1 A nd the famine was sore in the land.

The time of no food was hard in the land.

2 A nd it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food.

When they had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go again and buy us a little food.”

3 A nd Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.

But Judah told him, “The man said to us with sharp words, ‘You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.’

4 I f thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food:

If you send our brother with us, we will go to Egypt and buy you food.

5 b ut if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down: for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.

But if you do not send him, we will not go. For the man said, ‘You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.’”

6 A nd Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?

Israel said, “Why did you do me such a wrong by telling the man that you had another brother?”

7 A nd they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down?

And they said, “The man asked questions about us and our family. He said, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ So we answered his questions. How could we know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother here’?”

8 A nd Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones.

Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me. And we will get up and go, so we and you and our children may live and not die.

9 I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever:

I will put myself as trust for him. You may put him in my care. If I do not return him to you and set him in front of you, then let the blame be on me forever.

10 f or except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time.

For if we had not waited, we would have returned twice by now.”

11 A nd their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:

Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the best things of the land in your bags. Carry them to the man as a gift. Give him perfume and honey and spices and special things to eat.

12 a nd take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight:

Take twice as much money with you to take the place of the money that was returned in your bags. It may be that it was a mistake.

13 t ake also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man:

Take your brother also. Get up, and return to the man.

14 a nd God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.

May the All-powerful God give you such favor with the man that he may let your other brother and Benjamin return. If my children are taken from me, I am filled with sorrow.”

15 A nd the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.

So the men took the gift, and twice as much money, and Benjamin. They got up and went to Egypt, and stood in front of Joseph.

16 A nd when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, Bring these men home, and slay, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon.

When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the man who took care of his house, “Bring the men into the house. And kill an animal and make it ready. For the men will eat with me at noon.”

17 A nd the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house.

So the man did what Joseph said, and brought the men to Joseph’s house.

18 A nd the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.

The men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph’s house. They said, “We are being brought in because of the money that was returned in our bags the first time we came. He is looking for something against us. He will come down on us and take us for servants with our donkeys.”

19 A nd they came near to the steward of Joseph’s house, and they communed with him at the door of the house,

So they came near the man who took care of Joseph’s house, and spoke to him at the door of the house.

20 a nd said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food:

They said, “O, my lord, we came here the first time to buy food.

21 a nd it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand.

When we came to the place where we stayed the night, we opened our bags. And we found that the full weight of each man’s money was at the top of the bag. So we have brought it again with us.

22 A nd other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks.

We have brought other money with us also to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our bags.”

23 A nd he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them.

But he answered, “Peace be with you. Do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you riches in your bags. I received your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.

24 A nd the man brought the men into Joseph’s house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender.

The man brought the men into Joseph’s house and gave them water to wash their feet. And he fed their donkeys.

25 A nd they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.

So they made the gift ready to give to Joseph when he came at noon. For they had heard that they were to eat there.

26 A nd when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth.

When Joseph came home, they gave him the gift they had brought with them. They bowed to the ground in front of him.

27 A nd he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive?

Then Joseph asked them about their well-being. He said, “Is your father well, the old man you spoke about? Is he still alive?”

28 A nd they answered, Thy servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive. And they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance.

And they said, “Your servant, our father is well. He is still alive.” Then they bowed their heads low in honor to Joseph.

29 A nd he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son.

As he looked up, he saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son. He said, “Is this your youngest brother whom you told me about? May God show you loving-favor, my son.”

30 A nd Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there.

Then Joseph went out in a hurry. For he had much feeling for his brother. He went in his room and cried.

31 A nd he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.

Then he washed his face and came out. Hiding his feelings, he said, “Bring the food.”

32 A nd they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

So they brought food to Joseph by himself, and to them by themselves, and to the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves. The Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews because they thought it would be sinful.

33 A nd they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one at another.

Joseph’s brothers were seated in front of him by the way they were born, from the oldest to the youngest. And the men looked at each other in wonder.

34 A nd he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin’s mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.

Joseph took food to them from his own table. But Benjamin’s food was five times as much as any of theirs. And they were free in eating and drinking with him.