1 Kad nu Jēkabs redzēja, ka Ēģiptē ir labība, tas sacīja saviem dēliem: "Kāpēc jūs skatāties cits uz citu? 2 Redziet, es esmu dzirdējis, ka Ēģiptē ir labība, noejiet turp un pērciet mums to, lai mēs varētu palikt dzīvi un mums nebūtu jāmirst." 3 Un Jāzepa desmit brāļi nogāja, lai iepirktu labību no Ēģiptes. 4 Bet Jāzepa brālim Benjamīnam Jēkabs neļāva iet brāļiem līdzi, jo viņš sacīja: "Ka tam nenotiek kāda nelaime." 5 Tā Israēla dēli nogāja citu gājēju vidū, lai pirktu labību, jo Kānaāna zemē bija bads. 6 Bet Jāzeps bija zemes pārvaldnieks un labības pārdevējs visiem zemes iedzīvotājiem. Kad Jāzepa brāļi nāca un klanījās līdz zemei viņa priekšā, 7 tad Jāzeps, ieraudzījis savus brāļus, tos pazina, tomēr viņš izlikās viņus nepazīstam un teica viņiem skarbi: "No kurienes jūs nākuši?" Un viņi atbildēja: "No Kānaāna zemes, lai pirktu labību." 8 Un Jāzeps pazina savus brāļus, bet tie viņu nepazina. 9 Un Jāzeps atcerējās savus sapņus, kādus tas par viņiem bija sapņojis, un viņš sacīja tiem: "Jūs esat izlūki, jo jūs esat nākuši izpētīt zemes neapsargātās vietas." 10 Un tie atbildēja: "Nē, kungs, tavi kalpi ir nākuši labību pirkt. 11 Mēs visi esam viena vīra dēli, mēs esam godīgi ļaudis, tavi kalpi nav izlūki." 12 Bet viņš teica uz tiem: "Nē! Jūs esat nākuši izpētīt zemes neapsargātās vietas." 13 Bet tie sacīja: "Mēs, tavi kalpi, bijām divpadsmit brāļi, viena tēva dēli Kānaāna zemē; jaunākais šobrīd vēl ir pie mūsu tēva, bet tā viena vairs nav." 14 Tad Jāzeps viņiem sacīja: "Tas tā ir, kā es jums esmu teicis. Jūs esat izlūki. 15 Tik tiešām, ka faraons dzīvs, pie tā varēs pārbaudīt jūs; no šejienes jūs netiksit prom, kamēr jūsu jaunākais brālis netiks atvests šurp! 16 Aizsūtiet vienu no jūsu vidus, tas lai paņem jūsu brāli, bet jūs esat apcietināti; tā jūsu vārdi tiks pārbaudīti, vai tie ir patiesība vai nav. Pie faraona dzīvības! Jūs esat izlūki." 17 Un viņš tos ieslēdza cietumā trīs dienas. 18 Un Jāzeps sacīja viņiem trešajā dienā: "Darait tā, tad jūs paliksit dzīvi, arī es bīstos Dieva. 19 Ja jūs esat uzticami ļaudis, tad lai viens no jums, brāļiem, paliek važās šinī apcietinājumā, bet jūs pārējie ejiet un aizvediet labību, tāpēc ka bads taču ir jūsu mājās. 20 Atvediet savu jaunāko brāli pie manis, tad jūsu vārdi apstiprināsies un jūs nemirsit." Un tie darīja tā. 21 Un tie cits citam sacīja: "Patiesi, mums tagad jāizpērk vaina mūsu brāļa dēļ; mēs redzējām viņa dvēseles bēdas, kad viņš lūdzās, lai mēs to apžēlotu, bet mēs viņu nepaklausījām; tāpēc tagad pār mums nāk šīs bēdas." 22 Un Rūbens tiem atbildēja: "Vai es neteicu jums, sacīdams: neapgrēkosimies pie zēna, - bet jūs neklausījāt. Tagad viņa asinis tiek atprasītas." 23 Un viņi nezināja, ka Jāzeps viņus saprata, jo tur bija tulks starp tiem. 24 Un viņš aizgāja no tiem un raudāja, bet tad atkal atgriezās pie viņiem un sarunājās ar tiem. Un viņš paņēma no viņu vidus Simeonu un saistīja to viņu acu priekšā. 25 Un Jāzeps deva pavēli piepildīt viņu maisus ar labību, bet viņu naudu ielikt ikviena maisā un iedot ceļamaizi līdzi ceļā. Un tā tika darīts. 26 Tad tie uzkrāva labību saviem ēzeļiem un aizgāja no turienes. 27 Kad nu viens no tiem atvēra savu maisu, lai mājvietā dotu barību savam ēzelim, tad tas ieraudzīja savu naudu, kas bija viņa barības maisa virsgalā. 28 Un viņš sacīja saviem brāļiem: "Mana nauda ir atlikta atpakaļ, lūk, tā ir manā barības maisā." Un sirds tiem pamira, jo tie bija izbijušies un teica cits citam: "Ko Dievs mums ir darījis?" 29 Un viņi nonāca pie sava tēva Jēkaba Kānaāna zemē un stāstīja viņam visu, kas tiem bija atgadījies, sacīdami: 30 "Tas zemes kungs runāja ar mums bargi un turēja mūs par izlūkiem. 31 Bet mēs teicām viņam: mēs esam godīgi ļaudis, mēs neesam izlūki. 32 Mēs esam divpadsmit brāļi, viena tēva dēli, tā viena nav, un tikai jaunākais šobrīd ir pie mūsu tēva Kānaāna zemē. 33 Un tas zemes kungs mums sacīja: pēc tā es pazīšu, vai jūs esat uzticami: vienu no jums, brāļiem, atstājiet pie manis, bet ņemiet labību, jo bads ir jūsu mājās, un ejiet. 34 Un atvediet savu jaunāko brāli pie manis, tad es zināšu, ka jūs neesat izlūki, bet taisni ļaudis. Tad es jums atdošu jūsu brāli, un jūs varēsit brīvi ceļot pa šo zemi." 35 Un, izberot savus maisus, viņi atrada ikviens savu naudas vīstokli savā maisā; un viņi un viņu tēvs, ieraudzījuši naudas vīstokļus, sabijās. 36 Un Jēkabs, viņu tēvs, sacīja viņiem: "Jūs man atņemat manus bērnus! Jāzepa vairs nav, Simeona arī nav. Tagad arī Benjamīnu jūs gribat paņemt. Viss tas ir nācis pār mani!" 37 Tad Rūbens sacīja savam tēvam: "Manus divi dēlus tu vari likt nonāvēt, ja es viņu tev neatvedīšu atpakaļ; dod viņu manā rokā, es tev viņu atvedīšu atpakaļ." 38 Un viņš sacīja: "Manam dēlam nebūs iet ar jums, jo viņa īstais brālis ir miris un viņš ir viens pats atlicies. Ja ceļā, kurā jūs dodaties, ar viņu kas notiek, tad jūs manu sirmo galvu ar skumjām novestu pazemē."
