Joseph's Brothers Return to Egypt with Benjamin
1 The famine in Canaan got worse, 2 and when the family of Jacob had eaten all the grain which had been brought from Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, “Go back and buy a little food for us.”
3 Judah said to him, “The man sternly warned us that we would not be admitted to his presence unless we had our brother with us. 4 If you are willing to send our brother with us, we will go and buy food for you. 5 If you are not willing, we will not go, because the man told us we would not be admitted to his presence unless our brother was with us.”
6 Jacob said, “Why did you cause me so much trouble by telling the man that you had another brother?”
7 They answered, “The man kept asking about us and our family, ‘Is your father still living? Do you have another brother?’ We had to answer his questions. How could we know that he would tell us to bring our brother with us?”
8 Judah said to his father, “Send the boy with me, and we will leave at once. Then none of us will starve to death. 9 I will pledge my own life, and you can hold me responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you safe and sound, I will always bear the blame. 10 If we had not waited so long, we could have been there and back twice by now.”
11 Their father said to them, “If that is how it has to be, then take the best products of the land in your packs as a present for the governor: a little resin, a little honey, spices, pistachio nuts, and almonds. 12 Take with you also twice as much money, because you must take back the money that was returned in the top of your sacks. Maybe it was a mistake. 13 Take your brother and return at once. 14 May Almighty God cause the man to have pity on you, so that he will give Benjamin and your other brother back to you. As for me, if I must lose my children, I must lose them.”
15 So the brothers took the gifts and twice as much money, and set out for Egypt with Benjamin. There they presented themselves to Joseph. 16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the servant in charge of his house, “Take these men to my house. They are going to eat with me at noon, so kill an animal and prepare it.” 17 The servant did as he was commanded and took the brothers to Joseph's house.
18 As they were being brought to the house, they were afraid and thought, “We are being brought here because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time. They will suddenly attack us, take our donkeys, and make us his slaves.” 19 So at the door of the house, they said to the servant in charge, 20 “If you please, sir, we came here once before to buy food. 21 When we set up camp on the way home, we opened our sacks, and each man found his money in the top of his sack—every bit of it. We have brought it back to you. 22 We have also brought some more money with us to buy more food. We do not know who put our money back in our sacks.”
23 The servant said, “Don't worry. Don't be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, must have put the money in your sacks for you. I received your payment.” Then he brought Simeon to them.
24 The servant took the brothers into the house. He gave them water so that they could wash their feet, and he fed their donkeys. 25 They got their gifts ready to present to Joseph when he arrived at noon, because they had been told that they were to eat with him. 26 When Joseph got home, they took the gifts into the house to him and bowed down to the ground before him. 27 He asked about their health and then said, “You told me about your old father—how is he? Is he still alive and well?”
28 They answered, “Your humble servant, our father, is still alive and well.” And they knelt and bowed down before him.
29 When Joseph saw his brother Benjamin, he said, “So this is your youngest brother, the one you told me about. God bless you, my son.” 30 Then Joseph left suddenly, because his heart was full of tender feelings for his brother. He was about to break down, so he went to his room and cried. 31 After he had washed his face, he came out, and controlling himself, he ordered the meal to be served. 32 Joseph was served at one table and his brothers at another. The Egyptians who were eating there were served separately, because they considered it beneath their dignity to eat with Hebrews. 33 The brothers had been seated at the table, facing Joseph, in the order of their age from the oldest to the youngest. When they saw how they had been seated, they looked at one another in amazement. 34 Food was served to them from Joseph's table, and Benjamin was served five times as much as the rest of them. So they ate and drank with Joseph until they were drunk.
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.
