Chuàngshìjì 44

1 Yūesè fēnfu jiāzǎi shuō , bǎ liángshi zhuāng mǎn zhèxie rén de kǒudai , jìn zhe tāmende lü suǒ néng tuó de , yòu bǎ gèrén de yínzi fàng zaì gèrén de kǒudai lǐ ,

2 Bìng jiàng wǒde yín bēi hé nà shàonián rén dí liáng de yínzi yītóng zhuāng zaì tāde kǒudai lǐ . jiāzǎi jiù zhào Yūesè suǒ shuō de huà xíng le .

3 Tiān yī liàng jiù dǎfa nàxiē rén daì zhe lü zǒu le .

4 Tāmen chū chéng zǒu le bù yuǎn , Yūesè duì jiāzǎi shuō , qǐlai , zhuī nàxiē rén qù , zhuī shàng le jiù duì tāmen shuō , nǐmen wèishénme yǐ è bào shàn ne .

5 Zhè bù shì wǒ zhǔrén yìn jiǔ de bēi ma . qǐbù shì tā zhàn bǔ yòng de ma . nǐmen zhèyàng xíng shì zuò è le .

6 Jiāzǎi zhuī shàng tāmen , jiàng zhèxie huà duì tāmen shuō le .

7 Tāmen huídá shuō , wǒ zhǔ wèishénme shuō zhèyàng de huà ne . nǐ púrén duàn bùnéng zuò zhèyàng de shì .

8 Nǐ kàn , wǒmen cóng qián zaì kǒudai lǐ suǒ jiàn de yínzi , shàngqiĕ cóng Jiānán dì daì lái hái nǐ , wǒmen zĕn néng cóng nǐ zhǔrén jiā lǐ tōuqiè jīn yín ne .

9 Nǐ púrén zhōng wúlùn zaì shuí nàli sōu chūlai , jiù jiào tā sǐ , wǒmen yĕ zuò wǒ zhǔ de núpú .

10 Jiāzǎi shuō , xiànzaì jiù zhào nǐmen de huà xíng ba . zaì shuí nàli sōu chūlai , shuí jiù zuò wǒde núpú . qíyú de dōu méiyǒu zuì .

11 Yúshì tāmen gèrén jímáng bǎ kǒudai xiè zaì dì xià , gèrén dǎkāi kǒudai .

12 Jiāzǎi jiù sōu chá , cóng nián cháng de qǐ dào nián yòu de wéizhǐ , nà bēi jìng zaì Biànyǎmǐn de kǒudai lǐ sōu chūlai .

13 Tāmen jiù sī liĕ yīfu , gèrén bǎ duòzi tái zaì lü shàng , huí chéng qù le .

14 Yóudà hé tā dìxiōng men lái dào Yūesè de wū zhōng , Yūesè hái zaì nàli , tāmen jiù zaì tā miànqián fǔfú yú dì .

15 Yūesè duì tāmen shuō , nǐmen zuò de shì shénme shì ne . nǐmen qǐbù zhī xiàng wǒ zhèyàng de rén bì néng zhàn bǔ ma ,

16 Yóudà shuō , wǒmen duì wǒ zhǔ shuō shénme ne . hái yǒu shénme huà kĕ shuō ne . wǒmen zĕn néng zìjǐ biǎobái chūlai ne . shén yǐjing chá chū púrén de zuìniè le . wǒmen yǔ nà zaì tā shǒu zhōng sōu chū bēi lái de dōu shì wǒ zhǔ de núpú .

17 Yūesè shuō , wǒ duàn bùnéng zhèyàng xíng . zaì shuí de shǒu zhōng sōu chū bēi lái , shuí jiù zuò wǒde núpú . zhìyú nǐmen , kĕyǐ píng píngān ān dì shàng nǐmen fùqin nàli qù .

18 Yóudà āijìn tā , shuō , wǒ zhǔ a , qiú nǐ róng púrén shuō yī jù huà gĕi wǒ zhǔ tīng , búyào xiàng púrén fà liè nù , yīnwei nǐ rútóng fǎlǎo yíyàng .

19 Wǒ zhǔ céng wèn púrén men shuō , nǐmen yǒu fùqin yǒu xiōngdi méiyǒu .

20 Wǒmen duì wǒ zhǔ shuō , wǒmen yǒu fùqin , yǐjing nián lǎo , hái yǒu tā lǎo nián suǒ shēng de yī gè xiǎo háizi . tā gēge sǐ le , tā mǔqin zhǐ piĕ xià tā yī rén , tā fùqin téngaì tā .

21 Nǐ duì púrén shuō , bǎ tā daì dào wǒ zhèlǐ lái , jiào wǒ qīnyǎn kàn kàn tā .

22 Wǒmen duì wǒ zhǔ shuō , tóngzǐ bùnéng líkāi tā fùqin , ruò shì líkāi , tā fùqin bì sǐ .

23 Nǐ duì púrén shuō , nǐmen de xiǎo xiōngdi ruò bú yǔ nǐmen yītóng xià lái , nǐmen jiù bùdé zaìjiàn wǒde miàn .

24 Wǒmen shàng dào nǐ púrén wǒmen fùqin nàli , jiù bǎ wǒ zhǔ de huà gàosu le tā .

25 Wǒmen de fùqin shuō , nǐmen zaì qù gĕi wǒ dí xiē liáng lái .

26 Wǒmen jiù shuō , wǒmen bùnéng xià qù . wǒmen de xiǎo xiōngdi ruò hé wǒmen tóng wàng , wǒmen jiù kĕyǐ xià qù . yīnwei , xiǎo xiōngdi ruò bù yǔ wǒmen tóng wàng , wǒmen bì bùdé jiàn nà rén de miàn .

