Interim fames omnem terram vehementer premebat.

But still the land was famine-stricken

In the mean time the famine was heavy upon all the land.

Consumptisque cibis quos ex Ægypto detulerant, dixit Jacob ad filios suos: Revertimini, et emite nobis pauxillum escarum.

and all the food they had brought with them from Egypt was used up. Go back, said Jacob to his sons, and bring us all a mouthful of food.

And when they had eaten up all the corn, which they had brought out of Egypt, Jacob said to his sons: Go again and buy us a little food.

Respondit Judas: Denuntiavit nobis vir ille sub attestatione jurisjurandi, dicens: Non videbitis faciem meam, nisi fratrem vestrum minimum adduxeritis vobiscum.

Why, answered Juda, this man we told thee of warned us with a solemn oath he would not give us audience, unless our youngest brother came back with us.

Juda answered: The man declared unto us with the attestation of an oath, saying: You shall not see my face, unless you bring your youngest brother with you.

Si ergo vis eum mittere nobiscum, pergemus pariter, et ememus tibi necessaria:

If thou wilt send him in our company, we will all go together, and buy what thou needest;

If therefore thou wilt send him with us, we will set out together, and will buy necessaries for thee.

sin autem non vis, non ibimus: vir enim, ut sæpe diximus, denuntiavit nobis, dicens: Non videbitis faciem meam absque fratre vestro minimo.

not otherwise. How often must we tell thee that the man gave us solemn warning, You shall have no audience without this youngest brother of yours?

But if thou wilt not, we will not go: for the man, as we have often said, declared unto us, saying: You shall not see my face without your youngest brother.

Dixit eis Israël: In meam hoc fecistis miseriam, ut indicaretis ei et alium habere vos fratrem.

This was great unkindness you did me, Israel said, to tell him you had a brother at all.

Israel said to them: You have done this for my misery in that you told him you had also another brother.

At illi responderunt: Interrogavit nos homo per ordinem nostram progeniem: si pater viveret: si haberemus fratrem: et nos respondimus ei consequenter juxta id quod fuerat sciscitatus: numquid scire poteramus quod dicturus esset: Adducite fratrem vestrum vobiscum?

Why, they answered, the man asked news of all our family in turn, whether our father was still alive, and whether we had any brother besides; we told him no more than he asked, and how were we to know he would demand to have our brother brought into his presence?

But they answered: The man asked us in order concerning our kindred: if our father lived: if we had a brother: and we answered him regularly, according to what he demanded: could we know that he would say: Bring hither your brother with you?

Judas quoque dixit patri suo: Mitte puerum mecum, ut proficiscamur, et possimus vivere: ne moriamur nos et parvuli nostri.

Let the boy go with me, Juda said to his father; let us go and find something to support life with, or we shall all die, and our children with us.

And Juda said to his father: Send the boy with me, that we may set forward, and may live: lest both we and our children perish.

Ego suscipio puerum: de manu mea require illum: nisi reduxero, et reddidero eum tibi, ero peccati reus in te omni tempore.

I take the boy under my charge, and make myself answerable for his safety; never forgive me if I do not bring him back and restore him to thee.

I take the boy upon me, require him at my hand: unless I bring him again, and restore him to thee, I will be guilty of sin against thee for ever.

Si non intercessisset dilatio, jam vice alter venissemus.

If there had not been this delay, we might have gone to Egypt and been back again by now.

If delay had not been made, we had been here again the second time.

Igitur Israël pater eorum dixit ad eos: Si sic necesse est, facite quod vultis: sumite de optimis terræ fructibus in vasis vestris, et deferte viro munera, modicum resinæ, et mellis, et storacis, stactes, et terebinthi, et amygdalarum.

And their father Israel said to them, Since it must be so, have your way. Only, take gifts with you in your packs, the most precious this land yields, a little balm, and honey, and storax, and myrrh, and mastic, and almonds.

Then Israel said to them: If it must needs be so, do what you will: take of the best fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry down presents to the man, a little balm, and honey, and storax, myrrh, turpentine, and almonds.

