Genesis 43
1 Now the famine was still severe in the land.
Meanwhile, the famine pressed heavily on all the land.
2 So when Jacob’s sons had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”
And having consumed the provisions that they had brought out of Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, “Return and buy us a little food.”
3 But Judah replied, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’
Judah answered: “The man himself declared to us, under the attestation of an oath, saying: ‘You will not see my face, unless you bring your youngest brother with you.’
4 If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you.
If therefore you are willing to send him with us, we will travel together, and we will buy necessities for you.
5 But if you will not send him, we will not go; for the man told us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’”
But if you are not willing, we will not go. For the man, as we have often said, declared to us, saying: ‘You will not see my face without your youngest brother.’”
6 “Why did you bring this trouble upon me?” Israel asked. “Why did you tell the man you had another brother?”
Israel said to them, “You have done this for my misery, in that you revealed to him that you also had another brother.”
7 They replied, “The man questioned us in detail about ourselves and our family: ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ And we answered him accordingly. How could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother here’?”
But they responded: “The man questioned us in order, concerning our family: whether our father lived, if we had a brother. And we answered him respectively, according to what he demanded. How could we know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother with you?’”
8 And Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me, and we will go at once, so that we may live and not die—neither we, nor you, nor our children.
Likewise, Judah said to his father: “Send the boy with me, so that we may set out and be able to live, lest we and our little ones should die.
9 I will guarantee his safety. You may hold me personally responsible. If I do not bring him back and set him before you, then may I bear the guilt before you all my life.
I accept the boy; require him at my hand. Unless I lead him back and restore him to you, I will be guilty of a sin against you for all time.
10 If we had not delayed, we could have come and gone twice by now.”
If a delay had not intervened, by now we would have returned here a second time.”
11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and carry them down as a gift for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds.
Therefore, their father Israel said to them: “If it is necessary to do so, then do what you will. Take, in your vessels, from the best fruits of the land, and carry down gifts to the man: a little resin, and honey, and storax ointment, oil of myrrh, turpentine, and almonds.
12 Take double the silver with you so that you may return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake.
Also, take with you double the money, and carry back what you found in your sacks, lest perhaps it was done in error.
13 Take your brother as well, and return to the man at once.
But also take your brother, and go to the man.
14 May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother along with Benjamin. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”
Then may my Almighty God cause him to be pleased by you. And send your brother, whom he holds, back with you, along with this one, Benjamin. But as for me, without my children, I will be like one who is bereaved.”
15 So the men took these gifts, along with double the amount of silver, and Benjamin as well. Then they hurried down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.
Therefore, the men took the gifts, and double the money, and Benjamin. And they went down into Egypt, and they stood in the presence of Joseph.
16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with his brothers, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for they shall dine with me at noon.”
And when he had seen them and Benjamin together, he instructed the steward of his house, saying: “Lead the men into the house, and kill victims, and prepare a feast, because they will be eating with me at midday.”
17 The man did as Joseph had commanded and took the brothers to Joseph’s house.
He did what he had been ordered to do, and he brought the men into the house.
18 But the brothers were frightened that they had been taken to Joseph’s house. “We have been brought here because of the silver that was returned in our bags the first time,” they said. “They intend to overpower us and take us as slaves, along with our donkeys.”
And there, being terrified, they said one to another: “Because of the money, which we carried back the first time in our sacks, we have been brought in, so that he may unleash a false accusation against us, and by violence subjugate both us and our donkeys into servitude.”
19 So they approached Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house.
For this reason, approaching the steward of the house at his door,
20 “Please, sir,” they said, “we really did come down here the first time to buy food.
they said: “We beg you, lord, to hear us. We came down once before to buy food.
21 But when we came to the place we lodged for the night, we opened our sacks and, behold, each of us found his silver in the mouth of his sack! It was the full amount of our silver, and we have brought it back with us.
And having bought it, when we arrived at the inn, we opened our sacks and found the money in the mouths of the sacks, which we now have carried back in the same amount.
22 We have brought additional silver with us to buy food. We do not know who put our silver in our sacks.”
But we have also brought other silver, so that we may buy those things that are necessary for us. It is not on our conscience who had placed it in our bags.”
23 “It is fine,” said the steward. “Do not be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, gave you the treasure that was in your sacks. I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.
But he responded: “Peace be with you. Do not be afraid. Your God, and the God of your father, has given you the treasure in your sacks. As for the money that you gave to me, I held it as a test.” And he led Simeon out to them.
24 And the steward took the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet, and provided food for their donkeys.
And having led them into the house, he brought water, and they washed their feet, and he gave fodder to their donkeys.
25 Since the brothers had been told that they were going to eat a meal there, they prepared their gift for Joseph’s arrival at noon.
But they also prepared the gifts, until Joseph entered at midday. For they had heard that they would eat bread there.
26 When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought, and they bowed to the ground before him.
And so Joseph entered his house, and they offered him the gifts, holding them in their hands. And they reverenced prone on the ground.
27 He asked if they were well, and then he asked, “How is your elderly father you told me about? Is he still alive?”
But he, gently greeting them again, questioned them, saying: “Is your father, the old man about whom you spoke to me, in good health? Is he still alive?”
28 “Your servant our father is well,” they answered. “He is still alive.” And they bowed down to honor him.
And they answered: “Your servant, our father, is safe; he is still alive.” And bowing, they reverenced him.
29 When Joseph looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?” Then he declared, “May God be gracious to you, my son.”
Then Joseph, lifting up his eyes, saw Benjamin, his brother of the same womb, and he said, “Is this your little brother, about whom you spoke to me?” And again, he said, “May God be compassionate to you, my son.”
30 Joseph hurried out because he was moved to tears for his brother, and he went to a private room to weep.
And he hurried out, because his heart had been moved over his brother, and tears gushed out. And going into his chamber, he wept.
31 Then he washed his face and came back out. Regaining his composure, he said, “Serve the meal.”
And when he had washed his face, coming out again, he composed himself, and he said, “Set out bread.”
32 They separately served Joseph, his brothers, and the Egyptians. They ate separately because the Egyptians would not eat with the Hebrews, since that was detestable to them.
And when it was set out, separately for Joseph, and separately for his brothers, likewise separately for the Egyptians, who ate at the same time, (for it is unlawful for Egyptians to eat with Hebrews, and they consider feasting in this way to be profane)
33 They were seated before Joseph in order by age, from the firstborn to the youngest, and the men looked at one another in astonishment.
they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his state of life. And they wondered exceedingly,
34 When the portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times larger than any of the others. So they feasted and drank freely with Joseph.
taking the portions that they received from him. And the greater portion went to Benjamin, so much so that it exceeded five parts. And they drank and became inebriated along with him.
