Genesis 43

1 But the famine prevailed in the land.

In the mean time the famine was heavy upon all 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.

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 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.

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, then, you send our brother with us, we will go down, and buy you food;

If therefore thou wilt send him with us, we will set out together, and will buy necessaries for thee.

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 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 said, Why did you harm me, inasmuch as you told the man that you had a brother?

Israel said to them: You have done this for my misery in that you told him you had also 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?

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 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 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 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 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 if we had not tarried, we should now have returned twice.

If delay had not been made, we had been here again the second time.

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 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 hands, and the money that was returned in your sacks, carry back with you, lest perhaps it is a mistake.

And take with you double money, and carry back what you found in your sacks, lest perhaps it was done by mistake.

13 And take your brother; and arise, go down to the man.

And take also your brother, and go to the man.

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.

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 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 the presents, and double money, and Benjamin: and went down into 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.

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 Joseph said; and he brought the men into the house of Joseph.

He did as he was commanded, and brought the men into the 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.

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 And having approached the man who was over the house of Joseph, they spoke to him in the porch of the house,

Wherefore going up to the steward of the house, at the door,

20 saying, We pray [you], Sir; we came down at first to buy food.

They said: Sir, we desire thee to hear us: We came down once before 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.

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 And we have brought other money with us to buy food; we know not who put the money into our sacks.

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 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.

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 And he brought water to wash their feet; and gave provender to their asses.

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 prepared their gifts, until Joseph came at noon, for they heard that he was going to dine there.

But they made ready the presents, against Joseph came at noon: for they had heard that they should eat bread there.

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.

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, How are you? and he said to them, Is your father, the old man of whom you spoke, well? Does he yet live?

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 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.

And they answered: Thy servant our father is in health, he is yet living. And bowing themselves they made obeisance to 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.

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 Joseph was troubled, for his bowels yearned over his brother, and he sought to weep; and he went 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 And he washed his face and came out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.

And when he had washed his face, coming out again, he refrained himself, and said: Set bread on the table.

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.

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 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 sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his age. And they wondered very much:

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.

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.