The Return to Egypt with Benjamin

1And the famine was severe in the land. 2And it came to pass when they had finished eating the grain that they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, “Return, buy for us a little food.”

3And Judah said to him, saying, “The man surely warned us, saying, ‘You⁺ shall not see my face unless your⁺ brother is with you⁺.’ 4If you send our brother with us, we will go down and we will buy for you food. 5But if you are not sending him, we will not go down, for the man said to us, ‘You⁺ shall not see my face unless your⁺ brother is with you⁺.’”

6And Israel said, “Why have you⁺ done evil to me, to tell the man you had yet to you⁺ a brother?”

7And they said, “The man surely asked about us and about our family, saying, ‘Is your⁺ father still alive? Is there unto you⁺ a brother?’ And we told him, according to the mouth, these words. How could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring down your⁺ brother’?”

8And Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the boy with me, and let us arise and let us go and we will live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. 9I myself will guarantee him; from my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then I shall bear the blame to you all the days. 10For if we had not lingered, surely now we would have returned these two times.”

11And Israel their father said to them, “If so, then do this: Take from the best products of the land in your⁺ vessels, and carry down to the man as a gift—a little balm, and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds. 12And double the silver take in your⁺ hand, and the silver that was returned in the mouth of your⁺ bags you⁺ shall return in your⁺ hand. Perhaps it was a mistake. 13And take your⁺ brother and arise; return to the man. 14And may El-Shaddai† give to you⁺ mercy before the man, and may he release to you⁺ your⁺ other brother and Benjamin! And I—if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”

15And the men took this gift, and double the silver they took in their hand, and Benjamin. And they arose and went down to Egypt, and they stood before Joseph.

Joseph’s Hospitality to His Brothers

16And Joseph saw Benjamin with them, and he said to the one over his house, “Bring the men to the house, and slaughter an animal and prepare it, for the men will eat with me at noon.” 17And the man did as Joseph had said, and the man brought the men into the house of Joseph.

18And the men were afraid because they were brought into the house of Joseph. And they said, “It is because of the silver that was returned in our bags the first time that we are being brought in, to roll himself upon us, and to fall upon us, and to take us for servants, and our donkeys.”

19And they drew near to the man who was over the house of Joseph, and they spoke to him at the door of the house 20and they said, “Please, my lord, we surely came down the first time to buy food. 21And it came to pass when we came to the lodging place and we opened our bags, and behold, the silver of each man was in the mouth of his bag—our silver in its weight—and we have brought it back in our hands. 22And other silver we have brought down in our hand to buy food; we do not know who put our silver in our bags.”

23And he said, “Peace to you⁺. Do not fear; your⁺ God and the God of your⁺ father has given to you⁺ hidden treasure in your⁺ bags; your⁺ silver came to me.” And he brought out to them. Simeon 24and the man brought the men into the house of Joseph, and he gave water, and they washed their feet. And he gave feed to their donkeys.

25And they prepared the gift for the coming of Joseph at noon, for they heard that they would eat bread there. 26And Joseph came into the house, and they brought to him the gift that was in their hand into the house, and they bowed themselves before him to the earth.

27And he asked them about their wellbeing, and he said, “Is your⁺ father well, the old man of whom you⁺ spoke? Is he still alive?”

28And they said, “It is well for your servant; for our father, he is still alive.” And they bowed down and worshiped.

29And he lifted up his eyes and saw Benjamin his brother, son of his mother, and he said, “Is this your⁺ youngest brother, of whom you⁺ spoke to me?” And he said, “God be gracious to you, my son!”

30And Joseph hurried, for his compassions yearned for his brother, and he sought to weep, and he went into the chamber and wept there. 31And he washed his face and went out, and he restrained himself and said, “Set the bread.”

32And they set for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians who were eating with him by themselves, because the Egyptians are not able to eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to Egypt. 33And they sat before him the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth, and the men were astonished, each man to his neighbor. 34And he lifted up portions from before him to them, and the portion of Benjamin was greater than the portions of all of them—five hands. And they drank and became drunk with him.