عودة بني يعقوب ومعهم بنيامين
1 ولكِنَّ الجُوعَ اشتَدَّ في الأرضِ. 2 فلمَّا فرَغوا مِنْ أكْلِ القمحِ الّذي جاؤوا بِه مِنْ مِصْرَ، قالَ لهُم أبوهُم: «إرجِعُوا اشتَرُوا لنا قليلا مِنَ الطَّعامِ». 3 فأجابَه يَهوذا: «لكِنَّ الرَّجُلَ هَدَّدَنا وقالَ: لا تَرَونَ وجهي إلاَّ وأخوكُم معَكُم. 4 فإنْ أرسَلْتَ أخانا معَنا نزَلْنا واشتَرَينا لكَ طَعاما، 5 وإنْ لم تُرسِلْهُ لا ننزِلُ، لأنَّ الرَّجُلَ قالَ لنا: لا ترَونَ وجهي إلاَّ وأخُوكُم معَكُم». 6 فقالَ يعقوبُ: «ولماذا أسأْتُم إليَّ وأَخبَرتُمُ الرَّجُلَ أنَّ لَكُم أخا آخَرَ؟» 7 قالوا: «سألَ الرَّجُلُ عنَّا وعَنْ عَشيرَ تِنا وقالَ: هل أبوكُم حَيٌّ بَعدُ؟ وهل لَكُم أخٌ؟ فرَدَدْنا لَه الجوابَ، فكيفَ كُنَّا نعرِف أنَّه سيَقولُ: أحضِروا أخاكُم؟»
8 وقالَ يَهوذا لأبِيه: «أرسِلِ الصَّبـيَّ معي حتّى نقومَ ونمضي، فنحيا ولا نموتُ نحنُ وأنتَ وأطفالُنا جميعا. 9 أنا أضمَنُه. ومِنْ يَدي تَطلبُهُ. إنْ لم أعُدْ بِه إليكَ سالما، فأنا مُخْطِـئٌ إليكَ طُولَ الزَّمانِ. 10 ولولا أنَّنا أضَعْنا وقتَنا، لكُنَّا الآنَ رَجَعْنا مرَّتينِ».
11 فقالَ لهُم أبوهُم: «إنْ كانَ لا بُدَّ مِنْ ذلِكَ فافْعلوه. خُذُوا مِنْ أطيـبِ فاكِهَةِ الأرضِ في أوعيتِكُم واحمِلْوها هديَّةً إلى الرَّجُلِ. خُذُوا شيئا مِنَ البَلْسَمِ، وشيئا مِنَ العسَلِ ومِسْكا وعِلْكا وفُستُقا ولَوزا. 12 وخُذوا معَكُم فِضَّةً أُخرى في أيديكُم: والفِضَّةُ المَرْدودَةُ في أفواهِ عِدالِكُم رُدُّوها معَكُم، فرُبَّما كانَ ذلِكَ سَهْوا. 13 وخُذُوا أخاكُم وقوموا ارجعُوا إلى الرَّجُلِ، 14 واللهُ القديرُ يجعَلُ الرَّجُلَ يرحَمُكُم فيُطلِقُ لكُم أخاكُم الآخرَ وبنيامينَ وإنْ فَقَدْتُ بَنيَّ أكونُ فَقَدْتُهُم».
15 فأخَذَ الإخوةُ هذِهِ الهديَّةَ، وأخَذُوا فِضَّةً أُخرى في أيدِيهِم وبنيامينَ وقامُوا ونزَلوا إلى مِصْرَ ووقَفوا في حَضْرةِ يوسُفَ. 16 فلمَّا رأَى يوسُفُ بنيامينَ معَهُم قالَ لِوَكِيلِ بَيتِه: «أَدخِلْ هؤلاءِ الرِّجالَ إلى البَيتِ واطبُخْ طَعاما وهَيِّئهُ ليأكُلوا معي عِندَ الظُّهرِ». 17 فأدخَلَهُمُ الرَّجُلُ إلى البَيتِ كما أمرَهُ يوسُفُ.
