Chuàngshìjì 43

1 Nà dì de jīhuāng shèn dà .

2 Tāmen cóng Āijí daì lái de liángshi chī jìn le , tāmende fùqin jiù duì tāmen shuō , nǐmen zaì qù gĕi wǒ dí xiē liáng lái .

3 Yóudà duì tā shuō , nà rén zhūnzhūn dì gàojiè wǒmen shuō , nǐmen de xiōngdi ruò bù yǔ nǐmen tóng lái , nǐmen jiù bùdé jiàn wǒde miàn .

4 Nǐ ruò dǎfa wǒmen de xiōngdi yǔ wǒmen tóng qù , wǒmen jiù xià qù gĕi nǐ dí liáng .

5 Nǐ ruò bù dǎfa tā qù , wǒmen jiù bù xià qù , yīnwei nà rén duì wǒmen shuō , nǐmen de xiōngdi ruò bù yǔ nǐmen tòng lái , nǐmen jiù bùdé jiàn wǒde miàn .

6 Yǐsèliè shuō , nǐmen wèishénme zhèyàng haì wǒ , gàosu nà rén nǐmen hái yǒu xiōngdi ne ,

7 Tāmen huídá shuō , nà rén xiángxì wèn dào wǒmen hé wǒmen de qīnshǔ , shuō , nǐmen de fùqin hái zaì ma . nǐmen hái yǒu xiōngdi ma . wǒmen jiù àn zhe tā suǒ wèn de gàosu tā , yān néng zhīdào tā yào shuō , bìxū bǎ nǐmen de xiōngdi daì xià lái ne .

8 Yóudà yòu duì tā fùqin Yǐsèliè shuō , nǐ dǎfa tóngzǐ yǔ wǒ tóng qù , wǒmen jiù qǐshēn xià qù , hǎo jiào wǒmen hé nǐ , bìng wǒmen de fùrén háizi , dōu de cún huó , búzhìyú sǐ .

9 Wǒ wèi tā zuò bǎo . nǐ kĕyǐ cóng wǒ shǒu zhōng zhuī tǎo , wǒ ruò bù daì tā huí lái jiāo zaì nǐ miànqián , wǒ qíngyuàn yǒngyuǎn dàn zuì .

10 Wǒmen ruò méiyǒu dānge , rújīn dì èr cì dōu huí lái le .

11 Tāmende fùqin Yǐsèliè shuō , ruò bìxū rúcǐ , nǐmen jiù dàng zhèyàng xíng , kĕyǐ jiàng zhè dì tǔchǎn zhōng zuì hǎo de rǔxiāng , fēngmì , xiāngliào , mòyào , fĕizi , xìngrén dōu qǔ yídiǎn , shōu zaì qìjù lǐ , daì xià qù sòng gĕi nà rén zuò lǐwù ,

12 Yòu yào shǒu lǐ jiābeì dì daì yínzi , bìng jiàng guī hái zaì nǐmen kǒudai neì de yínzi réng daì zaì shǒu lǐ . nà huòzhĕ shì cuò le .

13 Yĕ daì zhe nǐmen de xiōngdi , qǐshēn qù jiàn nà rén .

14 Dàn yuàn quánnéng de shén shǐ nǐmen zaì nà rén miànqián mĕng liánmǐn , shìfàng nǐmen de nà dìxiōng hé Biànyǎmǐn huí lái . wǒ ruò sāng le érzi , jiù sāng le ba .

15 Yúshì , tāmen ná zhe nà lǐwù , yòu shǒu lǐ jiābeì dì daì yínzi , bìngqiĕ daì zhe Biànyǎmǐn , qǐshēn xià dào Āijí , zhàn zaì Yūesè miànqián .

16 Yūesè jiàn Biànyǎmǐn hé tāmen tóng lái , jiù duì jiāzǎi shuō , jiàng zhèxie rén lǐng dào wū lǐ . yào zǎishā shēngchù , yùbeì yánxí , yīnwei shǎngwu zhèxie rén tóng wǒ chī fàn .

