Genesis 43

The Return to Egypt with Benjamin

1Now the famineH7458 was still severeH3515 in the landH776. 2So whenH834 Jacob’s sons had eaten allH3615H398 the grainH7668 they had broughtH935 from EgyptH4714, their fatherH1 saidH559 to themH413, “Go backH7725 and buyH7666 us a little moreH4592 foodH400.”

3But JudahH3063H559 repliedH559H413, “The manH376H559 solemnly warnedH5749 us, ‘You will notH3808 seeH7200 my faceH6440 again unlessH1115 your brotherH251 is with youH854.’ 4IfH518H3426 you will sendH7971 our brotherH251 with usH854, we will go downH3381 and buyH7666 foodH400 for you. 5But ifH518 you will notH369 send himH7971, we will notH3808 goH3381; forH3588 the manH376 toldH559 usH413, ‘You will notH3808 seeH7200 my faceH6440 again unlessH1115 your brotherH251 is with youH854.’”

6“WhyH4100 did you bring this troubleH7489 upon me?” IsraelH3478 askedH559. “Why did you tellH5046 the manH376 you had anotherH5750 brotherH251?”

7They repliedH559, “The manH376 questionedH7592 us in detailH7592 about ourselves and our familyH4138: ‘Is your fatherH1 stillH5750 aliveH2416? Do you haveH3426 another brotherH251?’ And we answeredH5046 him accordinglyH5921H6310H1697H428. How could we possibly knowH3045 thatH3588 he would sayH559, ‘BringH3381 your brother hereH251’?”

8And JudahH3063 saidH559 toH413 his fatherH1 IsraelH3478, “SendH7971 the boyH5288 with meH854, and we will go at onceH6965H1980, so that we may liveH2421 and notH3808 dieH4191H1571—neither weH587H1571, nor youH859H1571, nor our childrenH2945. 9IH595 will guarantee his safetyH6148. You may hold meH1245 personally responsibleH3027. IfH518 I do notH3808 bring him backH935 and set himH3322 before youH6440, then may I bear the guilt before youH2398 all my lifeH3605H3117. 10If we had notH3588H3884 delayedH4102H3588, we could have come and goneH7725H2088 twiceH6471 by nowH6258.”

11Then their fatherH1 IsraelH3478 saidH559 to themH413, “IfH518 it must be soH3651, thenH645 doH6213 thisH2063: PutH3947 some of the best productsH2173 of the landH776 in your packsH3627 and carry them downH3381 as a giftH4503 for the manH376—a littleH4592 balmH6875 and a littleH4592 honeyH1706, spicesH5219 and myrrhH3910, pistachiosH992 and almondsH8247. 12TakeH3947 doubleH4932 the silverH3701 with youH3027 so thatH853 you may returnH7725 the silverH3701 that was put backH7725H3027 into the mouthsH6310 of your sacksH572. PerhapsH194 itH1931 was a mistakeH4870. 13TakeH3947 your brother as wellH251, and returnH7725 toH413 the manH376 at onceH6965. 14May GodH410 AlmightyH77061 grantH5414 you mercyH7356 beforeH6440 the manH376, that he may releaseH7971 your otherH312 brotherH251 along with BenjaminH1144. As for meH589, ifH834 I am bereavedH7921, I am bereavedH7921.”

15So the menH582 tookH3947 theseH2063 giftsH4503, along with doubleH4932 the amount of silverH3701H3947H3027, andH853 Benjamin as wellH1144. Then they hurried downH6965H3381 to EgyptH4714 and stoodH5975 beforeH6440 JosephH3130.

Joseph’s Hospitality to His Brothers

16When JosephH3130 sawH7200 BenjaminH1144 withH854 his brothers, he saidH559 to the stewardH834 ofH5921 his houseH1004, “TakeH935 these menH582 to my houseH1004. SlaughterH2873 an animalH2874 and prepare itH3559, forH3588 they shall dineH398H582 with meH854 at noonH6672.” 17The manH376 didH6213 asH834 JosephH3130 had commandedH559 and tookH935 the brothers to Joseph’sH3130 houseH1004.

