1 B ut the hunger and destitution and starvation were very severe and extremely distressing in the land.

And the famine was grievous in the land.

2 A nd when had eaten up the grain which the men had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, Go again; buy us a little food.

And it came to pass, when they had finished eating the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, Go again, buy us a little food.

3 B ut Judah said to him, The man solemnly and sternly warned us, saying, You shall not see my face again unless your brother is with you.

And Judah spoke to him, saying, The man did positively testify to us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, unless your brother be with you.

4 I f you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food;

If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food;

5 B ut if you will not 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.

but if thou do not send, we will not go down, for the man said to us, Ye shall not see my face, unless your brother be with you.

6 A nd Israel said, Why did you do me such a wrong and suffer this evil to come upon me by telling the man that you had another brother?

And Israel said, Why did ye deal ill with me to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?

7 A nd they said, The man asked us straightforward questions about ourselves and our relatives. He said, Is your father still alive? Have you another brother? And we answered him accordingly. How could we know that he would say, Bring your brother down here?

And they said, The man asked very closely after us, and after our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye a brother? And we told him according to the tenor of these words. Could we at all know that he would say, Bring your brother down?

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

And Judah said to 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 our little ones.

9 I will be security for him; you shall require him of me; if I do not bring him back to you and put him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.

I will be surety for him: of my hand shalt thou require him; if I bring him not to thee, and set him before thy face, then shall I be guilty toward thee for ever.

10 F or if we had not lingered like this, surely by now we would have returned the second time.

For had we not lingered, we should now certainly have returned already twice.

11 A nd their father Israel said to them, If it must be so, now do this; take of the choicest products in the land in your sacks and carry down a present to the man, a little balm (balsam) and a little honey, aromatic spices and gum (of rock rose) or ladanum, pistachio nuts, and almonds.

And their father Israel said to them, If it is then so, do this: take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a gift: a little balsam and a little honey, tragacanth and ladanum, pistacia-nuts and almonds.

12 A nd take double the money with you; and the money that was put back in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again with you; there is a possibility that was an oversight.

And take other money in your hand, and the money that was returned to you in the mouth of your sacks, carry back in your hand: perhaps it is an oversight.

13 T ake your brother and arise and return to the man;

And take your brother, and arise, go again to the man.

14 M ay God Almighty give you mercy and favor before the man, that he may release to you your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved, I am bereaved.

And the Almighty God give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother and Benjamin! And I, if I be bereaved of children, am bereaved.

15 T hen the men took the present, and they took double the money with them, and Benjamin; and they arose and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

And the men took that gift, and took double money in their hand, and Benjamin, and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and came before Joseph.

16 A nd when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, Bring the men into the house and kill an animal and make ready, for the men will dine with me at noon.

And Joseph saw Benjamin with them, and said to the who was over his house, Bring the men into the house, and slaughter cattle, and make ready; for the men shall eat with me at noon.

17 A nd the man did as Joseph ordered and brought the men to Joseph’s house.

And the man did as Joseph had said; and the man brought the men into Joseph's house.

18 T he men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph’s house; and they said, We are brought in because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time we came, so that he may find occasion to accuse and assail us, take us for slaves, and seize our donkeys.

And the men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph's house, and said, Because of the money that was returned to us in our sacks at the beginning are we brought in, that he may turn against us, and fall upon us and take us for bondmen, and our asses.

19 S o they came near to the steward of Joseph’s house and talked with him at the door of the house,

And they came up to the man that was over Joseph's house, and they spoke to him at the door of the house,

20 A nd said, O sir, we came down truly the first time to buy food;

and said, Ah! my lord, we came indeed down at the first to buy food.

21 A nd when we came to the inn, we opened our sacks and there was each man’s money, full weight, returned in the mouth of his sack. Now we have brought it back again.

And it came to pass when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and behold, man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money according to its weight; and we have brought it again in our hand.

22 A nd we have brought down with us other money to buy food; we do not know who put our money in our sacks.

And other money have we brought down in our hand to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.

23 B ut said, Peace be to you, fear not; your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks. I received your money. And he brought Simeon out to them.

And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks; your money came to me. And 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 donkeys provender.

And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses food.

25 A nd they made ready the present they had brought for Joseph before his coming at noon, for they heard that they were to dine there.

And they made ready the gift for Joseph's coming at noon; for they had heard that they should eat bread there.

26 A nd when Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present which they had with them, and bowed themselves to him to the ground.

When Joseph came home, they brought him the gift that was in their hand, into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth.

27 H e asked them of their welfare and said, Is your old father well, of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?

And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well—the old man of whom ye spoke? Is he yet alive?

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

And they said, Thy servant our father is well; he is yet alive. And they bowed, and made obeisance.

29 A nd he looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me? And he said, God be gracious to you, my son!

And he lifted up his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, Is this your younger brother of whom ye spoke to me? And he said, God be gracious to thee, my son!

30 A nd Joseph hurried from the room, for his heart yearned for his brother, and he sought privacy to weep; so he entered his chamber and wept there.

And Joseph made haste, for his bowels burned for his brother; and he sought to weep, and he went into the chamber, and wept there.

31 A nd he washed his face and went out, and, restraining himself, said, Let dinner be served.

And he washed his face, and came out, and controlled himself, and said, Set on bread.

32 A nd set out for by himself, and for by themselves, and for those Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, according to the Egyptian custom not to eat food with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination to the Egyptians.

And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves; because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

33 A nd were given seats before him—the eldest according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked at one another amazed.

And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth; and the men marvelled one at another.

34 t ook and sent helpings to them from before him, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank freely and were merry with him.

And he had portions carried to them from before him. And Benjamin's portion was five times greater than the portions of them all. And they drank, and made merry with him.