Genesis 44

1 When his brothers were ready to return home, Joseph said to the man who was in charge of things in his house, “Fill the sacks of those men with as much grain as they can carry [on their donkeys]. And put in the top of each man’s sack the silver that he paid for the grain.

Y MANDÓ José al mayordomo de su casa, diciendo: Hinche los costales de aquestos varones de alimentos, cuanto pudieren llevar, y pon el dinero de cada uno en la boca de su costal:

2 Then put my silver cup in the top of the youngest brother’s sack, along with the silver that he paid for the grain.” So the servant did what Joseph told him to do.

Y pondrás mi copa, la copa de plata, en la boca del costal del menor, con el dinero de su trigo. Y él hizo como dijo José.

3 The next morning at dawn the men started on the way home with their donkeys.

Venida la mañana, los hombres fueron despedidos con sus asnos.

4 When they had not gone far from the city, Joseph said to the servant in charge of things in his house, “Pursue those men immediately. When you catch up to them, say to them, ‘We did good things for you! Why have you paid us back by doing something bad to us?

Habiendo ellos salido de la ciudad, [de la] que aun no se habían alejado, dijo José á su mayordomo: Levántate, y sigue á esos hombres; y cuando los alcanzares, diles: ¿Por qué habéis vuelto mal por bien?

5 [You have stolen the cup] that my master drinks from [RHQ]! It is the cup that he uses to find out things that nobody knows! What you did was very wicked!’”

¿No es ésta en la que bebe mi señor, y por la que suele adivinar? habéis hecho mal en lo que hicisteis.

6 The servant [left immediately and] when he caught up with them, he told them what Joseph had told him to say.

Y como él los alcanzó, díjoles estas palabras.

7 But one of them replied to him, “Sir, why do you say such things? We are your servants, and we would never do anything like that!

Y ellos le respondieron: ¿Por qué dice mi señor tales cosas? Nunca tal hagan tus siervos.

8 We even brought back to you from Canaan land the silver that we found inside the tops of our sacks! So (we certainly would not steal silver or gold from your master’s house!/Why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house?) [RHQ]

He aquí, el dinero que hallamos en la boca de nuestros costales, te lo volvimos á traer desde la tierra de Canaán; ¿cómo, pues, habíamos de hurtar de casa de tu señor plata ni oro?

9 If you discover that any of us has that cup, you can execute him, and the rest of us will become your slaves.”

Aquel de tus siervos en quien fuere hallada [la copa], que muera, y aun nosotros seremos siervos de mi señor.

10 The man replied, “Okay, I will do what you say. But the one who has the cup will not be executed. Instead, he will become my slave, and the rest of you may return home.”

Y él dijo: También ahora sea conforme á vuestras palabras; aquél en quien se hallare, será mi siervo, y vosotros seréis sin culpa.

11 Each of the men quickly lowered his sack down from the donkey to the ground and opened it.

Ellos entonces se dieron prisa, y derribando cada uno su costal en tierra, abrió cada cual el costal suyo.

12 Then the servant started to search for the cup in each sack. He started with the oldest brother’s sack and ended with the youngest one’s sack. And he found the cup in Benjamin’s sack and showed it to them.

Y buscó; desde el mayor comenzó, y acabó en el menor; y la copa fué hallada en el costal de Benjamín.

13 The brothers tore their clothes [because they were so dismayed]. They loaded the sacks on the donkeys again and returned to the city.

Entonces ellos rasgaron sus vestidos, y cargó cada uno su asno, y volvieron á la ciudad.

14 When Judah and his [older and younger] brothers entered Joseph’s house, Joseph was still there. The servant told Joseph what had happened. Then the brothers threw themselves down on the ground in front of Joseph.

Y llegó Judá con sus hermanos á casa de José, que aun estaba allí, y postráronse delante de él en tierra.

15 He said to them, “Why did you do this? Do you not know that a man like me can find out things that nobody knows?” [RHQ]

Y díjoles José: ¿Qué obra es esta que habéis hecho? ¿no sabéis que un hombre como yo sabe adivinar?

16 Judah replied, “Sir, what can we say? How can we prove that we (are innocent/did not steal the cup)? God has (paid us back/punished us) for the sins [we committed many years ago]. So now we will become your slaves—both we and the one in whose sack the cup was found.”

Entonces dijo Judá: ¿Qué diremos á mi señor? ¿qué hablaremos? ¿ó con qué nos justificaremos? Dios ha hallado la maldad de tus siervos: he aquí, nosotros somos siervos de mi señor, nosotros, y también aquél en cuyo poder fué hallada la copa.

