Genesis 43
1 And the derth waxed sore in the lande.
Meanwhile, the famine pressed heavily on all the land.
2 And when they had eate vp that corne which they brought out of the lande of Egipte their father sayde vnto them: goo agayne and by vs a litle food.
And having consumed the provisions that they had brought out of Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, “Return and buy us a little food.”
3 Than sayde Iuda vnto him: the man dyd testifie vnto vs saynge: loke that ye see not my face excepte youre brother be with you.
Judah answered: “The man himself declared to us, under the attestation of an oath, saying: ‘You will not see my face, unless you bring your youngest brother with you.’
4 Therfore yf thou wilt sende oure brother with vs we wyll goo and bye the food.
If therefore you are willing to send him with us, we will travel together, and we will buy necessities for you.
5 But yf thou wylt not sende him we wyll not goo: for the man sayde vnto vs: loke that ye see not my face excepte youre brother be with you.
But if you are not willing, we will not go. For the man, as we have often said, declared to us, saying: ‘You will not see my face without your youngest brother.’”
6 And Israell sayde: wherfore delt ye so cruelly with me as to tell the man that ye had yet another brother?
Israel said to them, “You have done this for my misery, in that you revealed to him that you also had another brother.”
7 And they sayde: The man asked vs of oure kynred saynge: is youre father yet alyue? haue ye not another brother? And we tolde him acordynge to these wordes. How cowd we knowe that he wolde byd vs brynge oure brother downe with vs?
But they responded: “The man questioned us in order, concerning our family: whether our father lived, if we had a brother. And we answered him respectively, according to what he demanded. How could we know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother with you?’”
8 Than sayde Iuda vnto Israell his father: Send the lad with me and we wyll ryse and goo that we maye lyue and not dye: both we thou and also oure childern.
Likewise, Judah said to his father: “Send the boy with me, so that we may set out and be able to live, lest we and our little ones should die.
9 I wilbe suertie for him and of my handes requyre him. Yf I brynge him not to the and sett him before thine eyes than let me bere the blame for euer.
I accept the boy; require him at my hand. Unless I lead him back and restore him to you, I will be guilty of a sin against you for all time.
10 For except we had made this tarieg: by this we had bene there twyse and come agayne.
If a delay had not intervened, by now we would have returned here a second time.”
11 Than their father Israel sayde vnto the Yf it must nedes be so now: than do thus take of the best frutes of the lande in youre vesselles and brynge the man a present a curtesie bawlme and a curtesie of hony spyces and myrre dates and almondes.
Therefore, their father Israel said to them: “If it is necessary to do so, then do what you will. Take, in your vessels, from the best fruits of the land, and carry down gifts to the man: a little resin, and honey, and storax ointment, oil of myrrh, turpentine, and almonds.
12 And take as moch money more with you. And the money that was brought agayne in youre sackes take it agayne with you in youre handes peraduenture it was some ouersyghte.
Also, take with you double the money, and carry back what you found in your sacks, lest perhaps it was done in error.
13 Take also youre brother with you and aryse and goo agayne to the man.
But also take your brother, and go to the man.
14 And God almightie geue you mercie in the sighte of the man and send you youre other brother and also Be Iamin and I wilbe as a ma robbed of his childern.
Then may my Almighty God cause him to be pleased by you. And send your brother, whom he holds, back with you, along with this one, Benjamin. But as for me, without my children, I will be like one who is bereaved.”
15 Thus toke they the present and twise so moch more money with them and Ben Iamin. And rose vp went downe to Egipte and presented them selfe to Ioseph.
Therefore, the men took the gifts, and double the money, and Benjamin. And they went down into Egypt, and they stood in the presence of Joseph.
16 When Ioseph sawe Ben Iamin with them he sayde to the ruelar of his house: brynge these men home and sley and make redie: for they shall dyne with me at none.
And when he had seen them and Benjamin together, he instructed the steward of his house, saying: “Lead the men into the house, and kill victims, and prepare a feast, because they will be eating with me at midday.”
17 And the man dyd as Ioseph bad and brought them in to Iosephs house.
He did what he had been ordered to do, and he brought the men into the house.
