< Genesis 43 >

1 Now the famine was still severe in the land.
The famine continued to be really bad in Canaan,
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.”
so once they had finished the grain they'd brought from Egypt, their father told them, “You have to go back and buy some more grain for us.”
3 But Judah replied, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’
But Judah responded, “The man was adamant when he warned us, ‘I won't even see you unless your brother is with you.’
4 If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you.
If you send our brother Benjamin with us then we'll go and buy food 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 won't send him, then we won't go, because the man was very clear, ‘I won't even see you unless your brother is with you.’”
6 “Why did you bring this trouble upon me?” Israel asked. “Why did you tell the man you had another brother?”
“Why have you made things so bad for me by telling the man you had another brother?” Israel asked.
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’?”
“The man kept on asking direct questions about us and our family like ‘Is your father still alive?’ and ‘Do you have another brother?’” they replied. “We just answered his questions. How were we to know he'd say, ‘Bring your brother here!’?”
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.
Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy in my care, and we'll leave immediately, so that we can stay alive and not die—and that includes you and us and our children!
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 promise to take care of him—I'll be personally responsible for bringing him back to you. If I don't, then I will always carry the blame!
10 If we had not delayed, we could have come and gone twice by now.”
Now let's go, because if we hadn't hesitated, we could have gone there and come back twice by now.”
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.
“If it has to be, then this is what you'll do,” Israel replied. “Take with you the best our country produces. Pack your bags with gifts for the man—balm, a little honey, spices, myrrh, pistachios, 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.
Take double the money that was returned to you in your sacks—maybe it was a mistake.
13 Take your brother as well, and return to the man at once.
Take your brother and go back to the man right away.
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.”
May God Almighty make the man treat you kindly so when you come before him he'll release your other brother and send Benjamin back. As for me, if I am to lose all my children, then so be it.”
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.
So they packed the gifts, took double the money, and set off, accompanied by Benjamin. They arrived in Egypt and went to have an audience with 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.”
When Joseph saw Benjamin was with them, he told his household supervisor, “Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and make a meal, for they are going to eat with me at noon.”
17 The man did as Joseph had commanded and took the brothers to Joseph’s house.
The man did as Joseph ordered and took them to Joseph's 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.”
They were really worried that they were being taken to Joseph's house. “It's because of the money that was put in our sacks the first time we came,” they said to each other. “That's why we're being brought in—so he can accuse us and attack us! He'll make us his slaves and take our donkeys!”
19 So they approached Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house.
So they went and spoke to Joseph's household supervisor at the entrance to the house.
20 “Please, sir,” they said, “we really did come down here the first time to buy food.
“Please excuse us, my lord,” they said. “We came down the first time 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 when we stopped for the night, we opened our sacks and each of us found our money—the exact amount—at the top of our sacks. So we've brought it back with us.
22 We have brought additional silver with us to buy food. We do not know who put our silver in our sacks.”
We've also brought more money to buy food. We've no idea who put our money in our sacks!”
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.
“Everything's fine!” he told them. “Don't worry! Your God, the God of your father, must have given you the treasure hidden in your sacks. I got your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to meet 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.
The steward took them inside Joseph's house, gave them water to wash their feet, and supplied food for 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.
They got their gifts ready for when Joseph would come at noon, because they had found out that they were going to eat there.
26 When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought, and they bowed to the ground before him.
When Joseph arrived at the house they gave him the gifts they had brought for him, and bowed low to the ground before him.
27 He asked if they were well, and then he asked, “How is your elderly father you told me about? Is he still alive?”
He asked how they were, and then he asked, “How is your elderly father doing that you spoke of? Is he still alive?”
28 “Your servant our father is well,” they answered. “He is still alive.” And they bowed down to honor him.
“Yes, your servant our father is still alive, and is well,” they replied and bowed low in respect.
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 looked over at his brother Benjamin, the son of his own mother. “Is this your youngest brother that you told me about?” he asked. “God be gracious to you, my son,” he said.
30 Joseph hurried out because he was moved to tears for his brother, and he went to a private room to weep.
Joseph had to run out quickly because he was becoming so emotional at seeing his brother. He looked for a place to cry, and went to his room to weep there.
31 Then he washed his face and came back out. Regaining his composure, he said, “Serve the meal.”
Then he washed his face, got his emotions under control, and went back out. “Serve the food,” he ordered.
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.
Joseph was served at a table by himself, and his brothers were served at a separate table. The Egyptians were also served at another table, because Egyptians cannot eat with Hebrews because they find this repulsive.
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.
The brothers had been seated in front of him in order by age, from the firstborn, the oldest, down to the youngest, and they looked at each other in complete surprise.
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.
The food was served to them from Joseph's table, and Benjamin received five times as much as anyone else. So they ate and drank plenty with him.

< Genesis 43 >