Genesis 43

1 In the mean time the famine was heavy upon all the land.

And the famine was severe in the land.

2 And when they had eaten up all the corn, which they had brought out of Egypt, Jacob said to his sons: Go again and buy us a little food.

And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said to them, Go again, buy us a little food.

3 Juda answered: The man declared unto us with the attestation of an oath, saying: You shall not see my face, unless you bring your youngest brother with you.

And Judah spoke to him, saying, The man solemnly protested to us, saying, Ye shall not see my face unless your brother be with you.

4 If therefore thou wilt send him with us, we will set out together, and will buy necessaries for thee.

If thou will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for thee,

5 But if thou wilt not, we will not go: for the man, as we have often said, declared unto us, saying: You shall not see my face without your youngest brother.

but if thou will not send him, we will not go down. For the man said to us, Ye shall not see my face unless your brother be with you.

6 Israel said to them: You have done this for my misery in that you told him you had also another brother.

And Israel said, Why did ye deal so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?

7 But they answered: The man asked us in order concerning our kindred: if our father lived: if we had a brother: and we answered him regularly, according to what he demanded: could we know that he would say: Bring hither your brother with you?

And they said, The man asked diligently 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 way know that he would say, Bring your brother down?

8 And Juda said to his father: Send the boy with me, that we may set forward, and may live: lest both we and our children perish.

And Judah said to Israel his father, Send the young man 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 take the boy upon me, require him at my hand: unless I bring him again, and restore him to thee, I will be guilty of sin against thee for ever.

I will be surety for him, of my hand shall thou require him. If I do not bring him to thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame forever.

10 If delay had not been made, we had been here again the second time.

For unless we had lingered, surely we would have now returned a second time.

11 Then Israel said to them: If it must needs be so, do what you will: take of the best fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry down presents to the man, a little balm, and honey, and storax, myrrh, turpentine, and almonds.

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

12 And take with you double money, and carry back what you found in your sacks, lest perhaps it was done by mistake.

And take double money in your hand, and the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks carry again in your hand. Perhaps it was an oversight.

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

Also take your brother, and arise, go again to the man.

14 And may my almighty God make him favourable to you; and send back with you your brother, whom he keepeth, and this Benjamin: and as for me I shall be desolate without children.

And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release to you your other brother and Benjamin. And if I be bereaved of my sons, I am bereaved.

15 So the men took the presents, and double money, and Benjamin: and went down into Egypt, and stood before 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 with them, he commanded the steward of his house, saying: Bring in the men into the house, and kill victims, and prepare a feast: because they shall eat with me at noon.

And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, Bring the men into the house, and kill, and make ready, for the men shall dine with me at noon.

17 He did as he was commanded, and brought the men into the house.

And the man did as Joseph bade, and the man brought the men to Joseph's house.

18 And they being much afraid, said there one to another: Because of the money, which we carried back the first time in our sacks, we are brought in: that he may bring upon us a false accusation, and by violence make slaves of us and our asses.

And the men were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph's house, and they said, We are brought in because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time, that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our donkeys.

19 Wherefore going up to the steward of the house, at the door,

And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they spoke to him at the door of the house,

20 They said: Sir, we desire thee to hear us: We came down once before to buy food:

and said, Oh, my lord, we indeed came down at the first time to buy food.

21 And when we had bought, and come to the inn, we opened our sacks, and found our money in the mouths of the sacks: which we have now brought again in the same weight.

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 And we have brought other money besides, to buy what we want: we cannot tell who put it in our bags.

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

23 But he answered: Peace be with you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father hath given you treasure in your sacks. For the money, which you gave me, I have for good. And he brought Simeon out to them.

And he said, Peace be to you, fear not. Your God, and the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks. I had your money. And he brought Simeon out to them.

24 And having brought them into the house, he fetched water, and they washed their feet, and he gave provender to their asses.

And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet. And he gave their donkeys provender.

25 But they made ready the presents, against Joseph came at noon: for they had heard that they should eat bread there.

And they made ready the present against Joseph's coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread there.

26 Then Joseph came into his house, and they offered him the presents holding them in their hands, and they bowed down with their face to 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, courteously saluting them again, asked them, saying: Is the old man your father in health, of whom you told me? Is he yet living?

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

28 And they answered: Thy servant our father is in health, he is yet living. And bowing themselves they made obeisance to him.

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

29 And Joseph lifting up his eyes, saw Benjamin his brother, by the same mother, and said: Is this your young brother, of whom you told me? And he said: God be gracious to thee, 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 spoke to me? And he said, God be gracious to thee, my son.

30 And he made haste because his heart was moved upon his brother, and tears gushed out: and going into his chamber he wept.

And Joseph made haste, for his heart yearned over 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 refrained himself, and said: Set bread on the table.

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

32 And when it was set on, for Joseph apart, and for his brethren apart, for the Egyptians also that ate with him, apart, (for it is unlawful for the Egyptians to eat with the Hebrews, and they think such a feast profane):

And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, who ate with him, by themselves, because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians.

33 They sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his age. And they wondered very much:

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 messes which they received of him: and the greater mess came to Benjamin, so that it exceeded by five parts. And they drank, and were merry with him.

And he took and sent portions to them from before him, but Benjamin's portion was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.