Genesis 43

1 Now the famine was severe in the land.

The famine continued to be really bad in Canaan,

2 So it came about when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought out of Egypt, that their father said to them, "Go again, buy us a little more food."

so once they had finished the grain they'd brought from Egypt, their father told them, “You have to go back and buy some more grain for us.”

3 But Judah spoke to him, saying, "The man strictly warned us, saying, 'You may not see my face unless your brother is with you.'

But Judah responded, “The man was adamant when he warned us, ‘I won't even see you unless your brother is with you.’

4 If you'll send our brother with us, we'll go down and buy you food,

If you send our brother Benjamin with us then we'll go and buy food for you.

5 but if you will not send him, we will not go down, for the man said to us, 'You may not see my face unless your brother is with you.'"

But if you won't send him, then we won't go, because the man was very clear, ‘I won't even see you unless your brother is with you.’”

6 Then Israel said, "Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man that you had another brother?"

“Why have you made things so bad for me by telling the man you had another brother?” Israel asked.

7 They said, "The man kept asking about ourselves, and concerning our relatives, saying, 'Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?' So we just answered his questions. How were we to know that he would say, 'Bring your brother down?'"

“The man kept on asking direct questions about us and our family like ‘Is your father still alive?’ and ‘Do you have another brother?’” they replied. “We just answered his questions. How were we to know he'd say, ‘Bring your brother here!’?”

8 Then Judah said to his father Israel, "Send the boy with me and we'll get up and go, so that we may live and not die, both we and you, and also our little ones.

Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy in my care, and we'll leave immediately, so that we can stay alive and not die—and that includes you and us and our children!

9 I will be collateral for him. You can hold me responsible for him. If I fail to bring him to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever,

I promise to take care of him—I'll be personally responsible for bringing him back to you. If I don't, then I will always carry the blame!

10 for if we hadn't delayed, surely we would have returned a second time by now."

Now let's go, because if we hadn't hesitated, we could have gone there and come back twice by now.”

11 Then their father Israel said to them, "If it must be so, then do this: Take some of the best fruits of the land in your bags and bring a gift for the man, a little balm, a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds.

“If it has to be, then this is what you'll do,” Israel replied. “Take with you the best our country produces. Pack your bags with gifts for the man—balm, a little honey, spices, myrrh, pistachios, and almonds.

12 Take twice as much silver in your hand, and take back the silver that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. Perhaps it was an oversight.

Take double the money that was returned to you in your sacks—maybe it was a mistake.

13 Take your brother also, and get up, go back to the man.

Take your brother and go back to the man right away.

14 And may El Shaddai grant you mercy before the man, that he may release to you your other brother and Benjamin. If I am deprived of my children, then I am deprived."

May God Almighty make the man treat you kindly so when you come before him he'll release your other brother and send Benjamin back. As for me, if I am to lose all my children, then so be it.”

15 The men took this gift, and they took twice as much silver with them, and Benjamin. Then they got up and went down to Egypt, and presented themselves before Joseph.

So they packed the gifts, took double the money, and set off, accompanied by Benjamin. They arrived in Egypt and went to have an audience with Joseph.

16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the servant of his house, "Bring the men into the house, and slaughter an animal and prepare it; for the men will eat with me at noon."

When Joseph saw Benjamin was with them, he told his household supervisor, “Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and make a meal, for they are going to eat with me at noon.”

17 The man did as Joseph had said, and the man brought the men to Joseph's house.

The man did as Joseph ordered and took them to Joseph's house.

18 But the men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph's house, and they said, "It is because of the silver that was returned in our sacks the first time that we are brought here; so that he may capture us, and make us slaves, and take our donkeys."

They were really worried that they were being taken to Joseph's house. “It's because of the money that was put in our sacks the first time we came,” they said to each other. “That's why we're being brought in—so he can accuse us and attack us! He'll make us his slaves and take our donkeys!”

19 So they came near to the man of Joseph's house and they spoke to him at the entrance of the house,

So they went and spoke to Joseph's household supervisor at the entrance to the house.

20 and said, "My lord, we indeed came down the first time to buy food.

“Please excuse us, my lord,” they said. “We came down the first time to buy food,

21 But when we came to the lodging place, we opened our sacks, and look, every man's silver was in the mouth of his sack, our silver in full weight. So we have brought it back in our hand.

and when we stopped for the night, we opened our sacks and each of us found our money—the exact amount—at the top of our sacks. So we've brought it back with us.

22 We have brought down additional silver with us to buy food. We do not know who put our silver in our sacks."

We've also brought more money to buy food. We've no idea who put our money in our sacks!”

23 He said, "Peace to you. Do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks. I received your silver." Then he brought Simeon out to them.

“Everything's fine!” he told them. “Don't worry! Your God, the God of your father, must have given you the treasure hidden in your sacks. I got your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to meet them.

24 The man brought the men into Joseph's house and gave them water, and they washed their feet. Then he gave their donkeys food.

The steward took them inside Joseph's house, gave them water to wash their feet, and supplied food for their donkeys.

25 They prepared the gift for Joseph's arrival at noon, for they heard that they would eat a meal there.

They got their gifts ready for when Joseph would come at noon, because they had found out that they were going to eat there.

26 When Joseph came home, they prepared the gift they had brought with them into the house, and bowed themselves down to him with their face to the ground.

When Joseph arrived at the house they gave him the gifts they had brought for him, and bowed low to the ground before him.

27 Then he asked them of their welfare, and said, "Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?"

He asked how they were, and then he asked, “How is your elderly father doing that you spoke of? Is he still alive?”

28 And they answered, "Your servant, our father, is well. He is still alive." Then he said, "Blessed be that man by God." And they bowed and prostrated themselves.

“Yes, your servant our father is still alive, and is well,” they replied and bowed low in respect.

29 And he looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, "Is this your youngest brother, of whom you told me about?" Then he said, "God be gracious to you, my son."

Then Joseph looked over at his brother Benjamin, the son of his own mother. “Is this your youngest brother that you told me about?” he asked. “God be gracious to you, my son,” he said.

30 Then Joseph hurried out, for he was overcome with emotion because of his brother, and he was at the point of tears. So he entered into his chamber and wept there.

Joseph had to run out quickly because he was becoming so emotional at seeing his brother. He looked for a place to cry, and went to his room to weep there.

31 Then he washed his face and came out. And he controlled himself and said, "Serve the food."

Then he washed his face, got his emotions under control, and went back out. “Serve the food,” he ordered.

32 They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat food with the Hebrews, for that is disgraceful to the Egyptians.

Joseph was served at a table by himself, and his brothers were served at a separate table. The Egyptians were also served at another table, because Egyptians cannot eat with Hebrews because they find this repulsive.

33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth, and the men looked at each other with amazement.

The brothers had been seated in front of him in order by age, from the firstborn, the oldest, down to the youngest, and they looked at each other in complete surprise.

34 Then he gave portions to them in front of him, but Benjamin's portion was five times as much as any of theirs. So they drank until they all became drunk.

The food was served to them from Joseph's table, and Benjamin received five times as much as anyone else. So they ate and drank plenty with him.