Genesis 43
43
Joseph’s Brothers Return With Benjamin
1Now the famine was severe in the land. 2When they had eaten up the grain which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little food.”
3#Ge 44:23; 43:5Judah spoke to him, saying, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ 4If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you. 5But if you will 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.’ ”
6Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly as to tell the man that you had another brother?”
7#Ge 43:3And they said, “The man asked us directly about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ So we answered his questions. How could we even know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”
8#Ge 42:2And Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go, so that we may live and not die, both we and you, and also our little ones. 9#Ge 42:37; Phm 1:18–19I will be a surety for him. You may hold me personally responsible for him. If I fail to bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever. 10For if we had not delayed, we could have returned twice.”
11#Ge 37:25; Jer 8:22; Pr 18:16Their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, do this. Take some of the best fruits in the land in your bags, and carry down a present for the man: a little balm and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. 12#Ge 42:25; 42:35Take double the money with you, along with the money that was brought back in the mouths of your sacks. Carry it with you again. Perhaps it was a mistake. 13Also, take your brother and arise, return to the man. 14#Ge 17:1; Est 4:16And may God Almighty give you mercy before the man, so that he may send away your other brother, along with Benjamin. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”
15The men took the gift, and they took double the money with them, along with Benjamin. Then they went on their way down to Egypt and stood before Joseph. 16#Ge 44:1; 43:19When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the house steward, “Bring these men home, slaughter an animal and prepare it, for these men will dine with me at noon.”
17The man did as Joseph ordered, so the man brought the men into Joseph’s house. 18#Ge 42:35The men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph’s house. They said, “We have been brought in because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time, so that he may seek occasion against us and fall upon us and take us for slaves with our donkeys.”
The Feast With Joseph
19They approached the steward of Joseph’s house, and they spoke with him at the entrance of the house. 20#Ge 42:3; 42:10They said, “My lord, we indeed came down the first time to buy food. 21#Ge 43:12When we came to the lodging place, we opened our sacks and realized every man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight. So we have brought it again with us. 22We have also brought additional money with us to buy food. We cannot tell who put our money in our sacks.”
23#Ge 42:24He said, “Be at peace; 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 Simeon out to them.
24#Ge 18:4; 24:32The man brought the men into Joseph’s house and gave them water to wash their feet and gave feed to their donkeys. 25#Ge 43:11Then they made ready the gift for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they would be eating a meal there.
26#Ge 37:7–10; 42:6When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present that they had with them and bowed themselves to him to the ground. 27#Ge 42:11; 42:13He asked them about their well-being and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”
28#Ge 37:7; 43:26And they answered, “Your servant our father is in good health. He is still alive.” And they bowed down their heads and prostrated themselves.
29#Ge 42:13; Nu 6:25He lifted up his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your younger brother of whom you spoke to me?” And he said, “God be gracious to you, my son.” 30#Ge 42:24; 1Ki 3:26Joseph hurried out, for he was deeply moved over his brother and sought a place to weep. So he entered into his chamber and wept there.
31#Ge 45:1Then he washed his face and came out. Controlling himself, he said, “Serve the food.”
32#Ge 46:34; Ex 8:26They served him by himself and them by themselves and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat a meal with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. 33They sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth, and the men looked at one another in astonishment. 34#Ge 45:22; 2Sa 11:8He gave them portions from his own table, but Benjamin’s serving was five times more than any of theirs. So they drank and feasted with him.
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Genesis 43: MEV
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Military Bible Association
Genesis 43
43
Joseph’s Brothers Return to Egypt
1Now the famine was #ch. 41:54, 57severe 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 #ch. 42:20; 44:23brother 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 #ch. 42:2live 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. #ch. 42:37; 44:32If 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 #See ch. 37:25balm and a little honey, gum, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds. 12Take double the money with you. Carry back with you the money #ch. 42:25, 27, 35that 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 #See ch. 17:1 God Almighty#43:14 Hebrew El Shaddai #[Neh. 1:11] grant you mercy before the man, and may he send back your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, #ch. 42:36if 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 #ver. 19; ch. 44:1, 4; [ch. 24:2; 39:4]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, #ch. 44:18 “Oh, my lord, #ch. 42:3, 10we came down the first time to buy food. 21And #ch. 42:27when 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 #See ch. 18:4given them water, and they had washed their feet, and when he had given their donkeys fodder, 25they prepared #ver. 11the 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 #ch. 42:6; See ch. 37:5-11bowed down to him to the ground. 27And he inquired about their welfare and said, “Is your father well, the old man #ch. 42:11, 13of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?” 28They said, “Your servant our father is well; he is still alive.” And they #ver. 26bowed their heads and prostrated themselves. 29And he lifted up his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, #ch. 35:18 his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, #[See ver. 27 above]of whom you spoke to me? God be gracious to you, my son!” 30Then Joseph hurried out, for #1 Kgs. 3:26; [Jer. 31:20] his compassion grew warm for his brother, and he sought a place to weep. And he entered his chamber and #ch. 42:24wept there. 31Then he washed his face and came out. And #ch. 45:1controlling 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 #ch. 46:34; Ex. 8:26an 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. 34#[2 Sam. 11:8] Portions were taken to them from Joseph’s table, but Benjamin’s portion was #[ch. 45:22]five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank and were merry#43:34 Hebrew and became intoxicated with him.
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