Genesis 43

1 But the famine prevailed in the land.

Now the land was in bitter need of food.

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.

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.

3 And Judas spoke to him, saying, The man, the lord of the country, positively testified to us, saying, You shall not see my face, unless your younger brother be with you.

And Judah said to him, The man said to us with an oath, You are not to come before me again without your brother.

4 If, then, you send our brother with us, we will go down, and buy you food;

If you will let our brother go with us, we will go down and get food:

5 but if you send not our brother with us, we will not go: for the man spoke to us, saying, You shall not see my face, unless your younger brother be with you.

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.

6 And Israel said, Why did you harm me, inasmuch as you told the man that you had a brother?

And Israel said, Why were you so cruel to me as to say to him that you had a brother?

7 And they said, The man closely questioned us about our family also, saying, Does your father yet live, and have you a brother? and we answered him according to this question: did we know that he would say to us, Bring your brother?

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?

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 you, and our store.

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.

9 And I engage for him; at my hand do you require him; if I bring him not to you, and place him before you, I shall be guilty towards you for ever.

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.

10 For if we had not tarried, we should now have returned twice.

Truly, if we had not let the time go by, we might have come back again 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.

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:

12 And take double money in your hands, and the money that was returned in your sacks, carry back with you, lest perhaps it is a mistake.

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;

13 And take your brother; and arise, go down to the man.

And take your brother and go back to the man:

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.

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.

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 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.

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 kill beasts and make ready, for the men are to eat bread with me at noon.

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.

17 And the man did as Joseph said; and he brought the men into the house of Joseph.

And the servant did as Joseph said, and took the men into 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.

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.

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 up to Joseph's chief servant at the door of the house,

20 saying, We pray [you], Sir; we came down at first to buy food.

And said, O my lord, we only came down the first time to get 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 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;

22 And we have brought other money with us to buy food; we know not who put the money into our sacks.

As well as more money, with which to get food: we have no idea who put our money in our bags.

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.

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.

24 And he brought water to wash their feet; and gave provender to their asses.

And the servant took them into Joseph's house, and gave them water for washing their feet; and he gave their asses food.

25 And they prepared their gifts, until Joseph came at noon, for they heard that he was going to dine there.

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.

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.

And when Joseph came in, they gave him the things which they had for him, and went down to the earth before him.

27 And he asked them, How are you? and he said to them, Is your father, the old man of whom you spoke, well? Does he yet live?

And he said, How are you? is your father well, the old man of whom you were talking to me? is he still living?

28 And they said, Your 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.

And they said, Your servant, our father, is well, he is still living. And they went down on their faces before him.

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 you spoke of bringing to me? and he said, God have mercy on you, my son.

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.

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.

Then Joseph's heart went out to his brother, and he went quickly into his room, for he was overcome with weeping.

31 And he washed his face and came out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.

Then, after washing his face, he came out, and controlling his feelings said, Put food before us.

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.

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.

33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his seniority, and the younger according to his youth; and the men looked with amazement every one at his brother.

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.

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.

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.