Genesis 43

1 But the famine, was severe in the land.

But the famine prevailed in the land.

2 So it came to pass when they had made an end of eating the corn which they had brought in out of Egypt, that their father said unto them, —Return buy for us a little food.

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

3 Then spake Judah unto him saying, —The man, did protest, to us saying—Ye shall not see my face, except, your brother, is with you.

And Judas spoke to him, saying, The man, the lord of the country, positively testified to us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, unless your younger brother be with you.

4 If thou art sending our brother with us, we will certainly go down, and buy for thee food;

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

5 but, if thou art not sending him, we will not go down, for the man, said unto us Ye shall not see my face, except, your brother, is with you.

but if thou send not our brother with us, we will not go: for the man spoke to us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, unless your younger brother be with you.

6 And Israel said, Wherefore did ye ill to me, —to tell the man, there yet remained to you a brother?

And Israel said, Why did ye harm me, inasmuch as ye told the man that ye had a brother?

7 And they said, The man, did ask, concerning ourselves and concerning our kindred saying—Is your father yet alive? Have ye a brother? So we told him according to the tenor of these words. Could we, at all know, that he would say, Bring down your brother?

And they said, The man closely questioned us about our family also, saying, Does your father yet live, and have ye a brother? and we answered him according to this question: did we know that he would say to us, Bring your brother?

8 Then said Judah unto Israel his father—Come! send thou down the young man with me that we may arise and go our way, —and live and not die, both we and thou and our little ones.

And Judas said to his father Israel, Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and thou, and our store.

9 I, will be surety for him, at my hand, shalt thou require him, —as surely as I bring him not in unto thee, and set him down before thee, so surely will I be counted a sinner against thee all the days,

And I engage for him; at my hand do thou require him; if I bring him not to thee, and place him before thee, I shall be guilty toward thee for ever.

10 For, if we had not lingered, surely now, had we come back here a second time.

For if we had not tarried, we should now have returned twice.

11 Then Israel their father said unto them—If so, then do this, —Take of the song of the land in your vessels, and carry down to the man a present, —A little balsam and a little honey, tragacanth gum and cistus gum, pistachio nuts, and almonds.

And Israel, their father, said to them, If it be so, do this; take of the fruits of the earth in your vessels, and carry down to the man presents of gum and honey, and frankincense, and stacte, and turpentine, and walnuts.

12 And double silver, take in your hand, —also the silver that was put back in the mouth of your sacks, carry ye back in your hand, peradventure it was an error,

And take double money in your hands, and the money that was returned in your sacks, carry back with you, lest peradventure it is a mistake.

13 Your brother also, take ye, —and arise go again unto the man.

And take your brother; and arise, go down to the man.

14 And, God Almighty, give you compassion before the man, so shall he send with you, your other brother, and Benjamin. But, as for me, when I am bereaved, I am bereaved!

And my God give you favour in the sight of the man, and send away your other brother, and Benjamin, for I accordingly as I have been bereaved, am bereaved.

15 So the men took this present, double silver also, took they in their hand and Benjamin, —and arose and went down into Egypt, and stood before Joseph.

And the men having taken these presents, and the double money, took in their hands also Benjamin; and they rose up and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.

16 And Joseph saw—with them—Benjamin, so he said to him that was over his house Bring the men into the house, —and slay meat and make ready, for with me, shall the men eat at noon.

And Joseph saw them and his brother Benjamin, born of the same mother; and he said to the steward of his household, Bring the men into the house, and slay beasts and make ready, for the men are to eat bread with me at noon.

17 So the men did as Joseph had said, and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house,

And the man did as Joseph said; and he brought the men into the house of Joseph.

18 Then were the men afraid because they had been brought into the house of Joseph, and they said—For the matter of the silver that came back in our sacks at the beginning, have, we, been brought in, —that he may turn round upon us and fall upon us, and take us for servants and our asses.

And the men, when they perceived that they were brought into the house of Joseph, said, We are brought in because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first; even in order to inform against us, and lay it to our charge; to take us for servants, and our asses.

19 So they drew near unto the man that was over Joseph’s house, —and spake unto him at the entrance of the house;

And having approached the man who was over the house of Joseph, they spoke to him in the porch of the house,

20 and said, May it please my lord! We, did indeed come down, at the beginning to buy food.

saying, We pray [thee], Sir; we came down at first to buy food.

21 And it came to pass when we had entered into the inn, that we opened our sacks, and lo! the silver of each man, in the mouth of his sack, —our silver in its full weight, —so we have bought it back in our hand!

And it came to pass, when we came to unlade, and opened our sacks, [there was] also this money of each in his sack; we have now brought back our money by weight in our hands.

22 And, more silver, have we brought down in our hand, to buy food, —we know not who put our silver in our sacks.

And we have brought other money with us to buy food; we know not who put the money into our sacks.

23 And he said—Peace to you do not fear! Your God, and the God of your father, hath given you secret treasure, in your sacks, as for your silver, it came in unto me. And he brought forth unto them Simeon.

And he said to them, [God deal] mercifully with you; be not afraid; your God, and the God of your fathers, has given you treasures in your sacks, and I have enough of your good money. And he brought Symeon out to them.

24 So the man brought the men into Joseph’s house, —and gave them water and they bathed their feet, and he gave them provender for their asses.

And he brought water to wash their feet; and gave provender to their asses.

25 And they made ready the present, against the coming in of Joseph at noon, —for they heard that it was there they should eat bread.

And they prepared their gifts, until Joseph came at noon, for they heard that he was going to dine there.

26 So when Joseph came into the house, they brought in to him the present which was in their hand into the house, —and bowed themselves down to him to the earth.

And Joseph entered into the house, and they brought him the gifts which they had in their hands, into the house; and they did him reverence with their face to the ground.

27 Then asked he after their welfare, and said—Is it well with your aged father, of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive?

And he asked them, How are ye? and he said to them, Is your father, the old man of whom ye spoke, well? Does he yet live?

28 And they said—It is well with thy servant our father, he is yet alive. And they bent their heads and bowed them-selves down.

And they said, Thy servant our father is well; he is yet alive. And he said, Blessed be that man by God; —and they bowed, and did him reverence.

29 Then lifted he up his eyes, and saw Benjamin his brother son of his mother, and said—Is, this, your youngest brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God, grant thee favour my son!

And Joseph lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, born of the same mother; and he said, Is this your younger brother, whom ye spoke of bringing to me? and he said, God have mercy on thee, my son.

30 And Joseph made haste for his compassions towards his brother were pent up, and he sought to weep, —so he went into the inner chamber and wept there,

And Joseph was troubled, for his bowels yearned over his brother, and he sought to weep; and he went into his chamber, and wept there.

31 Then bathed he his face and came forth, —and restrained himself, and said Set on bread!

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

32 So they set on for him—by himself, and for them—by themselves, —and for the Egyptians that were eating with him—by themselves, for the Egyptians might not eat, bread, with the Hebrews for an abomination, had that been to Egyptians.

And they set on [bread] for him alone, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians feasting with him by themselves, for the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews, for it is an abomination to the Egyptians.

33 So they took their seats before him, the firstborn, according to his birthright and the youngest, according to his youth, —and the men looked with amazement, each one at his companion.

And they sat before him, the first-born according to his seniority, and the younger according to his youth; and the men looked with amazement every one at his brother.

34 And he sent portions from before him unto them, and the portion of Benjamin exceeded the portions of them all, five-fold. And they drank and made merry with him.

And they took their portions from him to themselves; but Benjamin's portion was five times as much as the portions of [the others]. And they drank and were filled with drink with him.