1 T he time of no food was hard in the land.

But the hunger and destitution and starvation were very severe and extremely distressing in the land.

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

And 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.

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

But 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.

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

If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food;

5 B ut 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.’”

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

And 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?

7 A nd 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’?”

And 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?

8 J udah 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.

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 you and also our little ones.

9 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.

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.

10 F or if we had not waited, we would have returned twice by now.”

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

11 T hen 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.

And 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.

12 T ake 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.

And 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.

13 T ake your brother also. Get up, and return to the man.

Take your brother and arise and return to the man;

14 M ay 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.”

May 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.

15 S o 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.

Then 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.

16 W hen 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.”

And 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.

17 S o the man did what Joseph said, and brought the men to Joseph’s house.

And the man did as Joseph ordered and brought the men to Joseph’s house.

18 T he 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.”

The 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.

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

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

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

And said, O sir, we came down truly the first time to buy food;

21 W hen 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.

And 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.

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

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

23 B ut 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.

But 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.

24 T he man brought the men into Joseph’s house and gave them water to wash their feet. And he fed their donkeys.

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

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

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

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

And 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.

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

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

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

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

29 A s 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.”

And 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!

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

And 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.

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

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

32 S o 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.

And 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.

33 J oseph’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.

And 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.

34 J oseph 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.

took 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.