Genesis 43

1 But the famine, was severe in the land.

In the mean time the famine was heavy upon all 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 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 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.

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

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

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 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, Wherefore did ye ill to me, —to tell the man, there yet remained to you 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, 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?

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 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 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 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 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 lingered, surely now, had we come back here a second time.

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

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

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

And take also your brother, and go 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 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 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 the men took the presents, and double money, and Benjamin: and went down into Egypt, and stood 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 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 So the men did as Joseph had said, and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house,

He did as he was commanded, and brought the men into the 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 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 So they drew near unto the man that was over Joseph’s house, —and spake unto him at the entrance of the house;

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

20 and said, May it please my lord! We, did indeed come down, at the beginning 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 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 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, more silver, have we brought down in our hand, to buy food, —we know not who put our silver in 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—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.

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 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 having brought them into the house, he fetched water, and they washed their feet, and he gave provender to their asses.

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.

But they made ready the presents, against Joseph came 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.

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

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

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

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 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 he made haste because his heart was moved upon his brother, and tears gushed out: and going into his chamber he wept.

31 Then bathed he his face and came forth, —and restrained 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 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 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 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.

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

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.

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.