18 When they were brought to Iosephs house they were afrayde ad sayde: be cause of the money yt came in oure sackes mouthes at the first tyme are we brought to pyke a quarell with vs and to laye some thinge to oure charge: to brynge us in bondage and oure asses also.
And there, being terrified, they said one to another: “Because of the money, which we carried back the first time in our sacks, we have been brought in, so that he may unleash a false accusation against us, and by violence subjugate both us and our donkeys into servitude.”
19 Therfore came they to the man that was the ruelar ouer Iosephs house and comened with him at the doore
For this reason, approaching the steward of the house at his door,
20 and sayde: Sir we came hither at the first tyme to bye foode
they said: “We beg you, lord, to hear us. We came down once before to buy food.
21 and as we came to an Inne and opened oure sackes: beholde euery mannes money was in his sacke with full weghte: But we haue broght it agene with us
And having bought it, when we arrived at the inn, we opened our sacks and found the money in the mouths of the sacks, which we now have carried back in the same amount.
22 and other mony haue we brought also in oure handes to bye foode but we can not tell who put oure money in oure sackes.
But we have also brought other silver, so that we may buy those things that are necessary for us. It is not on our conscience who had placed it in our bags.”
23 And he sayde: be of good chere feare not: Youre God and the God of youre fathers hath put you that treasure in youre sackes for I had youre money. And he brought Simeon out to them
But he responded: “Peace be with you. Do not be afraid. Your God, and the God of your father, has given you the treasure in your sacks. As for the money that you gave to me, I held it as a test.” And he led Simeon out to them.
24 ad led the into Iosephs house and gaue the water to washe their fete and gaue their asses prauender:
And having led them into the house, he brought water, and they washed their feet, and he gave fodder to their donkeys.
25 And they made redie their present agaynst Ioseph came at none for they herde saye that they shulde dyne there.
But they also prepared the gifts, until Joseph entered at midday. For they had heard that they would eat bread there.
26 When Ioseph came home they brought the present in to the house to him which they had in their handes ad fell flat on the grounde befor him.
And so Joseph entered his house, and they offered him the gifts, holding them in their hands. And they reverenced prone on the ground.
27 And he welcomed the curteously sainge: is youre father that old man which ye tolde me of in good health? and is he yet alyue?
But he, gently greeting them again, questioned them, saying: “Is your father, the old man about whom you spoke to me, in good health? Is he still alive?”
28 they answered: thy servaunte oure father is in good health ad is yet alyue. And they bowed them selues and fell to the grounde.
And they answered: “Your servant, our father, is safe; he is still alive.” And bowing, they reverenced him.
29 And he lyfte vp his eyes and behelde his brother Ben Iamin his mothers sonne and sayde: is this youre yongest brother of whome ye sayde vnto me? And sayde: God be mercyfull vnto ye my sonne.
Then Joseph, lifting up his eyes, saw Benjamin, his brother of the same womb, and he said, “Is this your little brother, about whom you spoke to me?” And again, he said, “May God be compassionate to you, my son.”
30 And Ioseph made hast (for his hert dyd melt apon his brother) and soughte for to wepe and entred in to his chambre for to wepe there.
And he hurried out, because his heart had been moved over his brother, and tears gushed out. And going into his chamber, he wept.
31 And he wasshed his face and came out and refrayned himselfe and bad sett bread on the table
And when he had washed his face, coming out again, he composed himself, and he said, “Set out bread.”
32 And they prepared for him by himselfe and for them by them selues and for the Egiptians which ate with him by them selues because the Egyptians may not eate bread with the Hebrues for that is an abhomynacyon vnto the Egiptians.
And when it was set out, separately for Joseph, and separately for his brothers, likewise separately for the Egyptians, who ate at the same time, (for it is unlawful for Egyptians to eat with Hebrews, and they consider feasting in this way to be profane)
33 And they satt before him: the eldest acordynge vnto his age and the yongest acordyng vnto his youth. And the men marveled amonge them selves.
they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his state of life. And they wondered exceedingly,
34 And they broughte rewardes vnto them from before him: but Ben Iamins parte was fyue tymes so moch as any of theirs. And they ate and they dronke and were dronke wyth him.
taking the portions that they received from him. And the greater portion went to Benjamin, so much so that it exceeded five parts. And they drank and became inebriated along with him.
