The Aramaic Bible · the Torah
Targum Pseudo-Jonathan Genesis · chapter 44
Aramaic public domain · English by Etheridge (1862)What is the Aramaic Bible?
After the exile, most Jews spoke Aramaic, not Hebrew, so in the synagogue each Scripture reading was followed by an Aramaic translation read aloud, so ordinary people could follow. Those translations are the Aramaic Bible. Scholars call them the Targums.
Why it’s worth reading: a Targum doesn’t just translate, it quietly explains as it goes. So it’s a window into how the first Jewish readers actually understood a passage. Famously, the Aramaic of Isaiah 53 names the servant “the Messiah” outright.
Why it reads differently from your Bible: a Targum doesn’t just translate, it interprets as it goes, so its wording often expands or differs from the plain Hebrew. That difference is the window into how the first readers understood it.
Tap any Aramaic word to trace it to its Jastrow dictionary entry.
And he commanded Menasheh whom he had appointed intendant of his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks with corn, as much as they can carry, and put each man's money in the mouth of his bag.
And put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his purchase money. And he did according to the word which Joseph had spoken.
The morning lightened, and the men were sent away, they and their asses.
They had not gone far from city, when Joseph said to Measheh whom he had appointed the intendant of his house, Arise, follow after the men, overtake them and say to them, Why have ye returned evil for good ?
Is it not that from which my lord drinketh, and by which divining he divineth? That which you have done is evil.
And he overtook them, and spake with them all these words.
They said to him, Why does my lord speak words like these ? Far be it from thy servants to do such a thing.
Behold, the money which we found in the mouth of our bags we brought to thee again from the land of Kenaan; how then should we steal from thy lord's house vessels of silver, or vessels of gold?
With whomsoever of thy servants it shall be found, let him be guilty of death, and we also will be slaves of thy lord.
And he said, According to your words let it be. With whomsoever it is found he shall be my slave, but you shall be innocent.
And they made haste, and brought down each man his sack upon the ground, and every man opened his sack.
And he searched beginning with Reuben, and ending with Benjamin. And the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.
And they rent their clothes; but the strength of fortitude was given to them; and they laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.
And Jehuda and his brethren entered into Joseph's house. He was yet there; and they fell before him on the ground.
And Joseph said to them, What deed is this that you have done ? Could you not know that a man like me divining can divine?
And Jehuda said to him What shall we say to my lord concerning the former money, and what concerning the latter money ? and how shall we be acquitted concerning the cup ? From before the Lord there is sin found upon thy servants. Behold, we are my lord's servants, and he in whose hand the chalice hath been found.
But he said, Far be it from me to do thus; the man in whose hand the chalice hath been found shall be my slave; but you, go up in peace to your father.
And Jehuda came near to him and said, In imploring my lord, let thy servant, I implore, speak a word in the hearing of my lord, and let not thy anger grow strong against thy servant; for at the hour that we came to thee thou didst say to us, I fear before the Lord; and now thy judgments are rendered like (the judgments) of a prince of Pharoh.
My lord asked his servants, saying, Have you a father or a brother?
And we told my lord, We have an aged father, and a son of his old age, a little one, whose brother is dead, and he only remains of his mother; and his father on that account loveth him.
And thou saidst to thy servants, Bring him down to me, and I will set mine eyes on him for good.
But we told my lord, The youth cannot leave his father: for if he leave his father, he will die.
Yet thou saidst to thy servants, If you bring not your youngest brother down, you shall not again see my face.
And it was when we went up to thy servant our father, we related to him my lord's words.
And our father said to us, Return, and buy us a little corn.
But we told him, We cannot go down if our youngest brother be not with us when we go down, for we shall not be able to see the man's face, unless our youngest brother be with us.
And thy servant our father said to us, You know that my wife bare me two sons.
One went forth from me, and I said, Surely he is dead, and I have not beheld him since;
and you will now take this other from before me; and if death happen to him, you will bring down mine age with mourning to the house of the grave.
Therefore thy servant became surety for the youth with my father, saying, If I restore him not to thee, let me be guilty before my father all the days.
And now let thy servant remain, I beseech thee, as the slave of my lord, instead of the young man; and let the young man go up with his brothers.
For how can I go up to my father, and the young man be not with us lest I behold the evil that will strike my father through!
Aramaic. Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, Aramaic: 'Targum Jonathan on Genesis' (public domain), served by the Sefaria v3 API (sefaria.org)
English. English: J. W. Etheridge (1862) (Public Domain) — an established translation of the Targum itself, joined by verse number. Never an AI rendering (BB-42).
We show the license-cleared original Aramaic and an established English translation, each Aramaic word traceable to a public-domain lexicon. We never machine-translate a primary text.