I det første året av den tredje uken i den førtifemte jubelperioden [2171], begynte hungersnøden i landet. Regnet lot seg ikke gi til jorden fordi ingenting falt ned.

During the first year of the third week of the forty-fifth jubilee [2171], the famine began to come to the land. The rain refused to be given to the earth because there was nothing which was coming down.

Jorden ble uproduktiv, men i Egypt var det mat fordi Josef hadde samlet kornet i landet i løpet av de syv årene med rikelig høst og oppbevart det.

The earth became unproductive, but in the land of Egypt there was food because Joseph had gathered the seed in the land during the seven years of copious harvest and kept it.

Når egypterne kom til Josef for at han skulle gi dem mat, åpnet han lagrene hvor kornet fra det første året var, og solgte det til innbyggerne i landet i bytte mot penger.

When the Egyptians came to Joseph so that he would give them food, he opened the storehouses where the grain of the first year was and sold (it) to the people of the land in exchange for money.

Jakob hørte at det var mat i Egypt, så han sendte sine ti sønner for å hente mat til ham der. Men han sendte ikke Benjamin. De ankom sammen med de som dro dit.

Jacob heard that there was food in Egypt, so he sent his ten sons to get food for him in Egypt. But he did not send Benjamin. They arrived with those who were going (there).

Josef gjenkjente dem, men de kjente ikke igjen ham. Han snakket med dem, stilte dem spørsmål, og sa til dem: 'Er dere ikke spioner? Dere har kommet for å undersøke landets veier'. Deretter satte han dem i fengsel.

Joseph recognized them, but they did not recognize him. He spoke with them, asked them questions, and said to them: ‘Are you not spies? You have come to investigate the paths of the land’. He then imprisoned them.

Etterpå slapp han dem fri. Han beholdt bare Simeon og sendte de ni brødrene deres av sted.

Afterwards he released them. He detained only Simeon and sent his nine brothers away.

Han fylte sekkene deres med korn og la pengene deres i sekkene deres. Men de visste ikke dette.

He filled their sacks with grain and put their money in their sacks. But they did not know (this).

Han beordret dem å ta med deres yngste bror fordi de hadde fortalt ham at faren deres levde og deres yngste bror også.

He ordered them to bring their youngest brother because they had told him that their father was alive and their youngest brother (also).

De dro opp fra Egypt og kom til Kana'ans land. De fortalte faren sin alt som hadde skjedd med dem og hvordan herskeren i området hadde snakket skarpt til dem og holdt Simeon til de skulle ta med Benjamin.

They went up from the land of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan. They told their father everything that had happened to them and how the ruler of the area had spoken harshly with them and was holding Simeon until they should bring Benjamin.

Jakob sa: 'Dere har fratatt meg mine barn. Josef finnes ikke, og Simeon finnes ikke, og nå vil dere ta Benjamin. Ulykken deres har rammet meg'.

Jacob said: ‘Me you have deprived of children. Joseph does not exist nor does Simeon exist, and you are going to take Benjamin. Your wickedness has come upon me’.

Han sa: 'Min sønn skal ikke gå med dere. Kanskje han blir syk. For deres mor fødte to; en har dødd, og denne vil dere også ta fra meg. Kanskje han får feber på veien. Da vil dere føre mine grå hår i sorg til døden'.

He said: ‘My son will not go with you. Perhaps he would become ill. For their mother gave birth to two; one has died and this one, too, you will take from me. Perhaps he would catch a fever on the way. Then you would bring down my old age in sorrow to death’.

For han så at pengene deres var blitt returnert - hver enkelt i sin pose, og han var redd for å sende ham av den grunn.

For he saw that their money was returned — each one in his purse, and he was afraid to send him for this reason.

Hungersnøden ble stadig alvorligere i Kana'ans land og i hvert land unntatt Egypt, fordi mange egyptere hadde lagret såkorn for mat etter at de så Josef samle korn, legge det i lagre, og bevare det for hungersårenes skyld.

