The Brothers Return to Egypt

1Now the famine was heavy in the land. 2And it happened when they had finished eating the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, “Go back, buy us a little food.” 3Judah spoke to him, however, saying, “The man solemnly 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 buy you food. 5But if you do not send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, ‘You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.’” 6Then Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly [†]by telling the man whether you still had another brother?” 7But they said, “The man questioned particularly about us and our kin, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ So we told him concerning these things. Could we possibly have known that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?” 8Then Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, we as well as you and our little ones. 9I myself will be the guarantee for him; from my hand you may require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then [†]I shall bear the sin before you all my days. 10For if we had not delayed, surely by now we could have returned twice.”

11Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the best products of the land in your [†]bags, and bring them down to the man as a present, a little [†]balm and a little honey, [†]aromatic gum and [†]myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. 12Now take double the money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money that was put back in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was a mistake. 13And take your brother also, and arise, return to the man; 14and may [†]God Almighty grant you compassion before the man, so that he will release to you your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.” 15So the men took this present, and they took double the money in their hand, and Benjamin; and they arose and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

Joseph Sees Benjamin

16Then Joseph saw Benjamin with them and said to his house steward, “Bring the men into the house, and slay an animal and prepare it; for the men are to eat with me at noon.” 17So the man did as Joseph said 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 that was returned in our sacks the first time that we are being brought in, that he may [†]seek occasion against us and fall upon us and take us for slaves with our donkeys.” 19So they came near to Joseph’s house steward and spoke to him at the entrance of the house, 20and they said, “Oh, my lord, we indeed came down the first time to buy food, 21and it happened when we came to the lodging place, that we opened our sacks, and behold, each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in [†]full. So we have brought it back in our hand. 22We have also brought down other money in our hand to buy food; we do not know who put our money in our sacks.” 23And he said, “[†]Be well, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; your money has come to me.” Then he brought Simeon out to them. 24Then the man brought the men into Joseph’s house and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys fodder. 25So they prepared the present [†]for Joseph’s coming at noon; for they had heard that they were to eat [†]a meal there.

26Then Joseph came home, and they brought into the house to him the present which was in their hand and bowed to the ground before him. 27And he asked them about their [†]well-being and said, “Is your old father [†]well, of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?” 28And they said, “Your servant our father is well; he is still alive.” They bowed down and prostrated themselves. 29Then he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son. And he said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?” And he said, “May God be gracious to you, my son.” 30And Joseph hurried out for [†]he was deeply stirred with compassion over his brother, and he sought a place to weep; and he entered his chamber and wept there. 31Then he washed his face and came out; and he restrained himself and said, “Set the [†]meal.” 32So they set the meal for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. 33And they [†]were seated before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth, and the men looked at one another in astonishment. 34And he took portions to them from [†]his own table, but Benjamin’s portion was five times greater than any of theirs. So they feasted and drank freely with him.