Genesis 43

1 And the famine [is] severe in the land;

The famine continued to be really bad in Canaan,

2 and it cometh to pass, when they have finished eating the corn which they brought from Egypt, that their father saith unto them, 'Turn back, buy for us a little food.'

so once they had finished the grain they'd brought from Egypt, their father told them, “You have to go back and buy some more grain for us.”

3 And Judah speaketh unto him, saying, 'The man protesting protested to us, saying, Ye do not see my face without your brother [being] with you;

But Judah responded, “The man was adamant when he warned us, ‘I won't even see you unless your brother is with you.’

4 if thou art sending our brother with us, we go down, and buy for thee food,

If you send our brother Benjamin with us then we'll go and buy food for you.

5 and if thou art not sending — we do not go down, for the man said unto us, Ye do not see my face without your brother [being] with you.'

But if you won't send him, then we won't go, because the man was very clear, ‘I won't even see you unless your brother is with you.’”

6 And Israel saith, 'Why did ye evil to me, by declaring to the man that ye had yet a brother?'

“Why have you made things so bad for me by telling the man you had another brother?” Israel asked.

7 and they say, 'The man asked diligently concerning us, and concerning our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye a brother? and we declare to him according to the tenor of these things; do we certainly know that he will say, Bring down your brother?'

“The man kept on asking direct questions about us and our family like ‘Is your father still alive?’ and ‘Do you have another brother?’” they replied. “We just answered his questions. How were we to know he'd say, ‘Bring your brother here!’?”

8 And Judah saith unto Israel his father, 'Send the youth with me, and we arise, and go, and live, and do not die, both we, and thou, and our infants.

Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy in my care, and we'll leave immediately, so that we can stay alive and not die—and that includes you and us and our children!

9 I — I am surety [for] him, from my hand thou dost require him; if I have not brought him in unto thee, and set him before thee — then I have sinned against thee all the days;

I promise to take care of him—I'll be personally responsible for bringing him back to you. If I don't, then I will always carry the blame!

10 for if we had not lingered, surely now we had returned these two times.'

Now let's go, because if we hadn't hesitated, we could have gone there and come back twice by now.”

11 And Israel their father saith unto them, 'If so, now, this do: take of the praised thing of the land in your vessels, and take down to the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices and myrrh, nuts and almonds;

“If it has to be, then this is what you'll do,” Israel replied. “Take with you the best our country produces. Pack your bags with gifts for the man—balm, a little honey, spices, myrrh, pistachios, and almonds.

12 and double money take in your hand, even the money which is brought back in the mouth of your bags, ye take back in your hand, it may be it [is] an oversight.

Take double the money that was returned to you in your sacks—maybe it was a mistake.

13 'And take your brother, and rise, turn back unto the man;

Take your brother and go back to the man right away.

14 and God Almighty give to you mercies before the man, so that he hath sent to you your other brother and Benjamin; and I, when I am bereaved — I am bereaved.'

May God Almighty make the man treat you kindly so when you come before him he'll release your other brother and send Benjamin back. As for me, if I am to lose all my children, then so be it.”

15 And the men take this present, double money also they have taken in their hand, and Benjamin; and they rise, and go down to Egypt, and stand before Joseph;

So they packed the gifts, took double the money, and set off, accompanied by Benjamin. They arrived in Egypt and went to have an audience with Joseph.

16 and Joseph seeth Benjamin with them, and saith to him who [is] over his house, 'Bring the men into the house, and slaughter an animal, and make ready, for with me do the men eat at noon.'

When Joseph saw Benjamin was with them, he told his household supervisor, “Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and make a meal, for they are going to eat with me at noon.”

17 And the man doth as Joseph hath said, and the man bringeth in the men into the house of Joseph,

The man did as Joseph ordered and took them to Joseph's house.

18 and the men are afraid because they have been brought into the house of Joseph, and they say, 'For the matter of the money which was put back in our bags at the commencement are we brought in — to roll himself upon us, and to throw himself on us, and to take us for servants — our asses also.'

