Chapter 43

Chapter 43

1 Now the food shortage was severe in the land.

2 When they finished eating the food they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”

3 But Judah spoke directly to him, saying, “The man explicitly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’

4 If you are willing to send our brother along with us, we will go down and buy food for you.

5 But if you are not willing to send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’”

6 Israel asked, “Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man you had another brother?”

7 They replied, “The man closely questioned us about ourselves and our family, asking, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ We merely answered his questions. How could we possibly know he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”

8 Then Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy along with me and let us get up and go, so that we may survive and not die—both we, you, and our dependents.

9 I will stand as a guarantee for him; you can hold me personally accountable for his safety. If I do not bring him back to you and set him right before your eyes, then I will bear the blame before you for all time.

10 For if we had not delayed, Look! we could have returned twice by now.”

11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the best products of the land in your bags and carry them down to the man as a gift—a little balsam and a little honey, aromatic gum and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds.

12 Take double the money along with you; you must return by hand the money that was put back in the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was an oversight.

13 Take your brother as well; get up and return to the man.

14 And may The All-Powerful One grant you compassion before the man, so that he may release your other brother and Benjamin to you. As for me, if I am to be stripped of my children, I am stripped of them.”

15 So the men took that gift, and they took double the money with them, along with Benjamin. They got up, went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.

16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the supervisor of his house, “Bring the men into the house, slaughter an animal, and prepare a meal, for these men are to eat with me at noon.”

17 The man did exactly as Joseph said, and he brought the men into Joseph’s house.

18 But the men were terrified because they were brought into Joseph’s house. They thought to themselves, “It is because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time that we are being brought in, so that he can overpower us, attack us, take us as slaves, and seize our donkeys!”

19 So they approached the supervisor of Joseph’s house and spoke to him right at the entrance of the house.

20 They said, “Please, my master! We came down the first time strictly to buy food.”

21 “But when we came to the lodging place and opened our sacks, Look!—each man’s money was right there at the mouth of his sack, the full amount of our money. So we have brought it back by hand.

22 We have also brought down additional money with us to buy food; we do not know who put our money in our sacks.”

23 He replied, “Peace be with you; do not be afraid. Your powerful one, the powerful one of your father, must have put treasure in your sacks for you. I received your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.

24 The man brought the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet, and provided feed for their donkeys.

25 They set out their gift in preparation for Joseph’s arrival at noon, because they had heard that they were to eat a meal there.

26 When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gift they had brought into the house, and they bowed low before him to the ground.

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

28 They replied, “Your servant, our father, is well; he is still alive.” And they knelt and bowed low.

29 As Joseph looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you spoke to me about?” Then he added, “May The All-Powerful One be gracious to you, my son.”

30 Joseph hurried out because he was deeply moved at the sight of his brother and was on the verge of tears; he went into his private room and wept there.

31 After washing his face, he came out and, controlling himself, ordered, “Serve the meal.”

32 They served him by himself, and the brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves—because Egyptians cannot eat a meal with Hebrews, as that is detestable to the Egyptians.

33 The brothers were seated in his presence, arranged from the oldest according to his birthright to the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked at one another in total astonishment.

34 Portions were carried to them from his own table, but Benjamin’s portion was five times larger than any of theirs. So they drank and became intoxicated with him.