18But theH582 brothers were frightenedH3372 thatH3588 they had been takenH935 to Joseph’sH3130 houseH1004. “WeH587 have been broughtH935 here because ofH5921H1697 the silverH3701 that was returnedH7725 in our bagsH572 the first timeH8462,” they saidH559. “They intendH1556H5921 to overpowerH5307 usH5921 and takeH3947 usH853 as slavesH5650, along withH853 our donkeysH2543.”

19So they approachedH5066 Joseph’sH3130 stewardH376 and spokeH1696 to himH413 at the entranceH6607 to the houseH1004. 20“PleaseH994, sirH113,” they saidH559, “we really did come downH3381 here the first timeH8462 to buyH7666 foodH400. 21ButH1961 whenH3588 we cameH935 toH413 the place we lodged for the nightH4411, we openedH6605 our sacksH572 and, beholdH2009, each of usH376 found his silverH3701 in the mouthH6310 of his sackH572! It was the full amountH4948 of our silverH3701, and we have brought it backH7725 with usH3027. 22We have broughtH3381 additionalH312 silverH3701 with usH3027 to buyH7666 foodH400. We do notH3808 knowH3045 whoH4310 putH7760 our silverH3701 in our sacksH572.”

23“It is fineH7965,” said the stewardH559. “Do notH408 be afraidH3372. Your GodH430, the GodH430 of your fatherH1, gaveH5414 you the treasureH4301 that was in your sacksH572. I receivedH935H413 your silverH3701.” Then he brought SimeonH8095 outH3318 to themH413. 24And theH376 steward tookH935 the menH582 into Joseph’sH3130 houseH1004, gave themH5414 waterH4325 to washH7364 their feetH7272, and providedH5414 foodH4554 for their donkeysH2543.

25SinceH3588 the brothers had been toldH8085 thatH3588 they were going to eatH398 a mealH3899 thereH8033, they preparedH3559 their giftH4503 forH5704 Joseph’sH3130 arrivalH935 at noonH6672. 26When JosephH3130 cameH935 homeH1004, they presentedH935 himH853 with the giftsH4503 they had broughtH3027H1004, and they bowedH7812 to the ground before himH776.

27He askedH7592 if they were wellH7965, and then he askedH559, “How is your elderlyH7965H2205 fatherH1 you toldH559 me about? Is he stillH5750 aliveH2416?”

28“Your servantH5650 our fatherH1 is wellH7965,” they answeredH559. “He is stillH5750 aliveH2416.” And they bowed downH6915 to honor himH7812.

29When Joseph looked upH5375H5869 and sawH7200 his brotherH251 BenjaminH1144, his own mother’sH517 sonH1121, he askedH559, “Is thisH2088 your youngestH6996 brotherH251, the oneH834 you told me aboutH559H413?” Then he declaredH559, “May GodH430 be gracious to youH2603, my sonH1121.”

30JosephH3130 hurriedH4116 out becauseH3588 he was movedH3648H7356 to tearsH1245H1058 forH413 his brotherH251, and he wentH935 to a private roomH2315 to weepH1058H8033. 31Then he washedH7364 his faceH6440 and came back outH3318. Regaining his composureH662, he saidH559, “ServeH7760 the mealH3899.”

32They separately servedH7760 JosephH905, his brothers, and the EgyptiansH4713. They ateH398 separatelyH905 becauseH3588 the EgyptiansH4713 wouldH3201 notH3808 eatH398H3899 withH854 the HebrewsH5680, sinceH3588 thatH1931 was detestableH8441 to themH4713. 33They were seatedH3427 beforeH6440 Joseph in order by ageH1062H6812, from the firstbornH1060 to the youngestH6810, and the menH582 looked atH413 oneH376 anotherH7453 in astonishmentH8539. 34When the portionsH4864H854 were servedH5375 to themH413 from Joseph’s tableH6440, Benjamin’sH1144H4864 portionH4864 was fiveH2568 timesH3027 larger thanH7235 any of the othersH3605. So they feastedH8354 and drank freelyH7937 withH5973 Joseph.