| 1 Cuando Jacob se enteró de que había grano en Egipto, dijo a sus hijos: «¿Qué hacéis mirándoos unos a otros?». | 1 Then Jacob, hearing that food was being sold in Egypt, said to his sons: “Why are you negligent? |
| 2 Y añadió: «He oído que hay grano en Egipto. Bajad allá y comprad allí para nosotros, a fin de que sobrevivamos y no muramos». | 2 I have heard that wheat is being sold in Egypt. Go down and buy necessities for us, so that we may be able to live, and not be consumed by destitution.” |
| 3 Bajaron, pues, diez hermanos de José a comprar grano en Egipto. | 3 And so, when ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain in Egypt, |
| 4 A Benjamín, hermano de José, Jacob no lo dejó marchar con sus hermanos, temiendo que le sucediera una desgracia. | 4 Benjamin was kept at home by Jacob, who said to his brothers, “Lest perhaps he may suffer harm on the journey.” |
| 5 Los hijos de Israel fueron a Egipto a comprar grano junto con otros grupos, pues había hambre en la tierra de Canaán. | 5 And they entered into the land of Egypt with the others who traveled to buy. For the famine was in the land of Canaan. |
| 6 José mandaba en el país y distribuía las raciones a todo el mundo. Vinieron, pues, los hermanos de José y se postraron ante él, rostro en tierra. | 6 And Joseph was governor in the land of Egypt, and grain was sold under his direction to the people. And when his brothers had reverenced him |
| 7 Al ver a sus hermanos José los reconoció, pero él no se dio a conocer, sino que les habló duramente: «¿De dónde venís?». Contestaron: «De la tierra de Canaán a comprar provisiones». | 7 and he had recognized them, he spoke harshly, as if to foreigners, questioning them: “Where did you come from?” And they responded, “From the land of Canaan, to buy necessary provisions.” |
| 8 José reconoció a sus hermanos, pero ellos no lo reconocieron. | 8 And although he knew his brothers, he was not known by them. |
| 9 Se acordó José de los sueños que había tenido acerca de ellos y les dijo: «¡Sois espías! Habéis venido a observar los lugares indefensos del país». | 9 And remembering the dreams, which he had seen in another time, he said to them: “You are scouts. You have come in order to see which parts of the land are weaker.” |
| 10 Le respondieron: «¡No, señor! Tus servidores han venido a comprar provisiones. | 10 And they said: “It is not so, my lord. But your servants have arrived in order to buy food. |
| 11 Todos nosotros somos hijos del mismo padre; somos personas honradas. Tus servidores no son espías». | 11 We are all sons of one man. We have come in peace, nor do any of your subjects devise evil.” |
| 12 Pero él insistió: «No es cierto, habéis venido a observar los lugares indefensos del país». | 12 And he answered them: “It is otherwise. You have come to examine the unguarded parts of this land.” |
| 13 Contestaron: «Nosotros, tus servidores, éramos doce hermanos, hijos del mismo padre en la tierra de Canaán; el menor se ha quedado con nuestro padre y el otro desapareció». | 13 But they said: “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is with our father; the other is not living.” |
| 14 José replicó: «Lo que yo decía: sois espías. | 14 He said: “This is just as I have said. You are scouts. |
| 15 Pero voy a poneros a prueba: ¡Por vida del faraón que no saldréis de aquí hasta que no venga vuestro hermano menor! | 15 I will now continue to put you to the test. By the health of Pharaoh, you will not depart from here, until your youngest brother arrives. |
| 16 Enviad a uno de vosotros y que traiga a vuestro hermano, mientras los demás quedáis presos; así probaréis que decís la verdad; de lo contrario, ¡por vida del faraón, que sois unos espías!». | 16 Send one of you and bring him. But you will be in chains, until what you have said is proven to be either true or false. Otherwise, by the health of Pharaoh, you are scouts.” |
| 17 Y los hizo detener durante tres días. | 17 Therefore, he delivered them into custody for three days. |
| 18 Al tercer día, José les dijo: «Yo temo a Dios, por eso haréis lo siguiente, y salvaréis la vida: | 18 Then, on the third day, he brought them out of prison, and he said: “Do as I have said, and you will live. For I fear God. |
| 19 si sois honrados, uno de vosotros quedará bajo custodia en la casa donde estáis detenidos y los demás irán a llevar el grano a sus familias hambrientas. | 19 If you are peaceful, let one of your brothers be bound in prison. Then you may go away and carry the grain that you have bought to your houses. |
| 20 Después me traeréis a vuestro hermano menor; así probaréis que habéis dicho la verdad y no moriréis». Ellos aceptaron. | 20 And bring your youngest brother to me, so that I may be able to test your words, and you may not die.” They did as he had said, |
