1 En die hongersnood was swaar in die land.
2 En nadat die koring wat hulle uit Egipte gebring het, opgeëet was, sê hulle vader vir hulle: Gaan koop vir ons weer 'n bietjie voedsel.
3 Toe het Juda hom geantwoord: Die man het ons uitdruklik gewaarsku en gesê: Julle sal my aangesig nie sien as julle broer nie by julle is nie.
4 As u ons broer saam met ons stuur, sal ons aftrek en vir u voedsel koop;
5 maar as u hom nie stuur nie, sal ons nie aftrek nie; want die man het aan ons gesê: Julle sal my aangesig nie sien as julle broer nie by julle is nie.
6 Toe sê Israel: Waarom het julle so verkeerd teen my gehandel deur die man te vertel dat julle nog 'n broer het?
7 En hulle antwoord: Die man het uitdruklik na ons en ons familie gevra met die woorde: Lewe julle vader nog? Het julle nog 'n broer? Toe het ons hom dit te kenne gegee volgens hierdie woorde. Kon ons dan ooit weet dat hy sou sê: Bring julle broer af?
8 Daarop sê Juda aan sy vader Israel: Stuur die seun saam met my; dan sal ons klaarmaak en wegtrek, sodat ons kan lewe en nie sterwe nie -- ons en ook u en ons kinders nie.
9 Ek sal vir hom borg wees; van my hand kan u hom eis. As ek hom nie na u bring en voor u stel nie, sal ek lewenslank teenoor u skuldig staan.
10 Ja, as ons nie getalm het nie, waarlik dan was ons nou al twee maal terug.
11 Toe het Israel, hulle vader, vir hulle gesê: As dit so is, doen dan dit: neem van die opbrings van die land in julle sakke en bring vir die man 'n geskenk af -- bietjie balsem en bietjie heuning, speserye en gom, neute en amandels;
12 en neem dubbel soveel geld met julle saam en bring die geld wat weer bo in julle sakke gesit is, met julle saam terug. Miskien was dit 'n vergissing.
13 En neem julle broer -- maak julle klaar en gaan terug na die man.
14 En mag God, die Almagtige, julle barmhartigheid verleen by die man, sodat hy julle ander broer en Benjamin saam met julle kan laat trek! En ek -- as ek van kinders beroof is, dan is ek beroof.
15 Daarop neem die manne die geskenk, en hulle neem dubbel soveel geld saam met hulle en ook Benjamin, en hulle het klaargemaak en na Egipte afgetrek en voor Josef gaan staan.
16 Toe Josef Benjamin by hulle sien, sê hy aan die opsigter oor sy huis: Bring die manne in die huis en slag slagvee en maak dit gereed, want die manne moet vanmiddag by my eet.
17 En die man het gedoen soos Josef beveel het, en die man het die manne in die huis van Josef gebring.
18 En die manne het gevrees, omdat hulle in die huis van Josef gebring is, en gesê: Ter wille van die geld wat die vorige keer in ons sakke teruggekom het, word ons ingebring om ons te oorrompel, ons te oorval en ons as slawe te neem, saam met ons esels.
19 Daarom het hulle nader gekom na die man wat oor die huis van Josef was, en met hom gespreek by die ingang van die huis
20 en gesê: Ag, my heer, ons het die vorige keer net afgetrek om voedsel te koop,
21 maar toe ons in die herberg kom en ons sakke oopmaak, was elkeen se geld bo in sy sak -- ons geld volgens sy gewig -- en ons het dit saam met ons teruggebring.
22 Ons het ook ander geld saam met ons afgebring om voedsel te koop. Ons weet nie wie ons geld in ons sakke gesteek het nie.
23 Toe antwoord hy: Vrede vir julle! Moenie bang wees nie! Julle God en die God van julle vader het julle 'n skat in jul sakke gegee. Julle geld het by my gekom. Daarop het hy S¡meon na hulle uitgebring.
24 En die man het die manne in die huis van Josef gebring en water aan hulle gegee, en hulle het hul voete gewas; hy het ook hulle esels voer gegee.
25 En hulle het die geskenk reggemaak teen dat Josef die middag sou kom, want hulle het gehoor dat hulle daar brood sou eet.
26 Toe Josef dan in die huis kom, het hulle vir hom die geskenk binnegebring wat by hulle was, en hulle voor hom neergebuig na die aarde toe.
27 En hy het hulle na hul welstand gevra en gesê: Gaan dit goed met julle ou vader van wie julle gespreek het? Leef hy nog?
28 En hulle antwoord: Dit gaan goed met u dienaar, ons vader; hy lewe nog. En hulle het hul eerbiedig neergebuig.
29 Toe slaan hy sy oë op en sien sy broer Benjamin, die seun van sy moeder, en sê: Is dit julle jongste broer van wie julle met my gespreek het? Daarop sê hy: Mag God jou genadig wees, my seun!
