The Genesis
Chapter
43
1 However, the famine continued in the land. 2 And so, after they had finished eating the grain that they'd brought from Egypt, their father told them: 'Go there to buy us a little food again.'
3 But Judah said to him: 'That man who's the lord of the country absolutely warned us, You won't see my face again unless you have your younger brother with you. 4 So if you'll send our brother with us, we'll go and buy you food. 5 But if you won't send our brother with us, we won't go.'
6 Then IsraEl asked: 'Why did you do so much harm to me by telling the man that you had a brother?'
7 And they replied: 'The man asked a lot of questions about our family. He asked, Is your father still alive? and, Do you have you a brother? All we did was answer his questions! How could we know that he would tell us to bring our brother?'
8 Then Judah said to his father, IsraEl: 'Send the boy with me and we'll go, so we don't all [starve] to death! 9 I'll be responsible for him, and you can hold me to blame if anything happens to him. If I don't return him and stand him before you, I will be guilty before you through the age. 10 Why, if we hadn't waited, we would already have gone there a second time!'
11 And their father IsraEl said to them, 'If that's the case, then do this: Take along the fruit of the land in your sacks. Carry gifts of gum, honey, frankincense, oil of myrrh, turpentine, and walnuts to the man. 12 Also, carry twice as much money – in addition to the money that was put back in your sacks – just in case that was a mistake. 13 Then take your brother along and go down to the man. 14 May my God allow you to find favor in the eyes of that man, so he sends you home with your other brother and BenJamin. For I've been saddened, and I'm very sad now.'
15 So the men loaded up their gifts and took twice as much money, as well as BenJamin, and headed down to Egypt, where they stood before JoSeph.
16 Well, when JoSeph saw them and his brother BenJamin (who was born to the same mother), he told his house manager: 'Bring the men into [my] house, then butcher some animals and prepare them, because these men are to eat bread with me at noon.'
17 So the man did just as JoSeph said, and he brought them into JoSeph's house.
18 Well, when they realized that they had been taken to the house of JoSeph, they said: 'We've been brought here because of the money that was returned to our sacks the first time. [This is being done] so witnesses can be called and we can be charged [with a crime]… then they will confiscate our burros and take us as slaves!'
19 So they went up to the man who was in charge of JoSeph's house and spoke to him out on the porch. 20 They said, 'We are begging you, sir… we just came the first time to buy food. 21 But as we were unloading and opening our sacks, [we found] this money in each sack. We have the full amount of money in our hands [and we wish] to return it. 22 And we've brought more money along to buy food with… we don't know who put the money in our sacks!'
23 And [the man] replied: 'May God be merciful with you. Don't be afraid, for it was your God and the God of your ancestors who put the treasures in your sacks. Why, I have enough of your good money!' Then he brought SimeOn out to them… 24 as well as water to wash their feet and fodder for their burros.
25 And after that, they started preparing their gifts for JoSeph's arrival at noon, because they heard that he was going to dine there. 26 So when JoSeph came home, they brought him the gifts that they had carried into the house… and then they bowed with their faces to the ground. 27 And he asked them: 'How are you? Is your father, the old man that you spoke of, well? Is he still living?'
28 And they replied: 'Our father, your servant, is well. And yes, he's still alive.' And he said: 'May that man of God be blest!' Then they bowed low to show him respect.
29 It was then that JoSeph looked up and saw his brother BenJamin (who was born to the same mother). And he asked, 'Is this the younger brother that you said you would bring to me?' Then he said, 'May God have mercy on you, my son.'
30 Well, JoSeph's emotions overcame him, because he missed his brother so much, and he wanted to cry. So he went to his inner room and cried there. 31 Then he washed his face and regained his composure, and came out and said: 'Bring on the bread!'
32 So they set out bread for JoSeph, for his servants, and for the Egyptians who were eating with him, but not for [his brothers], because the Egyptians considered it dishonorable to eat bread with Hebrews. 33 So they just sat there in front of him (in the order of their ages, from the firstborn to the youngest), as the brothers looked at each other in astonishment.
