Genesis 43

1 But the famine, was severe in the land.

And the famine was grievous in the land.

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 it came to pass, when they had finished eating the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, Go again, buy 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 spoke to him, saying, The man did positively testify to us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, unless your brother be with you.

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

If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee 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 thou do not send [him], we will not go down, for the man said to us, Ye shall not see my face, unless your brother be 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 did ye deal [so] ill with me [as] to tell the man whether ye had yet 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 asked very closely after us, and after our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye a brother? And we told him according to the tenor of these words. Could we at all know that he would say, Bring your brother down?

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.

And Judah said to 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 our little ones.

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,

I will be surety for him: of my hand shalt thou require him; if I bring him not to thee, and set him before thy face, then shall I be guilty toward thee for ever.

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

For had we not lingered, we should now certainly have returned already twice.

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.

And their father Israel said to them, If it is then so, do this: take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a gift: a little balsam and a little honey, tragacanth and ladanum, pistacia-nuts and almonds.

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 other money in your hand, and the money that was returned to you in the mouth of your sacks, carry back in your hand: perhaps it is an oversight.

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

And take your brother, and arise, go again 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 the Almighty God give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother and Benjamin! And I, if I be bereaved of children, am bereaved.

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.

And the men took that gift, and took double money in their hand, and Benjamin, and rose up, and went down 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 Joseph saw Benjamin with them, and said to the [man] who was over his house, Bring the men into the house, and slaughter cattle, and make ready; for the men shall eat with me at noon.

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

And the man did as Joseph had said; and the man brought 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.

And the men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph's house, and said, Because of the money that was returned to us in our sacks at the beginning are we brought in, that he may turn against us, and fall upon us and take us for bondmen, and our asses.

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

And they came up to the man that was over Joseph's house, and they spoke to him 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, Ah! my lord, we came indeed down at the first to buy 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 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 according to its weight; and we have brought it again in our hand.

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

And other money have we brought down in our hand to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.

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.

And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks; your money came to me. And he brought Simeon 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 man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave water, and they washed 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 made ready the gift for Joseph's coming at noon; for they had heard that they should eat bread 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.

When Joseph came home, they brought him the gift that was in their hand, into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth.

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 asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well — the old man of whom ye spoke? Is he yet alive?

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, Thy servant our father is well; he is yet alive. And they bowed, and made obeisance.

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!

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 spoke to me? And he said, God be gracious to thee, 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,

And Joseph made haste, for his bowels burned for his brother; and he sought [a place] to weep, and he went into the chamber, and wept there.

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

And he washed his face, and came out, and controlled himself, and said, Set on bread.

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 set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves; because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

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 sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth; and the men marvelled one at another.

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 he had portions carried to them from before him. And Benjamin's portion was five times greater than the portions of them all. And they drank, and made merry with him.