Genesis 43
1 Now great famine was in the land.
In the mean time the famine was heavy upon all the land.
2 And when they had eaten vp the vitaile, which they had brought from Egypt, their father sayd vnto them, Turne againe, and bye vs a little foode.
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.
3 And Iudah answered him, saying, The man charged vs by an othe, saying, Neuer see my face, except your brother be with you.
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.
4 If thou wilt sende our brother with vs, we will goe downe, and bye thee foode:
If therefore thou wilt send him with us, we will set out together, and will buy necessaries for thee.
5 But if thou wilt not send him, we wil not go downe: for the man said vnto vs, Looke me not in the face, except your brother be with you.
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.
6 And Israel sayd, Wherefore delt ye so euill with me, as to tell the man, whether ye had yet a brother or no?
Israel said to them: You have done this for my misery in that you told him you had also another brother.
7 And they answered, The man asked straitly of our selues and of our kinred, saying, Is your father yet aliue? haue ye any brother? And wee tolde him according to these wordes: could we knowe certainely that he would say, Bring your brother downe?
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?
8 Then sayde Iudah to Israel his father, Send the boy with mee, that we may rise and goe, and that we may liue and not dye, both we, and thou, and our children.
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.
9 I wil be suertie for him: of mine hand shalt thou require him. If I bring him not to thee, and set him before thee, then let me beare the blame for euer.
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.
10 For except we had made this tarying, doutlesse by this we had returned the second time.
If delay had not been made, we had been here again the second time.
11 Then their father Israel sayd vnto them, If it must needes be so now, do thus: take of the best fruites of the lande in your vessels, and bring the man a present, a little rosen, and a little hony, spices and myrrhe, nuttes, and almondes:
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.
12 And take double money in your hande, and the money, that was brought againe in your sackes mouthes: cary it againe in your hand, lest it were some ouersight.
And take with you double money, and carry back what you found in your sacks, lest perhaps it was done by mistake.
13 Take also your brother and arise, and go againe to the man.
And take also your brother, and go to the man.
14 And God almightie giue you mercie in the sight of the man, that hee may deliuer you your other brother, and Beniamin: but I shall be robbed of my childe, as I haue bene.
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.
15 Thus the men tooke this present, and tooke twise so much money in their hande with Beniamin, and rose vp, and went downe to Egypt and stoode before Ioseph.
So the men took the presents, and double money, and Benjamin: and went down into Egypt, and stood before Joseph.
16 And whe Ioseph saw Beniamin with them, he sayde to his stewarde, Bring these men home and kill meate, and make ready: for the men shall eate with me at noone.
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.
17 And the man did as Ioseph bad, and brought the men vnto Iosephs house.
He did as he was commanded, and brought the men into the house.
18 Nowe when the men were brought into Iosephs house, they were afrayd, and sayd, Because of the money, that came in our sackes mouthes at the first time, are we brought, that hee may picke a quarrell against vs, and lay some thing to our charge, and bring vs in bondage and our asses.
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.
19 Therefore came they to Iosephs stewarde, and communed with him at the doore of ye house.
Wherefore going up to the steward of the house, at the door,
20 And said, Oh syr, we came in deede down hither at the first time to bye foode,
They said: Sir, we desire thee to hear us: We came down once before to buy food:
21 And as wee came to an ynne and opened our sackes, behold, euery mans money was in his sackes mouth, euen our money in full weight, but we haue brought it againe in our handes.
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.
22 Also other money haue we brought in our handes to bye foode, but we cannot tell, who put our money in our sackes.
And we have brought other money besides, to buy what we want: we cannot tell who put it in our bags.
23 And he said, Peace be vnto you, feare not: your God and the God of your father hath giuen you that treasure in your sackes, I had your money: and he brought forth Simeon to them.
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.
24 So the man led them into Iosephs house, and gaue them water to wash their feete, and gaue their asses prouender.
And having brought them into the house, he fetched water, and they washed their feet, and he gave provender to their asses.
25 And they made ready their present against Ioseph came at noone, (for they heard say, that they should eate bread there)
But they made ready the presents, against Joseph came at noon: for they had heard that they should eat bread there.
26 When Ioseph came home, they brought the present into the house to him, which was in their handes, and bowed downe to the grounde before him.
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.
27 And he asked them of their prosperitie, and sayd, Is your father the olde man, of whome ye tolde me, in good health? is he yet aliue?
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?
28 Who answered, Thy seruant our father is in good health, he is yet aliue: and they bowed downe, and made obeysance.
And they answered: Thy servant our father is in health, he is yet living. And bowing themselves they made obeisance to him.
29 And he lifting vp his eyes, beheld his brother Beniamin his mothers sonne, and sayde, Is this your yonger brother, of whome ye tolde me? And he said, God be merciful vnto thee, my sone.
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.
30 And Ioseph made haste (for his affection was inflamed towarde his brother, and sought where to weepe) and entred into his chamber, and wept there.
And he made haste because his heart was moved upon his brother, and tears gushed out: and going into his chamber he wept.
31 Afterward he washed his face, and came out, and refrained himselfe, and sayd, Set on meate.
And when he had washed his face, coming out again, he refrained himself, and said: Set bread on the table.
32 And they prepared for him by himselfe, and for them by themselues, and for the Egyptians, which did eate with him, by themselues, because the Egyptians might not eate bread with the Ebrewes: for that was an abomination vnto the Egyptians.
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):
33 So they sate before him: the eldest according vnto his age, and the yongest according vnto his youth. and the men marueiled among themselues.
They sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his age. And they wondered very much:
34 And they tooke meases from before him, and sent to them: but Beniamins mease was fiue times so much as any of theirs: and they drunke, and had of the best drinke with him.
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.
