Liber Genesis, 42

1. audiens autem Jacob quod alimenta venderentur in Ægypto dixit filiis suis quare neglegitis

1. And Jacob hearing that food was sold in Egypt, said to his sons: Why are ye careless?

2. audivi quod triticum venundetur in Ægypto descendite et emite nobis necessaria ut possimus vivere et non consumamur inopia

2. I have heard that wheat is sold in Egypt: go ye down, and buy us necessaries, that we may live, and not be consumed with want.

3. descendentes igitur fratres Joseph decem ut emerent frumenta in Ægypto

3. So the ten brethren of Joseph went down, to buy corn in Egypt:

4. Beniamin domi retento ab Jacob qui dixerat fratribus ejus ne forte in itinere quicquam patiatur mali

4. Whilst Benjamin was kept at home by Jacob, who said to his brethren: Lest perhaps he take any harm in the journey.

5. ingressi sunt terram Ægypti cum aliis qui pergebant ad emendum erat autem fames in terra Chanaan

5. And they entered into the land of Egypt with others that went to buy. For the famine was in the land of Chanaan.

6. et Joseph princeps Ægypti atque ad illius nutum frumenta populis vendebantur cumque adorassent eum fratres sui

6. And Joseph was governor in the land of Egypt, and corn was sold by his direction to the people. And when his brethren had bowed down to him,

7. et agnovisset eos quasi ad alienos durius loquebatur interrogans eos unde venistis qui responderunt de terra Chanaan ut emamus victui necessaria

7. And he knew them, he spoke as it were to strangers somewhat roughly, asking them: Whence came you? They answered: From the land of Chanaan, to buy necessaries of life.

8. et tamen fratres ipse cognoscens non est agnitus ab eis

8. And though he knew his brethren, he was not known by them.

9. recordatusque somniorum quæ aliquando viderat ait exploratores estis ut videatis infirmiora terræ venistis

9. And remembering the dreams, which formerly he had dreamed, he said to them: You are spies. You are come to view the weaker parts of the land.

10. qui dixerunt non est ita domine sed servi tui venerunt ut emerent cibos

10. But they said: It is not so, my lord, but thy servants are come to buy food.

11. omnes filii unius viri sumus pacifici venimus nec quicquam famuli tui machinantur mali

11. We are all the sons of one man: we are come as peaceable men, neither do thy servants go about any evil.

12. quibus ille respondit aliter est inmunita terræ hujus considerare venistis

12. And he answered them: It is otherwise: you are come to consider the unfenced parts of this land.

13. et illi duodecim inquiunt servi tui fratres sumus filii viri unius in terra Chanaan minimus cum patre nostro est alius non est super

13. But they said: We thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Chanaan: the youngest is with our father, the other is not living.

14. hoc est ait quod locutus sum exploratores estis

14. He saith: This is it that I said: You are spies.

15. jam nunc experimentum vestri capiam per salutem Pharaonis non egrediemini hinc donec veniat frater vester minimus

15. I shall now presently try what you are: by the health of Pharao you shall not depart hence, until your youngest brother come.

16. mittite e vobis unum et adducat eum vos autem eritis in vinculis donec probentur quæ dixistis utrum falsa an vera sint alioquin per salutem Pharaonis exploratores estis

16. Send one of you to fetch him: and you shall be in prison, till what you have said be proved, whether it be true or false: or else by the health of Pharao you are spies.

17. tradidit ergo eos custodiæ tribus diebus

17. So he put them in prison three days.

18. die autem tertio eductis de carcere ait facite quod dixi et vivetis Deum enim timeo

18. And the third day he brought them out of prison, and said: Do as I have said, and you shall live: for I fear God.

19. si pacifici estis frater vester unus ligetur in carcere vos autem abite et ferte frumenta quæ emistis in domos vestras

19. If you be peaceable men, let one of your brethren be bound in prison: and go ye your ways and carry the corn that you have bought, unto your houses.

20. et fratrem vestrum minimum ad me adducite ut possim vestros probare sermones et non moriamini fecerunt ut dixerat

20. And bring your youngest brother to me, that I may find your words to be true, and you may not die. They did as he had said.