27 Nǐ púrén wǒ fùqin duì wǒmen shuō , nǐmen zhīdào wǒde qīzi gĕi wǒ shēng le liǎng gè érzi .

28 Yī gè líkāi wǒ chū qù le . wǒ shuō tā bì shì beì sī suì le , zhídào rújīn wǒ yĕ méiyǒu jiàn tā .

29 Xiànzaì nǐmen yòu yào bǎ zhège daì qù líkāi wǒ , tǎngruò tā zāo haì , nà biàn shì nǐmen shǐ wǒ bái fà cāngcāng , bēi bēicǎn càn de xià yīnjiān qù le .

30 Wǒ fùqin de méng yǔ zhè tóngzǐ de méng xiānglián . rújīn wǒ huí dào nǐ púrén wǒ fùqin nàli , ruò méiyǒu tóngzǐ yǔ wǒmen tóng zaì ,

31 Wǒmen de fùqin jiàn méiyǒu tóngzǐ , tā jiù bì sǐ . zhè biàn shì wǒmen shǐ nǐ púrén wǒmen de fùqin bái fā cāngcāng , bēi bēicàn cǎn dì xià yīnjiān qù le .

32 Yīnwei púrén céng xiàng wǒ fùqin wèi zhè tóngzǐ zuò bǎo , shuō , wǒ ruò bú daì tā huí lái jiāo gĕi fùqin , wǒ biàn zaì fùqin miànqián yǒngyuǎn dàn zuì .

33 Xiànzaì qiú nǐ róng púrén zhù xià , tì zhè tóngzǐ zuò wǒ zhǔ de núpú , jiào tóngzǐ hé tā gēge men yītóng shàng qù .

34 Ruò tóngzǐ bù hé wǒ tóng qù , wǒ zĕn néng shàng qù jiàn wǒ fùqin ne . kǒngpà wǒ kànjian zāihuò líndào wǒ fùqin shēnshang .

Chuàngshìjì 44 Commentary

Chapter 44

Joseph's policy to stay his brethren, and try their affection for Benjamin. (1-17) Judah's supplication to Joseph. (18-34)

Verses 1-17 Joseph tried how his brethren felt towards Benjamin. Had they envied and hated the other son of Rachel as they had hated him, and if they had the same want of feeling towards their father Jacob as heretofore, they would now have shown it. When the cup was found upon Benjamin, they would have a pretext for leaving him to be a slave. But we cannot judge what men are now, by what they have been formerly; nor what they will do, by what they have done. The steward charged them with being ungrateful, rewarding evil for good; with folly, in taking away the cup of daily use, which would soon be missed, and diligent search made for it; for so it may be read, Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, as having a particular fondness for it, and for which he would search thoroughly? Or, By which, leaving it carelessly at your table, he would make trial whether you were honest men or not? They throw themselves upon Joseph's mercy, and acknowledge the righteousness of God, perhaps thinking of the injury they had formerly done to Joseph, for which they thought God was now reckoning with them. Even in afflictions wherein we believe ourselves wronged by men, we must own that God is righteous, and finds out our sin.

Verses 18-34 Had Joseph been, as Judah supposed him, an utter stranger to the family, he could not but be wrought upon by his powerful reasonings. But neither Jacob nor Benjamin need an intercessor with Joseph; for he himself loved them. Judah's faithful cleaving to Benjamin, now, in his distress, was recompensed long afterwards by the tribe of Benjamin keeping with the tribe of Judah, when the other tribes deserted it. The apostle, when discoursing of the mediation of Christ, observes, that our Lord sprang out of Judah, ( Hebrews 7:14 ) ; and he not only made intercession for the transgressors, but he became a Surety for them, testifying therein tender concern, both for his Father and for his brethren. Jesus, the great antitype of Joseph, humbles and proves his people, even after they have had some tastes of his loving-kindness. He brings their sins to their remembrance, that they may exercise and show repentance, and feel how much they owe to his mercy.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 44

This chapter relates the policy of Joseph in making an experiment of his brethren's regard and affection for Benjamin; he ordered his steward to put every man's money into his sack, and his silver cup in Benjamin's, and when they were got out of the city, to follow after them, and charge them with the theft, as he did; and having searched their sacks, as they desired he would, found the cup with Benjamin, which threw them into the utmost distress, and obliged them to return to Joseph, Ge 44:1-14; who charged them with their ill behaviour towards him; they acknowledge it, and propose to be his servants; but he orders them to depart to their father, retaining Benjamin in servitude, Ge 44:15-17; upon which Judah addressed him in a very polite and affectionate manner, and relates the whole story, both of what passed between Joseph and them, concerning Benjamin, the first time they were in Egypt, and between their father and them upon the same subject, when he directed them to go a second time thither to buy corn, and how he became a surety to his father for him, and therefore proposed to be his bondman now, not being able to see his father's face without Benjamin, Ge 44:18-34.