17 Jiāzǎi jiù zūn zhe Yūesè de méng qù xíng , lǐng tāmen jìn Yūesè de wū lǐ .

18 Tāmen yīnwei beì lǐng dào Yūesè de wū lǐ , jiù haìpà , shuō , lǐng wǒmen dào zhèlǐ lái , bì shì yīnwei tóu cì guī hái zaì wǒmen kǒudai lǐ de yínzi , zhǎo wǒmen de cuò fùng , xià shǒu haì wǒmen , qiáng qǔ wǒmen wèi núpú , qiǎngduó wǒmen de lü .

19 Tāmen jiù ái jìn Yūesè de jiāzǎi , zaì wū ménkǒu hé tā shuōhuà ,

20 Shuō , wǒ zhǔ a , wǒmen tóu cì xià lái shízaì shì yào dí liáng .

21 Hòulái dào le zhù sù de dìfang , wǒmen dǎkāi kǒudai , búliào , gèrén de yínzi , fènliang zú shù , réng zaì gèrén de kǒudai neì , xiànzaì wǒmen shǒu lǐ yòu daì huí lái le .

22 Lìngwaì yòu daì xià yínzi lái dí liáng . bù zhīdào xiānqián shuí bǎ yínzi fàng zaì wǒmen de kǒudai lǐ .

23 Jiāzǎi shuō , nǐmen kĕyǐ fàngxīn , búyào haìpà , shì nǐmen de shén hé nǐmen fùqin de shén cìgĕi nǐmen cáibǎo zaì nǐmen de kǒudai lǐ . nǐmen de yínzi , wǒ zǎo yǐ shōu le . tā jiù bǎ Xīmiǎn daì chūlai , jiāo gĕi tāmen .

24 Jiāzǎi jiù lǐng tāmen jìn Yūesè de wū lǐ , gĕi tāmen shuǐ xǐ jiǎo , yòu gĕi tāmen cǎoliào wèi lü .

25 Tāmen jiù yùbeì nà lǐwù , dĕnghòu Yūesè shǎngwu lái , yīnwei tāmen tīngjian yào zaì nàli chī fàn .

26 Yūesè lái dào jiā lǐ , tāmen jiù bǎ shǒu zhōng de lǐwù ná jìn wū qù gĕi tā , yòu fǔfú zaì dì , xiàng tā xià baì .

27 Yūesè wèn tāmen hǎo , yòu wèn , nǐmen de fùqin jiù shì nǐmen suǒ shuō de nà lǎo rénjiā píngān ma . tā hái zaì ma .

28 Tāmen huídá shuō , nǐ púrén wǒmen de fùqin píngān . tā hái zaì . yúshì tāmen dī tóu xià baì .

29 Yūesè jǔmù kànjian tā tóng mǔ de xiōngdi Biànyǎmǐn , jiù shuō , nǐmen xiàng wǒ suǒ shuō nà dǐng xiǎo de xiōngdi jiù shì zhè wèi ma . yòu shuō , xiǎoér a , yuàn shén cì ēn gĕi nǐ .

30 Yūesè aì dì zhī qíng fādòng , jiù jímáng xúnzhǎo kè kū zhī dì , jìnrù zìjǐ de wū lǐ , kū le yī cháng .

31 Tā xǐ le liǎn chūlai , miǎnqiǎng yǐnrĕn , fēnfu rén bǎi fàn .

32 Tāmen jiù wèi Yūesè dān bǎi le yī xí , wèi nàxiē rén yòu bǎi le yī xí , yĕ wèi hé Yūesè tóng chī fàn de Āijí rén Lìng bǎi le yī xí , yīnwei Āijí rén bùkĕ hé Xībólái rén yītóng chī fàn . nà yuán shì Āijí rén suǒ yànwù de .

33 Yūesè shǐ zhòng dìxiōng zaì tā miànqián páiliè zuòxí , dōu àn zhe zhǎng yòu de cìxù , zhòng dìxiōng jiù bǐcǐ chàyì .

34 Yūesè bǎ tā miànqián de shíwù fèn chūlai , sòng gĕi tāmen . dàn Biànyǎmǐn suǒ de de bǐ biérén duō wǔ beì . tāmen jiù yǐn jiǔ , hé Yūesè yītóng yàn lè .

