43:1 地上的饥荒仍然严重。
Now the famine in the land grew more severe. 43:2 他们吃完了由埃及带来的粮食，父亲对他们说：「你们再去给我们买点粮食来吃!」
So when they had used up all the rations they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, "Go back and procure us a little more food." 43:3 犹大立即回答父亲说：「那人明明告诉我们说：你们若不带弟弟一起来，你们休想见我的面。
But Judah replied: "The man strictly warned us, 'You shall not appear in my presence unless your brother is with you.' 43:4 你若让我们的弟弟与我们一同去，我们就下去给你买些粮食来；
If you are willing to let our brother go with us, we will go down to procure food for you. 43:5 你若不让他去，我们也不下去；因为那人对我们说过：「你们若不带弟弟与你们一同来，你们休想见我的面。」
But if you are not willing, we will not go down, because the man told us, 'You shall not appear in my presence unless your brother is with you.'" 43:6 以色列说：「你们为什么这样害我，告诉那人你们还有个弟弟﹖」
Israel demanded, "Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man that you had another brother?" 43:7 他们回答说：「那人再三再四问我们和我们的家庭说：「你们的父亲是否还活着﹖你们是否另有个兄弟﹖我们只得照这些话答复他。那里会知道他要说：带你们的兄弟一同下来﹖」
They answered: "The man kept asking about ourselves 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 say, 'Bring your brother down here'?" 43:8 犹大又对他父亲以色列说：「你叫孩童与我同去，我们就起身前去；这样，我们和你并我们的幼儿，可以生活，不致饿死。
Then Judah urged his father Israel: "Let the boy go with me, that we may be off and on our way if you and we and our children are to keep from starving to death. 43:9 我为他担保，你可由我手中要人；如果我不将他带回，交在你面前，我在你前终生负罪。
I myself will stand surety for him. You can hold me responsible for him. If I fail to bring him back, to set him in your presence, you can hold it against me forever. 43:10 假使我们没有迟延，现在第二次也回来了!」
Had we not dilly-dallied, we could have been there and back twice by now!" 43:11 他们的父亲以色列对他们说：「如果必须如此，你们就这样做：在行李内带些本地最好的出产，一些香液、蜂蜜、树胶、香料、榧子和杏仁，下去送给那人当作礼物。
Their father Israel then told them: "If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the land’s best products in your baggage and take them down to the man as gifts: some balm and honey, gum and resin, and pistachios and almonds. 43:12 手中多带一倍银钱，将那放在你们粮袋口的银钱，也一并带上，这或者是出于一时的错误。
Also take extra money along, for you must return the amount that was put back in the mouths of your bags; it may have been a mistake. 43:13 并且带着你们的弟弟起身往那人那里去。
Take your brother, too, and be off on your way back to the man. 43:14 愿全能的天主使你们在那人面前蒙恩，放回你们那个兄弟和本雅明；至于我，如要丧子，就丧子罢!」
May God Almighty dispose the man to be merciful toward you, so that he may let your other brother go, as well as Benjamin. As for me, if I am to suffer bereavement, I shall suffer it." 43:15 这一伙人于是带了那些礼物，手中带上双倍银钱，带本雅明起身下到埃及去，到了若瑟面前。
So the men got the gifts, took double the amount of money with them, and, accompanied by Benjamin, were off on their way down to Egypt to present themselves to Joseph. 43:16 若瑟一看见他们和本雅明，就对自己的管家说：「带这些人到家里去，宰牲设宴，中午这些人要与我一起吃饭。」
When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he told his head steward, "Take these men into the house, and have an animal slaughtered and prepared, for they are to dine with me at noon." 43:17 管家就依照若瑟吩咐的做了，将这些人带到若瑟家中。
Doing as Joseph had ordered, the steward conducted the men to Joseph’s house. 43:18 这些人一进入了若瑟的家，就害怕起来，心里想：「他带我们到这里来，定是为了上次放回我们袋里银钱的事，想找我们的错处，加害我们，拿住我们当奴隶，夺取我们的驴。」
