Genesis 43

1 The famine was severe in the land.

Now the famine was still severe in the land.

2 It came about when they had eaten the grain that they had brought out of Egypt, their father said to them, “Go again; buy us some food.”

So when Jacob’s sons had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”

3 Judah told him, “The man solemnly warned us, 'You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.'

But Judah replied, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’

4 If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food.

If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you.

5 But if you do not send him, we will not go down. For the man said to us, 'You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.'”

But if you will not send him, we will not go; for the man told us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’”

6 Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly by telling the man that you had another brother?”

“Why did you bring this trouble upon me?” Israel asked. “Why did you tell the man you had another brother?”

7 They said, “The man asked details about us and our family. He said, 'Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?' We answered him according to these questions. How could we have known that he would say, 'Bring your brother down?'”

They replied, “The man questioned us in detail about ourselves and our family: ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ And we answered him accordingly. How could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother here’?”

8 Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the boy with me. We will rise and go that we may live and not die, both we, you, and also our children.

And Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me, and we will go at once, so that we may live and not die—neither we, nor you, nor our children.

9 I will be a guarantee for him. You will hold me responsible. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.

I will guarantee his safety. You may hold me personally responsible. If I do not bring him back and set him before you, then may I bear the guilt before you all my life.

10 For if we had not delayed, surely by now we would have come back here a second time.”

If we had not delayed, we could have come and gone twice by now.”

11 Their father Israel said to them, “If it be so, now do this. Take some of the best products of the land in your bags. Carry down to the man a gift—some balm and honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds.

Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and carry them down as a gift for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds.

12 Take double money in your hand. The money that was returned in the opening of your sacks, carry again in your hand. Perhaps it was a mistake.

Take double the silver with you so that you may return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake.

13 Take also your brother. Rise and go again to the man.

Take your brother as well, and return to the man at once.

14 May God Almighty give you mercy before the man, so that he may release to you your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”

May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother along with Benjamin. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”

15 The men took this gift, and in their hand they took double the amount of money, along with Benjamin. They got up and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

So the men took these gifts, along with double the amount of silver, and Benjamin as well. Then they hurried down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

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

When Joseph saw Benjamin with his brothers, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for they shall dine with me at noon.”

17 The steward did as Joseph said. He brought the men to Joseph's house.

The man did as Joseph had commanded and took the brothers to Joseph’s house.

18 The men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph's house. They said, “It is because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time we were brought in, that he may seek an opportunity against us. He might arrest us and take us as slaves, and take our donkeys.”

But the brothers were frightened that they had been taken to Joseph’s house. “We have been brought here because of the silver that was returned in our bags the first time,” they said. “They intend to overpower us and take us as slaves, along with our donkeys.”

19 They approached the steward of Joseph's house, and they spoke to him at the door of the house,

So they approached Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house.

20 saying, “My master, we came down the first time to buy food.

“Please, sir,” they said, “we really did come down here the first time to buy food.

21 It came about, when we reached the lodging place, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man's money was in the opening of his sack, our money in full weight. We have brought it back in our hands.

But when we came to the place we lodged for the night, we opened our sacks and, behold, each of us found his silver in the mouth of his sack! It was the full amount of our silver, and we have brought it back with us.

22 Other money we have also brought down in our hand to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.”

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

23 The steward said, “Peace be to you, do not fear. Your God and the God of your father must have put your money in your sacks. I received your money.” The steward then brought Simeon out to them.

“It is fine,” said the steward. “Do not be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, gave you the treasure that was in your sacks. I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.

24 The steward took the men into Joseph's house. He gave them water, and they washed their feet. He gave feed to their donkeys.

And the steward took the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet, and provided food for their donkeys.

25 They prepared the gifts for Joseph's coming at noon, for they had heard that they would eat there.

Since the brothers had been told that they were going to eat a meal there, they prepared their gift for Joseph’s arrival at noon.

26 When Joseph came home, they brought the gifts which were in their hand into the house, and bowed down before him to the ground.

When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought, and they bowed to the ground before him.

27 He asked them about their welfare and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”

He asked if they were well, and then he asked, “How is your elderly father you told me about? Is he still alive?”

28 They said, “Your servant our father is well. He is still alive.” They prostrated themselves and bowed down.

“Your servant our father is well,” they answered. “He is still alive.” And they bowed down to honor him.

29 When he lifted up his eyes he saw Benjamin his brother, his mother's son, and he said, “Is this your youngest brother of whom you spoke to me?” Then he said, “May God be gracious to you, my son.”

When Joseph looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?” Then he declared, “May God be gracious to you, my son.”

30 Joseph hurried to go out of the room, for he was deeply moved about his brother. He sought somewhere to weep. He went to his room and wept there.

Joseph hurried out because he was moved to tears for his brother, and he went to a private room to weep.

31 He washed his face and came out. He controlled himself, saying, “Serve the food.”

Then he washed his face and came back out. Regaining his composure, he said, “Serve the meal.”

32 The servants served Joseph by himself and the brothers by themselves. The Egyptians there ate with him by themselves because the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is detestable to the Egyptians.

They separately served Joseph, his brothers, and the Egyptians. They ate separately because the Egyptians would not eat with the Hebrews, since that was detestable to them.

33 The brothers sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth. The men were astonished together.

They were seated before Joseph in order by age, from the firstborn to the youngest, and the men looked at one another in astonishment.

34 Joseph sent portions to them from the food in front of him. But Benjamin's portion was five times as much as any of his brothers. They drank and were merry with him.

When the portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times larger than any of the others. So they feasted and drank freely with Joseph.