Chuàngshìjì 43 Commentary

Chapter 43

Jacob is persuaded to send Benjamin into Egypt. (1-14) Joseph's reception of his brethren, their fears. (15-25) Joseph makes a feast for his brethren. (26-34)

Verses 1-14 Jacob urges his sons to go and buy a little food; now, in time of dearth, a little must suffice. Judah urges that Benjamin should go with them. It is not against the honour and duty children owe their parents, humbly to advise them, and when needful, to reason with them. Jacob saw the necessity of the case, and yielded. His prudence and justice appeared in three things. 1. He sent back the money they had found in the sack. Honesty obliges us to restore not only that which comes to us by our own fault, but that which comes to us by the mistakes of others. Though we get it by oversight, if we keep it when the oversight is discovered, it is kept by deceit. 2. He sent as much again as they took the time before; the price of corn might be risen, or they might have to pay a ransom for Simeon. 3. He sent a present of such things as the land afforded, and as were scarce in Egypt, balm, and honey, &c. Providence dispenses not its gifts to all alike. But honey and spice will never make up the want of bread-corn. The famine was sore in Canaan, yet they had balm and myrrh, &c. We may live well enough upon plain food, without dainties; but we cannot live upon dainties without plain food. Let us thank God that what is most needful and useful, generally is most cheap and common. Though men value very highly their gold and silver, and the luxuries which are counted the best fruits of every land, yet in a time of famine they willingly barter them for bread. And how little will earthly good things stand us in stead in the day of wrath! How ready should we be to renounce them all, as loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ! Our way to prevail with man is by first prevailing with the Lord in fervent prayer. But, Thy will be done, should close every petition for the mercies of this life, or against the afflictions of this life.

Verses 15-25 Jacob's sons went down the second time into Egypt to buy corn. If we should ever know what a famine of the word means, let us not think it much to travel as far for spiritual food, as they did for bodily food. Joseph's steward had orders from his master to take them to his house. Even this frightened them. Those that are guilty make the worst of every thing. But the steward encouraged them. It appears, from what he said, that by his good master he was brought to the knowledge of the true God, the God of the Hebrews. Religious servants should take all fit occasions to speak of God and his providence, with reverence and seriousness.

Verses 26-34 Observe the great respect Joseph's brethren paid to him. Thus were Joseph's dreams more and more fulfilled. Joseph showed great kindness to them. He treated them nobly; but see here the early distance between Jews and gentiles. In a day of famine, it is enough to be fed; but they were feasted. Their cares and fears were now over, and they ate their bread with joy, reckoning they were upon good terms with the lord of the land. If God accept our works, our present, we have reason to be cheerful. Joseph showed special regard for Benjamin, that he might try whether his brethren would envy him. It must be our rule, to be content with what we have, and not to grieve at what others have. Thus Jesus shows those whom he loves, more and more of their need. He makes them see that he is their only refuge from destruction. He overcomes their unwillingness, and brings them to himself. Then, as he sees good, he gives them some taste of his love, and welcomes them to the provisions of his house, as an earnest of what he further intends for them.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 43

This chapter informs us how that the famine continued in the land of Canaan, and the corn that Jacob's family had from Egypt being consumed, Jacob pressed his sons to go down for more, which they refused to do, unless Benjamin was sent with them, for whose safety Judah offered to become a surety, Ge 43:1-10; Jacob with reluctance was prevailed upon to let him go, and dismissed them with a present to the governor of Egypt, and with double money to buy corn with, and with his blessing upon them, Ge 43:11-14; upon which they set out for Egypt; and when they came into the presence of Joseph, he seeing Benjamin with them, ordered his steward to have them to his house, and get dinner ready, it being his pleasure that they should dine with him that day, Ge 43:15-17; this threw them into a fright, supposing they were going to be called to an account for the money they found in their sacks; wherefore they related to the steward very particularly the whole of that affair, who bid them not be uneasy, for he had had their money; and as a proof that things would go well with them, brought Simeon out to them, and treated them very kindly and gently, Ge 43:18-24; and having got their present ready against Joseph came home, they delivered it to him with great veneration and submission; who asked of the welfare of their father, and whether that was not their younger brother they spoke of, the sight of whom so affected him, that he was obliged in haste to retire to his chamber, and weep, Ge 43:25-30; and having washed his face, and composed himself, he returned and ordered dinner to be brought, which was set on different tables, one for himself and the Egyptians, and the other for his brethren, whom he placed according to their age, to their great surprise; and sent them messes from his table to each, and to Benjamin five times more than the rest, and they were so liberally entertained, that they became cheerful and merry, Ge 43:31-34.