Genesis 43
New King James Version
Joseph’s Brothers Return with Benjamin
43 Now the famine was (A)severe in the land. 2 And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, “Go (B)back, buy us a little food.”
3 But Judah spoke to him, saying, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your (C)brother is with you.’ 4 If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. 5 But if you will not send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ ”
6 And Israel said, “Why did you deal so [a]wrongfully with me as to tell the man whether you had still another brother?”
7 But they said, “The man asked us pointedly about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ And we told him according to these words. Could we possibly have known that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”
8 Then Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may (D)live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. 9 I myself will be surety for him; from my hand you shall require him. (E)If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever. 10 For if we had not lingered, surely by now we would have returned this second time.”
11 And their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Take some of the best fruits of the land in your vessels and (F)carry down a present for the man—a little (G)balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. 12 Take double money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money (H)that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was an oversight. 13 Take your brother also, and arise, go back to the man. 14 And may God (I)Almighty (J)give you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother and Benjamin. (K)If I am bereaved, I am bereaved!”
15 So the men took that present and Benjamin, and they took double money in their hand, and arose and went (L)down to Egypt; and they stood before Joseph. 16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the (M)steward of his house, “Take these men to my home, and slaughter [b]an animal and make ready; for these men will dine with me at noon.” 17 Then the man did as Joseph ordered, and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house.
18 Now the men were (N)afraid because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, “It is because of the money, which was returned in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may [c]make a case against us and seize us, to take us as slaves with our donkeys.”
19 When they drew near to the steward of Joseph’s house, they talked with him at the door of the house, 20 and said, “O sir, (O)we indeed came down the first time to buy food; 21 but (P)it happened, when we came to the encampment, that we opened our sacks, and there, each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight; so we have brought it back in our hand. 22 And we have brought down other money in our hands to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.”
23 But he said, “Peace be with you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money.” Then he brought (Q)Simeon out to them.
24 So the man brought the men into Joseph’s house and (R)gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys feed. 25 Then they made the present ready for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they would eat bread there.
26 And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and (S)bowed down before him to the earth. 27 Then he asked them about their well-being, and said, “Is your father well, the old man (T)of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”
28 And they answered, “Your servant our father is in good health; he is still alive.” (U)And they bowed their heads down and prostrated themselves.
29 Then he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, (V)his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your younger brother (W)of whom you spoke to me?” And he said, “God be gracious to you, my son.” 30 Now (X)his heart yearned for his brother; so Joseph made haste and sought somewhere to weep. And he went into his chamber and (Y)wept there. 31 Then he washed his face and came out; and he restrained himself, and said, “Serve the (Z)bread.”
32 So they set him a place by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves; because the Egyptians could not eat food with the (AA)Hebrews, for that is (AB)an abomination to the Egyptians. 33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his (AC)birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked in astonishment at one another. 34 Then he took servings to them from before him, but Benjamin’s serving was (AD)five times as much as any of theirs. So they drank and were merry with him.
Footnotes
- Genesis 43:6 Lit. wickedly
- Genesis 43:16 Lit. a slaughter
- Genesis 43:18 Lit. roll himself upon us
創世記 43
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
約瑟的哥哥們再下埃及
43 那地方的饑荒仍然非常嚴重， 2 他們從埃及帶回來的糧食吃完了，他們的父親對他們說：「你們再去買些糧食吧。」 3 猶大說：「那人嚴厲地警告我們，『不把你們的弟弟帶來，你們就不要再來見我。』 4 你若讓便雅憫跟我們同去，我們就去給你買糧。 5 你若不讓便雅憫跟我們同去，我們就不去給你買糧。因為那人說，『你們不把弟弟帶來，就不要再來見我。』」
6 以色列說：「你們為什麼告訴他你們還有一個弟弟，給我惹麻煩呢？」 7 他們回答說：「那人詳細詢問我們和我們家人的情況，問我們的父親是否在世，還有沒有弟兄。我們如實回答，怎會想到他非要我們把弟弟帶去呢？」
8 猶大對父親以色列說：「你就讓便雅憫跟我同去吧，我們好立刻動身，這樣我們一家老小才能保住性命，不致餓死。 9 我親自保證便雅憫的安全，你可以向我要人。我若不把他帶回來見你，情願一生擔罪。 10 我們若是沒有耽擱的話，現在已經往返兩趟了。」
11 他們的父親以色列說：「事到如今，只好這樣了。你們帶一些上好的乳香、蜂蜜、香料、沒藥、榧子和杏仁等土產，去送給那人作禮物吧。 12 你們還要帶雙倍的錢，好歸還上次留在你們口袋中的錢，那可能是弄錯了。 13 帶你們的弟弟去見那人吧！ 14 願全能的上帝叫那人憐憫你們，讓西緬和便雅憫回來。我若喪子就喪子吧！」
15 於是，他們就帶著便雅憫、禮物和雙倍的錢去埃及見約瑟。 16 約瑟看見便雅憫和他們同來，就對管家說：「你帶他們到我家裡去，宰殺牲畜，預備宴席，中午他們要跟我一起吃飯。」 17 管家照約瑟的吩咐，帶他們到約瑟家裡。 18 他們被帶到約瑟家後非常害怕，說：「他把我們帶到這裡來，一定跟上次放在我們口袋中的錢有關。他想害我們，強迫我們做他的奴僕，搶我們的驢。」
