Joseph's Brothers Return to Egypt with Benjamin
1 The famine in Canaan got worse, 2 until finally, Jacob's family had eaten all the grain they had bought in Egypt. So Jacob said to his sons, “Go back and buy some more grain.”
3-5 Judah replied, “The governor strictly warned us that we would not be allowed to see him unless we brought our youngest brother with us. If you let us take Benjamin along, we will go and buy grain. But we won't go without him!”
6 Jacob asked, “Why did you cause me so much trouble by telling the governor you had another brother?”
7 They answered, “He asked a lot of questions about us and our family. He wanted to know if you were still alive and if we had any more brothers. All we could do was answer his questions. How could we know he would tell us to bring along our brother?”
8 Then Judah said to his father, “Let Benjamin go with me, and we will leave at once, so that none of us will starve to death. 9 I promise to bring him back safely, and if I don't, you can blame me as long as I live. 10 If we had not wasted all this time, we could already have been there and back twice.”
11 Their father said:
If Benjamin must go with you, take the governor a gift of some of the best things from our own country, such as perfume, honey, spices, pistachio nuts, and almonds. 12 Also take along twice the amount of money for the grain, because there must have been some mistake when the money was put back in your sacks. 13 Take Benjamin with you and leave at once.
14 When you go in to see the governor, I pray that God All-Powerful will be good to you and that the governor will let your other brother and Benjamin come back home with you. But if I must lose my children, I suppose I must.
15 The brothers took the gifts, twice the amount of money, and Benjamin. Then they hurried off to Egypt. When they stood in front of Joseph, 16 he saw Benjamin and told the servant in charge of his house, “Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and cook it, so they can eat with me at noon.”
17 The servant did as he was told and took the brothers to Joseph's house. 18 But on the way they got worried and started thinking, “We are being taken there because of the money that was put back in our sacks last time. He will arrest us, make us his slaves, and take our donkeys.”
19 So when they arrived at Joseph's house, they said to the servant in charge, 20 “Sir, we came to Egypt once before to buy grain. 21 But when we stopped for the night, we each found in our grain sacks the exact amount we had paid. We have brought that money back, 22 together with enough money to buy more grain. We don't know who put the money in our sacks.”
23 “It's all right,” the servant replied. “Don't worry. The God you and your father worship must have put the money there, because I received your payment in full.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.
24 The servant took them into Joseph's house and gave them water to wash their feet. He also tended their donkeys. 25 The brothers got their gifts ready to give to Joseph at noon, since they had heard they were going to eat there.
26 When Joseph came home, they gave him the gifts they had brought, and they bowed down to him. 27 After Joseph had asked how they were, he said, “What about your elderly father? Is he still alive?”
28 They answered, “Your servant our father is still alive and well.” And again they bowed down to Joseph.
29 When Joseph looked around and saw his brother Benjamin, he said, “This must be your youngest brother, the one you told me about. God bless you, my son.”
30 Then, because of his love for Benjamin, he rushed off to his room and cried. 31 After washing his face and returning, he was able to control himself and said, “Serve the meal!”
32 Joseph was served at a table by himself, and his brothers were served at another. The Egyptians sat at yet another table, because Egyptians felt it was disgusting to eat with Hebrews. 33 To the surprise of Joseph's brothers, they were seated in front of him according to their ages, from the oldest to the youngest. 34 They were served food from Joseph's table, and Benjamin was given five times as much as each of the others. So Joseph's brothers ate and drank with him and had a good time.
Jāzepa brāļi otrreiz dodas uz Ēģipti
1 Zemē bija smags bads. 2 Kad tie bija izlietojušino Ēģiptes atvesto labību, tēvs tiem teica: “Dodieties atkal turp, pērciet mums mazliet ēdamā!” 3 Jūda viņam teica: “Tas vīrs mūs zvērināt nozvērināja: manu vaigu jums neredzēt, kamēr jūsu brālis te nebūs kopā ar jums! 4 Ja tu mūsu brāli sūtīsi kopā ar mums, tad mēs dosimies un nopirksim tev ēdamo, 5 bet, ja tu viņu nesūtīsi, mēs neiesim, jo tas vīrs mums teica: manu vaigu jums neredzēt, kamēr jūsu brālis te nebūs kopā ar jums!” 6 Un Israēls teica: “Kādēļ jūs man darījāt ļaunu, stāstīdami tam vīram, ka jums ir vēl viens brālis?!” 7 Bet viņi teica: “Tas vīrs mūs iztaujāja par mums un par vietu, kur mēs dzimuši, prasīdams: vai jūsu tēvs vēl ir dzīvs? Vai jums ir vēl kāds brālis? – un mēs viņam visu pastāstījām! Vai tad mēs zinājām, ka viņš teiks: atvediet šurp savu brāli!” 8 Un Jūda teica savam tēvam Israēlam: “Sūti zēnu kopā ar mani, mēs celsimies un iesim, ka paliekam dzīvi un nemirstam ne mēs, ne tu, ne mūsu mazie! 9 Es gādāšu par viņu, no manis tu viņu varēsi atprasīt! Ja es viņu neatvedīšu pie tevis atpakaļ, ja nenostādīšu tavā priekšā – tad uz mūžiem pret tevi es būšu grēkojis! 10 Ja mēs nebūtu vilcinājušies, tad jau divreiz būtu atpakaļ!” 11 Un viņu tēvs Israēls tiem teica: “Ja tā, tad nu tā dariet – ņemiet traukos no tā, ko zeme dod, un aiznesiet tam vīram dāvanu – mazliet balzama, mazliet medus, smaržu, mirru, pistāciju un mandeļu. 12 Ņemiet divtik sudraba un aiznesiet atpakaļ arī to sudrabu, kas tika atlikts jūsu maišeļu augšpusē – varbūt tā ir kļūda. 13 Ņemiet savu brāli un dodieties, ejiet atpakaļ pie tā vīra! 14 Visvarenais Dievs lai dod jums žēlastību tā vīra priekšā, ka tas ļauj atgriezties jums, jūsu brālim un Benjāminam. Bet es – tik zaudēju bērnus vienu pēc otra!”