30 En Josef het gou gemaak, want sy binneste was ontroerd oor sy broer: hy het geleentheid gesoek om te ween en in die kamer gegaan en daar geween.
31 Daarna het hy sy gesig gewas en uitgekom en hom bedwing en gesê: Bring die ete op!
32 Toe bring hulle dit vir hom besonders op en vir hulle besonders en vir die Egiptenaars wat by hom eet, besonders; want die Egiptenaars mag nie saam met die Hebreërs eet nie, omdat dit vir die Egiptenaars 'n gruwel is.
33 En hulle het gaan sit volgens sy bepaling, die eersgeborene na sy eersgeboorte en die jongste na sy jonkheid. Toe kyk die manne mekaar verbaas aan.
34 Hierop het hy aan hulle porsies uitgedeel van die ete wat voor hom staan; maar die porsie van Benjamin was vyf maal groter as die porsies van hulle almal. En hulle het gedrink en saam met hom vrolik geword.
1 \43:2\And when the grain which they had got in Egypt was all used up, their father said to them, Go again and get us a little food.
2 \43:3\And Judah said to him, The man said to us with an oath, You are not to come before me again without your brother.
3 \43:4\If you will let our brother go with us, we will go down and get food:
4 \43:5\But if you will not send him, we will not go down: for the man said to us, You are not to come before me if your brother is not with you.
5 \43:6\And Israel said, Why were you so cruel to me as to say to him that you had a brother?
6 \43:7\And they said, The man put a number of questions to us about ourselves and our family, saying, Is your father still living? have you another brother? And we had to give him answers; how were we to have any idea that he would say, Come back with your brother?
7 \43:8\Then Judah said to Israel, his father, Send the boy with me, and let us be up and going, so that we and you and our little ones may not come to destruction.
8 \43:9\Put him into my care and make me responsible for him: if I do not give him safely back to you, let mine be the sin for ever.
9 \43:10\Truly, if we had not let the time go by, we might have come back again by now.
10 \43:11\Then their father Israel said to them, If it has to be so, then do this: take of the best fruits of the land in your vessels to give the man, perfumes and honey and spices and nuts:
11 \43:12\And take twice as much money with you; that is to say, take back the money which was put in your bags, for it may have been an error;
12 \43:13\And take your brother and go back to the man:
13 \43:14\And may God, the Ruler of all, give you mercy before the man, so that he may give you back your other brother and Benjamin. If my children are to be taken from me; there is no help for it.
14 \43:15\So they took what their father said for the man, and twice as much money in their hands, and Benjamin, and went on their journey to Egypt, and came before Joseph.
15 \43:16\And when Joseph saw Benjamin, he said to his chief servant, Take these men into my house, and make ready a meal, for they will take food with me in the middle of the day.
16 \43:17\And the servant did as Joseph said, and took the men into Joseph's house.
17 \43:18\Now the men were full of fear because they had been taken into Joseph's house and they said, It is because of the money which was put back in our bags the first time; he is looking for something against us, so that he may come down on us and take us and our asses for his use.
18 \43:19\So they went up to Joseph's chief servant at the door of the house,
19 \43:20\And said, O my lord, we only came down the first time to get food;
20 \43:21\And when we came to our night's resting-place, on opening our bags we saw that every man's money was in the mouth of his bag, all our money in full weight: and we have it with us to give it back;
21 \43:22\As well as more money, with which to get food: we have no idea who put our money in our bags.
22 \43:23\Then the servant said, Peace be with you: have no fear: your God, even the God of your father, has put wealth in your bags for you: I had your money. Then he let Simeon come out to them.
23 \43:24\And the servant took them into Joseph's house, and gave them water for washing their feet; and he gave their asses food.
24 \43:25\And they got ready the things for Joseph before he came in the middle of the day: for word was given to them that they were to have a meal there.
25 \43:26\And when Joseph came in, they gave him the things which they had for him, and went down to the earth before him.
26 \43:27\And he said, How are you? is your father well, the old man of whom you were talking to me? is he still living?
27 \43:28\And they said, Your servant, our father, is well, he is still living. And they went down on their faces before him.
28 \43:29\Then, lifting up his eyes, he saw Benjamin, his brother, his mother's son, and he said, Is this your youngest brother of whom you gave me word? And he said, God be good to you, my son.
29 \43:30\Then Joseph's heart went out to his brother, and he went quickly into his room, for he was overcome with weeping.
30 \43:31\Then, after washing his face, he came out, and controlling his feelings said, Put food before us.
31 \43:32\And they put a meal ready for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians who were with him by themselves; because the Egyptians may not take food with the Hebrews, for that would make them unclean.
32 \43:33\And they were all given their seats before him in order of birth, from the oldest to the youngest: so that they were looking at one another in wonder.
33 \43:34\And Joseph sent food to them from his table, but he sent five times as much to Benjamin as to any of the others. And they took wine freely with him.