創世記44:1-34

44:1 約瑟吩咐家宰說：「把糧食裝滿這些人的口袋，儘著他們的驢所能馱的，又把各人的銀子放在各人的口袋裡，

44:2 並將我的銀杯和那少年人糴糧的銀子一同裝在他的口袋裡。」家宰就照約瑟所說的話行了；

44:3 天一亮就打發那些人帶著驢走了。

44:4 他們出城走了不遠，約瑟對家宰說：「起來，追那些人去，追上了就對他們說：『你們為甚麼以惡報善呢？

44:5 這不是我主人飲酒的杯嗎？豈不是他占卜用的嗎？你們這樣行是作惡了。』」

44:6 家宰追上他們，將這些話對他們說了。

44:7 他們回答說：「我主為甚麼說這樣的話呢？你僕人斷不能做這樣的事。

44:8 你看，我們從前在口袋裡所見的銀子，尚且從迦南地帶來還你，我們怎能從你主人家裡偷竊金銀呢？

44:9 你僕人中無論在誰那裡搜出來，就叫他死，我們也作我主的奴僕。」

44:10 家宰說：「現在就照你們的話行吧！在誰那裡搜出來，誰就作我的奴僕；其餘的都沒有罪。」

44:11 於是他們各人急忙把口袋卸在地下，各人打開口袋。

44:12 家宰就搜查，從年長的起到年幼的為止，那杯竟在便雅憫的口袋裡搜出來。

44:13 他們就撕裂衣服，各人把馱子抬在驢上，回城去了。

44:14 猶大和他弟兄們來到約瑟的屋中，約瑟還在那裡，他們就在他面前俯伏於地。

44:15 約瑟對他們說：「你們做的是甚麼事呢？你們豈不知像我這樣的人必能占卜嗎？」

44:16 猶大說：「我們對我主說甚麼呢？還有甚麼話可說呢？我們怎能自己表白出來呢？上帝已經查出僕人的罪孽了。我們與那在他手中搜出杯來的都是我主的奴僕。」

44:17 約瑟說：「我斷不能這樣行！在誰的手中搜出杯來，誰就作我的奴僕；至於你們，可以平平安安地上你們父親那裡去。」

44:18 猶大挨近他，說：「我主啊，求你容僕人說一句話給我主聽，不要向僕人發烈怒，因為你如同法老一樣。

44:19 我主曾問僕人們說：『你們有父親有兄弟沒有？』

44:20 我們對我主說：『我們有父親，已經年老，還有他老年所生的一個小孩子。他哥哥死了，他母親只撇下他一人，他父親疼愛他。』

44:21 你對僕人說：『把他帶到我這裡來，叫我親眼看看他。』

44:22 我們對我主說：『童子不能離開他父親，若是離開，他父親必死。』

44:23 你對僕人說：『你們的小兄弟若不與你們一同下來，你們就不得再見我的面。』

44:24 我們上到你僕人─我們父親那裡，就把我主的話告訴了他。

44:25 我們的父親說：『你們再去給我糴些糧來。』

44:26 我們就說：『我們不能下去。我們的小兄弟若和我們同往，我們就可以下去。因為，小兄弟若不與我們同往，我們必不得見那人的面。』

44:27 你僕人─我父親對我們說：『你們知道我的妻子給我生了兩個兒子。

44:28 一個離開我出去了；我說他必是被撕碎了，直到如今我也沒有見他。

44:29 現在你們又要把這個帶去離開我，倘若他遭害，那便是你們使我白髮蒼蒼、悲悲慘慘地下陰間去了。』

44:30 我父親的命與這童子的命相連。如今我回到你僕人─我父親那裡，若沒有童子與我們同在，

44:31 我們的父親見沒有童子，他就必死。這便是我們使你僕人─我們的父親白髮蒼蒼、悲悲慘慘地下陰間去了。

44:32 因為僕人曾向我父親為這童子作保，說：『我若不帶他回來交給父親，我便在父親面前永遠擔罪。』

44:33 現在求你容僕人住下，替這童子作我主的奴僕，叫童子和他哥哥們一同上去。

44:34 若童子不和我同去，我怎能上去見我父親呢？恐怕我看見災禍臨到我父親身上。」

Now Joseph gave these instructions to the steward of his house: “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man’s silver in the mouth of his sack. 2 Then put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the silver for his grain.” And he did as Joseph said.

3 As morning dawned, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys. 4 They had not gone far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, “Go after those men at once, and when you catch up with them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil? 5 Isn’t this the cup my master drinks from and also uses for divination? This is a wicked thing you have done.’”

6 When he caught up with them, he repeated these words to them. 7 But they said to him, “Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to do anything like that! 8 We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found inside the mouths of our sacks. So why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house? 9 If any of your servants is found to have it, he will die; and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves.”

10 “Very well, then,” he said, “let it be as you say. Whoever is found to have it will become my slave; the rest of you will be free from blame.”

11 Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. 12 Then the steward proceeded to search, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13 At this, they tore their clothes. Then they all loaded their donkeys and returned to the city.

