Genesis 43

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

And the famine was sore in the land.

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 it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy 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 spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.

4 If therefore you are willing to send him with us, we will travel together, and we will buy necessities for you.

If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee 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 thou wilt not send him, we will not go down: for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be 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, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet 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 asked straitly concerning ourselves, and concerning our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye [another] brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we in any wise know that he would say, Bring your brother down?

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.

And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones.

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.

I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever:

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

for except we had lingered, surely we had now returned a second time.

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.

And their father Israel said unto them, If it be so now, do this; take of the choice fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spicery and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:

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 double money in your hand; and the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks carry again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight:

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

take also your brother, and arise, go again unto 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 God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release unto you your other brother and Benjamin. And if I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.

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.

And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood 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 with them, he said to the steward of his house, Bring the men into the house, and slay, and make ready; for the men shall dine with me at noon.

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

And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought 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.”

And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.

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

And they came near to the steward of Joseph’s house, and they spake unto him 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, Oh my lord, we came indeed down at the first time to buy 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 it came to pass, when we came to the lodging place, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand.

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.”

And other money have we brought down in our hand to buy food: we know not who put our money in our sacks.

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.

And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto 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 man brought the men into Joseph’s house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender.

25 But they also prepared the gifts, until Joseph entered at midday. For they had heard that they would eat bread there.

And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread 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 home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed down themselves to him to the earth.

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 asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive?

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

And they said, Thy servant our father is well, he is yet alive. And they bowed the head, and made obeisance.

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.”

And he lifted up his eyes, and saw Benjamin his brother, his mother’s son, and said, Is this your youngest brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, 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.

And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there.

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

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

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 set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

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 sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marveled one with another.

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 he took [and sent] messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin’s mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.