Genesis 43 ~ Genesis 43

picture

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

Now the famine was severe 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 eaten up the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, “Go back, 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.

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

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

If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you 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 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.’”

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 you deal so wrongfully with me as to tell the man whether you had still another 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?

But they said, “The man asked us pointedly about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘ Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ And we told him according to these words. Could we possibly have known 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.

Then 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.

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 myself will be surety for him; from my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.

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

For if we had not lingered, surely by now we would have returned this second time.”

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 must be so, then do this: Take some of the best fruits of the land in your vessels and carry down a present for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio 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.

Take double money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was an oversight.

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

Take your brother also, and arise, go back 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 may God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved, I 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.

So the men took that present and Benjamin, and they took double money in their hand, and arose and went down to Egypt; and they stood 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.

When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my home, and slaughter an animal and make ready; for these men will dine with me at noon.”

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

Then the man did as Joseph ordered, 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.

Now the men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, “ It is because of the money, which was returned in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may make a case against us and seize us, to take us as slaves with our donkeys.”

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

When they drew near to the steward of Joseph’s house, they talked with 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, “O sir, we indeed came down the first time 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.

but it happened, when we came to the encampment, that we opened our sacks, and there, each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight; so we have brought it back 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 we have brought down other money in our hands 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.

But he said, “Peace be with you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I had 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 donkeys provender.

So the man brought the men into Joseph’s house and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys feed.

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.

Then they made the present ready for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they would 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.

And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed down before 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?

Then he asked them about their well-being, and said, “ Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still 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 answered, “Your servant our father is in good health; he is still alive.” And they bowed their heads down and prostrated themselves.

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!

Then he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, “ Is this your younger brother of whom you spoke to me?” And he said, “God be gracious to you, 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.

Now his heart yearned for his brother; so Joseph made haste and sought somewhere to weep. And he went into his chamber and wept there.

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

Then he washed his face and came out; and he restrained himself, and said, “Serve the 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.

So they set him a place by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves; because the Egyptians could not eat food with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to 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 looked in astonishment at one 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.

Then he took servings to them from before him, but Benjamin’s serving was five times as much as any of theirs. So they drank and were merry with him.