Genesis 43

1 The famine was severe in the land.

Now the land was in bitter need of food.

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.”

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 Judah told him, “The man solemnly warned us, 'You will not see my face unless 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 you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food.

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

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 down: for the man said to us, You are not to come before me if your brother is not with you.

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

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

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 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.

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 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.

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 delayed, surely by now we would have 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 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 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 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.

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

And take your brother and go back to the man:

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.”

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 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 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 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.”

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

And the servant did as Joseph said, and took the men into 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.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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 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.

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.