Genesis 43
43
Joseph’s Brothers Return to Egypt
1Now the famine was #ch. 41:54, 57severe in the land. 2And when they had eaten the grain that they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go again, buy us a little food.” 3But Judah said to him, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your #ch. 42:20; 44:23brother is with you.’ 4If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. 5But 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.’” 6Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly as to tell the man that you had another brother?” 7They replied, “The man questioned us carefully about ourselves and our kindred, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ What we told him was in answer to these questions. Could we in any way know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?” 8And Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go, that we may #ch. 42:2live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. 9I will be a pledge of his safety. From my hand you shall require him. #ch. 42:37; 44:32If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever. 10If we had not delayed, we would now have returned twice.”
11Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry a present down to the man, a little #See ch. 37:25balm and a little honey, gum, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds. 12Take double the money with you. Carry back with you the money #ch. 42:25, 27, 35that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. Perhaps it was an oversight. 13Take also your brother, and arise, go again to the man. 14May #See ch. 17:1 God Almighty#43:14 Hebrew El Shaddai #[Neh. 1:11] grant you mercy before the man, and may he send back your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, #ch. 42:36if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”
15So the men took this present, and they took double the money with them, and Benjamin. They arose and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.
16When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the #ver. 19; ch. 44:1, 4; [ch. 24:2; 39:4]steward of his house, “Bring the men into the house, and slaughter an animal and make ready, for the men are to dine with me at noon.” 17The man did as Joseph told him and brought the men to Joseph’s house. 18And the men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph’s house, and they said, “It is because of the money, which was replaced in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may assault us and fall upon us to make us servants and seize our donkeys.” 19So they went up to the steward of Joseph’s house and spoke with him at the door of the house, 20and said, #ch. 44:18 “Oh, my lord, #ch. 42:3, 10we came down the first time to buy food. 21And #ch. 42:27when we came to the lodging place we opened our sacks, and there was each man’s money in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight. So we have brought it again with us, 22and we have brought other money down with us to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.” 23He replied, “Peace to you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has put treasure in your sacks for you. I received your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to them. 24And when the man had brought the men into Joseph’s house and #See ch. 18:4given them water, and they had washed their feet, and when he had given their donkeys fodder, 25they prepared #ver. 11the present for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread there.
26When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present that they had with them and #ch. 42:6; See ch. 37:5-11bowed down to him to the ground. 27And he inquired about their welfare and said, “Is your father well, the old man #ch. 42:11, 13of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?” 28They said, “Your servant our father is well; he is still alive.” And they #ver. 26bowed their heads and prostrated themselves. 29And he lifted up his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, #ch. 35:18 his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, #[See ver. 27 above]of whom you spoke to me? God be gracious to you, my son!” 30Then Joseph hurried out, for #1 Kgs. 3:26; [Jer. 31:20] his compassion grew warm for his brother, and he sought a place to weep. And he entered his chamber and #ch. 42:24wept there. 31Then he washed his face and came out. And #ch. 45:1controlling himself he said, “Serve the food.” 32They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat with the Hebrews, for that is #ch. 46:34; Ex. 8:26an abomination to the Egyptians. 33And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth. And the men looked at one another in amazement. 34#[2 Sam. 11:8] Portions were taken to them from Joseph’s table, but Benjamin’s portion was #[ch. 45:22]five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank and were merry#43:34 Hebrew and became intoxicated with him.
Currently Selected:
Genesis 43: ESV
Highlight
Share
Copy
![None](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimageproxy.youversionapi.com%2F58%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fweb-assets.youversion.com%2Fapp-icons%2Fen.png&w=128&q=75)
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Sign up to receive news and updates about the ESV:
Genesis 43
43
1And the famine [is] severe in the land;
2and it cometh to pass, when they have finished eating the corn which they brought from Egypt, that their father saith unto them, ‘Turn back, buy for us a little food.’
3And Judah speaketh unto him, saying, ‘The man protesting protested to us, saying, Ye do not see my face without your brother [being] with you;
4if thou art sending our brother with us, we go down, and buy for thee food,
5and if thou art not sending — we do not go down, for the man said unto us, Ye do not see my face without your brother [being] with you.’