| 21 Entonces se dijeron unos a otros: «Estamos pagando el delito contra nuestro hermano, cuando le veíamos suplicarnos angustiado y no le hicimos caso; por eso nos sucede esta desgracia». | 21 and they spoke to one another: “We deserve to suffer these things, because we have sinned against our brother, seeing the anguish of his soul, when he begged us and we would not listen. For that reason, this tribulation has come upon us.” |
| 22 Intervino Rubén: «¿No os decía yo: “No pequéis contra el muchacho”, y vosotros no me hicisteis caso? Ahora nos piden cuentas de su sangre». | 22 And Reuben, one of them, said: “Did not I say to you, ‘Do not sin against the boy,’ and you would not listen to me? See, his blood is exacted.” |
| 23 Ellos no sabían que José les entendía, pues había usado intérprete. | 23 But they did not know that Joseph understood, because he was speaking to them through an interpreter. |
| 24 Él se retiró y lloró; después volvió a ellos y escogió a Simeón, a quien hizo encadenar en su presencia. | 24 And he turned himself away briefly and wept. And returning, he spoke to them. |
| 25 José mandó que les llenasen de grano los sacos, que metieran el dinero de cada uno en su saco y que les dieran provisiones para el camino. Y así se hizo. | 25 And taking Simeon, and binding him in their presence, he ordered his ministers to fill their sacks with wheat, and to replace each one’s money in their sacks, and to give them, in addition, provisions for the way. And they did so. |
| 26 Cargaron el grano sobre los asnos y se marcharon de allí. | 26 Then, having loaded their donkeys with the grain, they set out. |
| 27 Cuando uno de ellos abrió el saco para echar pienso al asno en la posada, vio que su dinero estaba en la boca del saco | 27 And one of them, opening a sack to give his beast of burden fodder at the inn, looked upon the money at the sack’s mouth, |
| 28 y dijo a sus hermanos: «Me han devuelto el dinero; está aquí en mi saco». Se les sobresaltó su corazón y, temblando, se decían unos a otros: «¿Qué ha hecho Dios con nosotros?». | 28 and he said to his brothers: “My money has returned to me. See, it is held in the sack.” And they were astonished and troubled, and they said to one another, “What is this that God has done to us?” |
| 29 Cuando llegaron a casa de su padre Jacob, la tierra de Canaán, le contaron todo lo sucedido: | 29 And they went to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, and they explained to him all the things that had befallen them, saying: |
| 30 «El hombre, señor de aquel país, nos habló duramente y nos tomó por espías de su tierra. | 30 “The lord of the land spoke harshly to us, and he considered us to be scouts of the province. |
| 31 Nosotros le dijimos: “Somos personas honradas, no espías. | 31 And we answered him: ‘We are peaceful, and we do not intend any treachery. |
| 32 Éramos doce hermanos, hijos del mismo padre; uno desapareció, y el menor se ha quedado con nuestro padre en la tierra de Canaán”. | 32 We are twelve brothers conceived of one father. One is not living; the youngest is with our father in the land of Canaan.’ |
| 33 Pero el hombre, señor de aquella tierra, nos dijo: “En esto conoceré que sois honrados: dejad conmigo a uno de los hermanos; los demás, vayan a llevar el grano a sus familias hambrientas. | 33 And he said to us: ‘Thus will I prove that you are peaceful. Release one of your brothers to me, and take necessary provisions for your houses, and go away, |
| 34 Luego me traeréis a vuestro hermano menor, y así sabré que sois honrados, y no unos espías. Entonces os devolveré a vuestro hermano, y podréis moveros libremente por el país”». | 34 and bring your youngest brother to me, so that I may know that you are not scouts. And this one, who is held in chains, you may be able to receive again. And thereafter, you shall have permission to buy what you want.’ ” |
| 35 Cuando vaciaron los sacos, cada uno tenía la bolsa de su dinero en su propio saco. Al ver las bolsas de su dinero, ellos y su padre se asustaron. | 35 Having said this, when they poured out their grain, each found his money tied to the mouth of his sack. And all were terrified together. |
| 36 Jacob, su padre, les dijo: «Me vais a dejar sin hijos. José desapareció, Simeón desapareció, y ahora os queréis llevar a Benjamín. Todo recae sobre mí». | 36 Their father Jacob said, “You have caused me to be without children. Joseph is not living, Simeon is held in chains, and Benjamin you would carry away. All these evils have fallen back upon me.” |
| 37 Pero Rubén contestó a su padre: «Haz morir a mis dos hijos si no te lo devuelvo; ponlo en mis manos y te lo devolveré». | 37 And Reuben answered him, “Put my two sons to death, if I do not lead him back to you. Deliver him into my hand, and I will restore him to you.” |
| 38 Él dijo: «Mi hijo no bajará con vosotros. Su hermano murió, y solo me queda él. Si le ocurriera una desgracia en el viaje que vais a emprender, hundiríais de pena mis canas en el abismo». | 38 But he said: “My son will not go down with you. His brother is dead, and he is left alone. If any adversity will befall him in the land to which you travel, you would lead my grey hairs down with sorrow to the grave.” |
