Genesis 43:1-22 ▼

1 But the famine prevailed in the land.

2 And it came to pass, when they had finished eating the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, that their father said to them, Go again; buy us a little food.

3 And Judas spoke to him, saying, The man, the lord of the country, positively testified to us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, unless your younger brother be with you.

4 If, then, thou send our brother with us, we will go down, and buy thee food;

5 but if thou send not our brother with us, we will not go: for the man spoke to us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, unless your younger brother be with you.

6 And Israel said, Why did ye harm me, inasmuch as ye told the man that ye had a brother?

7 And they said, The man closely questioned us about our family also, saying, Does your father yet live, and have ye a brother? and we answered him according to this question: did we know that he would say to us, Bring your brother?

8 And Judas said to his father Israel, Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and thou, and our store.

9 And I engage for him; at my hand do thou require him; if I bring him not to thee, and place him before thee, I shall be guilty toward thee for ever.

10 For if we had not tarried, we should now have returned twice.

11 And Israel, their father, said to them, If it be so, do this; take of the fruits of the earth in your vessels, and carry down to the man presents of gum and honey, and frankincense, and stacte, and turpentine, and walnuts.

12 And take double money in your hands, and the money that was returned in your sacks, carry back with you, lest peradventure it is a mistake.

13 And take your brother; and arise, go down to the man.

14 And my God give you favour in the sight of the man, and send away your other brother, and Benjamin, for I accordingly as I have been bereaved, am bereaved.

15 And the men having taken these presents, and the double money, took in their hands also Benjamin; and they rose up and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.

16 And Joseph saw them and his brother Benjamin, born of the same mother; and he said to the steward of his household, Bring the men into the house, and slay beasts and make ready, for the men are to eat bread with me at noon.

17 And the man did as Joseph said; and he brought the men into the house of Joseph.

18 And the men, when they perceived that they were brought into the house of Joseph, said, We are brought in because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first; even in order to inform against us, and lay it to our charge; to take us for servants, and our asses.

19 And having approached the man who was over the house of Joseph, they spoke to him in the porch of the house,

20 saying, We pray thee , Sir; we came down at first to buy food.

21 And it came to pass, when we came to unlade, and opened our sacks, there was also this money of each in his sack; we have now brought back our money by weight in our hands.

22 And we have brought other money with us to buy food; we know not who put the money into our sacks.