Genesis

约瑟的哥哥们往埃及买粮

1雅各见埃及有粮，就对儿子们说：「你们为什么彼此观望呢？

2我听见埃及有粮，你们可以下去，从那里为我们籴些来，使我们可以存活，不至于死。」

3于是，约瑟的十个哥哥都下埃及籴粮去了。

4但约瑟的兄弟便雅悯，雅各没有打发他和哥哥们同去，因为雅各说：「恐怕他遭害。」

5来籴粮的人中有以色列的儿子们，因为迦南地也有饥荒。

6当时治理埃及地的是约瑟；粜粮给那地众民的就是他。约瑟的哥哥们来了，脸伏于地，向他下拜。

7约瑟看见他哥哥们，就认得他们，却装作生人，向他们说些严厉话，问他们说：「你们从哪里来？」他们说：「我们从迦南地来籴粮。」

8约瑟认得他哥哥们，他们却不认得他。

9约瑟想起从前所做的那两个梦，就对他们说：「你们是奸细，来窥探这地的虚实。」

10他们对他说：「我主啊，不是的。仆人们是籴粮来的。

11我们都是一个人的儿子，是诚实人；仆人们并不是奸细。」

12约瑟说：「不然，你们必是窥探这地的虚实来的。」

13他们说：「仆人们本是弟兄十二人，是迦南地一个人的儿子，顶小的现今在我们的父亲那里，有一个没有了。」

14约瑟说：「我才说你们是奸细，这话实在不错。

15我指着法老的性命起誓，若是你们的小兄弟不到这里来，你们就不得出这地方，从此就可以把你们证验出来了。

16须要打发你们中间一个人去，把你们的兄弟带来。至于你们，都要囚在这里，好证验你们的话真不真，若不真，我指着法老的性命起誓，你们一定是奸细。」

17于是约瑟把他们都下在监里三天。

18到第三天，约瑟对他们说：「我是敬畏 神的；你们照我的话行就可以存活。

19你们如果是诚实人，可以留你们中间的一个人囚在监里，但你们可以带着粮食回去，救你们家里的饥荒。

20把你们的小兄弟带到我这里来，如此，你们的话便有证据，你们也不至于死。」他们就照样而行。

21他们彼此说：「我们在兄弟身上实在有罪。他哀求我们的时候，我们见他心里的愁苦，却不肯听，所以这场苦难临到我们身上。」

22吕便说：「我岂不是对你们说过，不可伤害那孩子吗？只是你们不肯听，所以流他血的罪向我们追讨。」

23他们不知道约瑟听得出来，因为在他们中间用通事传话。

24约瑟转身退去，哭了一场，又回来对他们说话，就从他们中间挑出西缅来，在他们眼前把他捆绑。

约瑟的哥哥们回迦南地

25约瑟吩咐人把粮食装满他们的器具，把各人的银子归还在各人的口袋里，又给他们路上用的食物，人就照他的话办了。

26他们就把粮食驮在驴上，离开那里去了。

27到了住宿的地方，他们中间有一个人打开口袋，要拿料喂驴，才看见自己的银子仍在口袋里，

28就对弟兄们说：「我的银子归还了，看哪，仍在我口袋里！」他们就提心吊胆，战战兢兢地彼此说：「这是 神向我们做什么呢？」

29他们来到迦南地、他们的父亲雅各那里，将所遭遇的事都告诉他，说：

30「那地的主对我们说严厉的话，把我们当作窥探那地的奸细。

31我们对他说：『我们是诚实人，并不是奸细。

32我们本是弟兄十二人，都是一个父亲的儿子，有一个没有了，顶小的如今同我们的父亲在迦南地。』

33那地的主对我们说：『若要我知道你们是诚实人，可以留下你们中间的一个人在我这里，你们可以带着粮食回去，救你们家里的饥荒。

34把你们的小兄弟带到我这里来，我便知道你们不是奸细，乃是诚实人。这样，我就把你们的弟兄交给你们，你们也可以在这地做买卖。』」

35后来他们倒口袋，不料，各人的银包都在口袋里；他们和父亲看见银包就都害怕。

36他们的父亲雅各对他们说：「你们使我丧失我的儿子：约瑟没有了，西缅也没有了，你们又要将便雅悯带去；这些事都归到我身上了。」

37吕便对他父亲说：「我若不带他回来交给你，你可以杀我的两个儿子。只管把他交在我手里，我必带他回来交给你。」

38雅各说：「我的儿子不可与你们一同下去；他哥哥死了，只剩下他，他若在你们所行的路上遭害，那便是你们使我白发苍苍、悲悲惨惨地下阴间去了。」

Joseph’s Brothers Sent to Egypt

1When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?”

2“Look,” he added, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die.”

3So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.

4But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “I am afraid that harm might befall him.”

5So the sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain, since the famine had also spread to the land of Canaan.

6Now Joseph was the ruler of the land; he was the one who sold grain to all its people. So when his brothers arrived, they bowed down before him with their faces to the ground.

7And when Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them as strangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where have you come from?” he asked. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We are here to buy food.”

8Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.

9Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said, “You are spies! You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.”

10“Not so, my lord,” they replied. “Your servants have come to buy food.

11We are all sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies.”

12“No,” he told them. “You have come to see if our land is vulnerable.”

13But they answered, “Your servants are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.”

14Then Joseph declared, “Just as I said, you are spies!

15And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here.

16Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be confined so that the truth of your words may be tested. If they are untrue, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!”

17So Joseph imprisoned them for three days,

18and on the third day he said to them, “I fear God. So do this and you will live:

19If you are honest, leave one of your brothers in custody while the rest of you go and take back grain to relieve the hunger of your households.

20Then bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be verified, that you may not die.” And to this they consented.

21Then they said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.”

22And Reuben responded, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you would not listen. Now we must account for his blood!”

23They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them.

24And he turned away from them and wept. When he turned back and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes.

Joseph’s Brothers Return to Canaan

25Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to return each man’s silverto his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out,

26and they loaded the grain on their donkeys and departed.

27At the place where they lodged for the night, one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of the sack.

28“My silver has been returned!” he said to his brothers. “It is here in my sack.” Their hearts sank, and trembling, they turned to one another and said, “What is this that God has done to us?”

29When they reached their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they described to him all that had happened to them:

30“The man who is lord of the land spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country.

31But we told him, ‘We are honest men, not spies.

32We are twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in the land of Canaan.’

33Then the man who is lord of the land said to us, ‘This is how I will know whether you are honest: Leave one brother with me, take food to relieve the hunger of your households, and go.

34But bring your youngest brother back to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men. Then I will give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the land.’”

35As they began emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his bag of silver! And when they and their father saw the bags of silver, they were dismayed.

36Their father Jacob said to them, “You have deprived me of my sons. Joseph is gone and Simeon is no more. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is going against me!”

37Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I fail to bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him.”

38But Jacob replied, “My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If any harm comes to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.”