約瑟用策留弟以試諸兄
A Silver Cup in a Sack
第四十四章 Genesis 44
1.約瑟吩咐家宰說：「把糧食裝滿這些人的口袋，儘著他們的驢所能馱的，又把各人的銀子放在各人的口袋裏，
Now Joseph gave these instructions to the steward of his house: 「Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man’s silver in the mouth of his sack.
2.並將我的銀杯和那少年人糴糧的銀子一同裝在他的口袋裏。」家宰就照約瑟所說的話行了；
Then put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the silver for his grain.」 And he did as Joseph said.
3.天一亮就打發那些人帶著驢走了。
As morning dawned, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys.
4.他們出城走了不遠，約瑟對家宰說：「起來，追那些人去，追上了就對他們說：『你們為甚麼以惡報善呢？
They had not gone far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, 「Go after those men at once, and when you catch up with them, say to them, 『Why have you repaid good with evil?
5.這不是我主人飲酒的杯嗎？豈不是他占卜用的嗎？你們這樣行是作惡了。』」
Isn’t this the cup my master drinks from and also uses for divination? This is a wicked thing you have done.』」
6.家宰追上他們，將這些話對他們說了。
When he caught up with them, he repeated these words to them.
7.他們回答說：「我主為甚麼說這樣的話呢？你僕人斷不能做這樣的事。
But they said to him, 「Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to do anything like that!
8.你看，我們從前在口袋裏所見的銀子，尚且從迦南地帶來還你，我們怎能從你主人家裡偷竊金銀呢？
We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found inside the mouths of our sacks. So why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house?
9.你僕人中無論在誰那裏搜出來，就叫他死，我們也作我主的奴僕。」
If any of your servants is found to have it, he will die; and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves.」
10.家宰說：「現在就照你們的話行吧！在誰那裏搜出來，誰就作我的奴僕；其餘的都沒有罪。」
「Very will, then,」 he said, 「let it be as you say. Whoever is found to have it will become my slave; the rest of you will be free from blame.」
11.於是他們各人急忙把口袋卸在地下，各人打開口袋。
Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.
12.家宰就搜查，從年長的起到年幼的為止，那杯竟在便雅憫的口袋裏搜出來。
Then the steward proceeded to search, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.
13.他們就撕裂衣服，各人把馱子擡在驢上，回城去了。
At this, they tore their clothes. Then they all loaded their donkeys and returned to the city.
14.猶大和他弟兄們來到約瑟的屋中，約瑟還在那裏，他們就在他面前俯伏於地。
Joseph was still in the house when Judah and his brothers came in, and they threw themselves to the ground before him.
15.約瑟對他們說：「你們做的是甚麼事呢？你們豈不知像我這樣的人必能占卜嗎？」
Joseph said to them, 「What is this you have done? Don’t you know that a man like me can find things out by divination?」
16.猶大說：「我們對我主說甚麼呢？還有甚麼話可說呢？我們怎能自己表白出來呢？ 神已經查出僕人的罪孽了。我們與那在他手中搜出來的杯都是我主的奴僕。」
「What can we say to my lord?」 Judah replied. 「What can we say? How can we prove our innocence? God has uncovered your servants’ guilt. We are now my lord’s slaves－we ourselves and the one who was found to have the cup.」
17.約瑟說：「我斷不能這樣行！在誰的手中搜出杯來，誰就作我的奴僕；至於你們，可以平平安安地上你們父親那裏去。」
But Joseph said, 「Far be it from me to do such a thing! Only the man who was found to have the cup will become my slave. The rest of you, go back to your father in peace.」
18.猶大挨近他，說：「我主啊，求你容僕人說一句話給我主聽，不要向僕人發烈怒，因為你如同法老一樣。
Then Judah went up to him and said: 「Pardon your servant, my lord, let me speak a word to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, though you are equal to Pharaoh himself.
19.我主曾問僕人們說：『你們有父親有兄弟沒有？』
My lord asked his servants, 『Do you have a father or a brother?』
20.我們對我主說：『我們有父親，已經年老，還有他老年所生的一個小孩子。他哥哥死了，他母親只撇下他一人，他父親疼愛他。』
And we answered, 『We have an aged father, and there is a young son born to him in his old age. His brother is dead, and he is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.
21.你對僕人說：『把他帶到我這裏來，叫我親眼看看他。』
「Then you said to your servants, 『Bring him down to me so I can see him for myself.』
22.我們對我主說：『童子不能離開他父親，若是離開，他父親必死。』
And we said to my lord, 『The boy cannot leave his father; if he leaves him, his father will die.』
23.你對僕人說：『你們的小兄弟若不與你們一同下來，你們就不得再見我的面。』
But you told your servants, 『Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.』
24.我們上到你僕人，我們父親那裏，就把我主的話告訴了他。
When we went back to your servant my father, we told him what my lord had said.
25.我們的父親說：『你們再去給我糴些糧來。』
「Then our father said, 『Go back and buy a little more food.』
26.我們就說：『我們不能下去。我們的小兄弟若和我們同往，我們就可以下去。因為，小兄弟若不與我們同往，我們必不得見那人的面。』
But we said, 『We cannot go down. Only if our youngest brother is with us will we go. We cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.』
27.你僕人，我父親對我們說：『你們知道我的妻子給我生了兩個兒子。
「Your servant my father said to us, 『You know that my wife bore me two sons.
28.一個離開我出去了；我說他必是被撕碎了，直到如今我也沒有見他。
One of them went away from me, and I said, 『He has surely been torn to pieces.』 And I have not seen him since.
29.現在你們又要把這個待去離開我，倘若他遭害，那便是你們使我白髮蒼蒼、悲悲慘慘地下陰間去了。』
If you take this one from me too and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in misery.』
30.我父親的命與這童子的命相連。如今我回到你僕人，我父親那裏，若沒有童子與我們同在，
「So now, if the boy is not with us when I go back to your servant my father, and if my father, whose life is closely bound up with the boy’s life,
31.我們的父親見沒有童子，他就必死。這便是我們使你僕人我們的父親白髮蒼蒼、悲悲慘慘地下陰間去了。
sees that the boy isn’t there, he will die. Your servants will bring the gray head of our father down to the grave in sorrow.
32.因為僕人曾向我父親為這童子作保，說：『我若不帶他回來交給父親，我便在父親面前永遠擔罪。』
Your servant guaranteed the boy’s safety to my father. I said, 『If I do not bring him back to you, I will bear the blame before you, my father, all my life!』
33.現在求你容僕人住下，替這童子作我主的奴僕，叫童子和他哥哥們一同上去。
「Now then, please let your servant remain here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers.
34.若童子不和我同去，我怎能上去見我父親呢？恐怕我看見災禍臨到我父親身上。」
How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? No! Do not let me see the misery that would come on my father.」 |
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