Genesis 43
1 But the famine prevailed in the land.
Now the famine was still severe in the land.
2 And it came to pass, when they had finished eating the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, that their father said to them, Go again; buy us a little food.
So when Jacob’s sons had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”
3 And Judas spoke to him, saying, The man, the lord of the country, positively testified to us, saying, You shall not see my face, unless your younger brother be with you.
But Judah replied, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’
4 If, then, you send our brother with us, we will go down, and buy you food;
If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you.
5 but if you send not our brother with us, we will not go: for the man spoke to us, saying, You shall not see my face, unless your younger brother be with you.
But if you will not send him, we will not go; for the man told us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’”
6 And Israel said, Why did you harm me, inasmuch as you told the man that you had a brother?
“Why did you bring this trouble upon me?” Israel asked. “Why did you tell the man you had another brother?”
7 And they said, The man closely questioned us about our family also, saying, Does your father yet live, and have you a brother? and we answered him according to this question: did we know that he would say to us, Bring your brother?
They replied, “The man questioned us in detail about ourselves and our family: ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ And we answered him accordingly. How could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother here’?”
8 And Judas said to his father Israel, Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you, and our store.
And Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me, and we will go at once, so that we may live and not die—neither we, nor you, nor our children.
9 And I engage for him; at my hand do you require him; if I bring him not to you, and place him before you, I shall be guilty toward you for ever.
I will guarantee his safety. You may hold me personally responsible. If I do not bring him back and set him before you, then may I bear the guilt before you all my life.
10 For if we had not tarried, we should now have returned twice.
If we had not delayed, we could have come and gone twice by now.”
11 And Israel, their father, said to them, If it be so, do this; take of the fruits of the earth in your vessels, and carry down to the man presents of gum and honey, and frankincense, and stacte, and turpentine, and walnuts.
Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and carry them down as a gift for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds.
12 And take double money in your hands, and the money that was returned in your sacks, carry back with you, lest perhaps it is a mistake.
Take double the silver with you so that you may return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake.
13 And take your brother; and arise, go down to the man.
Take your brother as well, and return to the man at once.
14 And my God give you favor in the sight of the man, and send away your other brother, and Benjamin, for I accordingly as I have been bereaved, am bereaved.
May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother along with Benjamin. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”
15 And the men having taken these presents, and the double money, took in their hands also Benjamin; and they rose up and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.
So the men took these gifts, along with double the amount of silver, and Benjamin as well. Then they hurried down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.
16 And Joseph saw them and his brother Benjamin, born of the same mother; and he said to the steward of his household, Bring the men into the house, and kill beasts and make ready, for the men are to eat bread with me at noon.
When Joseph saw Benjamin with his brothers, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for they shall dine with me at noon.”
17 And the man did as Joseph said; and he brought the men into the house of Joseph.
The man did as Joseph had commanded and took the brothers to Joseph’s house.
18 And the men, when they perceived that they were brought into the house of Joseph, said, We are brought in because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first; even in order to inform against us, and lay it to our charge; to take us for servants, and our asses.
But the brothers were frightened that they had been taken to Joseph’s house. “We have been brought here because of the silver that was returned in our bags the first time,” they said. “They intend to overpower us and take us as slaves, along with our donkeys.”
19 And having approached the man who was over the house of Joseph, they spoke to him in the porch of the house,
So they approached Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house.
20 saying, We pray [you], Sir; we came down at first to buy food.
“Please, sir,” they said, “we really did come down here the first time to buy food.
21 And it came to pass, when we came to unlade, and opened our sacks, [there was] also this money of each in his sack; we have now brought back our money by weight in our hands.
But when we came to the place we lodged for the night, we opened our sacks and, behold, each of us found his silver in the mouth of his sack! It was the full amount of our silver, and we have brought it back with us.
22 And we have brought other money with us to buy food; we know not who put the money into our sacks.
We have brought additional silver with us to buy food. We do not know who put our silver in our sacks.”
23 And he said to them, [God deal] mercifully with you; be not afraid; your God, and the God of your fathers, has given you treasures in your sacks, and I have enough of your good money. And he brought Symeon out to them.
“It is fine,” said the steward. “Do not be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, gave you the treasure that was in your sacks. I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.
24 And he brought water to wash their feet; and gave provender to their asses.
And the steward took the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet, and provided food for their donkeys.
25 And they prepared their gifts, until Joseph came at noon, for they heard that he was going to dine there.
Since the brothers had been told that they were going to eat a meal there, they prepared their gift for Joseph’s arrival at noon.
26 And Joseph entered into the house, and they brought him the gifts which they had in their hands, into the house; and they did him reverence with their face to the ground.
When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought, and they bowed to the ground before him.
27 And he asked them, How are you? and he said to them, Is your father, the old man of whom you spoke, well? Does he yet live?
He asked if they were well, and then he asked, “How is your elderly father you told me about? Is he still alive?”
28 And they said, Your servant our father is well; he is yet alive. And he said, Blessed be that man by God; —and they bowed, and did him reverence.
“Your servant our father is well,” they answered. “He is still alive.” And they bowed down to honor him.
29 And Joseph lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, born of the same mother; and he said, Is this your younger brother, whom you spoke of bringing to me? and he said, God have mercy on you, my son.
When Joseph looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?” Then he declared, “May God be gracious to you, my son.”
30 And Joseph was troubled, for his bowels yearned over his brother, and he sought to weep; and he went into his chamber, and wept there.
Joseph hurried out because he was moved to tears for his brother, and he went to a private room to weep.
31 And he washed his face and came out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.
Then he washed his face and came back out. Regaining his composure, he said, “Serve the meal.”
32 And they set on [bread] for him alone, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians feasting with him by themselves, for the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews, for it is an abomination to the Egyptians.
They separately served Joseph, his brothers, and the Egyptians. They ate separately because the Egyptians would not eat with the Hebrews, since that was detestable to them.
33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his seniority, and the younger according to his youth; and the men looked with amazement every one at his brother.
They were seated before Joseph in order by age, from the firstborn to the youngest, and the men looked at one another in astonishment.
34 And they took their portions from him to themselves; but Benjamin's portion was five times as much as the portions of [the others]. And they drank and were filled with drink with him.
When the portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times larger than any of the others. So they feasted and drank freely with Joseph.
