Genesis 43
1 Now the land was in bitter need of food.
In the mean time the famine was heavy upon all the land.
2 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.
And when they had eaten up all the corn, which they had brought out of Egypt, Jacob said to his sons: Go again and buy us a little food.
3 And Judah said to him, The man said to us with an oath, You are not to come before me again without your brother.
Juda answered: The man declared unto us with the attestation of an oath, saying: You shall not see my face, unless you bring your youngest brother with you.
4 If you will let our brother go with us, we will go down and get food:
If therefore thou wilt send him with us, we will set out together, and will buy necessaries for thee.
5 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.
But if thou wilt not, we will not go: for the man, as we have often said, declared unto us, saying: You shall not see my face without your youngest brother.
6 And Israel said, Why were you so cruel to me as to say to him that you had a brother?
Israel said to them: You have done this for my misery in that you told him you had also another brother.
7 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?
But they answered: The man asked us in order concerning our kindred: if our father lived: if we had a brother: and we answered him regularly, according to what he demanded: could we know that he would say: Bring hither your brother with you?
8 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.
And Juda said to his father: Send the boy with me, that we may set forward, and may live: lest both we and our children perish.
9 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.
I take the boy upon me, require him at my hand: unless I bring him again, and restore him to thee, I will be guilty of sin against thee for ever.
10 Truly, if we had not let the time go by, we might have come back again by now.
If delay had not been made, we had been here again the second time.
11 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:
Then Israel said to them: If it must needs be so, do what you will: take of the best fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry down presents to the man, a little balm, and honey, and storax, myrrh, turpentine, and almonds.
12 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;
And take with you double money, and carry back what you found in your sacks, lest perhaps it was done by mistake.
13 And take your brother and go back to the man:
And take also your brother, and go to the man.
14 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.
And may my almighty God make him favourable to you; and send back with you your brother, whom he keepeth, and this Benjamin: and as for me I shall be desolate without children.
15 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.
So the men took the presents, and double money, and Benjamin: and went down into Egypt, and stood before Joseph.
16 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.
And when he had seen them, and Benjamin with them, he commanded the steward of his house, saying: Bring in the men into the house, and kill victims, and prepare a feast: because they shall eat with me at noon.
17 And the servant did as Joseph said, and took the men into Joseph's house.
He did as he was commanded, and brought the men into the house.
18 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.
And they being much afraid, said there one to another: Because of the money, which we carried back the first time in our sacks, we are brought in: that he may bring upon us a false accusation, and by violence make slaves of us and our asses.
19 So they went up to Joseph's chief servant at the door of the house,
Wherefore going up to the steward of the house, at the door,
20 And said, O my lord, we only came down the first time to get food;
They said: Sir, we desire thee to hear us: We came down once before to buy food:
21 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;
And when we had bought, and come to the inn, we opened our sacks, and found our money in the mouths of the sacks: which we have now brought again in the same weight.
22 As well as more money, with which to get food: we have no idea who put our money in our bags.
And we have brought other money besides, to buy what we want: we cannot tell who put it in our bags.
23 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.
But he answered: Peace be with you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father hath given you treasure in your sacks. For the money, which you gave me, I have for good. And he brought Simeon out to them.
24 And the servant took them into Joseph's house, and gave them water for washing their feet; and he gave their asses food.
And having brought them into the house, he fetched water, and they washed their feet, and he gave provender to their asses.
25 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.
But they made ready the presents, against Joseph came at noon: for they had heard that they should eat bread there.
26 And when Joseph came in, they gave him the things which they had for him, and went down to the earth before him.
Then Joseph came into his house, and they offered him the presents holding them in their hands, and they bowed down with their face to the ground.
27 And he said, How are you? is your father well, the old man of whom you were talking to me? is he still living?
But he, courteously saluting them again, asked them, saying: Is the old man your father in health, of whom you told me? Is he yet living?
28 And they said, Your servant, our father, is well, he is still living. And they went down on their faces before him.
And they answered: Thy servant our father is in health, he is yet living. And bowing themselves they made obeisance to him.
29 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.
And Joseph lifting up his eyes, saw Benjamin his brother, by the same mother, and said: Is this your young brother, of whom you told me? And he said: God be gracious to thee, my son.
30 Then Joseph's heart went out to his brother, and he went quickly into his room, for he was overcome with weeping.
And he made haste because his heart was moved upon his brother, and tears gushed out: and going into his chamber he wept.
31 Then, after washing his face, he came out, and controlling his feelings said, Put food before us.
And when he had washed his face, coming out again, he refrained himself, and said: Set bread on the table.
32 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.
And when it was set on, for Joseph apart, and for his brethren apart, for the Egyptians also that ate with him, apart, (for it is unlawful for the Egyptians to eat with the Hebrews, and they think such a feast profane):
33 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.
They sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his age. And they wondered very much:
34 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.
Taking the messes which they received of him: and the greater mess came to Benjamin, so that it exceeded by five parts. And they drank, and were merry with him.