15 Un tie vīri ņēma šo dāvanu, paņēma divtik sudraba, arī Benjāminu, cēlās un devās uz Ēģipti un stājās Jāzepa priekšā. 16 Kad Jāzeps redzēja kopā ar tiem Benjāminu, viņš teica sava nama pārvaldniekam: “Aizved šos vīrus uz mājām, nokauj barokli un pagatavo to, jo šie vīri ēdīs pusdienas kopā ar mani!” 17 Tas vīrs darīja, kā Jāzeps viņam teica, un aizveda viņus uz Jāzepa namu. 18 Aizvesti uz Jāzepa namu, vīri nobijās un runāja: “Mēs esam šurp atvesti tā sudraba dēļ, kas iepriekš tika atlikts mūsu maišeļos, lai izmeklētu mūsu lietu, sagrābtu mūs un paņemtu par kalpiem mūs un mūsu ēzeļus!” 19 Un viņi uzstāja Jāzepa nama pārvaldniekam un runāja ar viņu nama durvīs. 20 Viņi teica: “Klau, mans kungs, jau iepriekš mēs bijām atnākuši šurp, lai nopirktu ēdamo, 21 un, kad mēs nonācām vietā, kur pārnakšņot, mēs attaisījām savus maišeļus, un tur – katram viņa sudrabs maišeļa augšpusē pilnā svarā, tagad mēs to atnesām atpakaļ. 22 Un mēs atnesām vēl citu sudrabu, lai nopirktu ēdamo. Mēs nezinām, kurš atlicis sudrabu mūsu maišeļos!” 23 Tas atbildēja: “Miers ar jums! Nebaidieties! Jūsu Dievs un jūsu tēvu Dievs jums atlicis mantu jūsu maišeļos! Es jūsu naudu esmu saņēmis!” Un viņš atveda pie tiem Šimonu. 24 Un tas vīrs viņus aizveda uz Jāzepa namu, deva viņiem ūdeni, un tie mazgāja savas kājas; un viņš deva barību viņu ēzeļiem. 25 Un viņi sagatavoja dāvanu, ko bija atveduši, līdz Jāzeps nāca pusdienās, jo bija dzirdējuši, ka viņi tur ēdīs maizi. 26 Jāzeps pārnāca mājās, un viņi tam pasniedza dāvanu, ko bija atnesuši uz namu, un klanījās viņam līdz zemei. 27 Viņš apvaicājās, vai tiem klājas labi, un jautāja: “Vai klājas labi jūsu tēvam, tam vecajam, par kuru jūs stāstījāt? Vai viņš vēl ir dzīvs?” 28 Un viņi atbildēja: “Mūsu tēvam, tavam kalpam, klājas labi, viņš vēl ir dzīvs,” un viņi liecās un klanījās. 29 Viņš palūkojās un ieraudzīja savu brāli Benjāminu, savas mātes dēlu, un teica: “Vai šis ir jūsu jaunākais brālis, par kuru jūs man stāstījāt?” Viņš teica: “Dievs lai tev ir žēlsirdīgs, mans dēls!” 30 Un Jāzeps steidzās, trīcēdams pie visām miesām sava brāļa dēļ, un viņam nāca raudiens, un viņš iegāja istabā un raudāja tur. 31 Tad viņš nomazgāja seju, iznāca laukā un savaldījies teica: “Pasniedziet maizi!” 32 Viņam pasniedza atsevišķi, un viņiem atsevišķi, un ēģiptiešiem, kuri ēda kopā ar viņu, arī atsevišķi, jo ēģiptieši nevar ēst maizi kopā ar ebrejiem, tas ēģiptiešiem šķiet pretīgi. 33 Tie tika nosēdināti viņa priekšā – pirmdzimtais pēc savas pirmdzimtības un jaunākais – jaunākā vietā, un tie vīri brīnījās par to. 34 Viņiem nesa maltīti no Jāzepa galda, bet Benjāmina maltīte bija piecreiz lielāka nekā visiem pārējiem, un viņi dzēra un noreiba pie viņa.
