1Imidlertid fortsatte hungersnøden i Kana’ans land,2så da kornet, som Josefs brødre havde hentet i Egypten, var ved at slippe op, sagde Jakob til sine sønner: „Tag af sted igen og køb os noget mere korn.”3„Manden mente det alvorligt, da han advarede os imod at komme tilbage uden Benjamin!” indvendte Juda.4„Hvis du vil lade drengen komme med os, rejser vi gerne derned og køber korn,5men hvis du ikke vil det, er der ikke noget at gøre. Manden sagde udtrykkeligt, at vi ikke måtte komme uden Benjamin!”6„Hvorfor i alverden fortalte I ham, at I havde en bror til?” jamrede Jakob. „Hvordan kunne I være så onde imod mig?”7„Manden forhørte os jo indgående om vores familie!” svarede de. „Han ville vide, om vores far stadig levede, og om vi havde flere brødre. Vi var da nødt til at svare ham! Hvordan kunne vi vide, at han ville sige: ‚Hent jeres bror herned?’ ”8Juda var ved at miste tålmodigheden: „Far, giv os nu lov til at tage drengen med, så vi kan komme af sted, inden vi alle sammen dør af sult—både vi, du og vores børn!9Jeg garanterer dig for, at han vil være i sikre hænder! Jeg vil personligt tage den fulde skyld, hvis han ikke vender tilbage i god behold.10Hvis vi ikke havde spildt tiden med snak frem og tilbage, kunne vi have været i Egypten og tilbage igen to gange allerede!”11Endelig gav Jakob sig. „Hvis der ikke er nogen anden udvej, så lov mig i hvert fald at fylde jeres sække op med de bedste varer, vores land kan tilbyde, og aflever dem som gave til denne mand. Tag balsam, honning, krydderier, myrra, pistacienødder og mandler.12Tag dobbelt så mange penge med, som kornet koster, så I kan betale det tilbage, som lå oven i jeres sække. Det var nok en fejltagelse, at I fik dem med hjem.13Tag så jeres bror og rejs tilbage til manden.14Må Gud den almægtige være jer nådig, når I står over for ham, så han løslader Simeon og lader Benjamin vende tilbage i god behold. Hvis jeg skal opleve den smerte at miste mine børn, så lad mig da gøre det!”15Brødrene tog så Benjamin og gaverne og dobbelt så mange penge med og skyndte sig af sted til Egypten, hvor deres ankomst blev meldt til Josef.16Da Josef så, at Benjamin var med, sagde han til sin husholder: „Før de der mænd hen til mit hus og lav et festmåltid. De skal spise hos mig i dag ved middagstid.”17Husholderen gjorde, som han havde fået besked på, og førte brødrene til Josefs hus,18men de blev bange, da de så, hvor de blev ført hen. „Han vil nok anholde os og gøre os til slaver og tage vores æsler på grund af det med pengene oven i sækkene!” sagde de til hinanden. „Han tror sikkert, vi stjal dem!”19Derfor gik de hen til husholderen, som stod ved indgangen20og sagde: „Undskyld, men der er noget, vi må fortælle dig: Da vi var på vej hjem fra Egypten sidste gang,21standsede vi undervejs for at overnatte, og da vi åbnede vores sække, lå de penge, som vi havde betalt for kornet, oven i sækkene! Se, her er de! Vi har taget dem med tilbage!22Og vi har taget ekstra med, så vi kan købe mere korn! Men vi aner ikke, hvem der lagde pengene i vores sække.”23„Det skal I ikke være bekymrede over,” svarede husholderen. „Det må være jeres fædres Gud, som har lagt dem oven i jeres sække. Vi har i alt fald fået betaling for det korn, I købte.” Så hentede han Simeon,24hvorefter de alle blev lukket ind i Josefs hus og fik vand, så de kunne vaske støvet af deres fødder, mens æslerne blev fodret udenfor.25Da de fik at vide, at de skulle spise der i huset, fik de travlt med at gøre deres gaver til Josef parat.26Da Josef kom ind, gav de ham deres gaver og bøjede sig dybt med ansigtet til jorden.27Josef spurgte dem, hvordan de havde haft det. „Og hvordan går det med jeres far—ham, I fortalte mig om? Han må være gammel! Lever han endnu?”28„Ja,” svarede de, „han lever og har det godt.” Så bøjede de sig endnu en gang for Josef.29Josef så på sin bror Benjamin og spurgte: „Er det så jeres yngste bror, som I fortalte mig om? Må Gud være med dig, min dreng.”30Mere fik han ikke sagt, før han måtte skynde sig ud og ind i sit soveværelse for at give tårerne frit løb. Følelserne over for hans egen lillebror overvældede ham.31Så beherskede han sig, vaskede sit ansigt og gik tilbage til brødrene. „Bring maden ind!” beordrede han.32Josef spiste for sig selv, mens brødrene blev opvartet ved et andet bord, og de tilstedeværende egyptere sad ved et tredje bord. Egypterne bryder sig nemlig ikke om at spise sammen med hebræere.33Josef havde placeret brødrene umiddelbart foran sig, efter alder, så den ældste sad først og den yngste sidst, hvilket fik dem til at sende hinanden undrende blikke.34Maden blev bragt dem fra Josefs eget bord, og Benjamin fik den største portion—fem gange så meget som de andre! Der var rigeligt med mad og drikke, og snakken gik lystigt imellem dem.
English Standard Version
Joseph’s Brothers Return to Egypt
1Now the famine was severe in the land.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.’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.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.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.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.13Take also your brother, and arise, go again to the man.14May God Almighty* 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.”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.”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.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,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,25they prepared the present for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread there.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.27And he inquired about their welfare and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”28They said, “Your servant our father is well; he is still alive.” And they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves.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!”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.31Then he washed his face and came out. And controlling himself he said, “Serve the food.”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.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* with him.
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