Genesis 43

1 The famine was severe in the land.

Now the land was in bitter need of food.

2 When they had eaten up the grain which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said to them, “Go again, buy us a little more food.”

And when the grain which they had got in Egypt was all used up, their father said to them, Go again and get us a little food.

3 Judah spoke to him, saying, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.’

And Judah said to him, The man said to us with an oath, You are not to come before me again without your brother.

4 If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food;

If you will let our brother go with us, we will go down and get food:

5 but if you do not send him, we will not go down, for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.’”

But if you will not send him, we will not go down: for the man said to us, You are not to come before me if your brother is not with you.

6 Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly, telling the man that you had another brother?”

And Israel said, Why were you so cruel to me as to say to him that you had a brother?

7 They said, “The man asked directly concerning ourselves, and concerning our relatives, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ We just answered his questions. Is there any way we could know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”

And they said, The man put a number of questions to us about ourselves and our family, saying, Is your father still living? have you another brother? And we had to give him answers; how were we to have any idea that he would say, Come back with your brother?

8 Judah said to Israel, his father, “Send the boy with me, and we will get up and go, so that we may live, and not die, both we, and you, and also our little ones.

Then Judah said to Israel, his father, Send the boy with me, and let us be up and going, so that we and you and our little ones may not come to destruction.

9 I will be collateral for him. From my hand will you require him. If I do not bring him to you, and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever;

Put him into my care and make me responsible for him: if I do not give him safely back to you, let mine be the sin for ever.

10 for if we had not delayed, surely we would have returned a second time by now.”

Truly, if we had not let the time go by, we might have come back again by now.

11 Their father, Israel, said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Take from the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry down a present for the man, a little balm, a little honey, spices and myrrh, nuts, and almonds;

Then their father Israel said to them, If it has to be so, then do this: take of the best fruits of the land in your vessels to give the man, perfumes and honey and spices and nuts:

12 and take double money in your hand, and take back the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. Perhaps it was an oversight.

And take twice as much money with you; that is to say, take back the money which was put in your bags, for it may have been an error;

13 Take your brother also, get up, and return to the man.

And take your brother and go back to the man:

14 May God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release to you your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”

And may God, the Ruler of all, give you mercy before the man, so that he may give you back your other brother and Benjamin. If my children are to be taken from me; there is no help for it.

15 The men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and got up, went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.

So they took what their father said for the man, and twice as much money in their hands, and Benjamin, and went on their journey to Egypt, and came before Joseph.

16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Bring the men into the house, and butcher an animal, and prepare; for the men will dine with me at noon.”

And when Joseph saw Benjamin, he said to his chief servant, Take these men into my house, and make ready a meal, for they will take food with me in the middle of the day.

17 The man did as Joseph commanded, and the man brought the men to Joseph’s house.

And the servant did as Joseph said, and took the men into Joseph's house.

18 The men were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph’s house; and they said, “Because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time, we are brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, attack us, and seize us as slaves, along with our donkeys.”

Now the men were full of fear because they had been taken into Joseph's house and they said, It is because of the money which was put back in our bags the first time; he is looking for something against us, so that he may come down on us and take us and our asses for his use.

19 They came near to the steward of Joseph’s house, and they spoke to him at the door of the house,

So they went up to Joseph's chief servant at the door of the house,

20 and said, “Oh, my lord, we indeed came down the first time to buy food.

And said, O my lord, we only came down the first time to get food;

21 When we came to the lodging place, we opened our sacks, and behold, each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight. We have brought it back in our hand.

And when we came to our night's resting-place, on opening our bags we saw that every man's money was in the mouth of his bag, all our money in full weight: and we have it with us to give it back;

22 We have brought down other money in our hand to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.”

As well as more money, with which to get food: we have no idea who put our money in our bags.

23 He said, “Peace be to you. Do not be afraid. Your God, and the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks. I received your money.” He brought Simeon out to them.

Then the servant said, Peace be with you: have no fear: your God, even the God of your father, has put wealth in your bags for you: I had your money. Then he let Simeon come out to them.

24 The man brought the men into Joseph’s house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet. He gave their donkeys fodder.

And the servant took them into Joseph's house, and gave them water for washing their feet; and he gave their asses food.

25 They prepared the present for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread there.

And they got ready the things for Joseph before he came in the middle of the day: for word was given to them that they were to have a meal there.

26 When Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves down to the earth before him.

And when Joseph came in, they gave him the things which they had for him, and went down to the earth before him.

27 He asked them of their welfare, and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he yet alive?”

And he said, How are you? is your father well, the old man of whom you were talking to me? is he still living?

28 They said, “Your servant, our father, is well. He is still alive.” They bowed down humbly.

And they said, Your servant, our father, is well, he is still living. And they went down on their faces before him.

29 He lifted up his eyes, and saw Benjamin, his brother, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?” He said, “God be gracious to you, my son.”

Then, lifting up his eyes, he saw Benjamin, his brother, his mother's son, and he said, Is this your youngest brother of whom you gave me word? And he said, God be good to you, my son.

30 Joseph hurried, for his heart yearned over his brother; and he sought a place to weep. He entered into his room, and wept there.

Then Joseph's heart went out to his brother, and he went quickly into his room, for he was overcome with weeping.

31 He washed his face, and came out. He controlled himself, and said, “Serve the meal.”

Then, after washing his face, he came out, and controlling his feelings said, Put food before us.

32 They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians do not eat with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians.

And they put a meal ready for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians who were with him by themselves; because the Egyptians may not take food with the Hebrews, for that would make them unclean.

33 They sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth, and the men marveled with one another.

And they were all given their seats before him in order of birth, from the oldest to the youngest: so that they were looking at one another in wonder.

34 He sent portions to them from before him, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. They drank, and were merry with him.

And Joseph sent food to them from his table, but he sent five times as much to Benjamin as to any of the others. And they took wine freely with him.