6And Israel saith, ‘Why did ye evil to me, by declaring to the man that ye had yet a brother?’
7and they say, ‘The man asked diligently concerning us, and concerning our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye a brother? and we declare to him according to the tenor of these things; do we certainly know that he will say, Bring down your brother?’
8And Judah saith unto Israel his father, ‘Send the youth with me, and we arise, and go, and live, and do not die, both we, and thou, and our infants.
9I — I am surety [for] him, from my hand thou dost require him; if I have not brought him in unto thee, and set him before thee — then I have sinned against thee all the days;
10for if we had not lingered, surely now we had returned these two times.’
11And Israel their father saith unto them, ‘If so, now, this do: take of the praised thing of the land in your vessels, and take down to the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices and myrrh, nuts and almonds;
12and double money take in your hand, even the money which is brought back in the mouth of your bags, ye take back in your hand, it may be it [is] an oversight.
13‘And take your brother, and rise, turn back unto the man;
14and God Almighty give to you mercies before the man, so that he hath sent to you your other brother and Benjamin; and I, when I am bereaved — I am bereaved.’
15And the men take this present, double money also they have taken in their hand, and Benjamin; and they rise, and go down to Egypt, and stand before Joseph;
16and Joseph seeth Benjamin with them, and saith to him who [is] over his house, ‘Bring the men into the house, and slaughter an animal, and make ready, for with me do the men eat at noon.’
17And the man doth as Joseph hath said, and the man bringeth in the men into the house of Joseph,
18and the men are afraid because they have been brought into the house of Joseph, and they say, ‘For the matter of the money which was put back in our bags at the commencement are we brought in — to roll himself upon us, and to throw himself on us, and to take us for servants — our asses also.’
19And they come nigh unto the man who [is] over the house of Joseph, and speak unto him at the opening of the house,
20and say, ‘O, my lord, we really come down at the commencement to buy food;
21and it cometh to pass, when we have come in unto the lodging-place, and open our bags, that lo, each one's money [is] in the mouth of his bag, our money in its weight, and we bring it back in our hand;
22and other money have we brought down in our hand to buy food; we have not known who put our money in our bags.’
23And he saith, ‘Peace to you, fear not: your God and the God of your father hath given to you hidden treasure in your bags, your money came unto me;’ and he bringeth out Simeon unto them.
24And the man bringeth in the men into Joseph's house, and giveth water, and they wash their feet; and he giveth provender for their asses,
25and they prepare the present until the coming of Joseph at noon, for they have heard that there they do eat bread.
26And Joseph cometh into the house, and they bring to him the present which [is] in their hand, into the house, and bow themselves to him, to the earth;
27and he asketh of them of peace, and saith, ‘Is your father well? the aged man of whom ye have spoken, is he yet alive?’
28and they say, ‘Thy servant our father [is] well, he is yet alive;’ and they bow, and do obeisance.
29And he lifteth up his eyes, and seeth Benjamin his brother, his mother's son, and saith, ‘Is this your young brother, of whom ye have spoken unto me?’ and he saith, ‘God favour thee, my son.’
30And Joseph hasteth, for his bowels have been moved for his brother, and he seeketh to weep, and entereth the inner chamber, and weepeth there;
31and he washeth his face, and goeth out, and refraineth himself, and saith, ‘Place bread.’
32And they place for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians who are eating with him by themselves: for the Egyptians are unable to eat bread with the Hebrews, for it [is] an abomination to the Egyptians.
33And they sit before him, the first-born according to his birthright, and the young one according to his youth, and the men wonder one at another;
34and he lifteth up gifts from before him unto them, and the gift of Benjamin is five hands more than the gifts of all of them; and they drink, yea, they drink abundantly with him.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
![None](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimageproxy.youversionapi.com%2F58%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fweb-assets.youversion.com%2Fapp-icons%2Fen.png&w=128&q=75)
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society