| Holman Christian Standard Bible | NET Bible |
| 1Now the famine in the land was severe. | 1Now the famine was severe in the land. |
| 2When they had used up the grain they had brought back from Egypt, their father said to them, "Go back and buy us some food." | 2When they finished eating the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, "Return, buy us a little more food." |
| 3But Judah said to him, "The man specifically warned us: 'You will not see me again unless your brother is with you.' | 3But Judah said to him, "The man solemnly warned us, 'You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.' |
| 4If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you. | 4If you send our brother with us, we'll go down and buy food for you. |
| 5But if you will not send him, we will not go, for the man said to us, 'You will not see me again unless your brother is with you.'"" | 5But if you will not send him, we won't go down there because the man said to us, 'You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.'" |
| 6Why did you cause me so much trouble?" Israel asked. "Why did you tell the man that you had another brother?" | 6Israel said, "Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man you had one more brother?" |
| 7They answered, "The man kept asking about us and our family: 'Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother? And we answered him accordingly. How could we know that he would say, 'Bring your brother here'?" | 7They replied, "The man questioned us thoroughly about ourselves and our family, saying, 'Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?' So we answered him in this way. How could we possibly know that he would say, 'Bring your brother down'?" |
| 8Then Judah said to his father Israel, "Send the boy with me. We will be on our way so that we may live and not die--neither we, nor you, nor our children. | 8Then Judah said to his father Israel, "Send the boy with me and we will go immediately. Then we will live and not die--we and you and our little ones. |
| 9I will be responsible for him. You can hold me personally accountable! If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, I will be guilty before you forever. | 9I myself pledge security for him; you may hold me liable. If I do not bring him back to you and place him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life. |
| 10If we had not wasted time, we could have come back twice by now." | 10But if we had not delayed, we could have traveled there and back twice by now!" |
| 11Then their father Israel said to them, "If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and take them down to the man as a gift--some balsam and some honey, aromatic gum and resin, pistachios and almonds. | 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 take a gift down to the man--a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds. |
| 12Take twice as much money with you. Return the money that was returned to you in the top of your bags. Perhaps it was a mistake. | 12Take double the money with you; you must take back the money that was returned in the mouths of your sacks--perhaps it was an oversight. |
| 13Take your brother also, and go back at once to the man. | 13Take your brother too, and go right away to the man. |
| 14May God Almighty cause the man to be merciful to you so that he will release your other brother and Benjamin to you. As for me, if I am deprived of my sons, then I am deprived." | 14May the sovereign God grant you mercy before the man so that he may release your other brother and Benjamin! As for me, if I lose my children I lose them." |
| 15The men took this gift, double the amount of money, and Benjamin. They made their way down to Egypt and stood before Joseph. | 15So the men took these gifts, and they took double the money with them, along with Benjamin. Then they hurried down to Egypt and stood before Joseph. |
| 16When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to his steward, "Take the men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for they will eat with me at noon." | 16When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the servant who was over his household, "Bring the men to the house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for the men will eat with me at noon." |
| 17The man did as Joseph had said and brought them to Joseph's house. | 17The man did just as Joseph said; he brought the men into Joseph's house. |
| 18But the men were afraid because they were taken to Joseph's house. They said, "We have been brought here because of the money that was returned in our bags the first time. They intend to overpower us, seize us, make us slaves, and take our donkeys." | 18But the men were afraid when they were brought to Joseph's house. They said, "We are being brought in because of the money that was returned in our sacks last time. He wants to capture us, make us slaves, and take our donkeys!" |
| 19So they approached Joseph's steward and spoke to him at the doorway of the house. | 19So they approached the man who was in charge of Joseph's household and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. |
| 20They said, "Sir, we really did come down here the first time only to buy food. | 20They said, "My lord, we did indeed come down the first time to buy food. |
| 21When we came to the place where we lodged for the night and opened our bags of grain, each one's money was at the top of his bag! It was the full amount of our money, and we have brought it back with us. | 21But when we came to the place where we spent the night, we opened our sacks and each of us found his money--the full amount--in the mouth of his sack. So we have returned it. |
| 22We have brought additional money with us to buy food. We don't know who put our money in the bags." | 22We have brought additional money with us to buy food. We do not know who put the money in our sacks!" |
| 23Then the steward said, "May you be well. Don't be afraid. Your God and the God of your father must have put treasure in your bags. I received your money." Then he brought Simeon out to them. | 23"Everything is fine," the man in charge of Joseph's household told them. "Don't be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks. I had your money." Then he brought Simeon out to them. |
| 24The steward brought the men into Joseph's house, gave them water to wash their feet, and got feed for their donkeys. | 24The servant in charge brought the men into Joseph's house. He gave them water, and they washed their feet. Then he gave food to their donkeys. |
| 25Since the men had heard that they were going to eat a meal there, they prepared their gift for Joseph's arrival at noon. | 25They got their gifts ready for Joseph's arrival at noon, for they had heard that they were to have a meal there. |
| 26When Joseph came home, they brought him the gift they had carried into the house, and they bowed to the ground before him. | 26When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought inside, and they bowed down to the ground before him. |
| 27He asked if they were well, and he said, "How is your elderly father that you told me about? Is he still alive?" | 27He asked them how they were doing. Then he said, "Is your aging father well, the one you spoke about? Is he still alive?" |
| 28They answered, "Your servant our father is well. He is still alive." And they bowed down to honor him. | 28"Your servant our father is well," they replied. "He is still alive." They bowed down in humility. |
| 29When he looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, he asked, "Is this your youngest brother that you told me about?" Then he said, "May God be gracious to you, my son." | 29When Joseph looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, he said, "Is this your youngest brother, whom you told me about?" Then he said, "May God be gracious to you, my son." |
| 30Joseph hurried out because he was overcome with emotion for his brother, and he was about to weep. He went into an inner room to weep. | 30Joseph hurried out, for he was overcome by affection for his brother and was at the point of tears. So he went to his room and wept there. |
| 31Then he washed his face and came out. Regaining his composure, he said, "Serve the meal." | 31Then he washed his face and came out. With composure he said, "Set out the food." |
| 32They served him by himself, his brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who were eating with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, since that is abhorrent to them. | 32They set a place for him, a separate place for his brothers, and another for the Egyptians who were eating with him. (The Egyptians are not able to eat with Hebrews, for the Egyptians think it is disgusting to do so.) |
| 33They were seated before him in order by age, from the firstborn to the youngest. The men looked at each other in astonishment. | 33They sat before him, arranged by order of birth, beginning with the firstborn and ending with the youngest. The men looked at each other in astonishment. |
| 34Portions were served to them from Joseph's table, and Benjamin's portion was five times larger than any of theirs. They drank, and they got intoxicated with Joseph. | 34He gave them portions of the food set before him, but the portion for Benjamin was five times greater than the portions for any of the others. They drank with Joseph until they all became drunk. |
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