| 創世紀 |
Genesis |
| 1雅各伯見埃及有糧食出售，便對自己的兒子們說：「你們為什麼彼此觀望？」 |
1When Jacob learned that grain rations were available in Egypt, he said to his sons: "Why do you keep gaping at one another? |
| 2繼而說：「我聽說在埃及有糧食出售，你們下到那裡，給我們購買些糧食，叫我們好活下去，不致餓死。」 |
2I hear," he went on, "that rations of grain are available in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, that we may stay alive rather than die of hunger." |
| 3於是若瑟的十個哥哥下到埃及買糧食去了。 |
3So ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy an emergency supply of grain from Egypt. |
| 4至於若瑟的弟弟本雅明，雅各伯沒有叫他與哥哥們同去，因為他想：怕他遇害。 |
4It was only Joseph's full brother Benjamin that Jacob did not send with the rest, for he thought some disaster might befall him. |
| 5這樣以色列的兒子們也夾在前來購糧的人中，前來購糧，因為客納罕地也發生了飢荒。 |
5Thus, since there was famine in the land of Canaan also, the sons of Israel were among those who came to procure rations. |
| 6當時在地方上執政的是若瑟，給地方上所有人民配售糧食的也是他。若瑟的哥哥們來了，就俯首至地，向他下拜。 |
6It was Joseph, as governor of the country, who dispensed the rations to all the people. When Joseph's brothers came and knelt down before him with their faces to the ground, |
| 7若瑟一見他的哥哥們，就認出他們來，卻裝做生人，向他們說了一些嚴厲的話，問他們說：「你們是從那裡來的？」他們答說：「我們是從客納罕地來購買糧食的。」 |
7he recognized them as soon as he saw them. But he concealed his own identity from them and spoke sternly to them. "Where do you come from?" he asked them. They answered, "From the land of Canaan, to procure food." |
| 8若瑟認出哥哥們來，他們卻沒有認出他來。 |
8When Joseph recognized his brothers, although they did not recognize him, |
| 9於是若瑟想起了他昔日關於他們所作的夢，便對他們說：「你們是探子，前來刺探本地的虛實。」 |
9 he was reminded of the dreams he had about them. He said to them: "You are spies. You have come to see the nakedness of the land." |
| 10他們回答說：「我主！絕對不是；你的僕人們是來購買糧食的。 |
10"No, my lord," they replied. "On the contrary, your servants have come to procure food. |
| 11我們全是一個人的兒子，我們是誠實人；你的僕人們從未做過探子。」 |
11All of us are sons of the same man. We are honest men; your servants have never been spies." |
| 12若瑟對他們說：「不，你們前來必是為刺探此地的虛實。」 |
12But he answered them: "Not so! You have come to see the nakedness of the land." |
| 13他們答說：「你的僕人們原是兄弟十二人，同是客納罕地一個人的兒子；最小的現今在父親那裡，另一個已不在了。」 |
13"We your servants," they said, "were twelve brothers, sons of a certain man in Canaan; but the youngest one is at present with our father, and the other one is gone." |
| 14若瑟對他們說：「我才說你們是探子；這話實在不錯。 |
14"It is just as I said," Joseph persisted; "you are spies. |
| 15為此我要考驗你們：我指著法郎的生命起誓：如果你們最小的弟弟不到這裡來，你們莫想離開此地。 |
15This is how you shall be tested: unless your youngest brother comes here, I swear by the life of Pharaoh that you shall not leave here. |
| 16你們可由你們中派一個人回去，帶你們的弟弟來，其他的人暫且拘留，以待證明你們的話是否誠實；如果不是真的，我指著法郎的生命起誓：你們必是探子。」 |
16So send one of your number to get your brother, while the rest of you stay here under arrest. Thus shall your words be tested for their truth; if they are untrue, as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!" |
| 17於是在拘留所內拘禁了他們三天。 |
17With that, he locked them up in the guardhouse for three days. |
| 18第三天，若瑟對他們說：「我原是個敬畏天主的人，你們願意保全性命，應這樣做： |
18On the third day Joseph said to them: "Do this, and you shall live; for I am a God-fearing man. |
| 19如果你們是誠實人，叫你們兄弟中一個人留在拘留所內，其餘的人可帶糧食回去，解救家中的飢荒。 |
19If you have been honest, only one of your brothers need be confined in this prison, while the rest of you may go and take home provisions for your starving families. |
| 20然後給我帶你們的小弟弟來，好證實你們的話，你們也不致於死。」他們就這樣作了。 |
20But you must come back to me with your youngest brother. Your words will thus be verified, and you will not die." To this they agreed. |
| 21他們彼此說：「我們實在該賠補加害我們兄弟的罪，因為他向我們哀求時，我們見了他心靈痛苦，竟不肯聽；為此這場苦難才落到我們身上！」 |
