Genesis

失落的杯

1约瑟吩咐家宰说：「把粮食装满这些人的口袋，尽着他们的驴所能驮的，又把各人的银子放在各人的口袋里，

2并将我的银杯和那少年人籴粮的银子一同装在他的口袋里。」家宰就照约瑟所说的话行了；

3天一亮就打发那些人带着驴走了。

4他们出城走了不远，约瑟对家宰说：「起来，追那些人去，追上了就对他们说：『你们为什么以恶报善呢？

5这不是我主人饮酒的杯吗？岂不是他占卜用的吗？你们这样行是作恶了。』」

6家宰追上他们，将这些话对他们说了。

7他们回答说：「我主为什么说这样的话呢？你仆人断不能做这样的事。

8你看，我们从前在口袋里所见的银子，尚且从迦南地带来还你，我们怎能从你主人家里偷窃金银呢？

9你仆人中无论在谁那里搜出来，就叫他死，我们也作我主的奴仆。」

10家宰说：「现在就照你们的话行吧！在谁那里搜出来，谁就作我的奴仆；其余的都没有罪。」

11于是他们各人急忙把口袋卸在地上，各人打开口袋。

12家宰就搜查，从年长的起到年幼的为止，那杯竟在便雅悯的口袋里搜出来。

13他们就撕裂衣服，各人把驮子抬在驴上，回城去了。

14犹大和他弟兄们来到约瑟的屋中，约瑟还在那里，他们就在他面前俯伏于地。

15约瑟对他们说：「你们做的是什么事呢？你们岂不知像我这样的人必能占卜吗？」

16犹大说：「我们对我主说什么呢？还有什么话可说呢？我们怎能自己表白出来呢？ 神已经查出仆人的罪孽了。我们与那在他手中搜出杯来的都是我主的奴仆。」

17约瑟说：「我断不能这样行！在谁的手中搜出杯来，谁就作我的奴仆；至于你们，可以平平安安地上你们父亲那里去。」

犹大替便雅悯哀求

18犹大挨近他，说：「我主啊，求你容仆人说一句话给我主听，不要向仆人发烈怒，因为你如同法老一样。

19我主曾问仆人们说：『你们有父亲有兄弟没有？』

20我们对我主说：『我们有父亲，已经年老，还有他老年所生的一个小孩子。他哥哥死了，他母亲只撇下他一人，他父亲疼爱他。』

21你对仆人说：『把他带到我这里来，叫我亲眼看看他。』

22我们对我主说：『童子不能离开他父亲，若是离开，他父亲必死。』

23你对仆人说：『你们的小兄弟若不与你们一同下来，你们就不得再见我的面。』

24我们上到你仆人—我们父亲那里，就把我主的话告诉了他。

25我们的父亲说：『你们再去给我籴些粮来。』

26我们就说：『我们不能下去。我们的小兄弟若和我们同往，我们就可以下去。因为，小兄弟若不与我们同往，我们必不得见那人的面。』

27你仆人—我父亲对我们说：『你们知道我的妻子给我生了两个儿子。

28一个离开我出去了；我说他必是被撕碎了，直到如今我也没有见他。

29现在你们又要把这个带去离开我，倘若他遭害，那便是你们使我白发苍苍、悲悲惨惨地下阴间去了。』

30我父亲的命与这童子的命相连。如今我回到你仆人—我父亲那里，若没有童子与我们同在，

31我们的父亲见没有童子，他就必死。这便是我们使你仆人—我们的父亲白发苍苍、悲悲惨惨地下阴间去了。

32因为仆人曾向我父亲为这童子作保，说：『我若不带他回来交给父亲，我便在父亲面前永远担罪。』

33现在求你容仆人住下，替这童子作我主的奴仆，叫童子和他哥哥们一同上去。

34若童子不和我同去，我怎能上去见我父亲呢？恐怕我看见灾祸临到我父亲身上。」

1He commanded the steward of his house, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in his sack’s mouth.

2Put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, with his grain money.” He did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.

3As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys.

4When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, “Up, follow after the men. When you overtake them, ask them, ‘Why have you rewarded evil for good?

5Isn’t this that from which my lord drinks, and by which he indeed divines? You have done evil in so doing.’”

6He overtook them, and he spoke these words to them.

7They 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!

8Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks’ mouths, we brought again to you out of the land of Canaan. How then should we steal silver or gold out of your lord’s house?

9With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.”

10He said, “Now also let it be according to your words. He with whom it is found will be my slave; and you will be blameless.”

11Then they hurried, and each man took his sack down to the ground, and each man opened his sack.

12He searched, beginning with the oldest, and ending at the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.

13Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey, and returned to the city.

14Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there. They fell on the ground before him.

15Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done? Don’t you know that such a man as I can indeed do divination?”

16Judah said, “What will we tell my lord? What will we speak? How will we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Behold, we are my lord’s slaves, both we and he also in whose hand the cup is found.”

17He said, “Far be it from me that I should do so. The man in whose hand the cup is found, he will be my slave; but as for you, go up in peace to your father.”

18Then Judah came near to him, and said, “Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and don’t let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even as Pharaoh.

19My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father, or a brother?’

20We said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother; and his father loves him.’

21You said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’

22We said to my lord, ‘The boy can’t leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’

23You said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will see my face no more.’

24When we came up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

25Our father said, ‘Go again and buy us a little food.’

26We said, ‘We can’t go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down: for we may not see the man’s face, unless our youngest brother is with us.’

27Your servant, my father, said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons.

28One went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn in pieces;” and I haven’t seen him since.

29If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my grey hairs with sorrow to Sheol.’

30Now therefore 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;

31it will happen, when he sees that the boy is no more, that he will die. Your servants will bring down the grey hairs of your servant, our father, with sorrow to Sheol.

32For your servant became collateral for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I don’t bring him to you, then I will bear the blame to my father forever.’

33Now therefore, please let your servant stay instead of the boy, my lord’s slave; and let the boy go up with his brothers.

34For how will I go up to my father, if the boy isn’t with me?—lest I see the evil that will come on my father.”