Genesis 43
ISV Parallel BSB [BSB CSB ESV HCS KJV ISV NAS NET NIV NLT HEB]
International Standard VersionBerean Study Bible
1Meanwhile, the famine remained severe throughout the region. 1Now the famine was still severe in the land.
2As a result, when Jacob's family was beginning to eat the last of the grain that they had brought back from Egypt, their father Jacob told his sons, "Go back to Egypt and buy us some food."2So when Jacob’s sons had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”
3But Judah reminded him, "The man distinctly warned us: 'You'll never see my face unless your brother comes with you.' 3But Judah replied, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’
4So if you send our brother with us, we'll go down and buy some food. 4If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you.
5But if you don't send him, we're not going, because the man told us, 'You'll never see my face unless your brother is with you.'"5But if you will not send him, we will not go; for the man told us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’ ”
6Israel replied, "Why did you make all this trouble by telling the man that you have another brother?"6“Why did you bring this trouble upon me?” Israel asked. “Why did you tell the man you had another brother?”
7"The man specifically asked about us and our relatives," they responded. "He asked us, 'Is your father still alive?' and 'Do you have another brother?' So we answered his questions. How could we have known that he would tell us to bring our brother back with us?"7They replied, “The man questioned us in detail about ourselves and our family: ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ And we answered him accordingly. How could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother here’?”
8"Send the young man with me," Judah told his father Israel, "and we'll get up and go so we can survive and not die—and that includes all of us, you and our families.8And Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me, and we will go at once, so that we may live and not die—neither we, nor you, nor our children.
9I'll even offer myself to guarantee that I'll be responsible for him. If I don't bring him back and present him to you, I'll personally bear the consequences forever. 9I will guarantee his safety. You may hold me personally responsible. If I do not bring him back and set him before you, then may I bear the guilt before you all my life.
10After all, if we hadn't delayed, we could have been there and back twice by now!"10If we had not delayed, we could have come and gone twice by now.”
11"If that's the way it has to be," their father Israel replied, "then do this: take some of the best produce of the land in your containers and take them to the man as a gift—some resin ointment, some honey, fragrant resins, myrrh, pistachios, and almonds. 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 carry them down as a gift for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds.
12Also take twice as much money with you so you can return the money that had been replaced in the mouth of your sacks. Maybe it was an accounting mistake on his part. 12Take double the silver with you so that you may return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake.
13And be sure to take your brother, too. So get up, return to the man, 13Take your brother as well, and return to the man at once.
14and may God Almighty cause the man to show compassion toward you. May he send all of you back, including your other brother and Benjamin. Now as for me, if I lose my children, I lose them."14May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother along with Benjamin. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”
15So the men took their gift and twice as much money, got up, took Benjamin with them, and set out for Egypt. Eventually they appeared before Joseph.15So the men took these gifts, along with double the amount of silver, and Benjamin as well. Then they hurried down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.
16As soon as Joseph noticed that Benjamin had come with them, he ordered his palace manager, "Bring the men into the palace. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, because these men will be dining with me for lunch."16When Joseph saw Benjamin with his brothers, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for they shall dine with me at noon.”
17So the man did what Joseph had ordered, and brought the men to Joseph's palace.17The man did as Joseph had commanded and took the brothers to Joseph’s house.
18The men were terrified as they were being taken to Joseph's palace. "It's because of that money that was returned to our sacks the first time we were brought to him," they reasoned. "He's seeking an excuse to attack us, enslave us, and confiscate our donkeys!"18But the brothers were frightened that they had been taken to Joseph’s house. “We have been brought here because of the silver that was returned in our bags the first time,” they said. “They intend to overpower us and take us as slaves, along with our donkeys.”
19So they approached Joseph's palace manager and talked with him at the palace entrance. 19So they approached Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house.
20"Your Excellency," they said, "The first time we came here to buy food, 20“Please, sir,” they said, “we really did come down here the first time to buy food.
21when we arrived at our overnight lodging place, we opened our sacks and discovered each man's money was still in the mouth of his sack. All of our money was there! We've brought it back with us in full. 21But when we came to the place we lodged for the night, we opened our sacks and, behold, each of us found his silver in the mouth of his sack! It was the full amount of our silver, and we have brought it back with us.
22We've also brought along some more money to buy supplies, but we don't know who put our money back into our sacks."22We have brought additional silver with us to buy food. We do not know who put our silver in our sacks.”
23"Relax," the manager said. "You can stop being afraid, now. Your God, the God of your father, has placed hidden treasure within those sacks for you. I've been paid in full." Then he brought Simeon out to them, 23“It is fine,” said the steward. “Do not be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, gave you the treasure that was in your sacks. I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.
24ushered the men into Joseph's palace, gave them water to wash their feet, and provided fodder for their donkeys. 24And the steward took the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet, and provided food for their donkeys.
25Then off he went to prepare the honorary meal that was to be made ready for Joseph's arrival at noon, since they had been informed that they were going to be eating there.25Since the brothers had been told that they were going to eat a meal there, they prepared their gift for Joseph’s arrival at noon.
26When Joseph arrived at his palace, his brothers brought to him their gifts that they had carried with them and bowed to the ground in front of him.26When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought, and they bowed to the ground before him.
27Joseph asked them how they had been doing. "Is your father well, the older gentleman about whom you spoke?" he inquired. "Is he still alive?"27He asked if they were well, and then he asked, “How is your elderly father you told me about? Is he still alive?”
28"Your servant, our father, is doing well," they replied. "He is still alive." Then they bowed down in humility.28“Your servant our father is well,” they answered. “He is still alive.” And they bowed down to honor him.
29As Joseph looked up and recognized his brother Benjamin, his own mother's son, he asked, "Is this your youngest brother about whom you spoke to me?" And he addressed him directly, "May God be gracious to you, my son." 29When Joseph looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?” Then he declared, “May God be gracious to you, my son.”
30At this, Joseph hurried out, deeply moved because of his brother, and looked for a place to weep by himself. He entered his personal quarters, wept there awhile,30Joseph hurried out because he was moved to tears for his brother, and he went to a private room to weep.
31then washed his face and came out. Barely controlling himself, he ordered his staff to serve the meal.31Then he washed his face and came back out. Regaining his composure, he said, “Serve the meal.”
32Joseph's staff served him by himself, his brothers separately, and the Egyptian staff members by themselves, because the Egyptians wouldn't take their meal with the Hebrews, since doing so was detestable for the Egyptians. 32They separately served Joseph, his brothers, and the Egyptians. They ate separately because the Egyptians would not eat with the Hebrews, since that was detestable to them.
33Meanwhile, the brothers were seated in front of Joseph in birth order, from firstborn to youngest. The men stared at one another in astonishment. 33They were seated before Joseph in order by age, from the firstborn to the youngest, and the men looked at one another in astonishment.
34Joseph himself brought portions to them from his own table, except that he provided to Benjamin five times as much as he did for each of the others. So they feasted together and drank freely with Joseph. 34When the portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times larger than any of the others. So they feasted and drank freely with Joseph.
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.
The Berean Bible (Berean Study Bible (BSB) © 2016, 2018 by Bible Hub and Berean.Bible. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved.
Genesis 42
Top of Page
Top of Page