Pecuniam quoque duplicem ferte vobiscum: et illam, quam invenistis in sacculis, reportate, ne forte errore factum sit:

Take a double amount of money with you, and restore what you found in your sacks; it may have been an oversight.

And take with you double money, and carry back what you found in your sacks, lest perhaps it was done by mistake.

sed et fratrem vestrum tollite, et ite ad virum.

And so go back to the man, taking your brother with you.

And take also your brother, and go to the man.

Deus autem meus omnipotens faciat vobis eum placabilem: et remittat vobiscum fratrem vestrum quem tenet, et hunc Benjamin: ego autem quasi orbatus absque liberis ero.

May the almighty God I serve secure you his favour, so that he will send back that brother of yours who is now his hostage, and Benjamin as well. Meanwhile, I shall be like a man bereft of children.

And may my almighty God make him favourable to you; and send back with you your brother, whom he keepeth, and this Benjamin: and as for me I shall be desolate without children.

Tulerunt ergo viri munera, et pecuniam duplicem, et Benjamin: descenderuntque in Ægyptum, et steterunt coram Joseph.

With such gifts, and a double amount of money, they took Benjamin down into Egypt, and presented themselves before Joseph.

So the men took the presents, and double money, and Benjamin: and went down into Egypt, and stood before Joseph.

Quos cum ille vidisset et Benjamin simul, præcepit dispensatori domus suæ, dicens: Introduc viros domum, et occide victimas, et instrue convivium: quoniam mecum sunt comesturi meridie.

As soon as he saw them, and Benjamin in their company, he said to his steward, Take these men home, and kill victims, and make a feast; they will eat with me at noon.

And when he had seen them, and Benjamin with them, he commanded the steward of his house, saying: Bring in the men into the house, and kill victims, and prepare a feast: because they shall eat with me at noon.

Fecit ille quod sibi fuerat imperatum, et introduxit viros domum.

The steward did as he was bidden, taking them all to Joseph’s house,

He did as he was commanded, and brought the men into the house.

Ibique exterriti, dixerunt mutuo: Propter pecuniam, quam retulimus prius in saccis nostris, introducti sumus: ut devolvat in nos calumniam, et violenter subjiciat servituti et nos, et asinos nostros.

where they stood dismayed; We have been brought in here because of the money, they said to one another, the money we took home in our sacks. He means to trump a charge against us, and to hold us here in pawn, and our beasts along with us.

And they being much afraid, said there one to another: Because of the money, which we carried back the first time in our sacks, we are brought in: that he may bring upon us a false accusation, and by violence make slaves of us and our asses.

Quam ob rem in ipsis foribus accedentes ad dispensatorem domus,

So, in the very doorway of the house, they approached the steward,

Wherefore going up to the steward of the house, at the door,

locuti sunt: Oramus, domine, ut audias nos. Jam ante descendimus ut emeremus escas:

Pray, sir, listen, they said. We came here some while since, to buy food,

They said: Sir, we desire thee to hear us. We came down once before to buy food:

quibus emptis, cum venissemus ad diversorium, aperuimus saccos nostros, et invenimus pecuniam in ore saccorum: quam nunc eodem pondere reportavimus.

and buy it we did; but when we reached our halting-place we found the money lying in the mouths of our sacks. And now we have brought back the same amount,

And when we had bought, and come to the inn, we opened our sacks, and found our money in the mouths of the sacks: which we have now brought again in the same weight.

Sed et aliud attulimus argentum, ut emamus quæ nobis necessaria sunt: non est in nostra conscientia quis posuerit eam in marsupiis nostris.

over and above the sum that is to defray our fresh needs; we cannot guess who it was put the money back in our purses.

And we have brought other money besides, to buy what we want: we cannot tell who put it in our bags.

At ille respondit: Pax vobiscum, nolite timere: Deus vester, et Deus patris vestri, dedit vobis thesauros in saccis vestris: nam pecuniam, quam dedistis mihi, probatam ego habeo. Eduxitque ad eos Simeon.

Set your mind at rest, he said; you have nothing to fear. Your own God, the God your father serves, must have enriched those sacks of yours; I have the money you paid me accounted for. Then he fetched Simeon out to meet them,

But he answered: Peace be with you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father hath given you treasure in your sacks. For the money, which you gave me, I have for good. And he brought Simeon out to them.

