Genesis 43
1 But the famine prevailed in the land.
The famine continued to be really bad in Canaan,
2 And it came to pass, when they had finished eating the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, that their father said to them, Go again; buy 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 Judas spoke to him, saying, The man, the lord of the country, positively testified to us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, unless your younger brother be 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, then, thou send our brother with us, we will go down, and buy thee food;
If you send our brother Benjamin with us then we'll go and buy food for you.
5 but if thou send not our brother with us, we will not go: for the man spoke to us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, unless your younger brother be 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 did ye harm me, inasmuch as ye told the man that ye 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 closely questioned us about our family also, saying, Does your father yet live, and have ye a brother? and we answered him according to this question: did we know that he would say to us, Bring 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 And Judas said to his father Israel, Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and thou, and our store.
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 And I engage for him; at my hand do thou require him; if I bring him not to thee, and place him before thee, I shall be guilty toward thee 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 For if we had not tarried, we should now have returned twice.
Now let's go, because if we hadn't hesitated, we could have gone there and come back twice by now.”
11 And Israel, their father, said to them, If it be so, do this; take of the fruits of the earth in your vessels, and carry down to the man presents of gum and honey, and frankincense, and stacte, and turpentine, and walnuts.
“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 double money in your hands, and the money that was returned in your sacks, carry back with you, lest peradventure it is a mistake.
Take double the money that was returned to you in your sacks—maybe it was a mistake.
13 And take your brother; and arise, go down to the man.
Take your brother and go back to the man right away.
14 And my God give you favour in the sight of the man, and send away your other brother, and Benjamin, for I accordingly as I have been bereaved, 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 And the men having taken these presents, and the double money, took in their hands also Benjamin; and they rose up and went 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 And Joseph saw them and his brother Benjamin, born of the same mother; and he said to the steward of his household, Bring the men into the house, and slay beasts and make ready, for the men are to eat bread 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 And the man did as Joseph said; and he brought the men into the house of Joseph.
The man did as Joseph ordered and took them to Joseph's house.
18 And the men, when they perceived that they were brought into the house of Joseph, said, We are brought in because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first; even in order to inform against us, and lay it to our charge; to take us for servants, and our asses.
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 And having approached the man who was over the house of Joseph, they spoke to him in the porch of the house,
So they went and spoke to Joseph's household supervisor at the entrance to the house.
20 saying, We pray [thee], Sir; we came down at first to buy food.
“Please excuse us, my lord,” they said. “We came down the first time to buy food,
21 And it came to pass, when we came to unlade, and opened our sacks, [there was] also this money of each in his sack; we have now brought back our money by weight in our hands.
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 And we have brought other money with us to buy food; we know not who put the money into our sacks.
We've also brought more money to buy food. We've no idea who put our money in our sacks!”
23 And he said to them, [God deal] mercifully with you; be not afraid; your God, and the God of your fathers, has given you treasures in your sacks, and I have enough of your good money. And he brought Symeon 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 he brought water to wash their feet; and gave provender to their asses.
The steward took them inside Joseph's house, gave them water to wash their feet, and supplied food for their donkeys.
25 And they prepared their gifts, until Joseph came at noon, for they heard that he was going to dine 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 Joseph entered into the house, and they brought him the gifts which they had in their hands, into the house; and they did him reverence with their face to the ground.
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 asked them, How are ye? and he said to them, Is your father, the old man of whom ye spoke, well? Does he yet live?
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, Thy servant our father is well; he is yet alive. And he said, Blessed be that man by God; —and they bowed, and did him reverence.
“Yes, your servant our father is still alive, and is well,” they replied and bowed low in respect.
29 And Joseph lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, born of the same mother; and he said, Is this your younger brother, whom ye spoke of bringing to me? and he said, God have mercy on thee, 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 And Joseph was troubled, for his bowels yearned over his brother, and he sought to weep; and he went into his chamber, and wept there.
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 And he washed his face and came out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.
Then he washed his face, got his emotions under control, and went back out. “Serve the food,” he ordered.
32 And they set on [bread] for him alone, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians feasting with him by themselves, for the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews, for it is an abomination to the Egyptians.
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 sat before him, the first-born according to his seniority, and the younger according to his youth; and the men looked with amazement every one at his brother.
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 they took their portions from him to themselves; but Benjamin's portion was five times as much as the portions of [the others]. And they drank and were filled with drink 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.