18 فخافوا لمَّا دخَلوا إلى بَيتِ يوسُفَ وقالوا: «أَدخَلَنا إلى هُنا بِسبَبِ الفِضَّةِ الّتي رُدَّت في عِدالِنا أوَّلَ مرَّةٍ ليستَضعفَنا ويَنقَضَّ علَينا ويأخُذَنا عبـيدا ويأخُذَ حميرَنا». 19 فتَقَدَّموا إلى وَكِيلِ بَيتِ يوسُفَ وقالوا لَه عِندَ بابِ البَيتِ: 20 «إسمَعْ يا سيِّدي، نزَلْنا إلى مِصْرَ أوَّلَ مرَّةٍ لِنشتَريَ طَعاما، 21 فلمَّا توَقَّفنا للمَبِيتِ في طريقِ عَودَتِنا، فَتَحْنا عِدَالَنا فوَجَدَ كُلُّ واحدٍ مِنَّا فِضَّتَهُ في فَمِ عِدْلِهِ بِكامِلِ وَزنِها، فرَدَدْناها معَنا 22 وجِئنا بِفِضَّةٍ أُخرى مَعَنا لِنَشتَرِيَ طَعاما، ونحنُ لا نعرِفُ مَنْ وضَعَ فِضَّتَنا في عِدَالِنا». 23 فقالَ الرَّجلُ: «سلامٌ لكُم. لا تخافوا. إلهُكُم وإلهُ أبـيكُم رَزَقَكُم كَنزا في عِدَالِكم، وأمَّا فِضَّتُكم فصارَت عِندي». ثُمَّ أخرَجَ إليهِم شِمعونَ 24 وأدخَلَهُم إلى بَيتِ يوسُفَ، وأَعطاهُم ماءً لِـيغسِلوا أرجُلَهم وعَلَفا لِحميرهِم. 25 وهيَّأوا الهديَّةَ ليوسُفَ حينَ يَجيءُ عِندَ الظُّهرِ، لأنَّهُم سَمِعوا بِأنَّهم سيأكُلونَ طَعامَهُم هُناكَ.
26 ولمَّا جاءَ يوسُفُ إلى البَيتِ قَدَّموا إليه الهديَّةَ الّتي معَهُم وسجَدوا لَه إلى الأرضِ. 27 فسألَهُم عَنْ سلامَتِهِم وقالَ: «هل أبوكُمُ الشَّيخُ الّذي ذَكَرتُموهُ لي في سلامٍ؟ أحيٌّ هوَ بَعدُ؟» 28 قالوا: «أبونا يا سيِّدي في سلامٍ، وهوَ حَيٌّ بَعدُ». وانحَنَوا لَه ساجدينَ. 29 فرَفَعَ عينَيهِ ونظَرَ إلى بنيامينَ أخيهِ ابنِ أُمِّهِ وقالَ: «أهذا أخوكُمُ الصَّغيرُ الّذي ذَكَرتُمُوه لي؟» وقالَ لَه: «يتَحَنَّنُ اللهُ علَيكَ يا ابْني». 30 ثُمَّ أسرَعَ يوسُفُ إلى الخارِجِ لأن قلبَه حَنَّ على أخيهِ وطَلَبَت نفْسُه البُكاءَ، فدخَلَ إلى غُرفتِهِ وبكَى هُناكَ. 31 ثُمَّ غسَلَ وجهَهُ وخرَجَ وتَمالَكَ نفْسَه وقالَ: «قدِّمُوا الطَّعامَ». 32 فقَدَّموا لَه وحدَهُ، ولهُم وحدَهم، ولِلمِصْريِّينَ الآكِلينَ عندَه وحدَهُم. لأنَّ المِصْريِّينَ لا يَجوزُ لهُم أنْ يأكُلوا معَ العِبرانيِّينَ لِئلاَّ يتَنَجَّسوا. 33 وجلَسَ الإخوَةُ قُدَّامَهُ، كُلُّ واحدٍ في مَرتَبتِهِ: البِكْرُ أوَّلا والصَّغيرُ آخِرا، فنَظَرَ القَومُ بَعضُهُم إلى بَعضٍ مُتَعَجِبـينَ. 34 وأرسَلَ يوسُفُ بَعضَ الطَّعامِ مِنْ مائِدَتِهِ إليهِم، فكانَت حِصَّةُ بنيامينَ خَمْسَةَ أضعافِ حِصَّةِ الواحدِ مِنهُم. وشرِبوا معَهُ حتى سَكِروا.
1 And the famine was sore in the land. 2 And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food. 3 And Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. 4 If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food: 5 But if thou wilt not send him , we will not go down: for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. 6 And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother? 7 And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down? 8 And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones. 9 I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever: 10 For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time.
11 And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds: 12 And take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight: 13 Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man: 14 And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children , I am bereaved.
15 ¶ And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph. 16 And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, Bring these men home, and slay, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon. 17 And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house. 18 And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses. 19 And they came near to the steward of Joseph’s house, and they communed with him at the door of the house, 20 And said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food: 21 And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand. 22 And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks. 23 And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them. 24 And the man brought the men into Joseph’s house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender. 25 And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.
26 ¶ And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth. 27 And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive? 28 And they answered, Thy servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive. And they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance. 29 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son. 30 And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there. 31 And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread. 32 And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians. 33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one at another. 34 And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin’s mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.