Genesis 43
43
Joseph's Brothers Return to Egypt with Benjamin
1The famine in Canaan got worse, 2until finally, Jacob's family had eaten all the grain they had bought in Egypt. So Jacob said to his sons, “Go back and buy some more grain.”
3-5Judah replied, “The governor strictly warned us that we would not be allowed to see him unless we brought our youngest brother with us. If you let us take Benjamin along, we will go and buy grain. But we won't go without him!”
6Jacob asked, “Why did you cause me so much trouble by telling the governor you had another brother?”
7They answered, “He asked a lot of questions about us and our family. He wanted to know if you were still alive and if we had any more brothers. All we could do was answer his questions. How could we know he would tell us to bring along our brother?”
8Then Judah said to his father, “Let Benjamin go with me, and we will leave at once, so that none of us will starve to death. 9I promise to bring him back safely, and if I don't, you can blame me as long as I live. 10If we had not wasted all this time, we could already have been there and back twice.”
11Their father said:
If Benjamin must go with you, take the governor a gift of some of the best things from our own country, such as perfume, honey, spices, pistachio nuts, and almonds.#43.11 honey, spices, pistachio nuts, and almonds: Some of these foods were still available in Canaan, but the main food was bread, and there was no grain to make bread. 12Also take along twice the amount of money for the grain, because there must have been some mistake when the money was put back in your sacks. 13Take Benjamin with you and leave at once.
14When you go in to see the governor, I pray that God All-Powerful will be good to you and that the governor will let your other brother and Benjamin come back home with you. But if I must lose my children, I suppose I must.
15The brothers took the gifts, twice the amount of money, and Benjamin. Then they hurried off to Egypt. When they stood in front of Joseph, 16he saw Benjamin and told the servant in charge of his house, “Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and cook it, so they can eat with me at noon.”
17The servant did as he was told and took the brothers to Joseph's house. 18But on the way they got worried and started thinking, “We are being taken there because of the money that was put back in our sacks last time. He will arrest us, make us his slaves, and take our donkeys.”
19So when they arrived at Joseph's house, they said to the servant in charge, 20“Sir, we came to Egypt once before to buy grain. 21But when we stopped for the night, we each found in our grain sacks the exact amount we had paid. We have brought that money back, 22together with enough money to buy more grain. We don't know who put the money in our sacks.”
23“It's all right,” the servant replied. “Don't worry. The God you and your father worship must have put the money there, because I received your payment in full.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.
24The servant took them into Joseph's house and gave them water to wash their feet. He also tended their donkeys. 25The brothers got their gifts ready to give to Joseph at noon, since they had heard they were going to eat there.
26When Joseph came home, they gave him the gifts they had brought, and they bowed down to him. 27After Joseph had asked how they were, he said, “What about your elderly father? Is he still alive?”
28They answered, “Your servant our father is still alive and well.” And again they bowed down to Joseph.
29When Joseph looked around and saw his brother Benjamin, he said, “This must be your youngest brother, the one you told me about. God bless you, my son.”
30Then, because of his love for Benjamin, he rushed off to his room and cried. 31After washing his face and returning, he was able to control himself and said, “Serve the meal!”
32Joseph was served at a table by himself, and his brothers were served at another. The Egyptians sat at yet another table, because Egyptians felt it was disgusting to eat with Hebrews. 33To the surprise of Joseph's brothers, they were seated in front of him according to their ages, from the oldest to the youngest. 34They were served food from Joseph's table, and Benjamin was given five times as much as each of the others. So Joseph's brothers ate and drank with him and had a good time.
Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Genesis 43
43
1And the famine [was] sore in the land.
2And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Mitzrayim [Egypt] (Double Distress or Double Stronghold, Black Land), their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food.
3And Y’hudah (Let the Powerful One be Praised [Yah]) spoke unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, You1sf shall not see my face, except your brother [be] with you.
4If youi will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy youi food:
5But if youi will not send [him], we will not go down: for the man said unto us, You1sf shall not see my face, except your brother [be] with you.
6And Isra’el (he who holds onto God-The Creator) said, For what reason have you1sf dealt [so] ill with me, [as] to tell the man whether you1sf had yet a brother?
7And they said, The man asked us rigorously of our state, and of our family, saying, [Is] yourf father yet alive? have youf [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?
8And Y’hudah (Let the Powerful One be Praised [Yah]) said unto Isra’el (he who holds onto God-The Creator) his father, Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and youi, [and] also our little ones.
9I will be surety for him; of my hand shall youi require him: if I bring him not unto youi, and set him before youi, then let me bear the blame for ever:
10For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time.
11And their father Isra’el (he who holds onto God-The Creator) said unto them, If [it must be] so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in yourf vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm (a medicine; rosin from a bush), and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:
12And take double money in yourf hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of yourf sacks, carry [it] again in yourf hand; perhaps it [was] an oversight:
13Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man:
14And EL Shaddai [God Almighty] (The Powerful Creator) give youf mercy before the man, that he may send away yourf other brother, and Binyamin. If I be bereaved [of my children], I am bereaved.
15And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Binyamin; and rose up, and went down to Mitzrayim [Egypt], and stood before Yosef.
16And when Yosef (Increaser; May God the Powerful One add [Yah]) saw Binyamin (This Son Is Strength) 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.
17And the man did as Yosef bade; and the man brought the men into Yosef’s house.
18And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Yosef’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 donkeys.
19And they came near to the steward of Yosef’s house, and they communed with him at the door of the house,
20And said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food:
21And 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.
22And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks.
23And he said, Peace [be] to you, fear not: yourf God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered], and the God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] of yourf father, has given youf treasure in yourf sacks: I had yourf money. And he brought Shim’on (heard; he who hears; man of hearing) out unto them.
24And the man brought the men into Yosef’s house, and gave [them] water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys provender (food for livestock or cattle).
25And they made ready the present against Yosef came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.
26And when Yosef (Increaser; May God the Powerful One add [Yah]) came home, they brought him the present which [was] in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth.
27And he asked them of [their] welfare, and said, [Is] yourf father well, the old man of whom youf spoke? [Is] he yet alive?
28And they answered, youri servant our father [is] in good health, he [is] yet alive. And they bowed down their heads, and made obesiance (bowing or kneeling in respect).
29And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Binyamin (This Son Is Strength), his mother’s son, and said, [Is] this yourf younger brother, of whom youf spoke unto me? And he said, God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] be gracious unto youi, my son.
30And Yosef made haste; for his bowels (inward parts; affections) did yearn upon his brother: and he sought [where] to weep; and he entered into [his] chamber, and wept there.
31And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.
32And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Mitzrayimot [Egyptians], which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Mitzrayimot [Egyptians] (People of the Black Land) might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that [is] an abomination unto the Mitzrayimot [Egyptians]
33And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marveled one at another.
34And he took [and sent] messes unto them from before him: but Binyamin’s mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.
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