¹ 那地的饑荒甚大。

² 他們從埃及帶來的糧食吃盡了，他們的父親就對他們說：『你們再去給我糴些糧來。』

³ 猶大對他說：『那人諄諄地告誡我們說：「你們的兄弟若不與你們同來，你們就不得見我的面。」

⁴ 你若打發我們的兄弟與我們同去，我們就下去給你糴糧；

⁵ 你若不打發他去，我們就不下去，因為那人對我們說：「你們的兄弟若不與你們同來，你們就不得見我的面。」』

⁶ 以色列說：『你們為什麼這樣害我，告訴那人你們還有兄弟呢？』

⁷ 他們回答說：『那人詳細問到我們和我們的親屬，說：「你們的父親還在嗎？你們還有兄弟嗎？」我們就按著他所問的告訴他，焉能知道他要說「必須把你們的兄弟帶下來」呢？』

⁸ 猶大又對他父親以色列說：『你打發童子與我同去，我們就起身下去，好叫我們和你，並我們的婦人孩子，都得存活，不至於死。

⁹ 我為他作保；你可以從我手中追討，我若不帶他回來交在你面前，我情願永遠擔罪。

¹⁰ 我們若沒有耽擱，如今第二次都回來了。』

¹¹ 他們的父親以色列說：『若必須如此，你們就當這樣行：可以將這地土產中最好的乳香、蜂蜜、香料、沒藥、榧子、杏仁都取一點，收在器具裡，帶下去送給那人作禮物，

¹² 又要手裡加倍地帶銀子，並將歸還在你們口袋內的銀子仍帶在手裡；那或者是錯了。

¹³ 也帶著你們的兄弟，起身去見那人。

¹⁴ 但願全能的神使你們在那人面前蒙憐憫，釋放你們的那弟兄和便雅憫回來。我若喪了兒子，就喪了吧!』

¹⁵ 於是，他們拿著那禮物，又手裡加倍地帶銀子，並且帶著便雅憫，起身下到埃及，站在約瑟面前。

¹⁶ 約瑟見便雅憫和他們同來，就對家宰說：『將這些人領到屋裡。要宰殺牲畜，預備筵席，因為晌午這些人同我吃飯。』

¹⁷ 家宰就遵著約瑟的命去行，領他們進約瑟的屋裡。

¹⁸ 他們因為被領到約瑟的屋裡，就害怕，說：『領我們到這裡來，必是因為頭次歸還在我們口袋裡的銀子，找我們的錯縫，下手害我們，強取我們為奴僕，搶奪我們的驢。』

¹⁹ 他們就挨近約瑟的家宰，在屋門口和他說話，

²⁰ 說：『我主啊，我們頭次下來實在是要糴糧。

²¹ 後來到了住宿的地方，我們打開口袋，不料，各人的銀子，分量足數，仍在各人的口袋內，現在我們手裡又帶回來了。

²² 另外又帶下銀子來糴糧。不知道先前誰把銀子放在我們的口袋裡。』

²³ 家宰說：『你們可以放心，不要害怕，是你們的神和你們父親的神賜給你們財寶在你們的口袋裡；你們的銀子，我早已收了。』他就把西緬帶出來，交給他們。

²⁴ 家宰就領他們進約瑟的屋裡，給他們水洗腳，又給他們草料餵驢。

²⁵ 他們就預備那禮物，等候約瑟晌午來，因為他們聽見要在那裡吃飯。

²⁶ 約瑟來到家裡，他們就把手中的禮物拿進屋去給他，又俯伏在地，向他下拜。

²⁷ 約瑟問他們好，又問：『你們的父親─就是你們所說的那老人家平安嗎？他還在嗎？』

²⁸ 他們回答說：『你僕人─我們的父親平安；他還在。』於是他們低頭下拜。

²⁹ 約瑟舉目看見他同母的兄弟便雅憫，就說：『你們向我所說那頂小的兄弟就是這位嗎？』又說：『小兒啊，願神賜恩給你!』

³⁰ 約瑟愛弟之情發動，就急忙尋找可哭之地，進入自己的屋裡，哭了一場。

³¹ 他洗了臉出來，勉強隱忍，吩咐人擺飯。

³² 他們就為約瑟單擺了一席，為那些人又擺了一席，也為和約瑟同吃飯的埃及人另擺了一席，因為埃及人不可和希伯來人一同吃飯；那原是埃及人所厭惡的。

³³ 約瑟使眾弟兄在他面前排列坐席，都按著長幼的次序，眾弟兄就彼此詫異。

³⁴ 約瑟把他面前的食物分出來，送給他們；但便雅憫所得的比別人多五倍。他們就飲酒，和約瑟一同宴樂。

¹ He 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.

² Put 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.

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

⁴ When 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?

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

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

⁷ They 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!

⁸ Behold, 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?

⁹ With whoever of your servants it be found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondservants."

¹⁰ He said, "Now also let it be according to your words: he with whom it is found will be my bondservant; and you will be blameless."

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

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

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

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

¹⁵ Joseph said to them, "What deed is this that you have done? Don't you know that such a man as I can indeed divine?"

¹⁶ Judah said, "What will we tell my lord? What will we speak? Or how will we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Behold, we are my lord's bondservants, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup is found."

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

¹⁸ Then 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.

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

²⁰ We 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.'

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

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

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

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

²⁵ Our father said, 'Go again, buy us a little food.'

²⁶ We 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.'

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

²⁸ and the one went out from me, and I said, "Surely he is torn in pieces;" and I haven't seen him since.

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

³⁰ Now 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;

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

³² For 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.'

³³ Now therefore, please let your servant stay instead of the boy, a bondservant to my lord; and let the boy go up with his brothers.

³⁴ For 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."