1 Bet bads bija smags tanī zemē. 2 Un notika, kad tie jau bija patērējuši labību, kuru tie bija atveduši no Ēģiptes, tad viņu tēvs tiem sacīja: "Ejiet atkal un pērciet mums mazliet labības." 3 Un Jūda tam sacīja: "Tas vīrs mums stingri piekodināja, teikdams: jums neredzēt manu vaigu, iekāms jūs neatvedīsit savu brāli. 4 Ja tu esi ar mieru atlaist mūsu brāli līdz ar mums, tad mēs gribam iet un gribam tev pirkt maizes labību. 5 Bet, ja tu neesi ar mieru sūtīt, mēs neiesim. Jo tas vīrs teica: jums neredzēt manu vaigu, iekāms jūsu brālis nav ar jums." 6 Un Israēls sacīja: "Kādēļ jūs man esat tādas bēdas darījuši, izpauzdami tam vīram, ka jums vēl ir kāds brālis?" 7 Bet tie atbildēja: "Šis vīrs jautādams jautāja par mums un mūsu dzimtu, sacīdams: vai jūsu tēvs vēl ir dzīvs? Vai jums vēl ir kāds brālis? Tad mēs viņam skaidri pateicām, kāda tā lieta ir. Vai mēs varējām iedomāties, ka viņš mums sacīs: atvediet savu brāli." 8 Tad Jūda sacīja Israēlam, savam tēvam: "Atlaid zēnu kopā ar mums, tad mēs celsimies un iesim, lai varam palikt dzīvi un lai mums nebūtu jāmirst, mums, tev un mūsu bērniem. 9 Es par viņu galvoju, no manas rokas tu viņu varēsi atprasīt. Ja es to pie tevis neatvedīšu un nenolikšu viņu tavu acu priekšā, tad es visu savu mūžu gribu būt vainīgs tavā priekšā. 10 Ja mēs tā nebūtu vilcinājušies, mēs tagad jau otru reizi būtu atgriezušies." 11 Tad viņu tēvs Israēls tiem sacīja: "Ja tam tā jābūt, tad dariet arī tā. Ņemiet savos saiņos no šīs zemes augļiem un nonesiet to tam vīram kā dāvanu: mazliet balzama, mazliet medus, nardi, dārgas zāles, riekstus un mandeles. 12 Ņemiet arī divtik naudas sev līdzi; arī to naudu, kas atradās jūsu barības maisu virsgalā, paņemiet sev līdzi; var būt, ka notikusi pārskatīšanās. 13 Ņemiet arī savu brāli un celieties un ejiet pie tā vīra. 14 Un tas visuvarenais Dievs lai parāda jums žēlastību tā vīra priekšā, ka viņš atlaiž jums līdzi gan to jūsu brāli, gan Benjamīnu. Bet es esmu, kam bērni ir rautin atrauti." 15 Tad brāļi paņēma dāvanas un divtik naudas un satvēra pie rokas Benjamīnu, cēlās un nogāja uz Ēģipti un nostājās Jāzepa priekšā. 16 Un Jāzeps, ieraudzījis viņus un Benjamīnu, sacīja sava nama pārraugam: "Ieved šos vīrus namā, liec barokli nokaut un sagatavot, jo šie vīri ar mani ēdīs pusdienu." 17 Un tas vīrs darīja, kā viņam Jāzeps bija sacījis, un ieveda vīrus Jāzepa namā. 18 Un tie izbijās, ka tie tika Jāzepa namā ievesti, un sacīja: "Tas ir tās naudas dēļ, kas toreiz bija atlikta mūsu barības maisos, ka mēs tagad tiekam ievesti; viņi metīsies uz mums un ņems mūs ar mūsu ēzeļiem sev par vergiem." 19 Un viņi aizgāja pie Jāzepa nama pārrauga un sarunājās ar to nama durvīs, 20 sacīdami: "Piedod, mūsu kungs, mēs jau reiz bijām šeit, lai pirktu labību. 21 Un, kad mēs bijām nonākuši savā mājvietā un bijām atraisījuši savus barības maisus, redzi, ikviens savā maisā, barības maisa virsgalā, atrada savu naudu, mūsu naudu pēc tās pilnā svara; mēs to esam līdzi atnesuši. 22 Arī citu naudu mēs vēl esam sev līdzi paņēmuši, lai pirktu barību. Mēs nezinām, kas naudu ir atlicis mūsu barības maisos." 23 Viņš sacīja: "Miers ar jums. Nebīstieties! Jūsu un jūsu tēvu Dievs ir jums kādu mantu ielicis jūsu barības maisos. Jūsu naudu es esmu dabūjis." Un viņš lika izvest pie viņiem Simeonu. 24 Tad tas vīrs ieveda viņus Jāzepa namā un deva tiem ūdeni, ka tie varēja mazgāt savas kājas, un barību viņu ēzeļiem. 25 Un tie nolika dāvanu, pirms Jāzeps atnāca uz pusdienām, jo tie bija dzirdējuši, ka tie tur ēdīšot. 26 Kad Jāzeps ienāca namā, tad viņi tam pienesa dāvanu, kas atradās viņu rokās, un tie klanījās viņa priekšā līdz zemei. 27 Un viņš tiem jautāja: "Kā jums klājas, un kā klājas jūsu sirmajam tēvam, par kuru jūs stāstījāt? Vai viņš vēl ir dzīvs?" 28 Un tie sacīja: "Tavam kalpam, mūsu tēvam, klājas labi, un viņš vēl ir dzīvs." Un tie noliecās un klanījās. 29 Un viņš pacēla savas acis un ieraudzīja savu brāli Benjamīnu, savas mātes dēlu, un viņš sacīja: "Vai tas ir jūsu jaunākais brālis, par kuru jūs man stāstījāt?" Un viņš sacīja: "Lai Dievs tev parāda žēlastību, mans dēls!" 30 Un Jāzeps steidzās, jo viņš bija pārāk aizkustināts, redzēdams savu brāli, un viņš meklēja, kur izraudāties; un, iegājis savā istabā, viņš tur raudāja. 31 Un, nomazgājis savu vaigu, viņš iznāca ārā un savaldīdamies teica: "Celiet priekšā ēdienu!" 32 Un tie nesa viņam atsevišķi un viņiem atsevišķi, un ēģiptiešiem, kas pie viņa ēda, atsevišķi, jo ēģiptieši nevar ēst ar ebrejiem kopā maizi. Jo tas ir apkaunojums ēģiptiešiem. 33 Un viņi sēdēja viņa priekšā pēc sava vecuma, no pirmdzimtā pēc viņa dzimšanas līdz jaunākajam pēc viņa dzimšanas; par to tie cits par citu brīnījās. 34 Un viņš deva tiem no sava galda goda daļu, bet Benjamīnam goda daļa bija piecas reizes lielāka par to, ko citi dabūja. Un tie dzēra un kļuva priecīgi.
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.
