Genesis 43

The Return to Egypt

11Now the famineH7458 was severeH3515 in the landH776. 2So it cameH1961 aboutH1961, whenH3512 they had finishedH3615 eatingH398 the grainH7668 whichH834 they had broughtH935 from EgyptH4714, that their fatherH1 saidH559 to them, “GoH7725 backH7725, buyH7666 us a littleH4592 foodH400.” 3JudahH3063 spokeH559 to him, however, sayingH559, “2The manH376 sternlyH5749 warnedH5749 3us, ‘You shall not seeH7200 my faceH6440 unlessH1115 your brotherH251 is with you.’ 4IfH518 you sendH7971 our brotherH251 with us, we will goH3381 downH3381 and buyH7666 you foodH400. 5But ifH518 you do not sendH7971 him, we will not goH3381 downH3381; for the manH376 saidH559 to us, ‘You will not seeH7200 my faceH6440 unlessH1115 your brotherH251 is with you.’” 6Then IsraelH3478 saidH559, “WhyH4100 did you treatH7489 me so badlyH7489, 4by tellingH5046 the manH376 whether you stillH5750 had another brotherH251?” 7But they saidH559, “The manH376 specificallyH7592 askedH7592 about us and our relativesH4138, sayingH559, ‘5Is your fatherH1 stillH5750 aliveH2416? HaveH3426 you another brotherH251?’ So we 6answeredH5046 his questionsH1697. Could we possiblyH3045 knowH3045 that he would sayH559, ‘BringH3381 your brotherH251 downH3381’?” 8So JudahH3063 saidH559 to his fatherH1 IsraelH3478, “SendH7971 the boyH5288 with me and we will ariseH6965 and goH1980, 7so that we may liveH2421 and not dieH4191, we asH1571 wellH1571 asH1571 you and our littleH2945 onesH2945. 98I myselfH595 will takeH6148 responsibilityH6148 for him! You may demandH1245 him backH1245 from 9me. IfH518 I do not bringH935 him back to you and presentH3322H6640 him to you, then 10you can let me takeH2398 the blameH2398 foreverH3605H3117. 10For ifH3884 we had not delayedH4102, surelyH3588 by nowH6258 we could have returnedH7725 twiceH6471.”

11Then their fatherH1 IsraelH3478 saidH559 to them, “IfH518 it must be soH3651, thenH645 doH6213 thisH2088: takeH3947 someH4480 of the bestH2173 productsH2173 of the landH776 in your 11bagsH3627, and carryH3381 downH3381 to the manH376 12as a giftH4503, a littleH4592 13balsamH6875 and a littleH4592 honeyH1706, labdanumH5219 resinH5219 and 14myrrhH3910, pistachioH992 nutsH992 and almondsH8247. 12And takeH3947 doubleH4932 the moneyH3701 in your handH3027, and takeH7725 backH7725 in your handH3027 15the moneyH3701 that was returnedH7725 in the openingH6310 of your sacksH572; perhapsH194 it was a mistakeH4870. 13TakeH3947 your brotherH251 also, and ariseH6965, returnH7725 to the manH376; 14and may 1617GodH410 AlmightyH7706 18grantH5414 you compassionH7356 in the sightH6440 of the manH376, so that he will releaseH7971 to you 19your otherH312 brotherH251 and BenjaminH1144. And as for me, 20ifH834 I am bereavedH7921 ofH7921 my sonsH7921, I am bereavedH7921!” 15So the menH376 tookH3947 21thisH2088 giftH4503, and they tookH3947 doubleH4932 the moneyH3701 in their handH3027, and BenjaminH1144; then they setH6965 outH6965 and wentH3381 downH3381 to EgyptH4714, and stoodH5975 beforeH6440 JosephH3130.

