Genesis 43

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

Now the famine was still 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.

So when Jacob’s sons had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more 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.

But Judah replied, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’

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

If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you.

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 you will not send him, we will not go; for the man told us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’”

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

“Why did you bring this trouble upon me?” Israel asked. “Why did you tell the man you had another 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?

They replied, “The man questioned us in detail about ourselves and our family: ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ And we answered him accordingly. How could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother here’?”

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 his father Israel, “Send the boy with me, and we will go at once, so that we may live and not die—neither we, nor you, nor our children.

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 guarantee his safety. You may hold me personally responsible. If I do not bring him back and set him before you, then may I bear the guilt before you all my life.

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

If we had not delayed, we could have come and gone twice by now.”

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.

Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and carry them down as a gift for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios 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.

Take double the silver with you so that you may return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake.

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

Take your brother as well, and return to the man at once.

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.

May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother along with Benjamin. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”

15 So the men took the presents, and double money, and Benjamin: and went down into Egypt, and stood before Joseph.

So the men took these gifts, along with double the amount of silver, and Benjamin as well. Then they hurried 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.

When Joseph saw Benjamin with his brothers, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for they shall dine with me at noon.”

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

The man did as Joseph had commanded and took the brothers 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.

But the brothers were frightened that they had been taken to Joseph’s house. “We have been brought here because of the silver that was returned in our bags the first time,” they said. “They intend to overpower us and take us as slaves, along with our donkeys.”

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

So they approached Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house.

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

“Please, sir,” they said, “we really did come down here 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.

But when we came to the place we lodged for the night, we opened our sacks and, behold, each of us found his silver in the mouth of his sack! It was the full amount of our silver, and we have brought it back with us.

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

We have brought additional silver with us to buy food. We do not know who put our silver 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.

“It is fine,” said the steward. “Do not be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, gave you the treasure that was in your sacks. I received your silver.” Then 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 steward took the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet, and provided food for their donkeys.

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

Since the brothers had been told that they were going to eat a meal there, they prepared their gift for Joseph’s arrival at noon.

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.

When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought, and they bowed to the ground before him.

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?

He asked if they were well, and then he asked, “How is your elderly father you told me about? Is he still alive?”

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

“Your servant our father is well,” they answered. “He is still alive.” And they bowed down to honor him.

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.

When Joseph looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?” Then he declared, “May God be gracious to you, 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.

Joseph hurried out because he was moved to tears for his brother, and he went to a private room to weep.

31 And when he had washed his face, coming out again, he refrained himself, and said: Set bread on the table.

Then he washed his face and came back out. Regaining his composure, he said, “Serve the meal.”

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):

They separately served Joseph, his brothers, and the Egyptians. They ate separately because the Egyptians would not eat with the Hebrews, since that was detestable to them.

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

They were seated before Joseph in order by age, from the firstborn to the youngest, and the men looked at one another in astonishment.

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.

When the portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times larger than any of the others. So they feasted and drank freely with Joseph.