< Genesis 43 >
1 And the famine was sore in the land.
And the famine [is] severe in the land;
2 And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, that their father said unto them: 'Go again, buy us a little food.'
and it cometh to pass, when they have finished eating the corn which they brought from Egypt, that their father saith unto them, 'Turn back, buy for us a little food.'
3 And Judah spoke unto him, saying: 'The man did earnestly forewarn us, saying: Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.
And Judah speaketh unto him, saying, 'The man protesting protested to us, saying, Ye do not see my face without your brother [being] with you;
4 If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food;
if thou art sending our brother with us, we go down, and buy for thee food,
5 but if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down, for the man said unto us: Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.'
and if thou art not sending — we do not go down, for the man said unto us, Ye do not see my face without your brother [being] with you.'
6 And Israel said: 'Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?'
And Israel saith, 'Why did ye evil to me, by declaring to the man that ye had yet a brother?'
7 And they said: 'The man asked straitly 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 wise know that he would say: Bring your brother down?'
and they say, 'The man asked diligently concerning us, and concerning our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye a brother? and we declare to him according to the tenor of these things; do we certainly know that he will say, Bring down your brother?'
8 And Judah said unto Israel his father: 'Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones.
And Judah saith unto Israel his father, 'Send the youth with me, and we arise, and go, and live, and do not die, both we, and thou, and our infants.
9 I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him; if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever.
I — I am surety [for] him, from my hand thou dost require him; if I have not brought him in unto thee, and set him before thee — then I have sinned against thee all the days;
10 For except we had lingered, surely we had now returned a second time.'
for if we had not lingered, surely now we had returned these two times.'
11 And their father Israel said unto them: 'If it be so now, do this: take of the choice fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spicery and ladanum, nuts, and almonds;
And Israel their father saith unto them, 'If so, now, this do: take of the praised thing of the land in your vessels, and take down to the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices and myrrh, nuts and almonds;
12 and take double money in your hand; and the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks carry back in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight;
and double money take in your hand, even the money which is brought back in the mouth of your bags, ye take back in your hand, it may be it [is] an oversight.
13 take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man;
'And take your brother, and rise, turn back unto the man;
14 and God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release unto you your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.'
and God Almighty give to you mercies before the man, so that he hath sent to you your other brother and Benjamin; and I, when I am bereaved — I am bereaved.'
15 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.
And the men take this present, double money also they have taken in their hand, and Benjamin; and they rise, and go down to Egypt, and stand before Joseph;
16 And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house: 'Bring the men into the house, and kill the beasts, and prepare the meat; for the men shall dine with me at noon.'
and Joseph seeth Benjamin with them, and saith to him who [is] over his house, 'Bring the men into the house, and slaughter an animal, and make ready, for with me do the men eat at noon.'
17 And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph's house.
And the man doth as Joseph hath said, and the man bringeth in the men into the house of Joseph,
18 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 upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.'
and the men are afraid because they have been brought into the house of Joseph, and they say, 'For the matter of the money which was put back in our bags at the commencement are we brought in — to roll himself upon us, and to throw himself on us, and to take us for servants — our asses also.'
19 And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they spoke unto him at the door of the house,
And they come nigh unto the man who [is] over the house of Joseph, and speak unto him at the opening of the house,
20 and said: 'Oh my lord, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food.
and say, 'O, my lord, we really come down at the commencement to buy food;
21 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 back in our hand.
and it cometh to pass, when we have come in unto the lodging-place, and open our bags, that lo, each one's money [is] in the mouth of his bag, our money in its weight, and we bring it back in our hand;
22 And other money have we brought down in our hand to buy food. We know not who put our money in our sacks.'
and other money have we brought down in our hand to buy food; we have not known who put our money in our bags.'
23 And he said: 'Peace be to you, fear not; your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money.' And he brought Simeon out unto them.
And he saith, 'Peace to you, fear not: your God and the God of your father hath given to you hidden treasure in your bags, your money came unto me;' and he bringeth out Simeon unto them.
24 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.
And the man bringeth in the men into Joseph's house, and giveth water, and they wash their feet; and he giveth provender for their asses,
25 And they made ready the present against Joseph's coming at noon; for they heard that they should eat bread there.
and they prepare the present until the coming of Joseph at noon, for they have heard that there they do eat bread.
26 And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed down to him to the earth.
And Joseph cometh into the house, and they bring to him the present which [is] in their hand, into the house, and bow themselves to him, to the earth;
27 And he asked them of their welfare, and said: 'Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spoke? Is he yet alive?'
and he asketh of them of peace, and saith, 'Is your father well? the aged man of whom ye have spoken, is he yet alive?'
28 And they said: 'Thy servant our father is well, he is yet alive.' And they bowed the head, and made obeisance.
and they say, 'Thy servant our father [is] well, he is yet alive;' and they bow, and do obeisance.
29 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 unto me?' And he said: 'God be gracious unto thee, my son.'
And he lifteth up his eyes, and seeth Benjamin his brother, his mother's son, and saith, 'Is this your young brother, of whom ye have spoken unto me?' and he saith, 'God favour thee, my son.'
30 And Joseph made haste; for his heart yearned toward his brother; and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there.
And Joseph hasteth, for his bowels have been moved for his brother, and he seeketh to weep, and entereth the inner chamber, and weepeth there;
31 And he washed his face, and came out; and he refrained himself, and said: 'Set on bread.'
and he washeth his face, and goeth out, and refraineth himself, and saith, 'Place bread.'
32 And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, that did eat with him, by themselves; because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
And they place for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians who are eating with him by themselves: for the Egyptians are unable to eat bread with the Hebrews, for it [is] an abomination to the Egyptians.
33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth; and the men marvelled one with another.
And they sit before him, the first-born according to his birthright, and the young one according to his youth, and the men wonder one at another;
34 And portions were taken unto 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.
and he lifteth up gifts from before him unto them, and the gift of Benjamin is five hands more than the gifts of all of them; and they drink, yea, they drink abundantly with him.