Joseph Sees Benjamin

16When JosephH3130 sawH7200 BenjaminH1144 with them, he saidH559 to his 22houseH1004 stewardH834H5921, “BringH935 the menH376 into the houseH1004, and slaughterH2873 an animalH2874 and makeH3559 preparationsH3559; for the menH376 are to dineH398 with me at noonH6672.” 17So the manH376 didH6213 as JosephH3130 saidH559, and 23broughtH935 the menH376 to Joseph’sH3130 houseH1004. 18Now the menH376 wereH3372 afraidH3372, becauseH3588 they were broughtH935 to Joseph’sH3130 houseH1004; and they saidH559, “It is becauseH5921H1697 of the moneyH3701 that was returnedH7725 in our sacksH572 the firstH8462 timeH8462 that we are being broughtH935 inH935, so that he may 24attackH1556 us and 25overpowerH5307 us, and takeH3947 us as slavesH5650 with our donkeysH2543.” 19So they approachedH5066 Joseph’sH3130 houseH1004 stewardH376H834H5921, and spokeH1696 to him at the entranceH6607 of the houseH1004, 20and saidH559, “OhH994, my lordH113, we indeedH3381 cameH3381 downH3381 the firstH8462 timeH8462 to buyH7666 foodH400, 21and it happenedH1961 whenH3588 we cameH935 to the campsiteH4411, that we openedH6605 our sacksH572, and beholdH2009, 26eachH376 man’sH376 moneyH3701 was in the openingH6310 of his sackH572, our moneyH3701 in 27fullH4948. So 28we have broughtH7725 it backH7725 in our handH3027. 22We have also broughtH3381 downH3381 otherH312 moneyH3701 in our handH3027 to buyH7666 foodH400; we do not knowH3045 whoH4310 putH7760 our moneyH3701 in our sacksH572.” 23But he saidH559, “PeaceH7965 be to you, do not beH3372 afraidH3372. 29Your GodH430 and the GodH430 of your fatherH1 has givenH5414 you treasureH4301 in your sacksH572; your 30moneyH3701 was in my possessionH935.” Then 31he broughtH3318 SimeonH8095 outH3318 to them. 24Then the manH376 broughtH935 the menH376 into Joseph’sH3130 houseH1004 and 32gaveH5414 them waterH4325, and they 33washedH7364 their feetH7272; and he gaveH5414 their donkeysH2543 feedH4554. 25So they preparedH3559 34the giftH4503 35for Joseph’sH3130 arrivalH935 at noonH6672; for they had heardH8085 that they were to eatH398 36a mealH3899 thereH8033.

26When JosephH3130 cameH935 homeH1004, they broughtH935 into the houseH1004 to him the giftH4503 whichH834 was in their handH3027, and they 37bowedH2331 downH2331 to the groundH776 before him. 27Then he askedH7592 them about their welfareH7965, and saidH559, “38Is your oldH2205 fatherH1 wellH7965, of whomH834 you spokeH559? Is he stillH5750 aliveH2416?” 28And they saidH559, “Your servantH5650 our fatherH1 is wellH7965; he is stillH5750 aliveH2416.” Then 39they bowedH6915 downH6915 again 40inH2331 homageH2331. 29And as he raisedH5375 his eyesH5869 and sawH7200 his brotherH251 BenjaminH1144, his mother’sH517 sonH1121, he saidH559, “Is thisH2088 41your youngestH6996 brotherH251, of whomH834 you spokeH559 to me?” Then he saidH559, “42May GodH430 beH2603 graciousH2603 to you, my sonH1121.” 30JosephH3130 then hurriedH4116 out, for 4344he was deeplyH7356 stirredH3648 overH413 his brotherH251, and he lookedH1245 for a place to weepH1058; so he enteredH935 his chamberH2315 and 45weptH1058 thereH8033. 31Then he washedH7364 his faceH6440 and cameH3318 outH3318; and he 46controlledH662 himself and saidH559, “47ServeH7760 the mealH3899.” 32Then they servedH7760 him byH905 himselfH905, and 48Joseph’s brothers byH905 themselvesH905, and the EgyptiansH4713 who ateH398 with him byH905 themselvesH905; becauseH3588 the EgyptiansH4713 couldH3201 not eatH398 breadH3899 with the HebrewsH5680, for that is an 49abominationH8441 to the EgyptiansH4714. 33Now they 50were seatedH3427 beforeH6440 him, from 51the firstbornH1060 according to his birthrightH1062 to the youngestH6810 according to his youthH6812, and the menH376 lookedH8539 at oneH376 anotherH7453 inH8539 astonishmentH8539. 34Then he tookH5375 portionsH4864 to them from 52his own tableH6440, 53but Benjamin’sH1144 portionH4864 wasH7235 fiveH2568 timesH3027 as muchH7235 as anyH3605 of theirs. So they drankH8354 freelyH7937 with him.