Genesis 43
43
Jacob Lets Benjamin Go to Egypt
1The famine was very bad in that country. 2The people ate all the grain they had brought from Egypt. When that grain was gone, Jacob said to his sons, “Go to Egypt and buy some more grain for us to eat.”
3But Judah said to Jacob, “But the governor of that country warned us. He said, ‘If you don’t bring your brother back to me, I will refuse to talk to you.’ 4If you send Benjamin with us, we will go down and buy grain. 5But if you refuse to send Benjamin, we will not go. The man warned us to not come back without him.”
6Israel said, “Why did you tell him you had another brother? Why did you do such a bad thing to me?”
7The brothers answered, “He asked lots of questions. He wanted to know all about us and about our family. He asked us, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother at home?’ We only answered his questions. We didn’t know he would ask us to bring our brother to him!”
8Then Judah said to his father Israel, “Let Benjamin go with me. I will take care of him. We have to go to Egypt to get food. If we don’t go, we will all die—including our children. 9I will make sure he is safe. I will be responsible for him. If I don’t bring him back to you, you can blame me forever. 10If you had let us go before, we could have already made two trips for food.”
11Then their father Israel said, “If it is really true, take Benjamin with you. But take some gifts to the governor. Take some of the things we have been able to gather in our land. Take him some honey, pistachio nuts, almonds, spices, and myrrh. 12Take twice as much money with you this time. Take the money that was given back to you after you paid last time. Maybe the governor made a mistake. 13Take Benjamin, and go back to the man. 14I pray that God All-Powerful will help you when you stand before the governor. I pray that he will let Benjamin, and also Simeon, come back safely. If not, I will again be sad from losing my children.”
15So the brothers took the gifts to give to the governor. And the brothers took twice as much money with them as they took the first time. This time Benjamin went with the brothers to Egypt.
The Brothers at Joseph’s House
16When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to his servant, “Bring these men into my house. Kill an animal and cook it. They will eat with me at noon today.” 17The servant did as he was told. He brought the men into Joseph’s house.
18The brothers were afraid when they were taken to Joseph’s house and said, “We have been brought here because of the money that was put back in our sacks the last time. They will use this as proof against us and steal our donkeys and make us slaves.”
19So the brothers went to the servant in charge of Joseph’s house. 20They said, “Sir, I promise this is the truth. The last time we came, we came to buy food. 21-22On the way home, we opened our sacks and found our money in every sack. We don’t know how it got there, but we brought that money with us to give it back to you. And we have brought more money to pay for the food that we want to buy this time.”
23But the servant answered, “Don’t be afraid; believe me. Your God, the God of your father, must have put the money in your sack as a gift. I remember that you paid me for the grain the last time.”
Then the servant brought Simeon out of the prison. 24The servant led the men into Joseph’s house. He gave them water, and they washed their feet. Then he fed their donkeys.
25The brothers heard that they were going to eat with Joseph, so they worked until noon preparing their gifts for him.
26When Joseph came home, the brothers gave him the gifts they had brought with them. Then they bowed down to the ground in front of him.
27Joseph asked them how they were doing. Then he said, “How is your elderly father you told me about? Is he still alive?”
28The brothers answered, “Yes, sir, our father is still alive.” And they again bowed before Joseph.
29Then Joseph saw his brother Benjamin. (Benjamin and Joseph had the same mother.) Joseph said, “Is this your youngest brother that you told me about?” Then Joseph said to Benjamin, “God bless you, my son!”
30Joseph felt a strong desire to show his brother Benjamin that he loved him. He was about to cry and didn’t want his brothers to see him, so he ran into his private room and cried there. 31Then Joseph washed his face and came out. He regained control of himself and said, “Now it is time to eat.”
32The servants seated Joseph at a table by himself. His brothers were at another table by themselves, and the Egyptians were at a table by themselves. The Egyptians believed that it was wrong for them to eat with Hebrews.#43:32 The Egyptians … Hebrews The Egyptians would not eat with them because they were shepherds and ate meat from cattle, sheep, and goats. To the Egyptians, these animals represented some of their gods. See Gen. 46:34. 33Joseph’s brothers were seated at a table facing him. The brothers were looking at each other because, to their surprise, they had been seated in order, from the oldest to the youngest. 34Servants were taking food from Joseph’s table and bringing it to them. But the servants gave Benjamin five times more than the others. The brothers continued to eat and drink with Joseph until they were drunk.
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Genesis 43: ERV
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Genesis 43
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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