19 他們走到約瑟的管家跟前，在房門口對他說： 20 「先生，我們上次曾來這裡買糧。 21 但在回家的途中住宿時，我們打開口袋，發現我們帶來買糧的錢分毫不少地放在那裡。我們把這些錢帶回來了， 22 又另外帶了一些錢來買糧。我們不知道誰把買糧的錢放進了我們的口袋。」
23 管家說：「你們放心，不要害怕，你們口袋裡那些錢是你們的上帝，你們父親的上帝賜給你們的。我已經收了你們買糧的錢。」說完就把西緬帶出來和他們見面， 24 接著帶他們進約瑟的家，給他們水洗腳，給他們的驢餵草料。 25 他們知道要在那裡吃午餐，就預備好禮物，等約瑟中午回來。
26 約瑟來了，他們就把帶來的禮物獻給他，向他俯伏下拜。 27 約瑟向他們問好，然後說：「你們提起過你們的老父親，他還健在、安康嗎？」 28 他們回答說：「你僕人——我們的父親仍然健在、安康。」說完了，又向他下拜。 29 約瑟抬頭看見了自己的同胞弟弟便雅憫，就問道：「這就是你們所說那位最小的弟弟嗎？」他又對便雅憫說：「孩子，願上帝施恩給你。」 30 約瑟愛弟之心油然而生，急忙出去找哭的地方。他到自己的房間裡哭了一場。
31 他洗過臉出來，控制著自己的感情，吩咐人擺飯。 32 約瑟自己一桌，他的弟兄們一桌，那些和他們一起吃飯的埃及人一桌，因為埃及人厭惡和希伯來人同席。 33 約瑟讓他的弟兄們在他對面按照長幼次序坐，他們面面相覷，非常驚訝。 34 約瑟吩咐人把自己面前的菜餚分給他們，便雅憫得的那份比其他弟兄多五倍。他們盡情地和約瑟一同吃喝。
Genesis 43
English Standard Version
Joseph's Brothers Return to Egypt
43 Now the famine was (A)severe in the land. 2 And when they had eaten the grain that they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go again, buy us a little food.” 3 But Judah said to him, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your (B)brother is with you.’ 4 If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. 5 But if you will not send him, we will not go down, for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.’” 6 Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly as to tell the man that you had another brother?” 7 They replied, “The man questioned us carefully about ourselves and our kindred, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ What we told him was in answer to these questions. Could we in any way know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?” 8 And Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go, that we may (C)live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. 9 I will be a pledge of his safety. From my hand you shall require him. (D)If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever. 10 If we had not delayed, we would now have returned twice.”
11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry a present down to the man, a little (E)balm and a little honey, gum, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds. 12 Take double the money with you. Carry back with you the money (F)that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. Perhaps it was an oversight. 13 Take also your brother, and arise, go again to the man. 14 May (G)God Almighty[a] (H)grant you mercy before the man, and may he send back your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, (I)if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”
15 So the men took this present, and they took double the money with them, and Benjamin. They arose and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.
16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the (J)steward of his house, “Bring the men into the house, and slaughter an animal and make ready, for the men are to dine with me at noon.” 17 The man did as Joseph told him and brought the men to Joseph's house. 18 And the men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph's house, and they said, “It is because of the money, which was replaced in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may assault us and fall upon us to make us servants and seize our donkeys.” 19 So they went up to the steward of Joseph's house and spoke with him at the door of the house, 20 and said, (K)“Oh, my lord, (L)we came down the first time to buy food. 21 And (M)when we came to the lodging place we opened our sacks, and there was each man's money in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight. So we have brought it again with us, 22 and we have brought other money down with us to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.” 23 He replied, “Peace to you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has put treasure in your sacks for you. I received your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to them. 24 And when the man had brought the men into Joseph's house and (N)given them water, and they had washed their feet, and when he had given their donkeys fodder, 25 they prepared (O)the present for Joseph's coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread there.
26 When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present that they had with them and (P)bowed down to him to the ground. 27 And he inquired about their welfare and said, “Is your father well, the old man (Q)of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?” 28 They said, “Your servant our father is well; he is still alive.” And they (R)bowed their heads and prostrated themselves. 29 And he lifted up his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, (S)his mother's son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, (T)of whom you spoke to me? God be gracious to you, my son!” 30 Then Joseph hurried out, for (U)his compassion grew warm for his brother, and he sought a place to weep. And he entered his chamber and (V)wept there. 31 Then he washed his face and came out. And (W)controlling himself he said, “Serve the food.” 32 They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat with the Hebrews, for that is (X)an abomination to the Egyptians. 33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth. And the men looked at one another in amazement. 34 (Y)Portions were taken to them from Joseph's table, but Benjamin's portion was (Z)five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank and were merry[b] with him.
Footnotes
- Genesis 43:14 Hebrew El Shaddai
- Genesis 43:34 Hebrew and became intoxicated
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
