Genesis 43

1 But the famine, was severe in the land.

Now the land was in bitter need of food.

2 So it came to pass when they had made an end of eating the corn which they had brought in out of Egypt, that their father said unto them, —Return buy for us a little food.

And when the grain which they had got in Egypt was all used up, their father said to them, Go again and get us a little food.

3 Then spake Judah unto him saying, —The man, did protest, to us saying—Ye shall not see my face, except, your brother, is with you.

And Judah said to him, The man said to us with an oath, You are not to come before me again without your brother.

4 If thou art sending our brother with us, we will certainly go down, and buy for thee food;

If you will let our brother go with us, we will go down and get food:

5 but, if thou art not sending him, we will not go down, for the man, said unto us Ye shall not see my face, except, your brother, is with you.

But if you will not send him, we will not go down: for the man said to us, You are not to come before me if your brother is not with you.

6 And Israel said, Wherefore did ye ill to me, —to tell the man, there yet remained to you a brother?

And Israel said, Why were you so cruel to me as to say to him that you had a brother?

7 And they said, The man, did ask, concerning ourselves and concerning our kindred saying—Is your father yet alive? Have ye a brother? So we told him according to the tenor of these words. Could we, at all know, that he would say, Bring down your brother?

And they said, The man put a number of questions to us about ourselves and our family, saying, Is your father still living? have you another brother? And we had to give him answers; how were we to have any idea that he would say, Come back with your brother?

8 Then said Judah unto Israel his father—Come! send thou down the young man with me that we may arise and go our way, —and live and not die, both we and thou and our little ones.

Then Judah said to Israel, his father, Send the boy with me, and let us be up and going, so that we and you and our little ones may not come to destruction.

9 I, will be surety for him, at my hand, shalt thou require him, —as surely as I bring him not in unto thee, and set him down before thee, so surely will I be counted a sinner against thee all the days,

Put him into my care and make me responsible for him: if I do not give him safely back to you, let mine be the sin for ever.

10 For, if we had not lingered, surely now, had we come back here a second time.

Truly, if we had not let the time go by, we might have come back again by now.

11 Then Israel their father said unto them—If so, then do this, —Take of the song of the land in your vessels, and carry down to the man a present, —A little balsam and a little honey, tragacanth gum and cistus gum, pistachio nuts, and almonds.

Then their father Israel said to them, If it has to be so, then do this: take of the best fruits of the land in your vessels to give the man, perfumes and honey and spices and nuts:

12 And double silver, take in your hand, —also the silver that was put back in the mouth of your sacks, carry ye back in your hand, peradventure it was an error,

And take twice as much money with you; that is to say, take back the money which was put in your bags, for it may have been an error;

13 Your brother also, take ye, —and arise go again unto the man.

And take your brother and go back to the man:

14 And, God Almighty, give you compassion before the man, so shall he send with you, your other brother, and Benjamin. But, as for me, when I am bereaved, I am bereaved!

And may God, the Ruler of all, give you mercy before the man, so that he may give you back your other brother and Benjamin. If my children are to be taken from me; there is no help for it.

15 So the men took this present, double silver also, took they in their hand and Benjamin, —and arose and went down into Egypt, and stood before Joseph.

So they took what their father said for the man, and twice as much money in their hands, and Benjamin, and went on their journey to Egypt, and came before Joseph.

16 And Joseph saw—with them—Benjamin, so he said to him that was over his house Bring the men into the house, —and slay meat and make ready, for with me, shall the men eat at noon.

And when Joseph saw Benjamin, he said to his chief servant, Take these men into my house, and make ready a meal, for they will take food with me in the middle of the day.

17 So the men did as Joseph had said, and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house,

And the servant did as Joseph said, and took the men into Joseph's house.

18 Then were the men afraid because they had been brought into the house of Joseph, and they said—For the matter of the silver that came back in our sacks at the beginning, have, we, been brought in, —that he may turn round upon us and fall upon us, and take us for servants and our asses.

Now the men were full of fear because they had been taken into Joseph's house and they said, It is because of the money which was put back in our bags the first time; he is looking for something against us, so that he may come down on us and take us and our asses for his use.

19 So they drew near unto the man that was over Joseph’s house, —and spake unto him at the entrance of the house;

So they went up to Joseph's chief servant at the door of the house,

20 and said, May it please my lord! We, did indeed come down, at the beginning to buy food.

And said, O my lord, we only came down the first time to get food;

21 And it came to pass when we had entered into the inn, that we opened our sacks, and lo! the silver of each man, in the mouth of his sack, —our silver in its full weight, —so we have bought it back in our hand!

And when we came to our night's resting-place, on opening our bags we saw that every man's money was in the mouth of his bag, all our money in full weight: and we have it with us to give it back;

22 And, more silver, have we brought down in our hand, to buy food, —we know not who put our silver in our sacks.

As well as more money, with which to get food: we have no idea who put our money in our bags.

23 And he said—Peace to you do not fear! Your God, and the God of your father, hath given you secret treasure, in your sacks, as for your silver, it came in unto me. And he brought forth unto them Simeon.

Then the servant said, Peace be with you: have no fear: your God, even the God of your father, has put wealth in your bags for you: I had your money. Then he let Simeon come out to them.

24 So the man brought the men into Joseph’s house, —and gave them water and they bathed their feet, and he gave them provender for their asses.

And the servant took them into Joseph's house, and gave them water for washing their feet; and he gave their asses food.

25 And they made ready the present, against the coming in of Joseph at noon, —for they heard that it was there they should eat bread.

And they got ready the things for Joseph before he came in the middle of the day: for word was given to them that they were to have a meal there.

26 So when Joseph came into the house, they brought in to him the present which was in their hand into the house, —and bowed themselves down to him to the earth.

And when Joseph came in, they gave him the things which they had for him, and went down to the earth before him.

27 Then asked he after their welfare, and said—Is it well with your aged father, of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive?

And he said, How are you? is your father well, the old man of whom you were talking to me? is he still living?

28 And they said—It is well with thy servant our father, he is yet alive. And they bent their heads and bowed them-selves down.

And they said, Your servant, our father, is well, he is still living. And they went down on their faces before him.

29 Then lifted he up his eyes, and saw Benjamin his brother son of his mother, and said—Is, this, your youngest brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God, grant thee favour my son!

Then, lifting up his eyes, he saw Benjamin, his brother, his mother's son, and he said, Is this your youngest brother of whom you gave me word? And he said, God be good to you, my son.

30 And Joseph made haste for his compassions towards his brother were pent up, and he sought to weep, —so he went into the inner chamber and wept there,

Then Joseph's heart went out to his brother, and he went quickly into his room, for he was overcome with weeping.

31 Then bathed he his face and came forth, —and restrained himself, and said Set on bread!

Then, after washing his face, he came out, and controlling his feelings said, Put food before us.

32 So they set on for him—by himself, and for them—by themselves, —and for the Egyptians that were eating with him—by themselves, for the Egyptians might not eat, bread, with the Hebrews for an abomination, had that been to Egyptians.

And they put a meal ready for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians who were with him by themselves; because the Egyptians may not take food with the Hebrews, for that would make them unclean.

33 So they took their seats before him, the firstborn, according to his birthright and the youngest, according to his youth, —and the men looked with amazement, each one at his companion.

And they were all given their seats before him in order of birth, from the oldest to the youngest: so that they were looking at one another in wonder.

34 And he sent portions from before him unto them, and the portion of Benjamin exceeded the portions of them all, five-fold. And they drank and made merry with him.

And Joseph sent food to them from his table, but he sent five times as much to Benjamin as to any of the others. And they took wine freely with him.