Genesis 43
43
Joseph’s Brothers Return with Benjamin
1Now the famine was #Gen. 41:54, 57; 42:5; 45:6, 11severe in the land. 2And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, “Go #Gen. 42:2; 44:25back, buy us a little food.”
3But Judah spoke to him, saying, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your #Gen. 42:20; 43:5; 44:23brother is with you.’ 4If you 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.’ ”
6And Israel said, “Why did you deal so wrongfully with me as to tell the man whether you had still another brother?”
7But they said, “The man asked us pointedly about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ And we told him according to these words. Could we possibly have known that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”
8Then Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may #Gen. 42:2; 47:19live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. 9I myself will be surety for him; from my hand you shall require him. #Gen. 42:37; 44:32; Philem. 18, 19If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever. 10For if we had not lingered, surely by now we would have returned this second time.”
11And their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Take some of the best fruits of the land in your vessels and #Gen. 32:20; 33:10; 43:25, 26; (Prov. 18:16)carry down a present for the man—a little #Gen. 37:25; Jer. 8:22; Ezek. 27:17balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. 12Take double money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money #Gen. 42:25, 35; 43:21, 22that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was an oversight. 13Take your brother also, and arise, go back to the man. 14And may God #Gen. 17:1; 28:3; 35:11; 48:3Almighty #Gen. 39:21; Ps. 106:46give you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother and Benjamin. #Gen. 42:36; Esth. 4:16If I am bereaved, I am bereaved!”
15So the men took that present and Benjamin, and they took double money in their hand, and arose and went #Gen. 39:1; 46:3, 6down to Egypt; and they stood before Joseph. 16When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the #Gen. 24:2; 39:4; 44:1steward of his house, “Take these men to my home, and slaughter an animal and make ready; for these men will dine with me at noon.” 17Then the man did as Joseph ordered, and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house.
18Now the men were #Gen. 42:28afraid because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, “It is because of the money, which was returned in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may make a case against us and seize us, to take us as slaves with our donkeys.”
19When they drew near to the steward of Joseph’s house, they talked with him at the door of the house, 20and said, “O sir, #Gen. 42:3, 10we indeed came down the first time to buy food; 21but #Gen. 42:27, 35it happened, when we came to the encampment, that we opened our sacks, and there, each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight; so we have brought it back in our hand. 22And we have brought down other money in our hands to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.”
23But he said, “Peace be with you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money.” Then he brought #Gen. 42:24Simeon out to them.
24So the man brought the men into Joseph’s house and #Gen. 18:4; 19:2; 24:32gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys feed. 25Then they made the present ready for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they would eat bread there.
26And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and #Gen. 37:7, 10; 42:6; 44:14bowed down before him to the earth. 27Then he asked them about their well-being, and said, “Is your father well, the old man #Gen. 29:6; 42:11, 13; 43:7; 45:3; 2 Kin. 4:26of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”
28And they answered, “Your servant our father is in good health; he is still alive.” #Gen. 37:7, 10And they bowed their heads down and prostrated themselves.
29Then he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, #Gen. 35:17, 18his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your younger brother #Gen. 42:13of whom you spoke to me?” And he said, “God be gracious to you, my son.” 30Now #1 Kin. 3:26his heart yearned for his brother; so Joseph made haste and sought somewhere to weep. And he went into his chamber and #Gen. 42:24; 45:2, 14, 15; 46:29wept there. 31Then he washed his face and came out; and he restrained himself, and said, “Serve the #Gen. 43:25bread.”
32So they set him a place by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves; because the Egyptians could not eat food with the #Gen. 41:12; Ex. 1:15Hebrews, for that is #Gen. 46:34; Ex. 8:26an abomination to the Egyptians. 33And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his #Gen. 27:36; 42:7; Deut. 21:16, 17birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked in astonishment at one another. 34Then he took servings to them from before him, but Benjamin’s serving was #Gen. 35:24; 45:22five times as much as any of theirs. So they drank and were merry with him.
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Genesis 43: NKJV
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Bereshis 43
43
1And the ra'av (famine) was kaved (heavy, severe) in the land.
2And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the shever (grain) which they had brought out of Mitzrayim, then Avihem said unto them, Shuvu (return)! Buy for us a little ochel.