They were really worried that they were being taken to Joseph's house. “It's because of the money that was put in our sacks the first time we came,” they said to each other. “That's why we're being brought in—so he can accuse us and attack us! He'll make us his slaves and take our donkeys!”

19 And they come nigh unto the man who [is] over the house of Joseph, and speak unto him at the opening of the house,

So they went and spoke to Joseph's household supervisor at the entrance to the house.

20 and say, 'O, my lord, we really come down at the commencement to buy food;

“Please excuse us, my lord,” they said. “We came down the first time to buy food,

21 and it cometh to pass, when we have come in unto the lodging-place, and open our bags, that lo, each one's money [is] in the mouth of his bag, our money in its weight, and we bring it back in our hand;

and when we stopped for the night, we opened our sacks and each of us found our money—the exact amount—at the top of our sacks. So we've brought it back with us.

22 and other money have we brought down in our hand to buy food; we have not known who put our money in our bags.'

We've also brought more money to buy food. We've no idea who put our money in our sacks!”

23 And he saith, 'Peace to you, fear not: your God and the God of your father hath given to you hidden treasure in your bags, your money came unto me;' and he bringeth out Simeon unto them.

“Everything's fine!” he told them. “Don't worry! Your God, the God of your father, must have given you the treasure hidden in your sacks. I got your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to meet them.

24 And the man bringeth in the men into Joseph's house, and giveth water, and they wash their feet; and he giveth provender for their asses,

The steward took them inside Joseph's house, gave them water to wash their feet, and supplied food for their donkeys.

25 and they prepare the present until the coming of Joseph at noon, for they have heard that there they do eat bread.

They got their gifts ready for when Joseph would come at noon, because they had found out that they were going to eat there.

26 And Joseph cometh into the house, and they bring to him the present which [is] in their hand, into the house, and bow themselves to him, to the earth;

When Joseph arrived at the house they gave him the gifts they had brought for him, and bowed low to the ground before him.

27 and he asketh of them of peace, and saith, 'Is your father well? the aged man of whom ye have spoken, is he yet alive?'

He asked how they were, and then he asked, “How is your elderly father doing that you spoke of? Is he still alive?”

28 and they say, 'Thy servant our father [is] well, he is yet alive;' and they bow, and do obeisance.

“Yes, your servant our father is still alive, and is well,” they replied and bowed low in respect.

29 And he lifteth up his eyes, and seeth Benjamin his brother, his mother's son, and saith, 'Is this your young brother, of whom ye have spoken unto me?' and he saith, 'God favour thee, my son.'

Then Joseph looked over at his brother Benjamin, the son of his own mother. “Is this your youngest brother that you told me about?” he asked. “God be gracious to you, my son,” he said.

30 And Joseph hasteth, for his bowels have been moved for his brother, and he seeketh to weep, and entereth the inner chamber, and weepeth there;

Joseph had to run out quickly because he was becoming so emotional at seeing his brother. He looked for a place to cry, and went to his room to weep there.

31 and he washeth his face, and goeth out, and refraineth himself, and saith, 'Place bread.'

Then he washed his face, got his emotions under control, and went back out. “Serve the food,” he ordered.

32 And they place for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians who are eating with him by themselves: for the Egyptians are unable to eat bread with the Hebrews, for it [is] an abomination to the Egyptians.

Joseph was served at a table by himself, and his brothers were served at a separate table. The Egyptians were also served at another table, because Egyptians cannot eat with Hebrews because they find this repulsive.

33 And they sit before him, the first-born according to his birthright, and the young one according to his youth, and the men wonder one at another;

The brothers had been seated in front of him in order by age, from the firstborn, the oldest, down to the youngest, and they looked at each other in complete surprise.

34 and he lifteth up gifts from before him unto them, and the gift of Benjamin is five hands more than the gifts of all of them; and they drink, yea, they drink abundantly with him.

The food was served to them from Joseph's table, and Benjamin received five times as much as anyone else. So they ate and drank plenty with him.