Genesis 43

1 The famine was severe in the land.

Now the famine was still severe in the land.

2 When they had eaten up the grain which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said to them, “Go again, buy us a little more 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 spoke to him, saying, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall 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’ll send our brother with us, we’ll 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 don’t send him, we won’t go down, for the man said to us, ‘You shall 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, 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 directly concerning ourselves, and concerning our relatives, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ We just answered his questions. Is there any way we could know 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, and we’ll get up and go, so that we may live, and not die, both we, and you, and also our little ones.

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’ll be collateral for him. From my hand will you require him. If I don’t bring him 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 hadn’t delayed, surely we would have returned a second time by now.”

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

11 Their father, Israel, said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Take from the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry down a present for the man, a little balm, a little honey, spices and myrrh, 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 and take double money in your hand, and take back the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. Perhaps it was an oversight.

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 your brother also, get up, and return 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, 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 that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and got up, 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, and butcher an animal, and prepare; for the men will dine 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 man did as Joseph commanded, and the man 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; and they said, “Because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time, we’re brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, attack us, and seize us as slaves, along with 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 came near to 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 and said, “Oh, my lord, we indeed 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 When we came to the lodging place, we opened our sacks, and behold, each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight. We have brought it back in our hand.

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 We have brought down other money in our hand to buy food. We don’t 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 He said, “Peace be to you. Don’t be afraid. Your God, and the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks. I received your money.” He 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 man brought the men into Joseph’s house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet. He gave their donkeys fodder.

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 present for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread 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 him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves down to the earth before him.

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 of their welfare, and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he yet 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 bowed down humbly.

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

29 He lifted up his eyes, and saw Benjamin, his brother, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?” He said, “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, for his heart yearned over his brother; and he sought a place to weep. He entered into 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, and said, “Serve the meal.”

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

32 They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians don’t eat with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination 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 They sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth, and the men marveled with one another.

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 He sent portions to them from before him, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. 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.