Joseph's Brothers Go to Egypt To Buy Grain
1 When Jacob found out there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you just sitting here, staring at one another? 2 I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Go down and buy some, so we won't starve to death.”
3 Ten of Joseph's brothers went to Egypt to buy grain. 4 But Jacob did not send Joseph's younger brother Benjamin with them; he was afraid that something might happen to him. 5 So Jacob's sons joined others from Canaan who were going to Egypt because of the terrible famine.
6 Since Joseph was governor of Egypt and in charge of selling grain, his brothers came to him and bowed with their faces to the ground. 7-8 They did not recognize Joseph, but at once he knew who they were, though he pretended not to know. Instead, he spoke harshly and asked, “Where do you come from?”
“From the land of Canaan,” they answered. “We've come here to buy grain.”
9 Joseph remembered what he had dreamed about them and said, “You're spies! You've come here to find out where our country is weak.”
10 “No sir,” they replied. “We're your servants, and we have only come to buy grain. 11 We're honest men, and we come from the same family—we're not spies.”
12 “That isn't so!” Joseph insisted. “You've come here to find out where our country is weak.”
13 But they explained, “Sir, we come from a family of twelve brothers. The youngest is still with our father in Canaan, and one of our brothers is dead.”
14 Joseph replied:
It's like I said. You're spies, 15 and I'm going to find out the truth. I swear by the life of the king that you won't leave this place until your youngest brother comes here. 16 Choose one of you to go after your brother, while the rest of you stay here in jail. That will show whether you are telling the truth. But if you are lying, I swear by the life of the king that you are spies!
17 Joseph kept them all under guard for three days, 18 before saying to them:
Since I respect God, I'll give you a chance to save your lives. 19 If you are honest men, one of you must stay here in jail, and the rest of you can take the grain back to your starving families. 20 But you must bring your youngest brother to me. Then I'll know that you are telling the truth, and you won't be put to death.
Joseph's brothers agreed 21 and said to one another, “We're being punished because of Joseph. We saw the trouble he was in, but we refused to help him when he begged us. That's why these terrible things are happening.”
22 Reuben spoke up, “Didn't I tell you not to harm the boy? But you wouldn't listen, and now we have to pay the price for killing him.”
23 They did not know that Joseph could understand them, since he was speaking through an interpreter. 24 Joseph turned away from them and cried, but soon he turned back and spoke to them again. Then he had Simeon tied up and taken away while they watched.
Joseph's Brothers Return to Canaan
25 Joseph gave orders for his brothers' grain sacks to be filled with grain and for their money to be put in their sacks. He also gave orders for them to be given food for their journey home. After this was done, 26 they each loaded the grain on their donkeys and left.
27 When they stopped for the night, one of them opened his sack to get some grain for his donkey, and at once he saw his moneybag. 28 “Here's my money!” he told his brothers. “Right here in my sack.”
They were trembling with fear as they stared at one another and asked themselves, “What has God done to us?”
29 When they returned to the land of Canaan, they told their father Jacob everything that had happened to them:
30 The governor of Egypt was rude and treated us like spies. 31 But we told him, “We're honest men, not spies. 32 We come from a family of twelve brothers. The youngest is still with our father in Canaan, and the other is dead.”
33 Then the governor of Egypt told us, “I'll find out if you really are honest. Leave one of your brothers here with me, while you take the grain to your starving families. 34 But bring your youngest brother to me, so I can be certain that you are honest men and not spies. After that, I'll let your other brother go free, and you can stay here and trade.”
35 When the brothers started emptying their sacks of grain, they found their moneybags in them. They were frightened, and so was their father Jacob, 36 who said, “You have already taken my sons Joseph and Simeon from me. And now you want to take away Benjamin! Everything is against me.”
37 Reuben spoke up, “Father, if I don't bring Benjamin back, you can kill both of my sons. Trust me with him, and I'll bring him back.”
38 But Jacob said, “I won't let my son Benjamin go down to Egypt with the rest of you. His brother is already dead, and he is the only son I have left. I am an old man, and if anything happens to him on the way, I'll die from sorrow, and all of you will be to blame.”