14 Joseph was still in the house when Judah and his brothers came in, and they threw themselves to the ground before him. 15 Joseph said to them, “What is this you have done? Don’t you know that a man like me can find things out by divination?”

16 “What can we say to my lord?” Judah replied. “What can we say? How can we prove our innocence? God has uncovered your servants’ guilt. We are now my lord’s slaves—we ourselves and the one who was found to have the cup.”

17 But Joseph said, “Far be it from me to do such a thing! Only the man who was found to have the cup will become my slave. The rest of you, go back to your father in peace.”

18 Then Judah went up to him and said: “Pardon your servant, my lord, let me speak a word to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, though you are equal to Pharaoh himself. 19 My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’ 20 And we answered, ‘We have an aged father, and there is a young son born to him in his old age. His brother is dead, and he is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’

21 “Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me so I can see him for myself.’ 22 And we said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father; if he leaves him, his father will die.’ 23 But you told your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’ 24 When we went back to your servant my father, we told him what my lord had said.

25 “Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy a little more food.’ 26 But we said, ‘We cannot go down. Only if our youngest brother is with us will we go. We cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’

27 “Your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons. 28 One of them went away from me, and I said, “He has surely been torn to pieces.” And I have not seen him since. 29 If you take this one from me too and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in misery.’

30 “So now, if the boy is not with us when I go back to your servant my father, and if my father, whose life is closely bound up with the boy’s life, 31 sees that the boy isn’t there, he will die. Your servants will bring the gray head of our father down to the grave in sorrow. 32 Your servant guaranteed the boy’s safety to my father. I said, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, I will bear the blame before you, my father, all my life!’

33 “Now then, please let your servant remain here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers. 34 How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? No! Do not let me see the misery that would come on my father.”

************

    約瑟用巧計要將便雅憫留下。

創世記43章

    創世記43:1-34  ,

創世記43:1-34

43:1 那地的饑荒甚大。

43:2 他們從埃及帶來的糧食吃盡了，他們的父親就對他們說：「你們再去給我糴些糧來。」

43:3 猶大對他說：「那人諄諄地告誡我們說：『你們的兄弟若不與你們同來，你們就不得見我的面。』

43:4 你若打發我們的兄弟與我們同去，我們就下去給你糴糧；

43:5 你若不打發他去，我們就不下去，因為那人對我們說：『你們的兄弟若不與你們同來，你們就不得見我的面。』」

43:6 以色列說：「你們為甚麼這樣害我，告訴那人你們還有兄弟呢？」

43:7 他們回答說：「那人詳細問到我們和我們的親屬，說：『你們的父親還在嗎？你們還有兄弟嗎？』我們就按著他所問的告訴他，焉能知道他要說『必須把你們的兄弟帶下來』呢？」

43:8 猶大又對他父親以色列說：「你打發童子與我同去，我們就起身下去，好叫我們和你，並我們的婦人孩子，都得存活，不至於死。

43:9 我為他作保；你可以從我手中追討，我若不帶他回來交在你面前，我情願永遠擔罪。

43:10 我們若沒有耽擱，如今第二次都回來了。」

43:11 他們的父親以色列說：「若必須如此，你們就當這樣行：可以將這地土產中最好的乳香、蜂蜜、香料、沒藥、榧子、杏仁都取一點，收在器具裡，帶下去送給那人作禮物，

43:12 又要手裡加倍地帶銀子，並將歸還在你們口袋內的銀子仍帶在手裡；那或者是錯了。

43:13 也帶著你們的兄弟，起身去見那人。

43:14 但願全能的上帝使你們在那人面前蒙憐憫，釋放你們的那弟兄和便雅憫回來。我若喪了兒子，就喪了吧！」

43:15 於是，他們拿著那禮物，又手裡加倍地帶銀子，並且帶著便雅憫，起身下到埃及，站在約瑟面前。

43:16 約瑟見便雅憫和他們同來，就對家宰說：「將這些人領到屋裡。要宰殺牲畜，預備筵席，因為晌午這些人同我吃飯。」

43:17 家宰就遵著約瑟的命去行，領他們進約瑟的屋裡。

43:18 他們因為被領到約瑟的屋裡，就害怕，說：「領我們到這裡來，必是因為頭次歸還在我們口袋裡的銀子，找我們的錯縫，下手害我們，強取我們為奴僕，搶奪我們的驢。」

