Genesis 43

Joseph's Brothers Return to Egypt with Benjamin

1The famine in Canaan got worse, 2and when the family of Jacob had eaten all the corn which had been brought from Egypt, Jacob said to his sons, “Go back and buy a little food for us.”

3Judah said to him, “The man sternly warned us that we would not be admitted to his presence unless we had our brother with us. 4If you are willing to send our brother with us, we will go and buy food for you. 5If you are not willing, we will not go, because the man told us we would not be admitted to his presence unless our brother was with us.”

6Jacob said, “Why did you cause me so much trouble by telling the man that you had another brother?”

7They answered, “The man kept asking about us and our family, ‘Is your father still living? Have you got another brother?’ We had to answer his questions. How could we know that he would tell us to bring our brother with us?”

8Judah said to his father, “Send the boy with me, and we will leave at once. Then none of us will starve to death. 9I will pledge my own life, and you can hold me responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you safe and sound, I will always bear the blame. 10If we had not waited so long, we could have been there and back twice by now.”

11Their father said to them, “If that is how it has to be, then take the best products of the land in your packs as a present for the governor: a little resin, a little honey, spices, pistachio nuts, and almonds. 12Take with you also twice as much money, because you must take back the money that was returned in the top of your sacks. Maybe it was a mistake. 13Take your brother and return at once. 14May Almighty God cause the man to have pity on you, so that he will give Benjamin and your other brother back to you. As for me, if I must lose my children, I must lose them.”

15So the brothers took the gifts and twice as much money, and set out for Egypt with Benjamin. There they presented themselves to Joseph. 16When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the servant in charge of his house, “Take these men to my house. They are going to eat with me at noon, so kill an animal and prepare it.” 17The servant did as he was commanded and took the brothers to Joseph's house.

18As they were being brought to the house, they were afraid and thought, “We are being brought here because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time. They will suddenly attack us, take our donkeys, and make us his slaves.” 19So at the door of the house, they said to the servant in charge, 20“If you please, sir, we came here once before to buy food. 21When we set up camp on the way home, we opened our sacks, and each man found his money in the top of his sack — every bit of it. We have brought it back to you. 22We have also brought some more money with us to buy more food. We do not know who put our money back in our sacks.”

23The servant said, “Don't worry. Don't be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, must have put the money in your sacks for you. I received your payment.” Then he brought Simeon to them.

24The servant took the brothers into the house. He gave them water so that they could wash their feet, and he fed their donkeys. 25They got their gifts ready to present to Joseph when he arrived at noon, because they had been told that they were to eat with him. 26When Joseph got home, they took the gifts into the house to him and bowed down to the ground before him. 27He asked about their health and then said, “You told me about your old father — how is he? Is he still alive and well?”

28They answered, “Your humble servant, our father, is still alive and well.” And they knelt and bowed down before him.

29When Joseph saw his brother Benjamin, he said, “So this is your youngest brother, the one you told me about. God bless you, my son.” 30Then Joseph left suddenly, because his heart was full of tender feelings for his brother. He was about to break down, so he went to his room and cried. 31After he had washed his face, he came out, and controlling himself, he ordered the meal to be served. 32Joseph was served at one table and his brothers at another. The Egyptians who were eating there were served separately, because they considered it beneath their dignity to eat with Hebrews. 33The brothers had been seated at table, facing Joseph, in the order of their age from the eldest to the youngest. When they saw how they had been seated, they looked at one another in amazement. 34Food was served to them from Joseph's table, and Benjamin was served five times as much as the rest of them. So they ate and drank with Joseph until they were drunk.

Genesis 43

1And the famine [was] sore in the land.

2And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Mitzrayim [Egypt] (Double Distress or Double Stronghold, Black Land), their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food.

3And Y’hudah (Let the Powerful One be Praised [Yah]) spoke unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, You1sf shall not see my face, except your brother [be] with you.

4If youi will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy youi food:

5But if youi will not send [him], we will not go down: for the man said unto us, You1sf shall not see my face, except your brother [be] with you.

6And Isra’el (he who holds onto God-The Creator) said, For what reason have you1sf dealt [so] ill with me, [as] to tell the man whether you1sf had yet a brother?

7And they said, The man asked us rigorously of our state, and of our family, saying, [Is] yourf father yet alive? have youf [another] brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down?

8And Y’hudah (Let the Powerful One be Praised [Yah]) said unto Isra’el (he who holds onto God-The Creator) his father, Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and youi, [and] also our little ones.

9I will be surety for him; of my hand shall youi require him: if I bring him not unto youi, and set him before youi, then let me bear the blame for ever:

10For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time.

11And their father Isra’el (he who holds onto God-The Creator) said unto them, If [it must be] so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in yourf vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm (a medicine; rosin from a bush), and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:

12And take double money in yourf hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of yourf sacks, carry [it] again in yourf hand; perhaps it [was] an oversight:

13Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man:

14And EL Shaddai [God Almighty] (The Powerful Creator) give youf mercy before the man, that he may send away yourf other brother, and Binyamin. If I be bereaved [of my children], I am bereaved.

15And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Binyamin; and rose up, and went down to Mitzrayim [Egypt], and stood before Yosef.

16And when Yosef (Increaser; May God the Powerful One add [Yah]) saw Binyamin (This Son Is Strength) with them, he said to the ruler of his house, Bring [these] men home, and slay, and make ready; for [these] men shall dine with me at noon.

17And the man did as Yosef bade; and the man brought the men into Yosef’s house.

18And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Yosef’s house; and they said, Because of the money 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 take us for bondmen, and our donkeys.

19And they came near to the steward of Yosef’s house, and they communed with him at the door of the house,

20And said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food:

21And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, [every] man’s money [was] in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand.

22And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks.

23And he said, Peace [be] to you, fear not: yourf God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered], and the God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] of yourf father, has given youf treasure in yourf sacks: I had yourf money. And he brought Shim’on (heard; he who hears; man of hearing) out unto them.

24And the man brought the men into Yosef’s house, and gave [them] water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys provender (food for livestock or cattle).

25And they made ready the present against Yosef came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.

26And when Yosef (Increaser; May God the Powerful One add [Yah]) came home, they brought him the present which [was] in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth.

27And he asked them of [their] welfare, and said, [Is] yourf father well, the old man of whom youf spoke? [Is] he yet alive?

28And they answered, youri servant our father [is] in good health, he [is] yet alive. And they bowed down their heads, and made obesiance (bowing or kneeling in respect).

29And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Binyamin (This Son Is Strength), his mother’s son, and said, [Is] this yourf younger brother, of whom youf spoke unto me? And he said, God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] be gracious unto youi, my son.

30And Yosef made haste; for his bowels (inward parts; affections) did yearn upon his brother: and he sought [where] to weep; and he entered into [his] chamber, and wept there.

31And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.

32And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Mitzrayimot [Egyptians], which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Mitzrayimot [Egyptians] (People of the Black Land) might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that [is] an abomination unto the Mitzrayimot [Egyptians]

33And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marveled one at another.

34And he took [and sent] messes unto them from before him: but Binyamin’s mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.

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Genesis 43

Genesis 43