But on being led to his house, they became apprehensive. "It must be," they thought, "on account of the money put back in our bags the first time, that we are taken inside; they want to use it as a pretext to attack us and take our donkeys and seize us as slaves." 43:19 他们于是走到若瑟的管家前，在房门口同他谈起这事，
So they went up to Joseph’s head steward and talked to him at the entrance of the house. 43:20 说：「我主，请原谅：我们上次下到这里来购买粮食，
"If you please, sir," they said, "we came down here once before to procure food. 43:21 当我们到了客栈，打开我们的布袋时，发见各人的银钱仍在各人的布袋口，我们的银钱一分不少；现在我们又亲手带回来了。
But when we arrived at a night’s encampment and opened our bags, there was each man’s money in the mouth of his bag ?our money in the full amount! We have now brought it back. 43:22 此外我们手中又带了些银钱，来购买粮食；我们不知道是谁将我们的银钱放在我们的布袋内。」
We have brought other money to procure food with. We do not know who put the first money in our bags." 43:23 管家答说：「请你们放心，不必害怕!是你们的天主，你们祖先的天主，在你们的布袋里给你们放上了财宝；你们的银钱我已经收了。」以后给他们领出西默盎来。
"Be at ease," he replied; "you have no need to fear. Your God and the God of your father must have put treasures in your bags for you. As for your money, I received it." With that, he led Simeon out to them. 43:24 管家领这些人到了若瑟家里，先给他们拿水洗了脚，然后拿草料喂了驴。
The steward then brought the men inside Joseph’s house. He gave them water to bathe their feet, and got fodder for their donkeys. 43:25 他们遂将礼物预备好，等候若瑟中午回来；因为听说，他们要在那里吃午饭。
Then they set out their gifts to await Joseph’s arrival at noon, for they had heard that they were to dine there. 43:26 若瑟回到家里，他们就将手中的礼物献给他，俯首至地向他下拜。
When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought inside, while they bowed down before him to the ground. 43:27 若瑟先向他们问安，然后说：「你们以前所说的老父好么﹖还健在么﹖」
After inquiring how they were, he asked them, "And how is your aged father, of whom you spoke? Is he still in good health?" 43:28 他们答说：「你的仆人，我们的父亲还好，还健在。」遂又鞠躬下拜。
"Your servant our father is thriving and still in good health," they said, as they bowed respectfully. 43:29 若瑟举目，见了他母亲亲生的弟弟本雅明，就问说：「这就是你们对我说的那小弟弟吗﹖」继而说：「孩子，愿天主保佑你!」
When Joseph’s eye fell on his full brother Benjamin, he asked, "Is this your youngest brother, of whom you told me?" Then he said to him, "May God be gracious to you, my boy!" 43:30 若瑟爱弟情切，想要流泪，赶快进了自己的内室，在那里哭了一场；
With that, Joseph had to hurry out, for he was so overcome with affection for his brother that he was on the verge of tears. He went into a private room and wept there. 43:31 然后洗脸出来，勉强抑制自己，吩咐说：「摆饭罢!」
After washing his face, he reappeared and, now in control of himself, gave the order, "Serve the meal." 43:32 人就给若瑟摆了一席，为他们摆了一席，为与若瑟一起吃饭的埃及人另摆了一席；因为埃及人不能同希伯来人一起吃饭，这为他们是个耻辱。
It was served separately to him, to the brothers, and to the Egyptians who partook of his board. (Egyptians may not eat with Hebrews; that is abhorrent to them.) 43:33 他们便在若瑟前，安排就坐，全按长幼的次序，长者在上，幼者在下；众兄弟彼此相看，惊奇不已。
When they were seated by his directions according to their age, from the oldest to the youngest, they looked at one another in amazement; 43:34 若瑟将自己面前的食物分开，分给他们；但本雅明的一分，比其余的人多五倍。他们遂与若瑟饮酒宴乐。
and as portions were brought to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times as large as anyone else’s. So they drank freely and made merry with him.