17 But Joseph replied, “No, I could never do anything like that. Only the man in whose sack the cup was found will become my slave. The rest of you can return to your father peacefully.”

Y él respondió: Nunca yo tal haga: el varón en cuyo poder fué hallada la copa, él será mi siervo; vosotros id en paz á vuestro padre.

18 Then Judah came near to Joseph and said, “Sir, please let me say something to you. You are equal to the king himself, so you could command that I be executed; but do not be angry with me for speaking to you.

Entonces Judá se llegó á él, y dijo: Ay señor mío, ruégote que hable tu siervo una palabra en oídos de mi señor, y no se encienda tu enojo contra tu siervo, pues que tú eres como Faraón.

19 You asked us, ‘Is your father still living, and do you have another brother?’

Mi señor preguntó á sus siervos, diciendo: ¿Tenéis padre ó hermano?

20 We answered, ‘Our father is alive, but he is an old man. He has a young son who was born after our father became an old man. That son had an [older] brother, who is now dead. So the youngest son is the only one of his mother’s sons who is still alive, and his father loves him very much.’

Y nosotros respondimos á mi señor: Tenemos un padre anciano, y un mozo que le nació en su vejez, pequeño [aún]; y un hermano suyo murió, y él quedó solo de su madre, y su padre lo ama.

21 Then you said to us, ‘The next time you come here, bring your younger brother down to me, so that I can see him.’

Y tú dijiste á tus siervos: Traédmelo, y pondré mis ojos sobre él.

22 We said to you, ‘No, we cannot do that, because the boy cannot leave his father. If he leaves his father, his father will die from sorrow.’

Y nosotros dijimos á mi señor: El mozo no puede dejar á su padre, porque si le dejare, su padre morirá.

23 But you told us, ‘If your youngest brother does not come back with you, I will not let you see me again!’

Y dijiste á tus siervos: Si vuestro hermano menor no descendiere con vosotros, no veáis más mi rostro.

24 When we returned to our father, we told him what you said.

Aconteció pues, que como llegamos á mi padre tu siervo, contámosle las palabras de mi señor.

25 [Months later] our father said, ‘Go back to Egypt and buy some more grain!’

Y dijo nuestro padre: Volved á comprarnos un poco de alimento.

26 But we said, ‘We cannot go back by ourselves. We will go only if our youngest brother is with us. We will not be able to see the man who sells grain if our youngest brother is not with us.’

Y nosotros respondimos: No podemos ir: si nuestro hermano fuere con nosotros, iremos; porque no podemos ver el rostro del varón, no estando con nosotros nuestro hermano el menor.

27 Our father replied, ‘You know that my wife [Rachel] gave birth to two sons for me.

Entonces tu siervo mi padre nos dijo: Vosotros sabéis que dos me parió mi mujer;

28 One of them disappeared, and I said, “A wild animal has surely torn him to pieces.” And I have not seen him since then.

Y el uno salió de conmigo, y pienso de cierto que fué despedazado, y hasta ahora no le he visto;

29 I am an old gray-haired man. If you take this other one from me, too, and something harms him, you would cause me to die because of my sorrow.’ (Sheol h7585)

Y si tomareis también éste de delante de mí, y le aconteciere [algún] desastre, haréis descender mis canas con dolor á la sepultura. (Sheol h7585)

30 “So please listen. My father will remain alive only if his youngest son remains alive.

Ahora, pues, cuando llegare yo á tu siervo mi padre, y el mozo no fuere conmigo, como su alma está ligada al alma de él,

31 If he sees that the boy is not with us when we return to him, he will die. We will cause our gray-haired father to die because of his sorrow. (Sheol h7585)

Sucederá que cuando no vea al mozo, morirá: y tus siervos harán descender las canas de tu siervo nuestro padre con dolor á la sepultura. (Sheol h7585)

32 I guaranteed/promised to my father that the boy would return safely. I told him, ‘You can require me to do what I am promising. If I do not bring him back to you, you can say forever that (I am to blame/it is my fault) [for not bringing him back to you].’

Como tu siervo salió por fiador del mozo con mi padre, diciendo: Si no te lo volviere, entonces yo seré culpable para mi padre todos los días;

33 “So, please let me remain here as your slave instead of my youngest brother, and let the boy return home with his other older brothers.

Ruégote por tanto que quede ahora tu siervo por el mozo por siervo de mi señor, y que el mozo vaya con sus hermanos.

34 (I cannot return to my father if the boy is not with me!/How can I return to my father if the boy is not with me?) [RHQ] I do not want to see how miserable/sad my father would become!”

Porque ¿cómo iré yo á mi padre sin el mozo? No podré, por no ver el mal que sobrevendrá á mi padre.