43:19 他們就挨近約瑟的家宰，在屋門口和他說話，

43:20 說：「我主啊，我們頭次下來實在是要糴糧。

43:21 後來到了住宿的地方，我們打開口袋，不料，各人的銀子，分量足數，仍在各人的口袋內，現在我們手裡又帶回來了。

43:22 另外又帶下銀子來糴糧。不知道先前誰把銀子放在我們的口袋裡。」

43:23 家宰說：「你們可以放心，不要害怕，是你們的上帝和你們父親的上帝賜給你們財寶在你們的口袋裡；你們的銀子，我早已收了。」他就把西緬帶出來，交給他們。

43:24 家宰就領他們進約瑟的屋裡，給他們水洗腳，又給他們草料餵驢。

43:25 他們就預備那禮物，等候約瑟晌午來，因為他們聽見要在那裡吃飯。

43:26 約瑟來到家裡，他們就把手中的禮物拿進屋去給他，又俯伏在地，向他下拜。

43:27 約瑟問他們好，又問：「你們的父親─就是你們所說的那老人家平安嗎？他還在嗎？」

43:28 他們回答說：「你僕人─我們的父親平安；他還在。」於是他們低頭下拜。

43:29 約瑟舉目看見他同母的兄弟便雅憫，就說：「你們向我所說那頂小的兄弟就是這位嗎？」又說：「小兒啊，願上帝賜恩給你！」

43:30 約瑟愛弟之情發動，就急忙尋找可哭之地，進入自己的屋裡，哭了一場。

43:31 他洗了臉出來，勉強隱忍，吩咐人擺飯。

43:32 他們就為約瑟單擺了一席，為那些人又擺了一席，也為和約瑟同吃飯的埃及人另擺了一席，因為埃及人不可和希伯來人一同吃飯；那原是埃及人所厭惡的。

43:33 約瑟使眾弟兄在他面前排列坐席，都按著長幼的次序，眾弟兄就彼此詫異。

43:34 約瑟把他面前的食物分出來，送給他們；但便雅憫所得的比別人多五倍。他們就飲酒，和約瑟一同宴樂。

Now the famine was still severe in the land. 2 So when they had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”

3 But Judah said to him, “The man warned us solemnly, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’ 4 If you will send our brother along with us, we will go down and buy food for you. 5 But if you will not send him, we will not go down, because the man said to us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’”

6 Israel asked, “Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man you had another brother?”

7 They replied, “The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our family. ‘Is your father still living?’ he asked us. ‘Do you have another brother?’ We simply answered his questions. How were we to know he would say, ‘Bring your brother down here’?”

8 Then Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the boy along with me and we will go at once, so that we and you and our children may live and not die. 9 I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life. 10 As it is, if we had not delayed, we could have gone and returned twice.”

11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift—a little balm and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds. 12 Take double the amount of silver with you, for you must return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake. 13 Take your brother also and go back to the man at once. 14 And may God Almighty[a] grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”

15 So the men took the gifts and double the amount of silver, and Benjamin also. They hurried down to Egypt and presented themselves to Joseph. 16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my house, slaughter an animal and prepare a meal; they are to eat with me at noon.”

17 The man did as Joseph told him and took the men to Joseph’s house. 18 Now the men were frightened when they were taken to his house. They thought, “We were brought here because of the silver that was put back into our sacks the first time. He wants to attack us and overpower us and seize us as slaves and take our donkeys.”

19 So they went up to Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. 20 “We beg your pardon, our lord,” they said, “we came down here the first time to buy food. 21 But at the place where we stopped for the night we opened our sacks and each of us found his silver—the exact weight—in the mouth of his sack. So we have brought it back with us. 22 We have also brought additional silver with us to buy food. We don’t know who put our silver in our sacks.”

23 “It’s all right,” he said. “Don’t be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks; I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.

24 The steward took the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet and provided fodder for their donkeys. 25 They prepared their gifts for Joseph’s arrival at noon, because they had heard that they were to eat there.

26 When Joseph came home, they presented to him the gifts they had brought into the house, and they bowed down before him to the ground. 27 He asked them how they were, and then he said, “How is your aged father you told me about? Is he still living?”

28 They replied, “Your servant our father is still alive and well.” And they bowed down, prostrating themselves before him.

29 As he looked about and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?” And he said, “God be gracious to you, my son.” 30 Deeply moved at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept there.

31 After he had washed his face, he came out and, controlling himself, said, “Serve the food.”

32 They served him by himself, the brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, for that is detestable to Egyptians. 33 The men had been seated before him in the order of their ages, from the firstborn to the youngest; and they looked at each other in astonishment. 34 When portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as anyone else’s. So they feasted and drank freely with him.

************

    約瑟的巧計成就了，為了糧食的需要，哥哥們非得將便雅憫帶去。

箴言26:3

鞭子是為打馬，轡頭是為勒驢；刑杖是為打愚昧人的背。

A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,

    and a rod for the backs of fools!

***********

    人和動物或畜生不一樣的地方是人會思考與自覺，但是動物或畜生是不會的！就像馬和驢需要邊子和轡頭，作為動力和指引。可是「愚昧人」，不知敬畏耶和華上帝，就像畜生一般，需要刑杖來作動力與指引。

    敬畏耶和華的人，就是受聖靈引導的人，心中會有指引與動力，就不需要靠刑杖來完成。不僅如此，詩篇16篇11節還說：「你必將生命的道路指示我。在你面前有滿足的喜樂；在你右手中有永遠的福樂。」

    所以，敬畏上帝的人，必定會得著「滿足的喜樂」和「永遠的福樂」！也惟有上帝可以讓我們活出人該有的尊嚴，在聖靈的引導下，心中喜樂與滿足，型在恩典與蒙福的路上！