< Genesis 42 >

1 Audiens autem Iacob quod alimenta venderentur in Ægypto, dixit filiis suis: Quare negligitis?
Now Jacob became aware that there was grain in Egypt. He said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?”
2 audivi quod triticum venundetur in Ægypto: descendite, et emite nobis necessaria, ut possimus vivere, et non consumamur inopia.
He said, “See here, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy for us from there so we may live and not die.”
3 Descendentes igitur fratres Ioseph decem, ut emerent frumenta in Ægypto,
Joseph's ten brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.
4 Beniamin domi retento a Iacob, qui dixerat fratribus eius: Ne forte in itinere quidquam patiatur mali:
But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob did not send with his brothers, for he feared that harm might come to him.
5 ingressi sunt terram Ægypti cum aliis qui pergebant ad emendum. Erat autem fames in terra Chanaan.
The sons of Israel came to buy among those who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
6 Et Ioseph erat princeps in terra Ægypti, atque ad eius nutum frumenta populis vendebantur. Cumque adorassent eum fratres sui,
Now Joseph was the governor over the land. He was the one who sold to all the people of the land. Joseph's brothers came and bowed down to him with their faces to the ground.
7 et agnovisset eos, quasi ad alienos durius loquebatur, interrogans eos: Unde venistis? Qui responderunt: De terra Chanaan, ut emamus victui necessaria.
Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he disguised himself to them and spoke harshly with them. He said to them, “Where have you come from?” They said, “From the land of Canaan to buy food.”
8 Et tamen fratres ipse cognoscens, non est cognitus ab eis.
Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.
9 Recordatusque somniorum, quæ aliquando viderat, ait ad eos: Exploratores estis: ut videatis infirmiora terræ venistis.
Then Joseph remembered the dreams he had dreamed about them, and he said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see the undefended parts of the land.”
10 Qui dixerunt: Non est ita, domine, sed servi tui venerunt ut emerent cibos.
They said to him, “No, my master. Your servants have come to buy food.
11 Omnes filii unius viri sumus: pacifici venimus, nec quidquam famuli tui machinantur mali.
We are all one man's sons. We are honest men. Your servants are not spies.”
12 Quibus ille respondit: Aliter est: immunita terræ huius considerare venistis.
He said to them, “No, you have come to see the undefended parts of the land.”
13 At illi: Duodecim, inquiunt, servi tui, fratres sumus, filii viri unius in terra Chanaan: minimus cum patre nostro est, alius non est super.
They said, “We your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. See, the youngest is this day with our father, and one brother is no longer alive.”
14 Hoc est, ait, quod locutus sum: Exploratores estis.
Joseph said to them, “It is what I said to you; you are spies.
15 Iam nunc experimentum vestri capiam: per salutem Pharaonis non egrediemini hinc, donec veniat frater vester minimus.
By this you will be tested. By the life of Pharaoh, you will not leave here, unless your youngest brother comes here.
16 Mittite ex vobis unum, et adducat eum: vos autem eritis in vinculis, donec probentur quæ dixistis utrum vera an falsa sint: alioquin per salutem Pharaonis exploratores estis.
Send one of yourselves and let him get your brother. You will remain in prison, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you.”
17 Tradidit ergo illos custodiæ tribus diebus.
He put them all in custody for three days.
18 Die autem tertio eductis de carcere, ait: Facite quæ dixi, et vivetis: Deum enim timeo.
Joseph said to them on the third day, “Do this and live, for I fear God.
19 Si pacifici estis, frater vester unus ligetur in carcere: vos autem abite, et ferte frumenta quæ emistis, in domos vestras,
If you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined in this prison, but you go, carry grain for the famine of your houses.
20 et fratrem vestrum minimum ad me adducite, ut possim vestros probare sermones, et non moriamini. Fecerunt ut dixerat,
Bring your youngest brother to me so your words will be verified and you will not die.” So they did so.
21 et locuti sunt ad invicem: Merito hæc patimur, quia peccavimus in fratrem nostrum, videntes angustiam animæ illius, dum deprecaretur nos, et non audivimus: idcirco venit super nos ista tribulatio.
They said to one another, “We are truly guilty concerning our brother in that we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us and we would not listen. Therefore this distress has come upon us.”
