Genesis 43
1 In the mean time the famine was heavy upon all the land.
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.
It came about when they had eaten the grain that they had brought out of Egypt, their father said to them, “Go again; buy us some 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.
Judah told him, “The man solemnly warned us, 'You will not see my face 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 send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food.
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 do not send him, we will not go down. For the man said to us, 'You will not see my face 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.
Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly by telling the man that 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 said, “The man asked details about us and our family. He said, 'Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?' We answered him according to these questions. How could we have known 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.
Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the boy with me. We will rise and go that we may live and not die, both we, you, and also 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 be a guarantee for him. You will hold me responsible. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.
10 If delay had not been made, we had been here again the second time.
For if we had not delayed, surely by now we would have come back here 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.
Their father Israel said to them, “If it be so, now do this. Take some of the best products of the land in your bags. Carry down to the man a gift—some balm and honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio 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.
Take double money in your hand. The money that was returned in the opening of your sacks, carry again in your hand. Perhaps it was a mistake.
13 And take also your brother, and go to the man.
Take also your brother. Rise and 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.
May God Almighty give you mercy before the man, so that he may release to you your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”
15 So the men took the presents, and double money, and Benjamin: and went down into Egypt, and stood before Joseph.
The men took this gift, and in their hand they took double the amount of money, along with Benjamin. They got 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.
When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Bring the men into the house, slaughter an animal and prepare it, for the men will eat with me at noon.”
17 He did as he was commanded, and brought the men into the house.
The steward did as Joseph said. He 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.
The men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph's house. They said, “It is because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time we were brought in, that he may seek an opportunity against us. He might arrest us and take us as slaves, and take our donkeys.”
19 Wherefore going up to the steward of the house, at the door,
They approached 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:
saying, “My master, we came down 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.
It came about, when we reached the lodging place, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man's money was in the opening of his sack, our money in full weight. We have brought it back in our hands.
22 And we have brought other money besides, to buy what we want: we cannot tell who put it in our bags.
Other money we have also brought down in our hand to buy food. We do not know 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.
The steward said, “Peace be to you, do not fear. Your God and the God of your father must have put your money in your sacks. I received your money.” The steward then 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.
The steward took the men into Joseph's house. He gave them water, and they washed their feet. He gave feed to their donkeys.
25 But they made ready the presents, against Joseph came at noon: for they had heard that they should eat bread there.
They prepared the gifts for Joseph's coming at noon, for they had heard that they would eat 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.
When Joseph came home, they brought the gifts which were in their hand into the house, and bowed down before him to the ground.
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 them about their welfare and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? 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.
They said, “Your servant our father is well. He is still alive.” They prostrated themselves and bowed down.
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 he lifted up his eyes he saw Benjamin his brother, his mother's son, and he said, “Is this your youngest brother of whom you spoke to me?” Then he said, “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 to go out of the room, for he was deeply moved about his brother. He sought somewhere to weep. He went to his room and wept there.
31 And when he had washed his face, coming out again, he refrained himself, and said: Set bread on the table.
He washed his face and came out. He controlled himself, saying, “Serve the food.”
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):
The servants served Joseph by himself and the brothers by themselves. The Egyptians there ate with him by themselves because the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is detestable 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:
The brothers sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth. The men were astonished together.
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.
Joseph sent portions to them from the food in front of him. But Benjamin's portion was five times as much as any of his brothers. They drank and were merry with him.