21To one another, however, they said: "Alas, we are being punished because of our brother. We saw the anguish of his heart when he pleaded with us, yet we paid no heed; that is why this anguish has now come upon us." |
| 22勒烏本就對他們說：「我豈不是對你們說過：不要傷害那孩子嗎？你們卻不肯聽；看，現在要追討他的血了。」 |
22"Didn't I tell you," broke in Reuben, "not to do wrong to the boy? But you wouldn't listen! Now comes the reckoning for his blood." |
| 23他們原不知道若瑟都聽得懂，因為在他們中有一翻譯員。 |
23They did not know, of course, that Joseph understood what they said, since he spoke with them through an interpreter. |
| 24若瑟就由他們前退出去哭了。然後又回來與他們交談，由他們中提出西默盎在他們眼前將他捆綁起來。 |
24But turning away from them, he wept. When he was able to speak to them again, he had Simeon taken from them and bound before their eyes. |
| 25若瑟遂吩咐人將他們的布袋裝滿了糧食，將各人的銀錢仍放在各人的布袋內，並且還給了他們途中所需要的食物；人就對他們這樣做了。 |
25Then Joseph gave orders to have their containers filled with grain, their money replaced in each one's sack, and provisions given them for their journey. After this had been done for them, |
| 26他們將購得的糧食馱在驢上，就從那裡起身走了。 |
26they loaded their donkeys with the rations and departed. |
| 27到了客棧，他們中一人打開了布袋拿料餵驢，看見自己的銀錢仍在布袋口， |
27 At the night encampment, when one of them opened his bag to give his donkey some fodder, he was surprised to see his money in the mouth of his bag. |
| 28遂對兄弟們說：「我的銀錢退回來了；看，仍在我的袋裡。」他們心驚起來，彼此戰慄地說：「天主對我們所作的，是怎麼一回事。」 |
28"My money has been returned!" he cried out to his brothers. "Here it is in my bag!" At that their hearts sank. Trembling, they asked one another, "What is this that God has done to us?" |
| 29他們回到客納罕地，他們的父親雅各伯那裡，將所遇見的事全告訴他說： |
29When they got back to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them. |
| 30「那地方的主人對我們說了一些嚴厲的話，將我們視作刺探那地方的人。」 |
30"The man who is lord of the country," they said, "spoke to us sternly and put us in custody as if we were spying on the land. |
| 31我們對他說：「我們是誠實人，決不是探子； |
31But we said to him: 'We are honest men; we have never been spies. |
| 32我們原是兄弟十二人，同一父親的兒子，一個已不在了，最小的現在同我們的父親在客納罕地。 |
32There were twelve of us brothers, sons of the same father; but one is gone, and the youngest one is at present with our father in the land of Canaan.' |
| 33那地方的主人對我們說：為叫我知道你們是誠實人，你們兄弟中一人留在我這裡，其餘的人帶糧食回去解救家中的飢荒； |
33Then the man who is lord of the country said to us: 'This is how I shall know if you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me, while the rest of you go home with rations for your starving families. |
| 34然後將你們的弟弟給我帶來，那時我才能知道你們不是探子，確是誠實人，我將你們的兄弟還給你們，你們可在這地方自由行動。」 |
34When you come back to me with your youngest brother, and I know that you are honest men and not spies, I will restore your brother to you, and you may move about freely in the land.'" |
| 35當他們倒自己的糧袋時，不料各人的錢囊仍在各人的袋內。他們和他們的父親，一見錢囊，都害怕起來。 |
35When they were emptying their sacks, there in each one's sack was his moneybag! At the sight of their moneybags, they and their father were dismayed. |
| 36他們的父親雅各伯對他們說：「你們總是使我喪失兒子：若瑟不在了，西默盎不在了，你們還要帶走本雅明！這一切都落在我身上！」 |
36Their father Jacob said to them: "Must you make me childless? Joseph is gone, and Simeon is gone, and now you would take away Benjamin! Why must such things always happen to me?" |
| 37勒烏本對他父親說：「如果我不將他給你帶回來，你可殺死我的兩個兒子；只管將他交在我手裡，我必再還給你。」 |
37Then Reuben told his father: "Put him in my care, and I will bring him back to you. You may kill my own two sons if I do not return him to you." |
| 38雅各伯答說：「我兒子不能和你們一同下去，因為他哥哥死了，只剩下了他獨自一個；如果他在你們行的路上遇到什麼不幸，那你們就要使我這白髮老人在憂苦中降入陰府了。」 |
38But Jacob replied: "My son shall not go down with you. Now that his full brother is dead, he is the only one left. If some disaster should befall him on the journey you must make, you would send my white head down to the nether world in grief." |
