1 V iendo Jacob que había alimento en Egipto, dijo a sus hijos: “¿Por qué se están mirando?

Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?”

2 “ He oído que hay alimento en Egipto,” añadió; “desciendan allá, y compren de allí un poco para nosotros, para que vivamos y no muramos.”

He said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy some for us from that place, so that we may live and not die.”

3 E ntonces diez hermanos de José descendieron para comprar grano en Egipto.

Then ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain from Egypt.

4 P ero Jacob no envió con sus hermanos a Benjamín, hermano de José, porque dijo: “No sea que le suceda algo malo.”

But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “ I am afraid that harm may befall him.”

5 L os Israelitas fueron junto con los que iban a comprar grano, pues también había hambre en la tierra de Canaán.

So the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those who were coming, for the famine was in the land of Canaan also.

6 Y José era el que mandaba en aquel país. El era quien vendía a todo el pueblo de la tierra. Cuando los hermanos de José llegaron, se postraron ante él rostro en tierra.

Now Joseph was the ruler over the land; he was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down to him with their faces to the ground.

7 A l ver José a sus hermanos, los reconoció, pero fingió no conocerlos y les habló duramente. Y les dijo: “¿De dónde han venido?” “De la tierra de Canaán para comprar alimentos,” le respondieron ellos.

When Joseph saw his brothers he recognized them, but he disguised himself to them and spoke to them harshly. And he said to them, “Where have you come from?” And they said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.”

8 J osé había reconocido a sus hermanos, aunque ellos no lo habían reconocido a él.

But Joseph had recognized his brothers, although they did not recognize him.

9 J osé se acordó de los sueños que había tenido acerca de ellos, y les dijo: “Ustedes son espías. Han venido para ver las partes indefensas de nuestra tierra.”

Joseph remembered the dreams which he had about them, and said to them, “You are spies; you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land.”

10 “ No, señor mío,” le dijeron ellos, sino que tus siervos han venido para comprar alimentos.

Then they said to him, “No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food.

11 T odos nosotros somos hijos de un mismo padre. Somos hombres honrados, tus siervos no son espías.”

We are all sons of one man; we are honest men, your servants are not spies.”

12 “ No, sino que ustedes han venido para ver las partes indefensas de nuestra tierra,” les dijo.

Yet he said to them, “No, but you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land!”

13 P ero ellos dijeron: “Tus siervos eran doce hermanos, hijos del mismo padre en la tierra de Canaán; y el menor está hoy con nuestro padre, y el otro ya no existe.”

But they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers in all, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no longer alive.”

14 E ntonces José les dijo: “Es tal como les dije: ustedes son espías.

Joseph said to them, “It is as I said to you, you are spies;

15 E n esto serán probados; por vida de Faraón que no saldrán de este lugar a menos que su hermano menor venga aquí.

by this you will be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here!

16 E nvíen a uno de ustedes y que traiga a su hermano, mientras ustedes quedan presos, para que sean probadas sus palabras, a ver si hay verdad en ustedes. Y si no, ¡por vida de Faraón!, ciertamente son espías.”

Send one of you that he may get your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. But if not, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies.”

17 Y los puso a todos juntos bajo custodia por tres días.

So he put them all together in prison for three days.

18 J osé les dijo al tercer día: “Hagan esto y vivirán, pues yo temo a Dios:

Now Joseph said to them on the third day, “Do this and live, for I fear God:

19 s i son hombres honrados, que uno de sus hermanos quede encarcelado en su prisión. El resto de ustedes, vayan, lleven grano para el hambre de sus casas.

if you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined in your prison; but as for the rest of you, go, carry grain for the famine of your households,

20 Y tráiganme a su hermano menor, para que sus palabras sean verificadas, y no morirán.” Y así lo hicieron.

and bring your youngest brother to me, so your words may be verified, and you will not die.” And they did so.

21 E ntonces se dijeron el uno al otro: “Verdaderamente somos culpables en cuanto a nuestro hermano, porque vimos la angustia de su alma cuando nos rogaba, y no lo escuchamos, por eso ha venido sobre nosotros esta angustia.”