21. et locuti sunt invicem merito hæc patimur quia peccavimus in fratrem nostrum videntes angustiam animæ illius cum deprecaretur nos et non audivimus idcirco venit super nos ista tribulatio

21. And they talked one to another: We deserve to suffer these things, because we have sinned against our brother, seeing the anguished of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear: therefore is this affliction come upon us.

22. e quibus unus Ruben ait numquid non dixi vobis nolite peccare in puerum et non audistis me en sanguis ejus exquiritur

22. And Ruben one of them, said: Did not I say to you: Do not sin against the boy: and you would not hear me? Behold his blood is required.

23. nesciebant autem quod intellegeret Joseph eo quod per interpretem loquebatur ad eos

23. And they knew not that Joseph understood, because he spoke to them by an interpreter.

24. avertitque se parumper et flevit et reversus locutus est ad eos

24. And he turned himself away a little while, and wept: and returning he spoke to them.

25. tollens Symeon et ligans illis præsentibus jussitque ministris ut implerent saccos eorum tritico et reponerent pecunias singulorum in sacculis suis datis supra cibariis in via qui fecerunt ita

25. And taking Simeon, and binking him in their presence, he commanded his servants to fill their sacks with wheat, and to put every man's money again in their sacks, and to give them besides provisions for the way: and they did so.

26. at illi portantes frumenta in asinis profecti sunt

26. But they having loaded their asses with the corn, went their way.

27. apertoque unus sacco ut daret jumento pabulum in diversorio contemplatus pecuniam in ore sacculi

27. And one of them opening his sack, to give his beast provender in the inn, saw the money in the sack's mouth;

28. dixit fratribus suis reddita est mihi pecunia en habetur in sacco et obstupefacti turbatique dixerunt mutuo quidnam est hoc quod fecit nobis Deus

28. And said to his brethren: My money is given me again, hehold it is in the sack. And thye were astonished, and troubled, and said to one another: What is this that God hath done unto us?

29. veneruntque ad Jacob patrem suum in terra Chanaan et narraverunt ei omnia quæ accidissent sibi dicentes

29. And they came to Jacob their father in the land of Chanaan, and they told him all things that had befallen them, saying:

30. locutus est nobis dominus terræ dure et putavit nos exploratores provinciæ

30. The lord of the land spoke roughly to us, and took us to be spies of the country.

31. cui respondimus pacifici sumus nec ullas molimur insidias

31. And we answered him: We are peaceable men, and we mean no plot.

32. duodecim fratres uno patre geniti sumus unus non est super minimus cum patre versatur in terra Chanaan

32. We are twelve brethren born of one father: one is not living, the youngest is with our father in the land of Chanaan.

33. qui ait nobis sic probabo quod pacifici sitis fratrem vestrum unum dimittite apud me et cibaria domibus vestris necessaria sumite et abite

33. And he said to us: Hereby shall I know that you are peaceable men: Leave one of your brethren with me, and take ye necessary provision for your houses, and go your ways.

34. fratremque vestrum minimum adducite ad me ut sciam quod non sitis exploratores et istum qui tenetur in vinculis recipere possitis ac deinceps emendi quæ vultis habeatis licentiam

34. And bring your youngest brother to me, that I may know you are not spies: and you may receive this man again, that is kept in prison: and afterwards may have leave to buy what you will.

35. his dictis cum frumenta effunderent singuli reppererunt in ore saccorum ligatas pecunias exterritisque simul omnibus

35. When they had told this, they poured out their corn and every man found his money tied in the mouth of his sack: and all being astonished together,

36. dixit pater Jacob absque liberis me esse fecistis Joseph non est super Symeon tenetur in vinculis Beniamin auferetis in me hæc mala omnia reciderunt

36. Their father Jacob said: You have made me to be without children: Joseph is not living, Simeon is kept in bonds, and Benjamin you will take away: all these evils are fallen upon me.

37. cui respondit Ruben duos filios meos interfice si non reduxero illum tibi trade in manu mea et ego eum restituam

37. And Ruben answered him: Kill my two sons if I bring him not again to thee: deliver him unto my hand, and I will restore him to thee.

38. at ille non descendet inquit filius meus vobiscum frater ejus mortuus est ipse solus remansit si quid ei adversi acciderit in terra ad quam pergitis deducetis canos meos cum dolore ad inferos

38. But he said: My son shall not go down with you: his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if any mischief befall him in the land to which you go, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to hell.