Genesis 43:1-19 ▼

1 THE famine was very severe in the land.

2 And when they had finished eating the wheat which they had brought from Egypt, their father Jacob said to them, Go down to Egypt, and buy us a little grain.

3 And Judah said to him, The man did solemnly charge us, saying, You shall not see my face except your brother is with you.

4 If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy grain for ourselves;

5 But if you will not send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, You shall not see my face except your brother is with you.

6 Then their father Israel said to them, Why did you cause me this displeasure, as to tell the man whether you had another brother?

7 And they said, The man asked us straitly about ourselves and our kindred, saying, Is your father still alive? Have you another brother? And we told him simply because of these words; could we have known in advance that he would say to us that we should bring our brother down?

8 And Judah said to Israel his father, Send the lad with us, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and you, and also our little ones.

9 And I will be surety for him; of my hands shall you require him; if I do not bring him back to you, and set him before you, then I shall be guilty before my father forever;

10 For if we had not delayed, perhaps we would have now returned a second time.

11 And their father Israel said to them, If it must be so now, then do this: take some of the best fruits of the land in your sacks, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, gum, and myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds;

12 And take double money with you; and the money that was brought back in the mouth of your sacks, take it again with you; perhaps it was an oversight;

13 Take also your brother, and arise, and go again to the man;

14 And may God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin with you. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.

15 So the men took the present, and they took double money with them, and Benjamin; and rose up and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

16 And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, Bring these men into the house, and kill a sheep, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon.

17 And the servant did as Joseph had told him; and brought the men into Joseph's house.

18 And they were afraid, when they brought them into Joseph's house; and they said, It is because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time that we are brought in; so that he may seek occasion against us, and conspire against us, that they may make us slaves, and take away our asses.

19 So they came near to the steward of Joseph's house and spoke with him at the door of the house,