1There still wasn’t enough food anywhere in the land.2After a while Jacob’s family had eaten all the corn the brothers had brought from Egypt. So their father said to them, ‘Go back. Buy us a little more food.’3But Judah said to him, ‘The man gave us a strong warning. He said, “You won’t see my face again unless your brother Benjamin is with you.”4So send our brother along with us. Then we’ll go down and buy food for you.5If you won’t send him, we won’t go down. The man said to us, “You won’t see my face again unless your brother is with you.” ’6Israel asked, ‘Why did you bring this trouble to me? Why did you tell the man you had another brother?’7They replied, ‘The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our family. He asked us, “Is your father still living? Do you have another brother?” We just answered his questions. How could we possibly know he would say, “Bring your brother down here”?’8Judah spoke to Israel his father. ‘Send the boy along with me,’ he said. ‘We’ll go right away. Then we and you and our children will live and not die.9I myself promise to keep Benjamin safe. You can blame me if I don’t bring him back to you. I’ll set him right here in front of you. If I don’t, you can put the blame on me for the rest of my life.10As it is, we’ve already waited too long. We could have made the trip to Egypt and back twice by now.’11Then their father Israel spoke to them. He said, ‘If that’s the way it has to be, then do what I tell you. Put some of the best things from our land in your bags. Take them down to the man as a gift. Take some lotion and a little honey. Take some spices and myrrh. Take some pistachio nuts and almonds.12Take twice the amount of money with you. You have to give back the money that was put in your sacks. Maybe it was a mistake.13Also take your brother. Go back to the man at once.14May the Mighty God cause him to show you mercy. May the man let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you. And if I lose my sons, I lose them.’15So the men took the gifts. They took twice the amount of money. They also took Benjamin. They hurried down to Egypt and went to Joseph.16When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he spoke to the manager of his house. ‘Take these men to my house,’ he said. ‘Kill an animal and prepare a meal. I want them to eat with me at noon.’17The manager did what Joseph told him to do. He took the men to Joseph’s house.18They were frightened when they were taken to Joseph’s house. They thought, ‘We were brought here because of the money that was put back in our sacks the first time. He wants to attack us and overpower us. Then he can hold us as slaves and take our donkeys.’19So they went up to Joseph’s manager. They spoke to him at the entrance to the house.20‘Please, sir,’ they said. ‘We came down here the first time to buy food.21We opened our sacks at the place where we stopped for the night. Each of us found in our sacks the exact amount of the money we had paid. So we’ve brought it back with us.22We’ve also brought more money with us to buy food. We don’t know who put our money in our sacks.’23‘It’s all right,’ the manager said. ‘Don’t be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you riches in your sacks. I received your money.’ Then he brought Simeon out to them.24The manager took the men into Joseph’s house. He gave them water to wash their feet. He provided feed for their donkeys.25The brothers prepared their gifts for Joseph. He was planning to arrive at noon. They had heard that they were going to eat there.26When Joseph came home, they gave him the gifts they had brought into the house. They bowed down low in front of him.27He asked them how they were. Then he said, ‘How is your old father you told me about? Is he still living?’28They replied, ‘Your servant our father is still alive and well.’ And they bowed down to show him honour.29Joseph looked round. Then he saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son. He asked, ‘Is this your youngest brother? Is he the one you told me about?’ He continued, ‘May God be gracious to you, my son.’30It moved him deeply to see his brother. So Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to cry. He went into his own room and cried there.31Then he washed his face and came out. He calmed down and said, ‘Serve the food.’32They served Joseph by himself. They served the brothers by themselves. They also served the Egyptians who ate with Joseph by themselves. Because of their beliefs, Egyptians couldn’t eat with Hebrews.33The brothers had been given places in front of Joseph. They had been seated in the order of their ages, from the eldest to the youngest. That made them look at each other in great surprise.34While they were eating, some food was brought to them from Joseph’s table. Benjamin was given five times as much as anyone else. So all Joseph’s brothers ate and drank a lot with him.
Genesis 43
English Standard Version
Joseph’s Brothers Return to Egypt
1Now the famine was severe in the land. (Ge 41:54; Ge 41:57)2And when they had eaten the grain that they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go again, buy us a little food.”3But Judah said to him, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ (Ge 42:20; Ge 44:23)4If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food.5But if you will not send him, we will not go down, for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.’”6Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly as to tell the man that you had another brother?”7They replied, “The man questioned us carefully about ourselves and our kindred, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ What we told him was in answer to these questions. Could we in any way know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”8And Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. (Ge 42:2)9I will be a pledge of his safety. From my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever. (Ge 42:37; Ge 44:32)10If we had not delayed, we would now have returned twice.”11Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry a present down to the man, a little balm and a little honey, gum, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds. (Ge 37:25)12Take double the money with you. Carry back with you the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. Perhaps it was an oversight. (Ge 42:25; Ge 42:27; Ge 42:35)13Take also your brother, and arise, go again to the man.14May God Almighty[1] grant you mercy before the man, and may he send back your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.” (Ge 17:1; Ge 42:36; Ne 1:11)15So the men took this present, and they took double the money with them, and Benjamin. They arose and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.16When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Bring the men into the house, and slaughter an animal and make ready, for the men are to dine with me at noon.” (Ge 24:2; Ge 39:4; Ge 43:19; Ge 44:1; Ge 44:4)17The man did as Joseph told him and brought the men to Joseph’s house.18And the men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph’s house, and they said, “It is because of the money, which was replaced in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may assault us and fall upon us to make us servants and seize our donkeys.”19So they went up to the steward of Joseph’s house and spoke with him at the door of the house,20and said, “Oh, my lord, we came down the first time to buy food. (Ge 42:3; Ge 42:10; Ge 44:18)21And when we came to the lodging place we opened our sacks, and there was each man’s money in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight. So we have brought it again with us, (Ge 42:27)22and we have brought other money down with us to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.”23He replied, “Peace to you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has put treasure in your sacks for you. I received your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.24And when the man had brought the men into Joseph’s house and given them water, and they had washed their feet, and when he had given their donkeys fodder, (Ge 18:4)25they prepared the present for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread there. (Ge 43:11)26When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present that they had with them and bowed down to him to the ground. (Ge 37:5; Ge 42:6)27And he inquired about their welfare and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?” (Ge 42:11; Ge 42:13)28They said, “Your servant our father is well; he is still alive.” And they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves. (Ge 43:26)29And he lifted up his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me? God be gracious to you, my son!” (Ge 35:18; Ge 43:27)30Then Joseph hurried out, for his compassion grew warm for his brother, and he sought a place to weep. And he entered his chamber and wept there. (Ge 42:24; 1Ki 3:26; Jer 31:20)31Then he washed his face and came out. And controlling himself he said, “Serve the food.” (Ge 45:1)32They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. (Ge 46:34; Ex 8:26)33And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth. And the men looked at one another in amazement.34Portions were taken to them from Joseph’s table, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank and were merry[2] with him. (Ge 45:22; 2Sa 11:8)