Now the famine grew increasingly severe in the land of Canaan and in every land except the land of Egypt because many Egyptians had stored their seed for food after they saw Joseph collecting seed, placing (it) in storehouses, and keeping (it) for the years of the famine.

Egypterne levde av dette under det første året av hungersnøden.

The Egyptians fed themselves with it during the first year of the famine.

Når Israel så at hungersnøden var svært alvorlig i landet og at det ikke fantes hjelp, sa han til sine sønner: 'Gå, vend tilbake, og hent oss noe mat så vi ikke dør'.

When Israel saw that the famine was very severe in the land and (that) there was no relief, he said to his sons: ‘Go, return, and get us (some) food so that we may not die’.

Men de sa: 'Vi vil ikke dra. Hvis vår yngste bror ikke kommer med oss, vil vi ikke dra'.

But they said: ‘We will not go. If our youngest brother does not come with us, we will not go’.

Israel så at hvis han ikke sendte ham med dem, ville de alle dø på grunn av hungersnøden.

Israel saw that if he did not send him with them they would all die because of the famine.

Da sa Ruben: 'Sett ham under min kontroll. Hvis jeg ikke bringer ham tilbake til deg, drep mine to sønner for hans liv.' Men han sa til ham: 'Han vil ikke gå med deg'.

Then Reuben said: ‘Put him under my control. If I do not bring him back to you, kill my two sons for his life’. But he said to him: ‘He will not go with you’.

Da nærmet Juda seg og sa: 'Send ham med oss. Hvis jeg ikke bringer ham tilbake til deg, la meg da være skyldig for deg gjennom hele mitt liv'.

Then Judah approached and said: ‘Send him with us. If I do not bring him back to you, then let me be guilty before you throughout my entire lifetime’.

Så han sendte ham med dem i det andre året av denne uken [2172], på den første dagen i måneden. De ankom Egypts territorium med alle som dro dit og hadde med seg sine gaver: stacte, mandler, pistacienøtter og ren honning.

So he sent him with them during the second year of this week [2172], on the first of the month. They arrived in the territory of Egypt with all who were going (there) and (had) their gifts in their hands: stacte, almonds, terebinth nuts, and pure honey.

De ankom og sto foran Josef. Da han så sin bror Benjamin, gjenkjente han ham og sa til dem: 'Er dette deres yngste bror?' De sa til ham: 'Ja, det er han'. Han sa: 'Måtte Herren være nådig mot deg, min sønn'.

They arrived and stood in front of Joseph. When he saw his brother Benjamin, he recognized him and said to them: ‘Is this your youngest brother’? They said to him: ‘He is’. He said: ‘May the Lord be gracious to you, my son’.

Han sendte ham inn i sitt hus og brakte Simeon ut til dem. Han forberedte et måltid for dem. De ga ham sine gaver som de hadde tatt med seg.

He sent him into his house and brought Simeon out to them. He prepared a dinner for them. They presented him with his gifts which they had brought in their hands.

De spiste foran ham. Han ga porsjoner til dem alle, men Benjamins del var syv ganger større enn noen andres.

They ate in front of him. He gave portions to all of them, but Benjamin’s share was seven times larger than the share of any of them.

De spiste og drakk. Så reiste de seg og ble hos eslene deres.

They ate and drank. Then they got up and stayed with their donkeys.

Josef la en plan for å kjenne deres tanker — om de hadde fredelige tanker seg imellom. Han sa til mannen som var ansvarlig for huset hans: 'Fyll alle sekkene deres med mat for dem og gi dem pengene deres tilbake i posene; legg begeret som jeg drikker av i den yngstes sekk — sølvbegeret — og send dem bort'.

Joseph conceived of a plan by which he would know their thoughts — whether there were peaceful thoughts between them. He said to the man who was in charge of his house: ‘Fill all their sacks with food for them and return their money to them in their containers; put the cup with which I drink in the sack of the youngest — the silver cup — and send them away’.