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 food which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food.

and it comes to pass, when they have finished eating the grain which they brought from Egypt, that their father says to them, “Return, buy for us a little food.”

3 And Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.

And Judah speaks to him, saying, “The man protesting protested to us, saying, You 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 you are sending our brother with us, we go down, and buy for you 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 you are not sending—we do not go down, for the man said to us, You 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 says, “Why did you do evil to me, by declaring to the man that you had yet a brother?”

7 And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of 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 certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down?

And they say, “The man asked diligently concerning us, and concerning our family, saying, Is your father yet alive? Have you 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 says to his father Israel, “Send the youth with me, and we arise, and go, and live, and do not die, both we, and you, 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 am guarantor [for] him, from my hand you require him; if I have not brought him to you, and set him before you—then I have sinned against you all the days;

10 For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this 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 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:

And their father Israel says to them, “If so, now, do this: 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 brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again 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, you 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, return to the man;

14 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.

and God Almighty give to you mercies before the man, so that he has 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 ruler of his house, Bring these men home, and slay, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon.

and Joseph sees Benjamin with them and says to him who [is] over his house, “Bring the men into the house, and slaughter an animal, and make ready, for the men eat with me at noon.”

17 And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house.

And the man does as Joseph has said, and the man brings 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 donkeys.

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 on us, and to throw himself on us, and to take us for servants—our donkeys also.”

19 And they came near to the steward of Joseph’s house, and they communed with him at the door of the house,

And they come near to the man who [is] over the house of Joseph, and speak to him at the opening of the house,

20 And said, O sir, 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 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.

and it comes to pass, when we have come to the lodging-place, and open our bags, that behold, 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 hands to buy food: we cannot tell 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 says, “Peace to you, do not fear: your God and the God of your father has given to you hidden treasure in your bags, your money came to me”; and he brings out Simeon to 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 donkeys provender.

And the man brings in the men into Joseph’s house, and gives water, and they wash their feet; and he gives provender for their donkeys,

25 And they made ready the present against Joseph came 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 eat bread.

26 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.

And Joseph comes 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 spake? Is he yet alive?

and he asks of them of peace and says, “Is your father well? The aged man of whom you have spoken, is he yet alive?”

28 And they answered, Thy servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive. And they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance.

And they say, “Your servant our father [is] well, he is yet alive”; and they bow, and pay respect.

29 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son.

And he lifts up his eyes and sees his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and says, “Is this your young brother, of whom you have spoken to me?” And he says, “God favor you, my son.”

30 And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there.

And Joseph hurries, for his bowels have been moved for his brother, and he seeks to weep, and enters the inner chamber, and weeps there;

31 And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.

and he washes his face, and goes out, and refrains himself, and says, “Place bread.”

32 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 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 at another.

And they sit before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the young one according to his youth, and the men wonder one at another;

34 And he took and sent messes unto 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.

and he lifts up gifts from before him to them, and the gift of Benjamin is five hands more than the gifts of all of them; and they drink, indeed, they drink abundantly with him.