Genesis 43
1 Now the land was in bitter need of food.
The famine continued to be really bad in Canaan,
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.
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 And Judah said to him, The man said to us with an oath, You are not to come before me again without your brother.
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 let our brother go with us, we will go down and get food:
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 down: for the man said to us, You are not to come before me if your brother is not 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 And Israel said, Why were you so cruel to me as to say to him that you had a brother?
“Why have you made things so bad for me by telling the man you had another brother?” Israel asked.
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?
“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 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.
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 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 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 Truly, if we had not let the time go by, we might have come back again 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 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:
“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 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;
Take double the money that was returned to you in your sacks—maybe it was a mistake.
13 And take your brother and go back to the man:
Take your brother and go back to the man right away.
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.
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 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 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 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.
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 And the servant did as Joseph said, and took the men into Joseph's house.
The man did as Joseph ordered and took them to Joseph's 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.
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 went up to Joseph's chief servant at the door of the house,
So they went and spoke to Joseph's household supervisor at the entrance to the house.
20 And said, O my lord, we only came down the first time to get food;
“Please excuse us, my lord,” they said. “We came down the first time 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 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 As well as more money, with which to get food: we have no idea who put our money in our bags.
We've also brought more money to buy food. We've no idea who put our money in our sacks!”
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.
“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 servant took them into Joseph's house, and gave them water for washing their feet; and he gave their asses food.
The steward took them inside Joseph's house, gave them water to wash their feet, and supplied food for their donkeys.
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.
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 And when Joseph came in, they gave him the things which they had for him, and went down to the earth 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 And he said, How are you? is your father well, the old man of whom you were talking to me? is he still living?
He asked how they were, and then he asked, “How is your elderly father doing that you spoke of? Is he still alive?”
28 And they said, Your servant, our father, is well, he is still living. And they went down on their faces before him.
“Yes, your servant our father is still alive, and is well,” they replied and bowed low in respect.
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.
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 Then Joseph's heart went out to his brother, and he went quickly into his room, for he was overcome with weeping.
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, after washing his face, he came out, and controlling his feelings said, Put food before us.
Then he washed his face, got his emotions under control, and went back out. “Serve the food,” he ordered.
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.
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 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.
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 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.
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.
