1 N ow the famine was severe in the land.

And the famine was grievous in the land.

2 A nd 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.”

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 spoke to him, saying, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face 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 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 deal so wrongfully with me as to tell the man whether you had still another brother?”

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

7 B ut 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’?”

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 T hen 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 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.

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, surely by now we would have returned this 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, 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.

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 T ake 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.

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 also, and arise, go back to the man.

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

14 A nd 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!”

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 S o 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.

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 W hen 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.”

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 T hen the man did as Joseph ordered, and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house.

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

18 N ow 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.”

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 W hen they drew near to the steward of Joseph’s house, they 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 indeed came down the first time to buy food;

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

21 b ut 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.

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 other money in our hands 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 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.

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

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 T hen they made the present ready for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they would eat bread 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 him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed down before him to the earth.

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 T hen he asked them about their well-being, and said, “ Is your father well, the old man 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 their heads down and prostrated themselves.

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

29 T hen 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.”

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 N ow his heart yearned for his brother; so Joseph made haste and sought somewhere to weep. And he went into 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 T hen he washed his face and came out; and he restrained himself, and said, “Serve the bread.”

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

32 S o 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.

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 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.

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 hen 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.

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.