34 Then JoSeph gave them their portions to eat by themselves. However, BenJamin received five times as much as did the rest. They also drank with him until each one was full.
3 But Judah said to him: 'That man who's the lord of the country absolutely warned us, You won't see my face again unless you have your younger brother with you. 4 So if you'll send our brother with us, we'll go and buy you food. 5 But if you won't send our brother with us, we won't go.'
6 Then IsraEl asked: 'Why did you do so much harm to me by telling the man that you had a brother?'
7 And they replied: 'The man asked a lot of questions about our family. He asked, Is your father still alive? and, Do you have you a brother? All we did was answer his questions! How could we know that he would tell us to bring our brother?'
8 Then Judah said to his father, IsraEl: 'Send the boy with me and we'll go, so we don't all [starve] to death! 9 I'll be responsible for him, and you can hold me to blame if anything happens to him. If I don't return him and stand him before you, I will be guilty before you through the age. 10 Why, if we hadn't waited, we would already have gone there a second time!'
11 And their father IsraEl said to them, 'If that's the case, then do this: Take along the fruit of the land in your sacks. Carry gifts of gum, honey, frankincense, oil of myrrh, turpentine, and walnuts to the man. 12 Also, carry twice as much money – in addition to the money that was put back in your sacks – just in case that was a mistake. 13 Then take your brother along and go down to the man. 14 May my God allow you to find favor in the eyes of that man, so he sends you home with your other brother and BenJamin. For I've been saddened, and I'm very sad now.'
15 So the men loaded up their gifts and took twice as much money, as well as BenJamin, and headed down to Egypt, where they stood before JoSeph.
16 Well, when JoSeph saw them and his brother BenJamin (who was born to the same mother), he told his house manager: 'Bring the men into [my] house, then butcher some animals and prepare them, because these men are to eat bread with me at noon.'
17 So the man did just as JoSeph said, and he brought them into JoSeph's house.
18 Well, when they realized that they had been taken to the house of JoSeph, they said: 'We've been brought here because of the money that was returned to our sacks the first time. [This is being done] so witnesses can be called and we can be charged [with a crime]… then they will confiscate our burros and take us as slaves!'
19 So they went up to the man who was in charge of JoSeph's house and spoke to him out on the porch. 20 They said, 'We are begging you, sir… we just came the first time to buy food. 21 But as we were unloading and opening our sacks, [we found] this money in each sack. We have the full amount of money in our hands [and we wish] to return it. 22 And we've brought more money along to buy food with… we don't know who put the money in our sacks!'
23 And [the man] replied: 'May God be merciful with you. Don't be afraid, for it was your God and the God of your ancestors who put the treasures in your sacks. Why, I have enough of your good money!' Then he brought SimeOn out to them… 24 as well as water to wash their feet and fodder for their burros.
25 And after that, they started preparing their gifts for JoSeph's arrival at noon, because they heard that he was going to dine there. 26 So when JoSeph came home, they brought him the gifts that they had carried into the house… and then they bowed with their faces to the ground. 27 And he asked them: 'How are you? Is your father, the old man that you spoke of, well? Is he still living?'
28 And they replied: 'Our father, your servant, is well. And yes, he's still alive.' And he said: 'May that man of God be blest!' Then they bowed low to show him respect.
29 It was then that JoSeph looked up and saw his brother BenJamin (who was born to the same mother). And he asked, 'Is this the younger brother that you said you would bring to me?' Then he said, 'May God have mercy on you, my son.'
30 Well, JoSeph's emotions overcame him, because he missed his brother so much, and he wanted to cry. So he went to his inner room and cried there. 31 Then he washed his face and regained his composure, and came out and said: 'Bring on the bread!'
32 So they set out bread for JoSeph, for his servants, and for the Egyptians who were eating with him, but not for [his brothers], because the Egyptians considered it dishonorable to eat bread with Hebrews. 33 So they just sat there in front of him (in the order of their ages, from the firstborn to the youngest), as the brothers looked at each other in astonishment.
34 Then JoSeph gave them their portions to eat by themselves. However, BenJamin received five times as much as did the rest. They also drank with him until each one was full.
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