22 E quibus unus Ruben, ait: Numquid non dixi vobis: Nolite peccare in puerum: et non audistis me? en sanguis eius exquiritur.
Reuben answered them, “Did I not tell you, 'Do not sin against the boy,' but you would not listen? Now, see, his blood is required of us.”
23 Nesciebant autem quod intelligeret Ioseph: eo quod per interpretem loqueretur ad eos.
They did not know that Joseph understood them, for there was an interpreter between them.
24 Avertitque se parumper, et flevit: et reversus locutus est ad eos.
He turned from them and wept. He returned to them and spoke to them. He took Simeon from among them and bound him before their eyes.
25 Tollensque Simeon, et ligans illis præsentibus, iussit ministris ut implerent eorum saccos tritico, et reponerent pecunias singulorum in sacculis suis, datis supra cibariis in viam: qui fecerunt ita.
Then Joseph commanded his servants to fill his brothers' bags with grain, and to put every man's money back into his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. It was done for them.
26 At illi portantes frumenta in asinis suis, profecti sunt.
The brothers loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed from there.
27 Apertoque unus sacco, ut daret iumento pabulum in diversorio, contemplatus pecuniam in ore sacculi,
As one of them opened his sack to give his donkey feed in the lodging place, he saw his money. Behold, it was in the opening of his sack.
28 dixit fratribus suis: Reddita est mihi pecunia, en habetur in sacco. Et obstupefacti, turbatique mutuo dixerunt: Quidnam est hoc quod fecit nobis Deus?
He said to his brothers, “My money has been put back. Look at it; it is in my sack.” Their hearts sank and they turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”
29 Veneruntque ad Iacob patrem suum in terram Chanaan, et narraverunt ei omnia quæ accidissent sibi, dicentes:
They went to Jacob, their father in the land of Canaan and told him all that had happened to them. They said,
30 Locutus est nobis dominus terræ dure, et putavit nos exploratores esse provinciæ.
“The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly with us and thought that we were spies in the land.
31 Cui respondimus: Pacifici sumus, nec ullas molimur insidias.
We said to him, 'We are honest men. We are not spies.
32 Duodecim fratres uno patre geniti sumus: unus non est super, minimus cum patre nostro est in terra Chanaan.
We are twelve brothers, sons of our father. One is no longer alive, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.'
33 Qui ait nobis: Sic probabo quod pacifici sitis: Fratrem vestrum unum dimittite apud me, et cibaria domibus vestris necessaria sumite, et abite,
The man, the lord of the land, said to us, 'By this I will know that you are honest men. Leave one of your brothers with me, take grain for the famine in your houses, and go your way.
34 fratremque vestrum minimum adducite ad me, ut sciam quod non sitis exploratores: et istum, qui tenetur in vinculis, recipere possitis: ac deinceps quæ vultis, emendi habeatis licentiam.
Bring your youngest brother to me. Then I will know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. Then I will release your brother to you, and you will trade in the land.'”
35 His dictis, cum frumenta effunderent, singuli repererunt in ore saccorum ligatas pecunias, exterritisque simul omnibus,
It came about as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man's bag of silver was in his sack. When they and their father saw their bags of silver, they were afraid.
36 dixit pater Iacob: Absque liberis me esse fecistis, Ioseph non est super, Simeon tenetur in vinculis, et Beniamin auferetis: in me hæc omnia mala reciderunt.
Jacob their father said to them, “You have bereaved me of my children. Joseph is no longer alive, Simeon is gone, and you will take Benjamin away. All these things are against me.”
37 Cui respondit Ruben: Duos filios meos interfice, si non reduxero illum tibi: trade illum in manu mea, et ego eum tibi restituam.
Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “You may kill my two sons if I do not bring Benjamin back to you. Put him in my hands, and I will bring him to you again.”
38 At ille: Non descendet, inquit, filius meus vobiscum: frater eius mortuus est, et ipse solus remansit: si quid ei adversi acciderit in terra ad quam pergitis, deducetis canos meos cum dolore ad inferos. (Sheol h7585)
Jacob said, “My son will not go down with you. For his brother is dead and he alone is left. If harm comes to him on the road in which you go, then you will bring down my gray hair with sorrow to Sheol.” (Sheol h7585)

< Genesis 42 >