to his seniority, and the younger according to his youth; and the men looked with amazement every one at his brother.

34 og han lod dem bringe Mad fra sit eget Bord, og Benjamin fik fem Gange så meget som hver af de andre. Og de drak og blev lystige sammen med ham.

And they took their portions from him to themselves; but Benjamin's portion was five times as much as the portions of [the others]. And they drank and were filled with drink with him.