Genesis 43

1 Meanwhile, the famine pressed heavily on all the land.

Now the land was in bitter need of food.

2 And having consumed the provisions that they had brought out of Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, “Return and 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 Judah answered: “The man himself declared to us, under the attestation of an oath, saying: ‘You will not see my face, unless you bring your youngest brother 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 therefore you are willing to send him with us, we will travel together, and we will buy necessities for you.

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

5 But if you are not willing, we will not go. For the man, as we have often said, declared to us, saying: ‘You will not see my face without your youngest brother.’”

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 Israel said to them, “You have done this for my misery, in that you revealed to him that you also had another brother.”

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

7 But they responded: “The man questioned us in order, concerning our family: whether our father lived, if we had a brother. And we answered him respectively, according to what he demanded. How could we know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother with you?’”

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 Likewise, Judah said to his father: “Send the boy with me, so that we may set out and be able to live, lest we and our little ones should die.

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 I accept the boy; require him at my hand. Unless I lead him back and restore him to you, I will be guilty of a sin against you for all time.

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 If a delay had not intervened, by now we would have returned here a second time.”

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

11 Therefore, their father Israel said to them: “If it is necessary to do so, then do what you will. Take, in your vessels, from the best fruits of the land, and carry down gifts to the man: a little resin, and honey, and storax ointment, oil of myrrh, turpentine, and almonds.

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 Also, take with you double the money, and carry back what you found in your sacks, lest perhaps it was done in error.

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 But also take your brother, and go to the man.

And take your brother and go back to the man:

14 Then may my Almighty God cause him to be pleased by you. And send your brother, whom he holds, back with you, along with this one, Benjamin. But as for me, without my children, I will be like one who is 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 Therefore, the men took the gifts, and double the money, and Benjamin. And they went down into Egypt, and they stood in the presence of 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 when he had seen them and Benjamin together, he instructed the steward of his house, saying: “Lead the men into the house, and kill victims, and prepare a feast, because they will be eating with me at midday.”

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 He did what he had been ordered to do, and he brought the men into the house.

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

18 And there, being terrified, they said one to another: “Because of the money, which we carried back the first time in our sacks, we have been brought in, so that he may unleash a false accusation against us, and by violence subjugate both us and our donkeys into servitude.”

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 For this reason, approaching the steward of the house at his door,

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

20 they said: “We beg you, lord, to hear us. We came down once before to buy food.

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

21 And having bought it, when we arrived at the inn, we opened our sacks and found the money in the mouths of the sacks, which we now have carried back in the same amount.

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 But we have also brought other silver, so that we may buy those things that are necessary for us. It is not on our conscience who had placed it in our bags.”

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

23 But he responded: “Peace be with you. Do not be afraid. Your God, and the God of your father, has given you the treasure in your sacks. As for the money that you gave to me, I held it as a test.” And he led Simeon 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 having led them into the house, he brought water, and they washed their feet, and he gave fodder to their donkeys.

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

25 But they also prepared the gifts, until Joseph entered at midday. For they had heard that they would eat bread 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 so Joseph entered his house, and they offered him the gifts, holding them in their hands. And they reverenced prone on 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 But he, gently greeting them again, questioned them, saying: “Is your father, the old man about whom you spoke to me, in good health? Is he still alive?”

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 answered: “Your servant, our father, is safe; he is still alive.” And bowing, they reverenced him.

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

29 Then Joseph, lifting up his eyes, saw Benjamin, his brother of the same womb, and he said, “Is this your little brother, about whom you spoke to me?” And again, he said, “May God be compassionate to 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 he hurried out, because his heart had been moved over his brother, and tears gushed out. And going into his chamber, he wept.

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

31 And when he had washed his face, coming out again, he composed himself, and he said, “Set out bread.”

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

32 And when it was set out, separately for Joseph, and separately for his brothers, likewise separately for the Egyptians, who ate at the same time, (for it is unlawful for Egyptians to eat with Hebrews, and they consider feasting in this way to be profane)

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 they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his state of life. And they wondered exceedingly,

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 taking the portions that they received from him. And the greater portion went to Benjamin, so much so that it exceeded five parts. And they drank and became inebriated along 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.