Genesis 43

1 And the famine was grievous in the land.

The famine was severe in the land.

2 And it came to pass, when they had finished eating the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, Go again, buy us a little food.

It came about when they had eaten the grain that they had brought out of Egypt, their father said to them, “Go again; buy us some food.”

3 And Judah spoke to him, saying, The man did positively testify to us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, unless your brother be with you.

Judah told him, “The man solemnly warned us, 'You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.'

4 If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food;

If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food.

5 but if thou do not send [him], we will not go down, for the man said to us, Ye shall not see my face, unless your brother be with you.

But if you do 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.'”

6 And Israel said, Why did ye deal [so] ill with me [as] to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?

Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly by telling the man that you had another brother?”

7 And they said, The man asked very closely after us, and after our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye a brother? And we told him according to the tenor of these words. Could we at all know that he would say, Bring your brother down?

They said, “The man asked details about us and our family. He said, 'Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?' We answered him according to these questions. How could we have known that he would say, 'Bring your brother down?'”

8 And Judah said to Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live, and not die, both we and thou and our little ones.

Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the boy with me. We will rise and go that we may live and not die, both we, you, and also our children.

9 I will be surety for him: of my hand shalt thou require him; if I bring him not to thee, and set him before thy face, then shall I be guilty toward thee for ever.

I will be a guarantee for him. You will hold me responsible. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.

10 For had we not lingered, we should now certainly have returned already twice.

For if we had not delayed, surely by now we would have come back here a second time.”

11 And their father Israel said to them, If it is then so, do this: take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a gift: a little balsam and a little honey, tragacanth and ladanum, pistacia-nuts and almonds.

Their father Israel said to them, “If it be so, now do this. Take some of the best products of the land in your bags. Carry down to the man a gift—some balm and honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds.

12 And take other money in your hand, and the money that was returned to you in the mouth of your sacks, carry back in your hand: perhaps it is an oversight.

Take double money in your hand. The money that was returned in the opening of your sacks, carry again in your hand. Perhaps it was a mistake.

13 And take your brother, and arise, go again to the man.

Take also your brother. Rise and go again to the man.

14 And the Almighty God give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother and Benjamin! And I, if I be bereaved of children, am bereaved.

May God Almighty give you mercy before the man, so that he may release to you your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”

15 And the men took that gift, and took double money in their hand, and Benjamin, and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and came before Joseph.

The men took this gift, and in their hand they took double the amount of money, along with Benjamin. They got up and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

16 And Joseph saw Benjamin with them, and said to the [man] who was over his house, Bring the men into the house, and slaughter cattle, and make ready; for the men shall eat with me at noon.

When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Bring the men into the house, slaughter an animal and prepare it, for the men will eat with me at noon.”

17 And the man did as Joseph had said; and the man brought the men into Joseph's house.

The steward did as Joseph said. He brought the men to Joseph's house.

18 And the men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph's house, and said, Because of the money that was returned to us in our sacks at the beginning are we brought in, that he may turn against us, and fall upon us and take us for bondmen, and our asses.

The men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph's house. They said, “It is because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time we were brought in, that he may seek an opportunity against us. He might arrest us and take us as slaves, and take our donkeys.”

19 And they came up to the man that was over Joseph's house, and they spoke to him at the door of the house,

They approached the steward of Joseph's house, and they spoke to him at the door of the house,

20 and said, Ah! my lord, we came indeed down at the first to buy food.

saying, “My master, we came down the first time to buy food.

21 And 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 according to its weight; and we have brought it again in our hand.

It came about, when we reached the lodging place, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man's money was in the opening of his sack, our money in full weight. We have brought it back in our hands.

22 And other money have we brought down in our hand to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.

Other money we have also brought down in our hand to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.”

23 And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks; your money came to me. And he brought Simeon out to them.

The steward said, “Peace be to you, do not fear. Your God and the God of your father must have put your money in your sacks. I received your money.” The steward then brought Simeon out to them.

24 And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses food.

The steward took the men into Joseph's house. He gave them water, and they washed their feet. He gave feed to their donkeys.

25 And they made ready the gift for Joseph's coming at noon; for they had heard that they should eat bread there.

They prepared the gifts for Joseph's coming at noon, for they had heard that they would eat there.

26 When Joseph came home, they brought him the gift that was in their hand, into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth.

When Joseph came home, they brought the gifts which were in their hand into the house, and bowed down before him to the ground.

27 And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well — the old man of whom ye spoke? Is he yet alive?

He asked them about their welfare and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”

28 And they said, Thy servant our father is well; he is yet alive. And they bowed, and made obeisance.

They said, “Your servant our father is well. He is still alive.” They prostrated themselves and bowed down.

29 And he lifted up his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, Is this your younger brother of whom ye spoke to me? And he said, God be gracious to thee, my son!

When he lifted up his eyes he saw Benjamin his brother, his mother's son, and he said, “Is this your youngest brother of whom you spoke to me?” Then he said, “May God be gracious to you, my son.”

30 And Joseph made haste, for his bowels burned for his brother; and he sought [a place] to weep, and he went into the chamber, and wept there.

Joseph hurried to go out of the room, for he was deeply moved about his brother. He sought somewhere to weep. He went to his room and wept there.

31 And he washed his face, and came out, and controlled himself, and said, Set on bread.

He washed his face and came out. He controlled himself, saying, “Serve the food.”

32 And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves; because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

The servants served Joseph by himself and the brothers by themselves. The Egyptians there ate with him by themselves because the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is detestable to the Egyptians.

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

The brothers sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth. The men were astonished together.

34 And he had portions carried to them from before him. And Benjamin's portion was five times greater than the portions of them all. And they drank, and made merry with him.

Joseph sent portions to them from the food in front of him. But Benjamin's portion was five times as much as any of his brothers. They drank and were merry with him.