Then they said to one another, “ Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen; therefore this distress has come upon us.”

22 R ubén les respondió: “¿No les dije yo: ‘No pequen contra el muchacho ’ y no me escucharon? Ahora hay que rendir cuentas por su sangre.”

Reuben answered them, saying, “ Did I not tell you, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; and you would not listen? Now comes the reckoning for his blood.”

23 E llos, sin embargo, no sabían que José los entendía, porque había un intérprete entre él y ellos.

They did not know, however, that Joseph understood, for there was an interpreter between them.

24 Y se apartó José de su lado y lloró. Cuando volvió a ellos y les habló, tomó de entre ellos a Simeón, y lo ató a la vista de sus hermanos. Regreso a Canaán

He turned away from them and wept. But when he returned to them and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.

25 J osé mandó que les llenaran sus vasijas de grano y que devolvieran el dinero a cada uno poniéndolo en su saco, y que les dieran provisiones para el camino. Y así se hizo con ellos.

Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain and to restore every man’s money in his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. And thus it was done for them.

26 E llos, pues, cargaron el grano sobre sus asnos, y se fueron de allí.

So they loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed from there.

27 Y cuando uno de ellos abrió su saco para dar forraje a su asno en la posada, vio que su dinero estaba en la boca de su costal.

As one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his money; and behold, it was in the mouth of his sack.

28 E ntonces dijo a sus hermanos: “ Me ha sido devuelto mi dinero, y miren, está en mi costal.” Y se les sobresaltó el corazón, y temblando se decían el uno al otro: “¿Qué es esto que Dios nos ha hecho ?”

Then he said to his brothers, “My money has been returned, and behold, it is even in my sack.” And their hearts sank, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, “ What is this that God has done to us?” Simeon Is Held Hostage

29 C uando llegaron a su padre Jacob en la tierra de Canaán, le contaron todo lo que les había sucedido:

When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them, saying,

30 “ El hombre, el señor de aquella tierra, nos habló duramente y nos tomó por espías del país.

“The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly with us, and took us for spies of the country.

31 P ero nosotros le dijimos: ‘Somos hombres honrados, no somos espías.

But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies.

32 E ramos doce hermanos, hijos de nuestro padre. Uno ya no existe, y el menor está hoy con nuestro padre en la tierra de Canaán.’

We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no longer alive, and the youngest is with our father today in the land of Canaan.’

33 “ Entonces el hombre, el señor de aquel país, nos dijo: ‘Por esto sabré que son hombres honrados: dejen uno de sus hermanos conmigo y tomen grano para el hambre de sus casas, y márchense.

The man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘ By this I will know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me and take grain for the famine of your households, and go.

34 P ero tráiganme a su hermano menor para que yo sepa que ustedes no son espías, sino hombres honrados. Les devolveré a su hermano, y podrán comerciar en la tierra.’”

But bring your youngest brother to me that I may know that you are not spies, but honest men. I will give your brother to you, and you may trade in the land.’”

35 C uando vaciaron sus sacos, el atado del dinero de cada uno estaba en su saco. Y al ver ellos y su padre los atados de su dinero, tuvieron temor.

Now it came about as they were emptying their sacks, that behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were dismayed.

36 Y su padre Jacob les dijo: “Ustedes me han privado de mis hijos; José ya no existe, y Simeón ya no existe, y ahora se quieren llevar a Benjamín. Todas estas cosas son contra mí.”

Their father Jacob said to them, “You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and you would take Benjamin; all these things are against me.”

37 E ntonces Rubén habló a su padre: “Puedes dar muerte a mis dos hijos, si no te lo traigo. Ponlo bajo mi cuidado, y yo te lo devolveré.”

Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “You may put my two sons to death if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my care, and I will return him to you.”

38 P ero Jacob dijo: “Mi hijo no descenderá con ustedes. Pues su hermano ha muerto, y sólo él me queda. Si algo malo le acontece en el viaje en que van, harán descender mis canas con dolor al Seol (región de los muertos).”

But Jacob said, “My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If harm should befall him on the journey you are taking, then you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.”