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

Now Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt. He said to his sons, “Why are you looking 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.”

And he said, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go there and buy some for us, so we may live and not die.”

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

So ten of Joseph’s brothers went to buy grain in 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 something will happen to him.” Joseph’s Brothers Bow before 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 joined those who were coming to buy grain for there was no food in Canaan.

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.

Joseph was the ruler of the land. He was the one who sold grain to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed to the ground in front of him.

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 knew who they were. But he acted like a stranger and spoke sharp words to them. He said, “Where have you come from?” They answered, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.”

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

Joseph knew his brothers but they did not know 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 he had had about them. He said to them, “You are spies. You have come to find the weak places in our land.”

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

They said to him, “No, my lord. 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 do not lie. Your servants are not working against you in secret.”

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

He said to them, “No! You have come to find the weak places in 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, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father. And one is no more.”

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

But Joseph said to them, “It is as I said. 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.

You will be put to a test. By the life of Pharaoh, you will not leave 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 to bring your brother, and the rest of you will be kept in prison. Your words will be put to a test to see if you are telling the truth. Or else, by the life of Pharaoh, you are spies for sure.”

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

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:

Then 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 men who do not lie, let one of your brothers stay here in prison for all of you. But you others go and carry grain for your hungry families.

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

Then bring your youngest brother to me, so your words will be proven true. And you will live.” So they did what he said.

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.”

They said to one another, “For sure we are guilty for what we did to our brother. We saw the suffering of his soul while he begged us. But we would not listen. So this trouble has come to 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, “Did I not tell you, ‘Do not sin against the boy?’ But you would not listen. Now we must pay 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 that Joseph understood them. For there was a man between them to tell the meaning of each other’s language.

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

Joseph went away from them and cried. Then he returned to speak with them. And he took Simeon from them and put chains on him in front of his brothers. Joseph’s Brothers Return to Canaan

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 had their bags filled with grain. He had each man’s money returned to his bag, to buy what was needed as they traveled. So this was done for them.

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

Then they loaded their donkeys with their grain, and left.

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.

When one of them opened his bag to give his donkey food at the place where they were staying the night, he saw his money. It was there at the top of his bag.

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 ?”

He said to his brothers, “My money has been returned! It is inside my bag!” Then their hearts became full of fear. They turned to each other, shaking in fear, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”

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. They said,

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

“The man who is ruler of the land spoke sharp words to us. He thought that we had gone there to find the weak places in the country.

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

But we said to him, ‘We do not lie. We are not working against you in secret.

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, the sons of our father. One is no more. And the youngest is now with our father 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.

Then the man who is ruler of the land said to us, ‘I will know that you are telling the truth by this test. Leave one of your brothers with me. Take grain for your hungry families 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, so I will know you are not spies, but honest men telling the truth. Then I will return your brother to you. And then 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.

When they took the grain out of their bags, they found that every man’s money was in his bag. And when they and their father saw the money, they were afraid.

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 taken my children from me! Joseph is no more. Simeon is no more. And now you would take Benjamin! All this has come upon 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 told his father, “You may kill my two sons if I do not return him 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 will not go with you. For his brother is dead, and only he is left. If something were to happen to him during your traveling, you would bring my white hair down to the grave in sorrow.”