3And Yehudah spoke unto him, saying, The ish did solemnly warn us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, unless achichem be with you.
4If thou wilt send achinu (our brother) with us, we will go down and buy thee ochel;
5But if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down; for the ish said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, unless achichem be with you.
6And Yisroel said, Why dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the ish whether ye had yet another ach (brother)?
7And they said, The ish asked in detail about us and about our moledet (kindred), saying, Is Avichem yet alive? Have ye another ach? And we declared to him according to these words of [his inquiry]; could we certainly know that he would say, Bring down achichem?
8And Yehudah said unto Yisroel Aviv, Send na'ar with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones.
9I will be surety for him; of my yad shalt thou require an accounting for him; if I bring him not back unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame kol hayamim;
10For if we had not delayed, surely now we had returned zeh pa'amayim (this second time).
11And Yisroel Avihem said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of mizimerat HaAretz (the best fruits of the land) in your kelim (vessels), and carry down to the ish a minchah (present), a little balm, and a little devash (honey), nekhot (spices), loht (myrrh), batenim (pistachio nuts), and shekedim (almonds):
12And take kesef mishneh (double money) in your yad; and the kesef that was returned in the mouth of your sacks, carry it back in your yad; perhaps it was mishgeh (mistake);
13Take also achichem, and arise, shuvu (return) unto the ish;
14And El Shaddai give you rachamim before the ish, that he may send away achichem acher (your other brother), and Binyamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.
15And the anashim took that minchah, and they took mishneh kesef (double money) in their yad and Binyamin; and rose up, and went down to Mitzrayim, and stood before Yosef.
16And when Yosef saw Binyamin with them, he said to the ish over Bais Yosef, Bring these anashim home, and slaughter the tevach, and make ready; for these anashim shall dine with me at tzahorayim (noon).
17And the ish did as Yosef said; and the ish brought the anashim to the house of Yosef.
18And the anashim were afraid, because they were brought into Bais Yosef; and they said, Because of the kesef that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and seize us for avadim, and chamoreinu (our donkeys).
19And they came near to the ish over Bais Yosef, and they spoke with him at the petach habayit,
20And said, O adoni, we came indeed down at the first time to buy ochel:
21And it came to pass, when we came to the malon, that we opened our sacks, and, hinei, kesef ish (every manʼs money) was in the mouth of his sack, our kesef in full weight; and we have brought it back again in our yad.
22And kesef acher (other money) have we brought down in our hands to buy ochel; we cannot tell who put our kesef in our sacks.
23And he said, Shalom lachem, fear not; Eloheichem, and Elohei Avichem, hath given you matmon (treasure) in your sacks; I had your kesef. And he brought Shim'on out unto them.
24And the ish brought the anashim into the house of Yosef, and gave them mayim, and they washed their raglayim; and he gave their chamorim mispo (fodder).
25And they made ready the minchah for bo Yosef (coming of Yosef) at tzahorayim; for they heard that they would eat lechem there.
26And when Yosef came home, they presented him the minchah which was in their yad in the house, and prostrated themselves to the ground before him.
27And he asked them l'shalom (about their welfare), and said, Is there shalom with avichem, the zaken of whom ye spoke? Is he still alive?
28And they answered, There is shalom with thy eved avinu; he is still alive. And they bowed their heads, and prostrated themselves.
29And he lifted up his eyes, and saw achiv Binyamin, ben immo, and said, Is this achichem hakaton (your younger brother), of whom ye spoke unto me? And he said, Elohim be gracious unto thee, beni.
30And Yosef made haste; for his compassion was stirred upon achiv (his brother); and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his cheder, and wept there.
31And he washed his face, and went out, and controlled himself, and said, Serve lechem.
32And they served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Mitzrim (Egyptians), which did eat with him, by themselves; because Mitzrim could not eat lechem with the Ivrim; for that is a to'evah (abomination) unto the Mitzrim.
33And they sat before him, the bechor according to his bechorah (birthright), and the youngest according to his youth; and the anashim marvelled one with another.
34And he took and sent masot (portions) unto them from before him; but masat Binyamin was five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank, and feasted with him.
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