Genesis 43

1 But the famine, was severe in the land.

The famine continued to be really bad in Canaan,

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.

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 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.

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 will certainly 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 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 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 said, Wherefore did ye ill to me, —to tell the man, there yet remained to you a brother?

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

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?

“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 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.

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, 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,

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, had we come back here a second time.

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

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.

“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 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,

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

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

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

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!

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 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.

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 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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

“Please excuse us, my lord,” they said. “We came down the first time 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 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, more silver, have we brought down in our hand, to buy food, —we know not who put our silver in our sacks.

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

“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 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.

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

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.

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 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.

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 Then asked he after their welfare, and said—Is it well with your aged father, of whom ye spake? 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 said—It is well with thy servant our father, he is yet alive. And they bent their heads and bowed them-selves down.

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

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!

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 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,

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

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

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.

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 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.

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 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.

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.