Genesis 43
1 The famine continued to be really bad in Canaan,
And the famine was sore in the land.
2 so once they had finished the grain they'd brought from Egypt, their father told them, “You have to go back and buy some more grain for us.”
And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said to them, Go again, buy us a little food.
3 But Judah responded, “The man was adamant when he warned us, ‘I won't even see you unless your brother is with you.’
And Judah spoke to him, saying, The man did solemnly protest to us, saying, You shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.
4 If you send our brother Benjamin with us then we'll go and buy food for you.
If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food:
5 But if you won't send him, then we won't go, because the man was very clear, ‘I won't even see you unless your brother is with you.’”
But if you will not send him, we will not go down: for the man said to us, You shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.
6 “Why have you made things so bad for me by telling the man you had another brother?” Israel asked.
And Israel said, Why dealt you so ill with me, as to tell the man whether you had yet a brother?
7 “The man kept on asking direct questions about us and our family like ‘Is your father still alive?’ and ‘Do you have another brother?’” they replied. “We just answered his questions. How were we to know he'd say, ‘Bring your brother here!’?”
And they said, The man asked us straightly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have you another brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down?
8 Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy in my care, and we'll leave immediately, so that we can stay alive and not die—and that includes you and us and our children!
And Judah said to Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and you, and also our little ones.
9 I promise to take care of him—I'll be personally responsible for bringing him back to you. If I don't, then I will always carry the blame!
I will be surety for him; of my hand shall you require him: if I bring him not to you, and set him before you, then let me bear the blame for ever:
10 Now let's go, because if we hadn't hesitated, we could have gone there and come back twice by now.”
For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time.
11 “If it has to be, then this is what you'll do,” Israel replied. “Take with you the best our country produces. Pack your bags with gifts for the man—balm, a little honey, spices, myrrh, pistachios, and almonds.
And their father Israel said to them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:
12 Take double the money that was returned to you in your sacks—maybe it was a mistake.
And take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight:
13 Take your brother and go back to the man right away.
Take also your brother, and arise, go again to the man:
14 May God Almighty make the man treat you kindly so when you come before him he'll release your other brother and send Benjamin back. As for me, if I am to lose all my children, then so be it.”
And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.
15 So they packed the gifts, took double the money, and set off, accompanied by Benjamin. They arrived in Egypt and went to have an audience with 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 When Joseph saw Benjamin was with them, he told his household supervisor, “Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and make a meal, for they are going to eat with me at noon.”
And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, Bring these men home, and slay, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon.
17 The man did as Joseph ordered and took them to Joseph's house.
And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house.
18 They were really worried that they were being taken to Joseph's house. “It's because of the money that was put in our sacks the first time we came,” they said to each other. “That's why we're being brought in—so he can accuse us and attack us! He'll make us his slaves and take our donkeys!”
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 on us, and take us for slaves, and our asses.
19 So they went and spoke to Joseph's household supervisor at the entrance to the house.
And they came near to the steward of Joseph’s house, and they communed with him at the door of the house,
20 “Please excuse us, my lord,” they said. “We came down the first time to buy food,
And said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food:
21 and when we stopped for the night, we opened our sacks and each of us found our money—the exact amount—at the top of our sacks. So we've brought it back with us.
And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, 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 We've also brought more money to buy food. We've no idea who put our money in our sacks!”
And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks.
23 “Everything's fine!” he told them. “Don't worry! Your God, the God of your father, must have given you the treasure hidden in your sacks. I got your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to meet 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 The steward took them inside Joseph's house, gave them water to wash their feet, and supplied food for 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 They got their gifts ready for when Joseph would come at noon, because they had found out that they were going to eat there.
And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.
26 When Joseph arrived at the house they gave him the gifts they had brought for him, and bowed low to the ground before him.
And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth.
27 He asked how they were, and then he asked, “How is your elderly father doing that you spoke of? Is he still alive?”
And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he yet alive?
28 “Yes, your servant our father is still alive, and is well,” they replied and bowed low in respect.
And they answered, Your servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive. And they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance.
29 Then Joseph looked over at his brother Benjamin, the son of his own mother. “Is this your youngest brother that you told me about?” he asked. “God be gracious to you, my son,” he said.
And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, Is this your younger brother, of whom you spoke to me? And he said, God be gracious to you, my son.
30 Joseph had to run out quickly because he was becoming so emotional at seeing his brother. He looked for a place to cry, and went to his room to weep there.
And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn on his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there.
31 Then he washed his face, got his emotions under control, and went back out. “Serve the food,” he ordered.
And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.
32 Joseph was served at a table by himself, and his brothers were served at a separate table. The Egyptians were also served at another table, because Egyptians cannot eat with Hebrews because they find this repulsive.
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 to the Egyptians.
33 The brothers had been seated in front of him in order by age, from the firstborn, the oldest, down to the youngest, and they looked at each other in complete surprise.
And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marveled one at another.
34 The food was served to them from Joseph's table, and Benjamin received five times as much as anyone else. So they ate and drank plenty with him.
And he took and sent messes to 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.