Et introductis domum, attulit aquam, et laverunt pedes suos, deditque pabulum asinis eorum.

and took them into the house, where he brought water for them to wash their feet; he also gave their beasts fodder.

And having brought them into the house, he fetched water, and they washed their feet, and he gave provender to their asses.

Illi vero parabant munera, donec ingrederetur Joseph meridie: audierant enim quod ibi comesturi essent panem.

There then they waited, with the gifts ready, till Joseph should come home at noon; they had been told that they would be his guests.

But they made ready the presents, against Joseph came at noon: for they had heard that they should eat bread there.

Igitur ingressus est Joseph domum suam, obtuleruntque ei munera, tenentes in manibus suis: et adoraverunt proni in terram.

And as soon as Joseph entered his house, they offered him the gifts they carried, and bowed down to earth.

Then Joseph came into his house, and they offered him the presents holding them in their hands, and they bowed down with their face to the ground.

At ille, clementer resalutatis eis, interrogavit eos, dicens: Salvusne est pater vester senex, de quo dixeratis mihi? adhuc vivit?

And he, returning their greeting with courtesy, asked how their father was, the old man of whom they had spoken to him. Was he still living?

But he, courteously saluting them again, asked them, saying: Is the old man your father in health, of whom you told me? Is he yet living?

Qui responderunt: Sospes est servus tuus pater noster, adhuc vivit. Et incurvati, adoraverunt eum.

Yes, my lord, they said, our father still lives. And they bent to do him reverence.

And they answered: Thy servant our father is in health, he is yet living. And bowing themselves they made obeisance to him.

Attollens autem Joseph oculos, vidit Benjamin fratrem suum uterinum, et ait: Iste est frater vester parvulus, de quo dixeratis mihi? Et rursum: Deus, inquit, misereatur tui, fili mi.

Then Joseph looked round, and saw Benjamin there, his own mother’s son; Is this, he asked, the younger brother you told me of? And he added, God be merciful to thee, my son.

And Joseph lifting up his eyes, saw Benjamin his brother, by the same mother, and said: Is this your young brother, of whom you told me? And he said: God be gracious to thee, my son.

Festinavitque, quia commota fuerant viscera ejus super fratre suo, et erumpebant lacrimæ: et introiens cubiculum flevit.

After this he could wait no more; his heart went out to this, his own brother, and the tears began to come. He withdrew into his private room, and there wept;

And he made haste because his heart was moved upon his brother, and tears gushed out: and going into his chamber he wept.

Rursumque lota facie egressus, continuit se, et ait: Ponite panes.

then washed his face and came out again, master of himself; Serve the meal, he said.

And when he had washed his face, coming out again, he refrained himself, and said: Set bread on the table.

Quibus appositis, seorsum Joseph, et seorsum fratribus, Ægyptiis quoque qui vescebantur simul, seorsum (illicitum est enim Ægyptiis comedere cum Hebræis, et profanum putant hujuscemodi convivium)

So food was brought, with separate portions for Joseph, for his brethren, and for the Egyptians who kept them company; the Egyptians are not allowed to eat with men of Hebrew blood, and would think it foul disgrace to share a meal with them.

And when it was set on, for Joseph apart, and for his brethren apart, for the Egyptians also that ate with him, apart, (for it is unlawful for the Egyptians to eat with the Hebrews, and they think such a feast profane:)

sederunt coram eo, primogenitus juxta primogenita sua, et minimus juxta ætatem suam. Et mirabantur nimis,

There they sat in his presence, ranged in order from the eldest, with his birthright, to the youngest in age. And they were not a little surprised

They sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his age. And they wondered very much:

sumptis partibus quas ab eo acceperant: majorque pars venit Benjamin, ita ut quinque partibus excederet. Biberuntque et inebriati sunt cum eo.

when they received the portions he sent them, for the greatest share of all came to Benjamin, six times as large as the others. So they drank and made merry with him.

Taking the messes which they received of him: and the greater mess came to Benjamin, so that it exceeded by five parts. And they drank, and were merry with him.