Genesis 43

Revised Geneva Translation

43 Now, great famine was in the land.

² And when they had eaten up the food which they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little food.”

³ And Judah answered him, saying, “The man charged us by an oath, saying, ‘Never see my face unless your brother is with you.’

⁴ “If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food.

⁵ “But if you will not send him, we will not go down. For the man said to us, ‘Do not look me in the face unless your brother is with you.’”

⁶ And Israel said, “Why have you dealt so wrongfully with me as to tell the man whether you still had a brother or not?”

⁷ And they answered, “The man directly asked about us and about our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have any other brothers?’ And we told him as we have said. Could we have known for certain that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”

⁸ Then Judah said to Israel, his father, “Send the boy with me, so that we may rise and go and so that we may live and not die, both we and you and our children.

⁹ “I will be surety for him. From my hand shall you require him. If I do not bring him to you, and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.

¹⁰ “For if we had not lingered here, doubtless by now we would have returned a second time.”

¹¹ Then their father, Israel, said to them, “If it must be so now, do this: take from the best fruits of the land in your vessels; and bring the man a present (a little rosin and a little honey, spices and myrrh, nuts and almonds).

¹² “And take double money in your hand. And carry back in your hand the money that was brought back in your sacks’ mouths. Perhaps it was some oversight.

¹³ “Also, take your brother and arise. Go back to the man.

¹⁴ “And God Almighty give you mercy in the sight of the man, so that he may release your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”

¹⁵ Thus, the men took this present and took twice as much money in their hand, with Benjamin, and rose up and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

¹⁶ And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to his steward, “Bring these men home and kill meat, and make ready. For the men shall eat with me at noon.”

¹⁷ And the men did as Joseph instructed and brought the men to Joseph’s house.

¹⁸ Now, when the men were brought into Joseph’s house, they were afraid, and said, “It is because of the money that came in our sack’s mouths the first time that we are brought, so that he may pick a quarrel against us and charge us with something and put us and our donkeys in bondage.”

¹⁹ Therefore, they came to Joseph’s steward and communed with him at the door of his house,

²⁰ and said, “O sir, indeed we came down here to buy food the first time.

²¹ “And as we came to an inn and opened our sacks, behold, every man’s money was in his sack’s mouth, even our money in full weight. But we have brought it in our hands.

²² “Also, we have brought other money in our hands to buy food. But we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks.”

²³ And he said, “Peace to you. Do not fear. Your God, and the God of your father, has given you that treasure in your sacks. I had your money.” And he brought forth Simeon to them.

²⁴ So the man led them into Joseph’s house and gave them water to wash their feet and gave their donkeys feed.

²⁵ And they made their present ready for Joseph’s arrival at noon (for they had heard say that they should eat bread there).

²⁶ When Joseph came home, they brought the present (which was in their hands) into the house to him and bowed down to the ground before him.

²⁷ And he asked them about their well-being, and said, “Is your father, the old man of whom you told me, in good health? Is he still alive?”

²⁸ Who answered, “Your servant, our father, is in good health. He is still alive.” And they bowed down and prostrated themselves.

²⁹ And he, lifting up his eyes, beheld his brother, Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your younger brother of whom you told me?” And he said, “God be merciful to you, my son.”

³⁰ And Joseph hurried and sought where to weep (for his affection was inflamed toward his brother). And he entered into his chamber and wept there.

³¹ Afterward, he washed his face and came out and refrained himself, and said, “Lay out the bread!”

³² And they prepared for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians who ate with him, by themselves (because the Egyptians did not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that was an abomination to the Egyptians).

³³ So they sat before him, the eldest according to his age and the youngest according to his youth. And the men marveled among themselves.

³⁴ And they took portions to them from before him. But Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank and were merry with him.